Chapter 8 - Reflection

I chose Chapter 8: Systemic Issues because I have a soft spot for the underdog. I was curious what the authors had to say about technology and ESL or Special Ed students. It seems that there are so many wonderful tools out there, that technology can be an excellent way to help these students gain skills and be productive learners.

The second part of the chapter talks about the fact that so many of these students do not have access to the exact technology that could be helping them. How many times have we gone from one school to another and noticed the huge differences in what one school has and the other has not? Not just in the areas of technology either. The good news is there are programs out there trying to make up for some of these differences. Getting these schools noticed and cared for will take some special people standing up and doing a jig for what they believe in.

Schools also need to realize that for some students, technology is only an option at school for a wide variety of reasons. Getting parents on board and at least minimally trained will be another important task.

The last part of the chapter talks about assessment. This made me smile. As I read Chapter 9 and the future of the new schools, I thought, "What about assessment?" Of course, it has to be there! I actually think that the assessment will be one of the easier parts of this movement. Chapter 8 has some excellent ideas and resources for assessing the wide variety of students (with all of their challenges) in our schools.