Apple products have long been known for being universal when it comes to easy of use, but I never imaged all the features that it would have for accessibility. When looking further into the types of assistive technology that the Apple iPhone 7 offers I was blown away. I currently have an Apple iPhone 7 that runs on iOS 10.3.1 software. When visiting the Apple website, there is a whole page dedicated to the accessibility features and they are broken down into different categories such as featured, vision, hearing, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy. A few of the accessibility features are described below.
Vision: "VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that lets you enjoy using iPhone even if you don't see the screen" (Apple, 2017). This allows the user to have a description of anything that they are doing on their iPhone including apps, battery level, who's calling, what text messages say, etc. Display accommodations allows the user to adjust color and fonts, zoom to magnify, speak screen, Siri, and dictation. All features will assist those who have vision impairments or are completely blind. Hearing: "These advanced hearing aids provide outstanding sound quality, offer many helpful features" (Apple, 2017). There are models specifically made for iPhone hearing aids and volume adjustments available to balance the volume for each ear. TTY software is also available that transcribes phone calls. Visual and vibrating alerts as well as FaceTime makes sure that the user doesn't miss a thing. As technology continues to evolve, more features and forms of assistive technology will become available. I had no idea that a majority of these features could easily be used on my personal device. It is encouraging to know that these technologies are available to assist and greatly benefit those with disabilities or impairments. I assume that these technologies are available on Android devices as well as other types of technologies such as laptops or tablets. I am glad that I am now aware that such assistive technologies exist, and can now utilize these technologies both in and outside of the classroom. References: Apple. (2017). Accessibility. Apple. Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/accessibility/.
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Although technology can positively enhance a classroom learning environment, there are several obstacles that I face when incorporating technology in my classroom. I hope that through continued collaboration and education, I can overcome these obstacles and effectively use technology to positively enhance student learning and engagement.
The first obstacle is struggling to find marketing specific technology resources. As much as I try to incorporate general technology into my classroom, it would be nice to have more specific technologies, simulations, etc. that relate to my content area. A solution to this is that I am currently in a Business Educators Facebook group that allows me to collaborate with other business educators so I can learn about marketing specific technology resources. I can also stay active on social media, participating in Twitter chats, Webinars, etc. or attend business specific conferences to learn more about available resources. A second obstacle that I face is something that I have mentioned in a few other blog posts. Although this generation of students is known to be "tech savvy," many lack basic computer technology and problem solving skills when it comes to using new technology. It is never safe to assume that all students know how to complete simple technology tasks. While this can be an annoyance and does take time to introduce new technologies, it is important to do so and will save a headache in the future. A solution to this is to show a demo and have step by step instructions for students to follow when using new technologies. In addition, more advanced technology students can help out their peers. It is also important for students to realize that it is perfectly okay to learn through trial and error. Many times I see students become frustrated and give up right away when they can't figure something out. I think this also has to do with laziness and shutting down when anything seems to be a challenge. By encouraging students to work through the challenges, they will gain technological skills that will help them later in life. A final obstacle that I face when incorporating technology in the classroom is a term known as cyberslacking. This refers to distraction while using technology, such as being on social media or playing games instead of using phones or computers for their intended educational use (Starkman, 2015). I commonly have students use our classroom laptops to work on assignments or I let them use their phones for quick technology uses. I feel that I am constantly running around trying to police students and make sure that they are on task. I have yet to find a good solution for this, but a classmate wrote about the idea of having students take ownership for their technology use and setting high expectations for what acceptable use does and does not look like. I plan to do this at the beginning of the next school year and remind this year's students of this. As great as technology can be in the classroom, there are always going to be obstacles. The best thing that we can do is use it as a tool to enhance learning and have high expectations for student use. I hope that I will continue to discover new and engaging ways to incorporate technology in my classroom and that students realize the benefits that it provides, while not taking advantage of the privilege they are given and how lucky they are to have such technologies readily available. References: Starkman, R. (2015). Cyberslacking in shanghi: what my students taught me. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-starkman/cyberslacking-in-shanghai_1_b_7820796.html "The use of technology in classrooms has become a major component of today's business education, where computers and specialty software are common in teaching many courses (Aiken, Cauley, & Whitney, 2010). Overall, I support the idea that technology enhances learning in the classroom. However, it is imperative that there is a specific goal and purpose for incorporating technology into the classroom, rather than for the sake of just using technology. Teaching a marketing class makes this easy, since so many business skills revolve around the use of technology.
I try to incorporate technology as much as I can in my marketing class. Whether it's simple skills such as teaching students how to attach a file to an email, format a document, or more advanced skills such as using different programs and websites to create advertising material, I cannot stress enough how important it is that students learn these skills. It is concerning to see the lack of computer technology skills that some high school students possess. I see and hear it every day, students that are clueless when it comes to simple tasks such as the above mentioned. If we are not teaching these skills and helping students to become comfortable with technology, we are not only doing them a disservice, but also are doing a poor job of preparing them for their futures. Yes, students may be "tech-savvy," but there is a difference between knowing how to work a smartphone and knowing how to navigate a computer and use technology efficiently. Again, this brings me to the importance of learning these job-transferable skills and making sure these students are career ready. Students exposed to technology learn to be more comfortable with it in the classroom and it plays an important role in skills beyond college. It also has a positive effect on overall intellectual development and educational experiences. (Aiken, Cauley, & Whitney, 2010). With an ever-evolving digital society, social media marketing will continue to grow, businesses will continue to embrace technology, and technology skills will continue to be marketable skills. By incorporating the use of technology in the classroom, students will become proficient, and will be well-prepared for a future career. References: Aiken, K.D., Cauley, F. G., & Whitney, K. L. (2010). Technologies across our curriculum: a student of technology integration in the classroom. Journal of Education for Business. 85. 118-120. doi: 10.1080/08832320903258600. |
AuthorReflection blog for Master's in Educational Technology course EdTech 541 at Boise State University. Archives
April 2017
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