I cannot remember not having a computer available to me.

In elementary school we
played Oregon Trail on Apple IIes and at home we played games and typed papers on an old
Compaq. All of high school we had at least dial-up internet in the 90s. I currently teach in an
adult education setting at the local community college. I am the teacher that uses technology,
which from just the couple weeks worth of lessons in this class is a pretty pathetic statement. I
have a LCD projector and Ladybug document camera that is just a glorified old-school overhead
projector set-up. I am seeing the need to use technology more fully to enhance and amplify
learning.
I was really excited to get these two technologies-projector and Ladybug, but I need to
move beyond what I am doing with them. Thornburg (2104) says that We make a big mistake
when we think the new tools, by themselves, impact learning. The coolest tools are those that let
students learn in ways that result in lifelong intellectual development. Part of my using them is
to be more sustainable by utilizing resources other than photocopies. At work, we are being
closely monitored on our paper usage. By using a projector, I have cut back considerably.
According to AmpliVox (2011) students love technology and devices. I dont know if this is true
for immigrant adults, but it would be probable that their children would fall under that category.
My current student population is immigrants from Mexico, Central America, Sudan,
Somalia, and Cuba. Some come from war-torn countries with baggage that will never be
diagnosed by professionals as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). They will never get an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Because they are not
diagnosed, I am charged with finding creative ways to help them all be successful in learning
English and American culture. These are people with families and hopes for themselves and
children to achieve the American dream. In the Taylor (2013) article he says that 25% of

students in k-12 are English language learners (ELLs). These students tend to be of lower
socioeconomic status (SES) and tend not to use technology in ways that amplify learning
(Halverson, 2013). I can assume that this would translate to their parents as well. They might
know how to make calls on their smart phones or own a computer, but they dont know what to
use it for beyond the basics. They are not helping their children to use technology to amplify
their learning. They are just on the margins of their childrens lives in so many ways - lack of a
common language, lack of common experiences in so far as their educational experiences are
very different, and in technology use. I have the unique opportunity to provide ways to make
technology meaningful and useful for them so that they can then share with their children and
share the American dream together.
My plan to enhance and amplify learning through technology to reach the diverse learner
is still developing. My first step is to give my students an online survey next week and then again
in about March on their comfort level with technology in their daily lives and within the
classroom. I am taking this class to fulfill certification obligations and my current employer is
paying for it so I have to demonstrate how it is useful. This survey will help gauge how this class
has been useful to me, the program, and the students. I am hoping that I will also find out how
many students have smartphones or tablets so that I can make use of PollEverywhere during
class.
The biggest change that I am going to make that I hope will reach all of my students is to
create a class blog where I can post important information and lectures/lessons. I have looked at
Weebly, and it looks promising. I am excited to learn how to do lecture capture that I can post to
YouTube. I am also going to post flashcards on the blog so that students can print them off or use
them online. This is not the fanciest or most creative way to enhance learning. However, building

vocabulary and activating background knowledge is crucial to learning for ELLs and
LD/struggling learners (National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing
Technology in Education, n.d.). Furthermore, vocabulary is one of the five key components of
reading instruction according to the National Reading Panel (2000). I will also post links to the
website that accompanies our book and other favorite ESL websites.
I also want to explore the text to speech function on websites like BookShare. I think this
could be really beneficial to my lower readers. Some students are illiterate in their own language
and really struggle with reading in English. If I can get easy to read books with audio, they might
learn faster. Supposedly there is a computer lab that we will be able to use. I will be able to get
students to use the audio books and programs like Mango language learning and USALearns that
will gear their learning to their individual level and/or interest. This will be helpful to the lower
learners but also the higher level students. I always feel bad holding them back because there are
some painfully slow learners/writers that can barely write their names without much effort. If
these students could use a computer instead of paper and pencil always, maybe they would be
more successful. They wouldnt forget what they are writing before they get the word written.
In Korbey (2013) Andrea Bennet, the Executive Director at California Educational
Technology Professionals Association, said I will also add that we need to stop thinking of
technology as something new and special when it comes to education. It is an essential part of
the learning environment along with electricity and heat and textbooks. Technology wont
improve learning outcomes. Good teaching will.
Technology is not about throwing money at a poverty problem (Taylor, 2013). It is about
enhancing and amplifying learning so that students get a more level playing field. Nearly
everyone has access to technology but the truly successful will be those that know how to use it

for things beyond games, social media, and music. My family hosted a foreign exchange student
three years ago who blew our mind on her lack of using technology as a way to learn more. She
would have a math or science problem and ask us for help. Which was fine, but we did not
understand why she did not just use the Internet; that is what we would end up doing to help her.
She had not yet learned to use technology as a way to create an environment to increase her
knowledge and tap into professionals. Students nowadays, (if they are aware of the possibilities),
have advantages that I never had even just 15 years ago. Before Google, I once emailed a
professor I found online to help me with a math question and he just emailed me back some
nasty comments; he did not want to help me. Now, I could search my query and find 1000
answers because I have found the way to amplify my own learning and create online
environments for success. I want to be a teacher that helps my students to be successful in the
21st century by using technology and effective teaching to help them unlock the Internet and its
potential to enhance and amplify their learning and life experiences.

References
AmpliVox, B. (2011, October 31). Top 10 reasons to use technology in education: iPad,
tablet, computer, listening centers [video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzi2RIt8_nk#t=46
Halverson, R. [Gamifi.cat]. (2013, November 18). 6 2 technology inside versus outside of
classrooms rich halverson [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2LnT6v0lrQ

Korbey, H. (2013, December 3). In the rush to buy new tech for common core, what happens to
the big picture? Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/12/in-the-rush-tobuy-new-tech-for-common-core-what-happens-to-the-big-picture/
National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in
Education (n.d.). Adolescent literacy: Whats technology got to do with it? Retrieved
from http://www.adlit.org/article/35792/
National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of
the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction.
Taylor, J. (2013, November 23). Will technology save public education? The Huffington Post.
Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jim-taylor/will-technology-

save-publ_b_3977533.html
Thornburg, D. D (2014, July 24). The history of ed tech shows that its not about the device. The
Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/07/24/The-History-of-EdTech.aspx?Page=1