The use of social networking and virtual environment can benefit diverse learners because they allow students to work at their own pace. They are also able to connect and communicate with their peers to enhance learning. Students that are visual and auditory learners can make learning connections through the use of social networking and virtual environments. There are some environments designed for students with physical and cognitive disabilities.
My students have been exposed to web-based learning through the use of Reading Eggs, Math Seeds, and iRead. I am certain my students are learning while using these programs, but I am unsure of the amount of learning they would achieve using some of the virtual environments I explored. Club Penguin and Tropic Mind seemed to be more about games than learning.
At my school digital divide seems to exist among the teachers. There are more women than men, but the divide is not among the sexes, it is more about the willingness to adapt to the change in educational technology. They are reluctant to try new programs and when they are force to use some new software, they often complain. I would like to change their attitudes toward technology and help them to embrace it as a valuable teaching tool in the 21st century of teaching and learning.
My students love using the computers for learning. I can see a greater love in the female students than male students. I try to make sure all my students have the same amount of access to technology in the class. We use the interactive whiteboard to actively engage the students in learning. I am always amazed at how quickly they learn to manipulate the tools on the board. I encourage all my students to use computer technologies to increase learning and become life-long learners.
Club Penguin | Virtual Environment (n.d). Retrieved February 9, 2016 from www.clubpenguin.com
Edmodo | Connect With Students and Parents in Your Paperless Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2016, from https://www.edmodo.com/
Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, (7th ed.) Boston: Pearson.
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2014). Web 2.0 how-to for educators (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR. ISTE
Tropic Mind | Virtual Environment (n.d) Retrieved February 9, 2016 from www.tropicmind.com.