Discussion borad about special education students - Essay Example

Discussion Board about Special Education Are we doing a good job of creating opportunities for our s to learn to "problem solve" in our school environments? Do you think we are creating individuals who want immediate access to information and for that information to be spoon fed to them rather than creating individuals who, if they do not know the answer to something will exhaust all avenues independently in order to locate the information?Personally, I believe the effect of technology on education has spurred significant changes in the way students perceive problem solving, in general.

Most practitioners maintain a reactive stance to various scenarios and the way majority respond to dilemmas or pressing situations are mirrored by the students who look on educators as role models. The diverse applications provided by technological breakthroughs and gadgets give students the orientation and privilege of locating solutions as the tip of their hands. Gone were the days when answers to traditional home works could only be researched by going to the school library and searching for the answers from diverse sources, using extra time and effort to prepare for the compliance of academic requirements.

Now, students sit in front of the computer and navigate as answers unfold right in front of their eyes. But this is technological development and no one could contest the path it takes. The most that academicians could do at the point is to design strategies that would use technology in creative and innovative ways to hone problem solving and analytical skills of children.Our external environment provides immediate access to information and our students are just responding to the availability and easy access according to what is expected of them.

As educators have already acknowledged that information is readily accessible, and its easy access endangers the ability of students to apply critical thinking, analyzing and problem-solving skills, the more that this environment should provide a challenge for us to use it to our advantage. We should be the one to change our stances to pro-active rather than merely reactive to address the dilemma of students’ inability to apply the needed skills in various scenarios. As a colleague has posted, “problem-solving, critical thinking and brainstorming often require additional time, team building skills and the effort to go the extra mile”.

Teachers should provide the appropriate environment to hone these skills in students and enable them to discern the appropriate skills to use in times when these are needed. I honestly believe that we are not teaching our youth the proper skills they need to succeed. Apart from theoretical frameworks, students must be oriented towards linking these concepts to contemporary events and issues in the actual world. From current scenarios that could be viewed and accessed through the internet, students’ analytical skills can be enhanced by assigning reflective journals or case study questions that would involve thinking and creative responses.

These assignments should be given inside the classroom so that teachers can actually observe that these students were the ones who responded and that answers were not sourced from the internet.Educators should provide the appropriate learning environments through instructional methods and materials that use technological breakthroughs to acclimatize students on current problem solving, communication, conflict resolution and analytical requirements. Our responsibility as academicians is to assume a more proactive stance to address impending problems faced by our students in contemporary generation.