Student Guide Corner

I'm one of those people who believe the term "digital native" sets up the presumption that our students know more than we do when it pertains to all things technological. That is not my experience. Instead, I see students are clueless about how technology can help them learn academic content. Therefore, it's a term I avoid, except to debunk it. It seems appropriate to share a number of tips and tricks that I believe all students need to know. They will use the ones that help them learn but it is essential we show them these strategies to help them develop their own toolkit for learning. Here's a starting place: Writing As part of the pre-writing process, planning is essential. Students often use graphic organizers or create outlines. Webspiration offers the capability to do both with one click of this online tool. No need to waste paper. Show them right click when writing. (and yes, there is a right click on the Mac. It's just CTL + click). Then, explicitly t...

Update 5/31/10 - a commenter reported the audio in the video is difficult to understand and suggested I include the transcript. If I have time, I will write out a transcript. In the meantime, be forwarned, you may have a hard time understanding everything Shamin had to say. I still think his words are more valuable to hear than mine. Too bad the audio isn't better. Nothing speaks to the value of an assistive technology tool better than a student's own words. I can trumpet the value of particular tools, but the power that comes from student testimony is far more effective. In this case, the tool is the Livescribe Smart Pen . I have written about the Smart Pen before and think it's an excellent tool for students with note-taking difficulties. In fact, I use it when I attend professional development so that I can review information later. But what Shamin Ahmed, of the Arts and Tech High School in New York, has to say is far more important for you to hear. Watch the video bel...

High school students are required to write essays pertaining to a variety of topics. It's one of their roles as a student. The ability to write well is a life skill. Never underestimate the importance of teaching a student to write effectively. Unfortunately, many students with special needs fall far behind their peers with regard to written expression. Often, they are allowed to write less, or allowed to dictate to an adult scribe or receive so much support, the final product does not reflect their effort. Nevertheless, it is imperative we provide opportunities to improve independent writing skills following explicit writing instruction. Now there is a free, online tool, called Paper Rater , which analyzes writing across five distinct categories : Plagiarism detection Spell Check Grammar Check Word Choice Style Vocabulary Builder And not only is writing analyzed, but additionally, writing instruction is also offered. It's easy to use, no sign-up required. You copy and paste y...