Assistive Technology: Creating Possibilities

           Many parents give birth to kids who are different than others and have special talents, but need something or someone's help to enhance their gift. Thus, assistive technology was born. Those who created these devices to help the needs of special kids to reach their potential are a genius. There are many things assistive technology can do for children with disabilities.

           Mobility is very important, and there are electronic wheel chairs to help people who can't walk. This alone is very helpful. It helps them get to where they want to go without always relying on someone's help.
Students with disabilities, such as difficulty hearing, bad eye sight, or limited mobility of the hands, all have a hope. Hearing aids are amplification devices that enables the student to hear as normal as possible. For students with bad eye sights, the use of glare-reduction screens, screen magnifiers, and Braille note-taking devices to help them participate fully in the classrooms.
            Technology today is wonderful, and it gives everyone advantages in life. Computers, for example, can help a severely disabled student control their computers just by moving their eyes or they can install a voice recognition software to operate it.
             In the video, assistive technology brings a lot to the table for those who are disabled. For example, it gives them hope to live a normal life and not dwell on their disabilities. Without it, these people would feel as if they don't belong in this world. I believe that God created us with a purpose in life and for those who are unfortunate, they too have a challenge that they can face because of assistive technology.
              Overall, there are many assistive technology devices that are out there to help disabled students live and function easier. Parents need to know about this if their child is disabled. Seeing their child accomplish more of what they expect can be a wonderful feeling for them.

Related article:
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic80.htm            

zoom text assistive technology

  The Zoom text is a product I find to be a very helpful for anyone who has a difficult time with reading.  This assistive technology grabbed my attention because I am one of those students who have a difficult time reading anything. But with Zoom Text I wouldn't have to worry any more. If I were to have this technology I wouldn't have to worry about reading page after page of text with Zoom Text i would just have to kick my feet up and listen. The Zoom Text can also help me study for a test, so instead of reading over and over a paper I can record the paper on to my iPod and just listen to it any time and all the time, especially while I'm driving. I think the Zoom Text would be perfect for all people but especially auditory learners.

A New Way of Helping Each Other

Assistive technologies are amazing innovations of our time.  They assist those of us who are physically disabled but are still wanting to participate in activities that mostly normal body persons could do.  Some events that assistive technologies are used in are sports, cooking, mobility, and in the field of education.  An example of assistive technology in sports would be an event that was held at the Yorba Linda Country Club where many para plegics participated in a tennis tournament.  There participation in the event would not have been possible if not for their use of their wheelchairs which increases their mobility. 

Assistive technology is probably best used in the field of education to help students with physical and learning disorders.  I know of students at a local high school called Southern High School who have problems communicating because their disorders keep them from talking properly.  Assitive technology could help these students communicate better with their teachers and peers. Their is a device that allows students with communication disabilities to type in what they want to say on a keyboard and then a speaker attached to the keyboard says the word for the student.  This allows the student to have a normal conversation with his teachers and his peers, therefore breaking down the image that he or she cannot talk.

I was given this project by my teacher to find information on assistive technology and then send my findings to him via email.  When i searched through the internet I was astounded at how much information was avialable to me.  I found websites that had articles in it, about how successful assistive technology has been for blind kids, kids who can't walk, and kids with communication problems.  So far I am noticing too that teachers are coming up with thier very own ideas of how to help their students.  I saw a YouTube video of a teacher who has made and bought items at stores that have assisted her in teaching her students more effectively. 

The world of education is doing better from my point in helping their students with disabilities.  I have and uncle in his 50's who has a mental disorder, and I heard stories about how the teachers during his time would just give up on him and say that he was unteachable.  The mistakes of the past are definitely not being repeated in the present and wanna thank the many people who have made that possible.

Life Changing Advancements

                One will never fully comprehend the beauty of assistive technology until they find themselves needing one. I have two nephews who have Down-Syndrome. One of them dropped out of school at a very young age and the other is still in school, but he is struggling. Assistive technology has improved so much since the days I was in primary school. These improvements have made huge impacts on the lives of many of the disabled students and workers alike.

                My nephew dropped out of school back in the early 1990’s because he could not take it anymore. He did not receive any assistance from the school or his parents because both parties lacked the funding. He was placed in a classroom with other students who did not have any disabilities and was expected to be able to keep up with them. On the other hand, my younger nephew is in primary school at the moment and he is thriving. The school was able to provide assistance in terms of basic things like bigger pencils to more advanced materials like computers and other technological devices.  The difference in how well these two people did in school reflects the amount of assistance they received.  This shows that assistive technology is necessary and greatly appreciated.

                Furthermore, the rate at which inventors are progressing in creating these new assistive technologies is astounding. When I was in primary school, we were amazed when we saw a remote controlled wheelchair, computers, and many more. Today, there are computers with voice recognition so people can take notes or write a paper without having to touch the keyboard. There are brail keypads that allow the blind to type. There are so many different technological advances today that were not available a few years ago.

                Today, students with disabilities are able to do the same work as the other students in the same class because of assistive technologies. For instance, in the video shown during the google+ conference shows examples of students like Susanna Martini who use assistive technology to pursue a higher education and live normal lives.  Susanna herself states that she would not be where she is today if she did not have the assistive technologies that are available to her. Computers, remote controls, and much more technological advancement have made life easier for many of today’s disable students.

                Conclusively, advancement of assistive technology has made life a little easier for people with disabilities. They are now able to do many of the things other people do instead of just watching from the sideline. Children are able to participate in classroom activities using their specialized instruments.  Having these instruments allow student an equal level of learning as everyone else. Disabled students are able to learn on their own and become less dependent on other people. I absolutely love the idea that disabled students can explore and learn more things today than they were able to years ago. 

Refrence:

1. Jefferson Parish Public School System, Addressing Survival Skills for the 21st Century.  01March2012. <http://sped.jppss.k12.la.us/sped-assistive-tech/>

The Variation of Technology

In the past, disabled people were given no chance to an education. They were isolated and rejected from society that made them fit nothing close to normal. However, as time had passed things changed including the use of technology. Disabled people are now given the right to an education with the help of assistive technology. It has become a big impact on a disabled student’s education because with a variety of assistive technologies they are able to gain the proper education that is almost equivalent to the education that a normal student would receive.

One assistive technology that a disabled student can benefit from is a speech recognition application. This technology is made specifically for those students who have impaired hearing. The student will no longer require an in class translator or a person to communicate sign language. This device will do the job a lot easier for them. All it needs is for someone to speak out loud to the device and it will automatically show the spoken words through text.

Having accessible keyboards within a classroom is another assistive technology method for disabled students. There are many types available. One type of keyboard is made to have extra large keys that will help a disabled student to see the keys more clearly. An ergonomic keyboard is another type of accessible keyboard. Sometimes it can be made to slant up to help those who can’t sit up properly or its shape can be altered in any way that will accommodate a disabled student. Sometimes a special mouse will be used alongside a keyboard. It will have a controllable rolling ball and buttons for those who can’t move their arms but can only move their fingers.

Besides keyboards, there are also accessible switches available within the classroom. And just like the keyboards, they are also made in many different ways to accommodate a disabled student. It can be controlled by the movement of a foot, a head, the blink of an eye, or by breath responses. These responses allow the disabled student to communicate with the teacher or help them to participate in an assignment.

In conclusion, there are a wide range of assistive technologies open to disabled students. The speech recognition applications, keyboards, and switches were just a few of the many technologies discussed.  I believe that with this available variation disabled students are actually capable of receiving a proper education. With the help of assistive technology they are no longer separated from the social norm. I also believe that assistive technology gives children control and power to help them be in charge of their education. As time will pass, assistive technology will always grow and as it grows it will continue to make it easier for students w/ disabilities to communicate better with the teacher and society. 

Related Articles: 

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech086.shtml

Making the Impossible...Possible

It is amazing what assistive technology can do for those who can't do for themselves.  I have watched several youtube videos on assistive technology, and the one that touched me most was Amy's speech. Amy has a disability that doesn't allow her to speak, and limits her activity.  She has to rely on assistive technology to speak for her.

What Amy is using is the ECO device, which is an Augmentive and Alternative Communication device or AAC.  This device allows Amy to speak, although she can't use her own voice.  Amy also is using the TouchChat application on her iPad.  In the video she demonstrates how both work.

I feel that this type of assistive technology helps Amy feel a little more, or a lot more like everyone else.  She is just like any other girl and likes the things that normal girls like.  Not that Amy is not normal, she is special.  I admire her desire to do speeches in front of big crowds, and how she loves to do it.  Without the technology that has been offered to her, she would have not been as successful as she is now.  And by successful, I mean happy.

I remember when I was in school, those with disabilities literally were just in the class and did nothing. I know deep inside that they yearned to learn just like every other student in the class.  They just didn't have the voice to shout it out to the world.  Amy is truly an inspiration, not just to those with disabilities, but to everyone.  This type of assistive technology makes the impossible...possible.

Related articles

• Finding a Voice through Technology (ahrcnyc.wordpress.com)
• Students gain independence through technology (melrosehsprincipal.wordpress.com)

Unleashing Assistive Technology

It is incredibly amazing how technology is there for you in any way that you need it. I think technology has entered a higher level with assistive technology for the disabled kids.  Assistive technology is technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Watching the YouTube video during our online class conference really opened my eyes to see the impact technology has in the world. To be able to provide for the special kids the kind of teaching method they need using technology is just really fascinating. The tools with the Assistive technology shows many improvements with the disabled kids, allowing them to develop different learning skills and to understand what is going on around them. There are so many different tools that can be used for assissting, from wheelchairs to computers to even ipads. We need these tools on island to help the special kids in school because they too thirst for knowledge and education. I do not know if any school or programs on island  are using assistive technology but if not then i really recommend it be use because i think it will really help brighten up a disabled child and give them a better understanding. 

Reference:

1.unleashing the power of Assistive Technology. www.net/ncti.com

The Power of the "Tech"

Image from OnlineMedicineTips.com

  In a classroom, there are students sitting down on desks writing in their notebooks or loose-leaf papers while an individual student sits in the side tapping on a screen of a device. That student is known to have a type of disability who needs special attention and accommodations. The non-disabled students stare with envious looks wishing that were them automatically doing an assignment by a single tap of a finger. But little do they know that the device is the only thing that helps the special need student with everyday use.
  
  I am currently taking an education class called ED-215 "Intro to Exceptional Individuals" and it is a class that focuses on certain types of disabilities that are common in schoolchildren. I am not a Special Education major, but the class was required for my major, which is Elementary Education. The information that I have obtained so far in      the class was not so familiar with me, but I got to find out more about the types of disabilities and how students with special needs get through school, recreation, and household lifestyle.


   One day, we went to GSAT (Guam System of Assistive Technology) to learn more about the types of assistive technology. It was my first time going there and I was suprised to see all the different types of devices available for people with disabilities. One device that caught my eye was the Smart Pen, which is a special kind of pen that records and takes notes usually for students with autism or learning disabilities. Another one was the Logan Proxtalker, which is a device that talks when pictures are shown to form sentences. There are two types of categories of assistive technology: High-tech or Low-tech depending on how much it costs and how effective each one is.


   I think that Assistive Technology is a powerful tool that will help change the lives of people with disabilities who have hard times paying attention in school, doing work, playing activities, or getting through barriers. Assitive Technology does not only benefit people with disabilities, but can also benefit everyone.


Related article:

• Family Guide to Assistive Technology (pluk.org)
  Written and edited by:
  Katharin A. Kelker, Ed.D.
  Roger Holt, ATP
  

Accessibility to Technology

Image via WikipediaThis is from a post I wrote in June on another blog...

Now that you've finally made it to the summer, it's time to get to that list of things you want to do.   If you're like me, you have a number of ideas and projects for education that have been sitting on the back burner.  One topic I'll be pursuing is the accessibility of technology for people with disabilities.

I have to admit that this is an area I haven't considered in my fervor to integrate technology.  It is, however, an issue that I've noticed more and more in the material I come across.  Like this article in Campus Technology entitled "Department of Ed Expands on Accessibility Issue in Ed Tech",  most point out that education is meant to be provided to everyone no matter what form it takes.  Web content providers, such as myself, need to take this into account as we publish our material for use in the classroom.  W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium lists some areas to consider:

• alternative text for images
• keyboard input
• transcripts for podcasts

I believe the first item is most relevant to what I provide with RealWorldMath.org.  I have embraced the visual content of Google Earth as a prime feature of my work, but I haven't considered how someone who is visually impaired would be able to complete the tasks.  I could be wrong.  There could be more issues that I need to address and so that is why I plan on learning more.  The W3C site seems to be a good place to start.

This is definitely an area I wished I considered when I first designed my materials.  If you plan on creating a large website, you would be wise to take these ideas into account.  Not only will you be making your material more accessible to everyone, but you will be saving yourself a lot of time from re-designing what you already have.

Related articles

• What is web accessibility in good web design user experience? (marketing.yell.com)
• Accessibility Alphabet Soup (macondevelopment.wordpress.com)
• Web accessibility 101 (marketing.yell.com)

Reflection to Down The Rabbit Hole

After reading the posted article and watching the two YouTube videos, i have to say that it really opened my eyes to how the education system is faltering in this new era.  I was born in the year 1991 and during those times technology wasn't that big of a deal yet.  Yes, there was Internet but it was still super slow and finding information on it was not the normal thing to do.  My early years of school were still pretty interesting to me because learning was still fun and the amount of distractions around me didn't take my attention away from the lesson.  I remember in my elementary years I went to a public school named P.C. Lujan, and me and my classmates both girls and boys were always competing in the classroom as to who would provide the teacher with the correct answer to whatever question she asked.  We were like this because I remember my teacher would provide us with a candy prize if we got it right, or a pizza party on a Friday if the whole class  participated and this seemed to work for us.  When I got to middle school and high school things became a little bit different because then high speed Internet was introduced to us.  At that time i was attending a private school and I remember that's when I was first assigned to write a paper and my sources had to be from two books and from one Internet source.  The Internet source was a first for me because I had hardly used the Internet before, but when I looked information for my paper on the Internet i was amazed at how many things were available to me to use, "I thought to myself screw books and the library I can get all my sources right here and just look up a book title and put those down".  From that point on middle school and high school work was always based off of what i found on the Internet.  Even if I had a reading assignment on a play like MACBETH I would look for the summaries on the Internet and just read those.  Now while I am in college technology is even more accessible because of the invention of smart phones.  Sometimes while in class teachers will ask questions and if the students don't know the answer they'll ask someone to look up the answer on their smart phone which sounds really silly and funny to me.  All in all the the education system of today is starting to become irrelevant to our new world where information is no longer trapped in books.  So the man in the second YouTube video was right when he said that the education system doesn't need to better itself but it needs to change.  Because i have most of the answers in my smart phone. 

Justin Borja

Stop Standardization

Before watching the videos of Sir Ken Robins’ speech and Will Richardson’s lecture, I knew schools were boring. But now I see that they may ironically be failing to educate students. According to both videos, today’s education system is ““taking all the imagination, all the creativity, all the initiative, all the engagement right out of [our students].” As Sir Robins points out, this problem has its roots in the past. According to him, schools as we know it were formed during the Industrial Revolution to produce a stronger, smarter class of people who could be better employees. “Schools are still pretty much organized on factory lines: Ringing bells, sepereate facilities specialized into special subjects. We still educate children by batches, we still educate them by age group…It’s like the most important thing about them is their date of manufacture.”

This mentality shows me that schools do not exist to benefit students, they exist to benefit CEOs and company presidents. With this paradigm we can get a clearer picture of why schools punish insubordination, tardiness, and talking with peers during work; they want to mold us into nice little worker bees. Schools need to change. They should be less like mental factories and more mental jungle gyms, where a student’s brain goes to flex its muscles.

In my opinion, this could be achieved by listening to Will Richardson. He argues that we need to upgrade our systems to utilize the wealth of information available through technology, and tap into our student’s passion for learning in the process. Get it straight: our students want to learn. However, they’ll fall asleep in their desks if their teachers teach directly to standardized tests, as too often is the case. Today’s system robs students of opportunities to engage themselves in the lesson. Also, forget about students finding anything useful or interesting in a standardized test either.

So it’s clear to me: stop with all the standardization! 

Here's an author who can give you some other insights on what "education" should mean.

Reflection

             In my mother's household, education comes first. However, she has a saying, " Why do something if you will not have fun doing it?" She understood  that in order for my siblings and I to strive to do our best in school, we had to think of it as a form of recreation. Many people won't understand what I mean when I say school was a form of recreation for my siblings and I because most student's did experience school the way Peter Gray described it. They saw school as a form of work with no fun incorporated into it, and fun was something to be had outside the school campus.
            Will Richardson made good points about children being held back by the curriculum and student's succeeding because they have chosen to take initiative on their lives. I've had teachers who made me HATE going to school, but those few teachers did not compare to the one's who made me want to do more and get better. There are only a handful of my teachers who supported my mother's idea about school being a place of recreation; those teachers left great impressions in my life. I do believe that school is fun. Here are a few things you can do to have fun while in school;  join organizations,  keep your chin up, etc...  Following these few things will help. I had a lot of fun in my primary and secondary school days.                                    
        However, not many students are able to experience what I did. Most students don't have parents or mentors who are willing to go out of their way to make a student's formal education a fun and memorable one. Sir Ken Robinson, a leading expert in the development of education,  makes a good point when he says that we are being taught the same things that were taught a long time ago. He is right to say that we are still being taught in the same manner that our great grandparents were taught. Student's today need a better way of learning. Memorization of all text is no longer required, given all the technology we now have. What students of today need is a way to stay motivated. They need challenging problems that will catch and hold their attentions because simple problems can now be solved through a smart phone. Student's need something that would stimulate their brains.        
        The article and the two videos all mentioned the structure of the education system. Richardson  spoke of his daughters progress in her piano lessons and the way the teacher did not want her to move on until the teacher thought it was the right time to do so.  Robinson spoke about the ways schools put students of the same age into one category regardless of their ability to comprehend the subject matter. Peter Gray showed that we are still doing the same things that were done years ago.  These three videos and article have shown that the way the curriculum is today can be holding students back instead of allowing them to progress. However, until our school leaders understand what is happening, we have to try and do our part. We can make the best out of a terrible situation. If we can't change the leaders' perspective, we can change our. We can look at school as a place of structured fun learning and extend that learning any which way we want to. The way that Richardson's daughter did. She enjoyed her piano lessons and expanded her horizon on her own terms.

*This article may not have much to do with what I wrote but you should read it :http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200909/why-don-t-students-school-well-duhhhh

Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtu.be
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200808/brief-history-education?page=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni75vIE4vdk&feature=youtu.be

 Addi

Where there's a WILL...there's a WAY*

Being born to a mother who only finished up to the 7^th grade, education was actually an important topic she always use to stress, even until now. My parents constantly point out that having an education is merely the key to success. Because my mother grew up in Chuuk, education was not as important to her. However, the thing that was significant in her life was caring for her parents when they were ill and looking after her family’s farm. It wasn’t until my mother moved away from Chuuk and into Saipan and Guam where she realized how important education actually is. Therefore, because she lacked the guidance and resources relating to education when she was a child, she made it her goal to provide her children with what the importance of a successful life really is-EDUCATION.

On top of all of this, after reading the article written by Peter Gray, I would say that I somewhat agree about the fact that children learn through playing. However, not ALL things can be taught in such a way. Gray states that learning is hard work; it is something that children must be forced to do, not something that will happen naturally through children's self-chosen activities. In spite of this, I believe that in order to provide children with an enjoyable way of learning, where it is not all that forced upon, Educators must think outside the box. They must think of various encouraging ways they can teach children without feeling the need to force it on them.

On the other hand, after viewing the video on Changing Education Paradigms, I found some enticing facts that were pointed out. For example, the fact that children now are being overwhelmed with information they are getting from advertisements, media and so forth, which are causing them to lose focus on all that is going on in the classroom because they feel like it’s just BORING. This is another message pointed out to the Educators that it is important to keep learning in a classroom as exciting as possible.

Furthermore, with the advancement in technology, Richardson is absolutely right. Children now are using the internet as a way to discover what THEY want to know a lotfaster rather than waiting around to be taught. They are basically learning to teach themselves through the resources today’s society has to showers us with. In a nutshell, our world is ever changing. It’s just a matter of being able to keep up.

Sources:

http://expertscolumn.com/content/why-education-important-our-life 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni75vIE4vdk&feature=youtu.be

Freedom to Learn!

During my years of going to school, I always thought to myself. How was education back then? What is the difference between from then and now? As I read the article and watched the two videos, I got a totally different perspective about education that I never knew. Education was not forced in the first place, it was through experience. But in today's modern world, that freedom to learn has changed dramatically.

As I read the article titled, "A Brief history of Education," I got so many perspectives about what education was back then compared to now. I learned that kids in schools learn on their own without adult supervision, without an adult directing them. The kids learned on their own through trial and error and experience. Through freedom and exploration, kids learned on their own, but that freedom to learn has changed as years passed on. While the rise industry was happening, kids were forced to do hard labor in factories, they basically had no choice but to work. Back in the Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century, kids were beaten into submission to Lords and Masters into doing work for them.

Also when I listened Sir Ken Robinson and Will Richardson's perspective on education, it opened my eyes to one point. Children lost their freedom to learn. Basically children lost their freedom and their right to explore the world on their own free will. Today's education, you go to school, learn what you have to learn, and if you don't learn it, then you fail and there is no hope for you to survive life. I liked how Sir Ken Robinson pointed out in his video, he said that there are two experiences in learning, one is Aesthetic, meaning you learn from first hand experience, on the spot learning. Then there's anaesthetic, meaning you shut yourself down, you have to learn what without your free will, you make yourself into a robot, forcing yourself into what you have to learn. Which automatically shuts your imagination and excitement about learning.

So to conclude, in order to get children to see education more interesting and fun, we should not raise the bar for them by adding new and better curriculum, but to attend to their needs on how to learn.

Resources

Freedom to learn: The roles of and play and curiosity as foundations for learning

By Peter Gray

Reflection on, ' History of Education '

After reading Peter Gray article, it hit me hard that EDUCATION has indeed changed over the years.Do we all know  the true meaning of what is education? Until today I am still learning what it means to educate or to be educated. And I am very aware that technology has dominated in Education. During my childhood i learned so many ways, as gray mentions, playing has a big role in learning. I am surrounded with many kids because I have so many nephews and nieces. I observe them everyday and see that they learn each day while they are playing outside. how does Playing contributes to education? Playing is educational, it allows you to interact with others and develop communication skills.With my experience, during my childhood years, playing with my peers allowed me to be more out-spoken and creative. And know technology has given me more ways to be creative, especially with all the educational tools technology has set out, i can honestly say that life in the future will be easier than i imagined. This article was interesting to read and i really gathered insightful information on education and technology today.

"The Truth Behind Education"

 

During my childhood and adolescent years, my parents always talked about how my education had to come first. They believed that going to school was the right thing to do. I was curious to know why learning was so important. Today, there are many students who hate going to school. After reading the article about the history of education, it makes me think twice about what really matters. I agree that children can learn something by playing and exploring outside of a classroom. There are many different ways a child can obtain knowledge, such as how the hunter-gatherer families did back then. It’s very sad to hear about how children were treated as slaves in the labour market and were not allowed free education. We should take the time to appreciate and embrace how lucky we are to have experienced years of educational learning.

            In Robinson’s video, I want to highlight the part about how a school system is structured. I never noticed that a school and a factory had resemblance, because of segregated facilities for boys and girls, divided age-groups along with the school bell. Today, I think of school as being a ticket to the workforce and all about standardized testing. I did not enjoy doing SATs that often back in school. Assessments are not the only way to measure a student’s way of thinking.

            Richardson’s talk was the most interesting to me, because it opened my eyes to realize the truth behind education. There are some teachers who perform badly but are hard to get rid of, because of tenures. I do not think students deserve that kind of teaching. Online resources were also mentioned in this video and how they can serve as an aid. In the modern world, technology is growing to become the number one guide for everyone. Teachers from all around the world have to work effectively as a team in order to prepare their students solve real-life problems they would have to face in the years to come.

 Related article:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/01/25/Obama-Education-today-key-to-tomorrow/UPI-43401296009978/

A Reflection of Down the Rabbit Hole

 

Back when I  was a student under the public high school system I had many days of coming across dreadful moments of not wanting to come to school. However, as I look at myself today and contemplate on the videos and article that I had viewed, it makes me think about how my attendance in school was actually worth something. It made me think about not only I as a student but others who continued their education with me.  Basically, the point that I saw and agreed with in the article and videos is that we are the children of the future. Although the education is not consistently well due to some teachers, the intentions of the government were quite clear.

Throughout all my years of being a student I experienced many downfalls with teachers. One of them was quite similar to Peter Gray's historical teacher in Germany who was proud to bear a sum of "20,989 taps with a ruler" amongst the bare skins of his students. Just like the ruler teacher in Germany, I had a ruler/meter stick teacher in my first grade year. However, she wasn’t as violent as the article provoked, because she only used desks (broke two rulers with that) and a few usages of students hands. This method didn’t help students and I learn at all. Instead, we were inferior to learning.

Another teacher had me come across days where instead of learning I sat countless minutes to hours on a classroom desk or in a cafeteria waiting for my teacher to arrive late or be completely absent for the whole day. I also came across another teacher who would come into class with his shades on obviously hinting that he’s hung-over, high on drugs, or ready to sleep while the rest of the class will learn nothing. These are just a few listed downfalls that I had with some teachers.

There were also other teachers, many in fact, who did completely better than the disappointing teachers in creating a good educational environment for me. These were the teachers who made me learn. They were consistent, intelligible, and made learning fun and worthwhile. Sure, I do agree with Will Richardson that they were working on "raising the needles on the test scores," but at the same time they were helping other students and I to become responsible hard workers who will do well in school, make it to college, and get a job.

In conclusion, I believe that even though bad teachers may come across one’s way, good teachers will eventually come along to make a beneficial impact in one’s life. Basically, this was the concept that the government was aiming for—to get students to become inspired learners rather than ill factory workers or bums at home.They wanted us to be better off for the future.

 Related article:

 http://www.localhistories.org/corporal.html