Category: Education 2143

Title, author source, and date of the article

The newspaper article entitled Colleges Seek New Paths to Diversity after Court Ruling was obtained from the New York Times edition dated 22^nd day of April 2014. Tamar Lewin authored the article.

Summary of main points in the article

The article reports and addresses the aspect of racial preference in the admission of students to higher learning institutions. This followed a Supreme Court ruling that supported the prohibition of college admissions based on race in Michigan State (Lewin par. 1). For a long time, Michigan State has employed the race factor in the admission of learners to tertiary institutions. The argument advanced by proponents of race-based admissions is that the practice provides the best way of promoting diversity in institutions of higher learning. Even after Michigans Supreme Court made its ruling, the discourse on race-based preferences in the education sector is far from over. Some educators argue that as much as there are a number of other variables that can be used to promote diversity in learning institutions, they may not be effective at all (Lewin par. 7).

Most of the top brass officials in higher education were not pleased by the Supreme Courts verdict. They felt that such a court decision would jolt them further in the process of seeking optional measures to cultivate diversity among students. It is also expected that the court ruling may have a spiral or ripple effect in other states that are still condoning race-based admission criteria for learners in colleges.

Relationship to course readings, objectives, implications, diversity and inclusion

From the course readings and the overall course objectives, the newspaper article is of great significance in solidifying some of the pertinent issues of diversity learned in class. To begin with, the newspaper article highlights a long term issue that has affected the education sector in American society. Diversity, in itself, is a powerful tool that can be used to enhance socio-economic development in any society. However, it is crucial to mention that there are myriads of challenges that can hamper the relevance of diversity in the contemporary world. The issue of diversity in education can be approached from various perspectives. In the above case, it is evident that the admission of students based on race is still a hotly debated issue. Perhaps, using race as an admission criterion might not be readily accommodated across the board, bearing in mind that there is a negative connotation attached to racism in America.

Another critical factor that surfaces from the course readings and objectives is social equity. It is largely anticipated that any admission criteria into higher learning institutions should be fair to all students irrespective of their racial backgrounds. As it stands out from the New York Times article, the Latinos, blacks, and other minority groups feel short-changed by the race-based admission criteria. It appears that white students are mainly admitted to the top 500 tertiary institutions in the United States, while the minority groups mainly land in open-admission colleges. Social equity ought to prevail whenever diversity is put into account.

We may not also ignore the role played by diversity in enriching our cultures. Diversity and culture are inseparable because they compliment each other. A society that is racially diverse is also well endowed with cultural wealth. In particular, our traditions can be an important part of social wellbeing because the same traditions create a culturally diverse environment enjoyed by every member of society. Needless to say, we ought to adopt tactics that generate diversity in the most effective manner. Prohibiting all forms of racial preferences that tend to discriminate against others is a noble idea. There are a number of key tenets of diversity and inclusion in education that can be derived from the course readings in relation to the above newspaper article. These have been explained below:

• The educational experience of both students and educators is enriched by diversity. We learn a lot from different viewpoints and belief systems.
• Personal growth is also promoted by diversity. In other words, it can be used as a perfect platform for challenging stereotyped preconceptions. Diversity also makes it easy for human beings to interact effectively among themselves.
• Workplaces and communities are strengthened when diversity is used appropriately.

The above assertions indicate that diversity should generate positive outcomes in society. Individuals who argue either in favor or disagreement with racial-based admissions do so with the aim of promoting social equity and growth. The following three open questions can promote the discussion of the newspaper article identified from the New York Times:

1. Do you think a ban on race-based preferences in the admission of students will provide a long term solution towards diversity in colleges? Please discuss.
2. Explain some of the alternative methods that educators can put in place to promote diversity in higher education.
3. What should be the main tenets of affirmative action in the pursuit of positive diversity in education?

Possible answers to the above questions

1. Admitting students in colleges based on their race is a completely wrong step in the right direction, especially in a racially-polarized society like America. The Supreme Court ruling must have come at the most appropriate time because it will provide the way forward and the right direction for senior leaders in education. Sincerely speaking, diversity is likely to be promoted in higher learning institutions in Michigan State and other regions that have banned the practice. We may not console ourselves when the race factor is applied in the admission of students.
2. New diversity paths should be sought by higher learning institutions. For instance, the level of income among students can be used as a benchmark in the admission criteria. Learners can also be admitted based on high school performance from all sub-regions within a state. When it comes to an academic performance from all the represented regions, no learner can be discriminated based on the color of the skin. In addition, students from low-income households should be given an equal chance to join top colleges through scholarships.
3. It is vital to mention that affirmative action has been politicized for long to the detriment of its well-intended purpose. Students from minority groups and low-income families can only be assisted through affirmative action. The implementers of affirmative action policy should make use of both economic and sociological aspects as the main tenets. Education for all in society is a crucial area of concern. Therefore, race should hardly be included as one of the considerations because one racial group may feel disadvantaged by another. Worse still, the race has been abused for long in the provision of basic human services.

Works Cited

Lewin, Tamar. Colleges Seek New Paths to Diversity after Court Ruling. 2014. Web.

In one of my education classes, I was required to read a section called Designing an Appropriate IEP in one of the class texts. The text focused on how to plan and evaluate an Individualized Education Program. After reading through the section, I realized that learners with disabilities go through many challenges compared with normal learners. As such, disabled students have to wait until they are 18 years old to engage in the formulation of their IEPs. I feel that it is unfair for the education stakeholders to wait for such a long time before engaging the learners in these developments. This is a reflection paper concerning what I learned from the text.

During their secondary schools sessions, disabled students rarely participate in their IEP conferences. Teachers converse during the conferences for nearly 50% of the time. Parents converse for 15% of the time. On the other hand, students converse for only 3% of the time. I find this strange because students should be allocated more time, unlike the parents and teachers, as they are the major stakeholders. Although the IDEA requires disabled students to reach 18 years old before being allowed to make their own decisions, I learned that there are more benefits if students participate in this process at an earlier age. For instance, I noted that advanced preparation resulted in significant gains in students knowledge and self- efficacy during transition planning and after transitioning.

Just as I learned in chapter two of the text, I realized that teachers and IEP teams should make use of the available supplementary aids and services to enable students with disabilities to gain access to the general education curriculum. In the previous sections of the text, I noticed that there are various ways of making use of supplementary aids and services to benefit disabled children. However, in this section mapping process was introduced to complement the services. In the section, I distinguished how the mapping process is carried out. Although I realized that the process is complex, I noted that it permitted the users to identify points in their curriculum, enabling students with disabilities to receive instruction that is based on their unique learning needs.

In chapter two of the text, I realized that when designing an appropriate IEP program, technology, and pedagogical methods would come in handy. Through pedagogical methods, learning curriculum can be made universal to benefit all students regardless of their regions. Before the end of the text, I noted that the most challenging section in students education program is the transition period from high school to post-secondary education. Although several improvements have been made by the higher education institutions to increase services for individuals with disabilities in their transitioning period, I was disappointed to note that many disabled students still struggle to adapt to post-secondary programs. I believe that more measures and strategies should be adopted to ensure that students with disabilities acquire relevant skills required in college way before they complete their high school studies.

Before I read this section, I was not fully informed about the challenges faced by disabled children as they transition from high school to college. Having learned of their challenges, I would advocate for appropriate IEP programs to be adopted much earlier before the students leave high school. By being engaged in the development of IEP programs at an earlier age, disabled children would transition from high school to college with ease. As such, they would be informed of the challenges awaiting them. Through this, they will acquire the necessary skills in time to tackle the challenges.

Definition of the research topic

The most disturbing question for educationists and trainers concerns the mechanisms used in fostering the learning abilities of children with disabilities. While it is evident that educational institutions have developed classes for children with mental disabilities, it is still challenging to enhance learning among such children. Autism is one of the childrens mental conditions that highly reduce their ability to communicate effectively. Different models of learning have been developed as part of the efforts to improve the capacity of learning among children with autism. Peer-tutoring Instructional Method is one of the models of learning that have been developed to enhance the capacity of children with autism to communicate, thereby promoting learning. In this paper, it is argued that the efficiency of the Peer-tutoring Instructional Method as a model of learning is dependent on an array of factors that have to be considered by the trainers.

This research explores the use of Peer-tutoring Instructional Method for increasing the scope of communication for children with autism. Through an exploration of diverse researches, the paper concludes the viability of using the Peer-tutoring Instructional Method for improving the communication and learning capability for autistic children. The paper begins by defining and expounding on Peer-tutoring Instructional Methods and how they are tailored to enhance communication for children with mental and socio-psychological disorders in a learning environment. Under this part, the definition and characteristics of autistic children are brought about and linked to Peer-tutoring Instructional Method. This is followed by an exploration of facts about the use of Peer-tutoring Instructional Method for increasing the communicative abilities of autistic children. This is a comprehensive part that will bring out and answer all the emergent questions in Peer-tutoring Instructional Methods and their possibility of enhancing the communication skills of children who suffer from autism. This part will be strongly founded on research. Thus the arguments brought out in this section will be used to draw a conclusion about the essence and significance of Peer-tutoring Instructional Method for enhancing communication in a learning environment that is comprised of students with mental disabilities.

Peer-tutoring Instructional Method

The development of the Peer-tutoring Instructional Method began with the need to enhance inclusive education as part of the efforts to enhance the rights of children with mental disorders in education. Peer tutoring, when referring to children with autism, implies the use of children with sound learning abilities to foster the communication abilities of the children who are autistic (Whitaker, 2004). The most demanding task in inclusive learning environments has been coming up with modalities of incorporating children with mental disabilities in classrooms with normal children. This is because of the variation that exists in social characteristics between the autistic children and the mentally upright children (Dugan et al., 1995).

It is important to note that peer tutoring falls under peer-mediated social skills and communication learning. The other one is peer modeling. In both cases, there is the use of peer learners to transfer social and communication skills to other learners. Peer-tutoring entails the use of a peer to model a specific course of learning in another peer. The peer gives verbal directions to the learner. In this model of learning, the first peer or learner is the evaluator of the second peer. The performance of the second learner is detected and appraised by the first peer. This is a continuous learning process that can be used to enhance the pace at which children with autism can learn in an inclusive learning environment. The advantage of peer tutoring is that it reduces the space of learning or tutoring since tutoring is decentralized from a single teacher to other learners (Laushey & Heflin, 2000).

Understanding autism

Autism is a disorder that arises from complexities in the neural development of infants, which cause impairments that disrupt the normal functioning of the brain of a child. Autism interrupts with the verbal and non-verbal, as well as social interaction abilities of children. The poor development of nerves interferes with the process of information synthesis, thereby resulting in abnormal functioning of the child and demeaning the childs normal social and communicative ability (Laushey & Heflin, 2000). Autism results in: repetitive behaviors, difficulties in social interaction, and difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication (Kamps et al., p. 284). According to Kamps et al. (1992), children who are autistic depict a set of antisocial and asocial characteristics that reduce their ability to communicate with each other in a learning environment. This backs the research by Harper, Symon, and Frea (2008), who observed that children who are autistic face problems when trying to communicate with their friends and peers.

Autism presents itself through some disorders that are often referred to as autism spectrum disorders. The disorders present themselves in varying degrees. Autism spectrum disorders are comprised of Rett syndrome, autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, pervasive development disorder- not otherwise specified, and childhood disintegrative disorder (Harper, Symon and Frea 2008, p. 820). These disorders are likened to the intellectual disability of the children suffering from the disorders, physical health problems such as sleep, and disturbances in the gastrointestinal functioning of children. Other issues that come with the disorders include problems in coordination and attention, poor visual skills, and poor performance in music, art, and math. Autism begins in the early stages of brain development in children (Whitaker, 2004). However, symptoms of autism spectrum disorders can hardly be realized until the child attains the age of 2 to 3 years. This is one of the most critical challenges of the disease as research shows that early detection can help in limiting the impacts of the disorders. However, early detection of such disorders is still proving to be a daunting task for researchers. This implies that adaptive mechanisms in learning like Peer-tutoring Instruction Method have to be developed to promote the ability of the children with the disorders to communicate and learn (Kamps et al., 1997).

Research Findings

Peer networks and social interaction enhancement in an inclusive learning

Research denotes the validity of social interaction on the improvement of the skills of communication for children with mental deformities. Peer-networks, as applied in peer-tutoring, are founded on attributes of social interaction.

The quest for an environment that is supportive of the learning of children with disabilities has resulted in the development of models of learning. Among these learning models are the development of social learning networks at different levels to accommodate the learning needs of children with mental deformities like autism spectrum disorders (Trembath, Balandin, Togher & Stancliffe, 2009). Peer networks are termed as the most prevalent modalities of increasing the rate and intensity of social interaction between children who are autistic and normal children. While the acquisition of social behaviors is critical to molding the communication abilities of children with autism, research denotes a variation in the rate at which children acquire social behaviors with autism. This seems to be a setback and a factor that spearheads the efforts towards the exploration of peer-mediated approaches in the ideal learning environment (Friedlander, 2009). The settings for the training environments are critical determinants for the level of success that is attained in peer-mediated instructions for students with autism (Jones, 2007).

The level of continuity in peer-mediated programs enhances communication competence for autistic children

A lot of researchers have diverted their efforts into trying to establish how the peer-learning programs can be sustained in a learning environment. This emanates from the fact that such programs have proven to take root in a substantial number of primary or elementary learning environments.

Continuity in peer-training on social and communication skills is a factor that has to be embraced to attain the desired levels of communication competence by the autistic children. The use of peer-networks to advance communication and interactive skills of children with autism are quite elusive. It entails the formulation of multiple networks that are meant to enhance continuity in learning. One of the critical things in fostering the learning abilities of children with autism is to enhance their ability to belong and fit in groups. This does not only increases their ability to learn, but it also increases their level of social interaction and communicative abilities that are critical in an ideal learning environment (Kamps et al., 1997).

Peer-mediated learning works effectively in an inclusive learning environment

While several questions are raised on the impact of inclusive learning environments for children with autism spectrum disorders, research is denoting the worth of molding an inclusive learning environment for children with such disorders. The question that ought to be explored is whether peer-tutoring can be effective in inclusive learning environments.

Laushey and Heflin (2000) ascertained that a substantial number of children with autism are increasingly served in settings that are inclusive in nature. In their research, Laushey and Heflin (2000) tried to establish the level at which the ability of kindergarten children identified with autism could be improved through the deployment of multiple peer tutors for them. Both typical peers and peers who had the same conditions were used in the ideal learning environment under research. In the research, non-adult directed interactions were highly embraced as a way of instilling the virtue of gaining direction and instructions from buddies or peers. From the research, it was concluded that an inclusive learning environment is ideal for the use of peers for enhancing social interaction and communication skills for children with autism.

According to Kalyva and Avramidis (2005), children with autism can best improve their communication and interaction abilities through a circle of friends. This is one of the desirable approaches to increase the pace at which the autistic children can catch up with other students in an inclusive environment. This approach was developed as part of the need to foster a learning environment that caters to the needs of all students within a school environment. Circles of friends are small peer interactive groups whose aim is to increase the proximity of the trainers, who are peers with those children who are being trained; in this case, the autistic children. The research by Kalyva and Avramidis (2005) revealed that circles of friends are critical and desirable tools for fostering the acquisition of communication and interactive skills for children with autism. The improvement of the communicative and social interaction skills from the circle of friends makes the autistic children fit for inclusion. The question that ought to be answered is how such groups can be developed and sustained by the trainers (Trembath, Balandin, Togher & Stancliffe, 2009). Peer-tutoring is a strategy that fosters interaction between typical peers and children with autism spectrum disorders (Owen-DeSchryver, Carr, Cale & Blakeley-Smith, 2008).

Harper, Symon, and Frea (2008) observed that peer training programs could be designed in both formal and informal learning situations within an inclusive learning environment in order to promote the communication competence of autistic children. Important social skills can be transferred by peers during informal learning setups like recess. Play environments can be structured in such a way that they can back social interaction among their peers, where autistic children are included. Such learning environments are easy to promote and can also be easily molded to make them more receptive to the social learning needs of children with autism (Bass & Mulick, 2007). The acquisition of social skills rarely occurs naturally for children with autism and can be fostered in diverse learning settings, most of which involve people who spend most of the time with such children; their peers (Kamps et al., 2002). Banda, Hart, and Liu-Gitz (2010) also ascertained the validity of diversifying the peer-tutoring of children with autism as a way of expanding the chances of such children to gain from such learning programs. Center time activities were found to be of significant essence in the improvement of social interaction and adaptability of autistic children to peer groups. This is a justification factor for using peer-tutoring to promote social interaction, which in turn promotes communication. Social interaction and communication are related to and complement each other.

Peer-tutoring is a behavioral tactic of learning that enhances the cognitive behavior of children with autism. This is according to the research by Krebs, McDaniel, and Neeley (2009), who confirmed that target social behaviors for children who are autistic can be attained by incorporating the children in peer-tutoring groups. However, the rate at which social behaviors of the autistic children were shaped varied with the approaches of peer learning methods that are used in peer learning programs.

Challenges of enforcing a peer-tutoring approach

The problem of effective structuring of peer-tutoring programs to capture the diverse needs of autistic children

The observation by Harper, Symon, and Frea (2008) that children who have autism find it hard to communicate with their peers raises a lot of questions on the modalities on which peer-tutoring programs can be structured to attain the goals of such programs. Laushey and Heflin (2000) observed that a lot of heterogeneity is depicted among children who suffer from autism spectrum disorders. Therefore, it becomes quite difficult to use peer trainers to enhance the communication abilities of autistic children, unless cases of such disorders are singled out and given attention on an individual basis. The rationale behind this observation is that the peers, who are used as trainers, only use a given set of behaviors and cannot be in a position to sense and detect the variations in the communication difficulties for autistic children. Again, narrowing down to specific conditions increases the complexity of utilizing peers, as suggested by the peer-tutoring programs. Petursdottir, Mccomas, Mcmaster, and Horner (2007) observed that cases of peer rejection are becoming common in peer-mediated programs. Whether the rejection comes from anomalies in training or developmental aspects of the autistic children is an issue that attracts research. Kamps et al. (2002) argued that it is complex to channel or transfer specific skills by peers, which implies the generalization of skills in most cases by the peer tutors in peer-mediated programs. While varying skills are critical for incremental learning for children with autism, doing that may seem to be complex for the peer tutors in peer-mediated learning situations for autistic children.

Peer-tutoring requires close monitoring, failure of which reduces the level of success

The other difficulty with the implementation of peer-tutoring is the interactive modalities that are used by the peers have to be closely monitored and, if possible, controlled by adults or main trainers, especially in the lower levels of learning like kindergarten. However, Owen-DeSchryver, Carr, Cale, and Blakeley-Smith (2008) found out that the trained peers impact upon the groups of peers who are not trained. This is supported by Jones (2007), who found out that peers acquired more skills from other peers in peer-mediated learning programs. This is encouraging and is a foundation on which a broader peer-learning environment can be promoted in learning inclusive environments. Extensive peer-tutoring has a ripple effect on other straight peers who adapt to components of interaction that are upheld by the trained peers.

Conclusion

The sum of this research reveals that an inclusive learning environment is being embraced as part of encouraging equality in the realms of education. Children with autism spectrum conditions portray a set of disorders that imply difficulties in fostering communication and social interaction in a learning environment. Peer-tutoring, which entails a set of peer-training modalities, comes out as one of the preferable methods through which an inclusive education environment can be promoted. The main challenge in peer-tutoring programs comes from the fact that children with autism seem to foster varied behaviors, thereby making it difficult for peer-trainers to enforce social interaction skills. Future research ought to be directed on how peer-tutoring programs can be structured to minimize the aspect of rejection of peers by the autistic children.

References

Banda, D. R., Hart, S. L., & Liu-Gitz, L. (2010). Impact of training peers and children with autism on social skills during center time activities in inclusive classrooms. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 619625.

Bass, J. D., & Mulick, J. A. (2007). Social play skill enhancement of children with autism using peers and siblings as therapists. Psychology in the Schools, 44(7), 727-737.

Dugan, E et al. (1995). Effects of cooperative learning groups during social studies for students with autism and fourth-grade peers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28(2), 175-188.

Friedlander, D. (2009). Sam comes to school: including students with autism in your classroom. Including Students with Autism, 82(3), 141-145.

Harper, C. B., Symon, J. B. G., & Frea, W. D. (2008). Recess is time-in: using peers to improve social skills of children with autism. J Autism Dev Disord, 38, 815-826.

Jones, V. (2007). I felt like I did something good  the impact on mainstream pupils of a peer tutoring programme for children with autism. British Journal of Special Education, 37(1), 3-9.

Kalyva, E., & Avramidis, A. (2005). Improving communication between children with autism and their peers through the circle of friends: a small-scale intervention study. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 18, 253261.

Kamps, D et al. (2002). Peer training to facilitate social interaction for elementary students with autism and their peers. Exceptional Children, 68(2), 173-187.

Kamps, D. M et al. (1992). Teaching social skills to students with autism to increase peer interactions in an integrated first-grade classroom. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25(2), 281-288.

Kamps, D. M et al. (1997). The use of peer networks across multiple settings to improve social interaction for students with autism. Journal of Behavioral Education, 7(3), 335-357.

Krebs, M. L., McDaniel, D. M., & Neeley, R. A. (2009). The effects of peer training on the social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorders. Education, 131(2), 392-403.

Laushey, K. M., & Heflin, L. J. (2000). Enhancing social skills of kindergarten children with autism through the training of multiple peers as tutors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(3), 183-193.

Owen-DeSchryver, J. S., Carr, E. G., Cale, S. I., & Blakeley-Smith, A. (2008). Promoting social interactions between students with autism spectrum disorders and their peers in inclusive school settings. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 23(1), 15-28.

Petursdottir, A., Mccomas, J., Mcmaster, K., & Horner, K. (2007). The effects of scripted peer tutoring and programming common stimuli on social interactions of a student with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 353357.

Trembath, D., Balandin, S., Togher, L., & Stancliffe, R. J. (2009). Peer-mediated teaching and augmentative and alternative communication for preschool-aged children with autism. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 34(2), 173-186.

Whitaker, P. (2004). Fostering communication and shared play between mainstream peers and children with autism: approaches, outcomes and experiences. British Journal of Special Education, 31(4), 215-224.

Introduction

It is imperative to mention that professional preparation is a fascinating topic for discussion. Every individual has an opportunity to focus on aspects that he or she views as the most beneficial, and it could help to address problem areas that need to be improved. Educators have to deal with numerous changes and challenges and it is necessary to keep track of the latest trends and increase the knowledge to stay competitive.

Summary of the Standard and Justification of Its Importance

Summary of the standard

I have chosen the one that is focused on becoming a professional. Its primary purpose is to ensure that candidates are aware of their responsibilities (Feeney, Galper, & Seefeldt, 2008). Understanding of ethical guidelines and other key standards is vital. The focus on lifelong learning is also crucial, and they can make appropriate decisions depending on the situation based on the knowledge that they have earned. Standard number six consists of five core elements that should be taken into account (NAEYC, 2011).

Justification of the selection

The knowledge about with standard would be incredibly beneficial because it would help to develop as a professional, and one may get a better understanding of which aspects are the most helpful and should be prioritized. The fact that devotion to learning is viewed as one of the factors that differentiate a professional educator is also worth noting (Colker, 2008). Individuals that focus on this aspect can look at an issue from various perspectives, and this is a valuable ability for advocates. Devotion to learning is vital, and one would be aware of the latest approaches. Moreover, engagement in advocacy is one of the elements of the standard, and it is possible to state that it can be viewed as the most helpful in this area.

Questions With Corresponding Rationales

First question and rationale

• How much information is necessary to make an informed decision when it comes to advocacy for children?

Such knowledge is critical, and it would help to understand how much time is needed to collect the data, and which aspects are the most important.

Second question and rationale

• What role does technology play in becoming a professional?

This information would be incredibly helpful because the role of devices and innovative techniques in learning has been increasing, and an opinion of a professional on this subject matter is required.

Third question and rationale

• How important are ethics, and what aspects should be studied?

Such knowledge is essential because this is a factor that is frequently overlooked, and I am planning on focusing on ethical problems in the future.

Fourth question and rationale

• Is collaborative learning beneficial from your experience?

It is paramount to improve knowledge in this area because a professional would be able to provide facts from his or her experience.

Fifth question and rationale

• How much time should be devoted to training, and what are common approaches to improve time management?

Such information would be incredibly helpful, and it is entirely possible that an individual would provide recommendations that have helped him or her to become a professional in this area. Data about such approaches as workshops and courses would be helpful (Feeney et al., 2008).

Explanation for the Request to Early Childhood Professional

The primary goal of this assignment is to enhance my knowledge regarding one of the standards. Such information would be incredibly useful, and the opinions of people that are quite experienced in this area would be valuable. Moreover, it is necessary to ask a set of questions to enhance an understanding of particular topics.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that this particular standard would be extremely beneficial and would help me to accomplish my primary objectives. I should start to devote much more attention to life-long learning because such knowledge can be utilized to become an outstanding advocate for children. Online training should be viewed as an opportunity to enhance my knowledge and become prepared for my future job (Angi & Anne, 2015).

References

Angi, S., & Anne, D. (2015). Introducing online training in an early childhood professional development system: Lessons learned in one state. Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(3), 241-248. Web.

Colker, L. J. (2008). Twelve characteristics of early childhood teachers. Beyond the Journal  Young Children on the Web. Web.

Feeney, S., Galper, A., & Seefeldt, C. (2008). Continuing issues in early childhood education (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education. Web.

NAEYC. (2011). 2010 standards for initial early childhood professional preparation. Web.

The development of students skills in reading is a key task for teachers to guarantee that children can perceive and understand the written information. However, students with learning disabilities can experience problems while developing their skills in reading texts. In their research, Decker and Buggey (2014) have studied the approaches to improving reading fluency in students with learning disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a review and summary of the article while focusing on its objective, participants, and results.

Purpose

In their study, Decker and Buggey (2014) have focused on studying the role of self- and peer modeling in improving the fluency of reading in students with learning disabilities. Thus, some researchers note that peer modeling as the demonstration of reading skills by students with similar fluency levels and self-modeling as the use of individuals videos and recordings can have positive effects on developing skills in children with disabilities (Decker & Buggey, 2014). As a result, the purposes of the study were to examine whether the discussed modeling approaches could be effective to influence the reading fluency and to compare the results for self- and peer modeling to determine the most effective approach.

Participants

Decker and Buggey (2014) have involved six students aged 8-12 years in their study. Two students were males, and four students were females. These students, who studied in the third, fourth, and fifth grades, were determined to have a learning disability related to reading. They were selected for the study from a special education group. The other three students were selected to participate in the study as a control group.

Dependent Variables

In their study, the authors have chosen to measure the reading fluency of students who had problems with reading texts as a dependent variable. The focus was on examining any differences in reading which were caused by applying self- and peer modeling techniques (Decker & Buggey, 2014). The procedure was divided into such stages as the baseline, the intervention, and the follow-up during which the students results were measured with the help of protocols.

Results

As a result of conducting the study, Decker and Buggey (2014) have found that those students who were trained with the help of two modeling approaches demonstrated significant increases in their reading fluency. Students from the control group showed similar results. Even though there were no significant differences between the effects of self-modeling and peer modeling, students who were taught with the help of self-modeling demonstrated positive results quicker than the students from the second group. Positive gains for students improved depending on the number of hours they watched videos.

Reaction and Evaluation

The article is helpful to provide evidence regarding the use of self- and peer modeling techniques to improve the fluency of students reading. It can be a challenging process for teachers to motivate students with learning disabilities to improve their results in reading. In this context, the use of self- and peer modeling can become an effective reinforcer and an appropriate teaching tool to help students improve their results.

Conclusion

This paper provides a summary of the results presented in the article by Decker and Buggey. According to the authors, both self-modeling and peer modeling approaches are effective to facilitate the fluency of reading in students who have learning disabilities. From this point, the study can be viewed as interesting to special education professionals.

Reference

Decker, M. M., & Buggey, T. (2014). Using video self- and peer modeling to facilitate reading fluency in children with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47(2), 167-177.

Introduction

Over the last two decades, there has been a significant achievement in availing learning to students with disabilities. The progress in availing learning to students with disabilities has originated from an array of research on the subject of inclusive learning. Relevant parties in the education sector are now exploring the possibility of establishing a learning model that can add value to students with learning disabilities. In this paper, I have explored four articles that have focused on areas that need improvement to create an efficient system of learning for students with learning disabilities.

In her research, Smith has explored how inclusive education has helped learners with serious cognitive disabilities in the United States. Smith thinks that effective learning for students with disabilities is only possible when conducted in inclusive settings. Moreover, the use of broad-based curricula that reflects the diversity in the abilities of all learners is crucial in developing a more effective approach in inclusive learning. Smiths work can help in the direction of developing an improved model of inclusive education for learners with cognitive disabilities.

Jane Soukup has studied how varying parameters in a classroom setting have affected the capacity of learners with cognitive disabilities to access effective learning. Here, Jane noted that there is a need to go beyond inclusive learning so as to avail effective learning for students with cognitive disabilities. Because learning is dependent on a number of parameters that include the learning environment, the behavior of learners, and the effect of teachers, it is not appropriate to assume that inclusive education alone will create suitable parameters for students with cognitive disabilities to access the general curriculum. Therefore, education policies need a bit of tailoring to comply with the educational needs of learners with cognitive disabilities.

In his study, Fred Spooner has explored a number of useful approaches that are helpful in the direction of attaining effective learning for learners with significant cognitive disabilities. Peers are useful in providing the general curriculum to learners with cognitive disabilities. Other approaches that are fruitful in providing the general curricula to learners with cognitive disabilities include the use of self-determination, the utility of Universal Design for Learning, among others. The utilization of the above approaches is helpful in providing effective education for learners with cognitive disabilities.

In his study, Chick Hitchcock has explored how the use of Universal Design for learning is effective in helping learners with cognitive disabilities access the general curricula. Hitchcock has criticized a learning system that is rigid; hence, ineffective in meeting the varied needs of learners. Instead of relying on rigid textbooks for teaching, teachers can use a more helpful approach that utilizes computer technology to present learning content in different forms and perspectives (such as graphical illustrations). I find the (UDL) approach as a helpful means of assisting learners with cognitive disabilities.

Conclusion

The articles that I have explored are helpful in providing useful information that is fruitful in promoting the educational capacity of learners with cognitive disabilities. The content in the articles that I have explored can be used for shaping our educational policy towards improving the educational capacity of learners with cognitive disabilities. All of the articles concluded that inclusive education is the most effective model of meeting the educational needs of learners with cognitive disabilities. However, Inclusive education needs a bit of tailoring and improvement to meet all the educational needs of learners with cognitive disabilities.

The reinvention of New York State education has lately started from the introduction of the new technology learning model. According to the current reports, 16 school districts of the state launched a new educational program that replicates the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P TECH) (The Business Council, 2013, para. 1). The policy reform can establish a strong connection between the world of progressive technological innovations and the modern job market. It predetermines the consistent instruction on technological subjects and sciences within the schooling spaces and connects educational establishments to the true-to-life American work environments. Therefore, the adoption of the P-TECH educational model in the USA could become a powerful start of an innovative learning era and create a new generation of high-skilled professionals.

The possible executive actions that are to be taken by the U.S. Department of Education include an encouragement of the American local governments to adopt the policy and to promote the reformative regulations. The motivation for the educational reformation can be derived from the fact that America lacks technical workers and the P-TECH model can become a significant promoter of the specialized work tendencies. To prove the fact, one can verify the general performances of technical workers against the achievements of humanitarian specialists. According to Dresang (2008), the use of performance evaluations can serve as the best indicator of the need to establish new policies (p. 165). Therefore, a wide range of practical studies that show the inefficiency of technical workers approves the assumption.

Background and Functioning of P-TECH Educational Model

The underlying principles of the P-TECH model functioning take its roots from the low quality of technical education in the USA. Thus, the American experts have always been concerned with a poor state of STEM studies in the educational establishments of the country. It is generally acknowledged that prior to the introduction of the innovative technology education model even the American graduates who possessed some technical skills could not be employed since they lacked exposure to a real technological workspace (IBM and P-TECH, 2013, para. 3).

P-TECH learning or a STEM-focused education has immense potential, for it can establish the new job opportunity structures throughout the USA. Due to Lynch, Behrend, Burton, and Means (2013), technology connects students with information systems, models, databases, and STEM research; teachers; mentors; and, social networking resources for STEM ideas during and outside the school day (p. 6). Consequently, a technology that reaches educational spaces creates new dimensions of proficiency cognition and supports the standards of informal learning methods.

The tendency of P-TECH model implementation started in 2011 from Brooklyn school and grew to 27 schools in 2014. It is expected that the number of establishments that follow the innovative curricula will increase to 100 by the end of 2015 (IBM and P-TECH, 2013). The model works on the principle of combining the best elements of technological education in high schools, colleges, and workspaces. According to the P-TECH regulations, students graduate with free associate degrees in such subjects as engineering, computer studies, and applied science within six years. In the aftermath, the graduates of such establishments have a chance to pursue their careers in the world on information technologies. The program is both motivating and encouraging, for it satisfies the needs of learners and presents some promising perspectives for them.

P-TECH Model Alternatives

The statewide New York P-TECH education still faces strong opposition to the traditional educational models. The program that awards the students with no-cost associate degrees demands huge financial support from both local and central governments. Since high technological proficiency requires much practice and resources, P-TECH education is considered to be one of the most expensive educational programs. Moreover, it is often argued that an expansion of the high school study period, which is an element of the P-TECH program, creates a damaging impact upon higher education since it discourages students to pursue further professional development after school graduation.

One of the modern alternatives to the P-TECH model is the so-called Tennessee Promise educational program that guarantees two additional years of free post-secondary education. This model provides the students with an opportunity to gain some valuable technological proficiency within the higher education study period (Philips, 2014).

The advocates of the Tennessee Promise model claim that the program has a mentoring format, which promotes a conscious approach to education. Therefore, the students who pursue the program are not forced, but rather encouraged to follow technological career paths. Each individual who is involved in the program is guided through the usage of personal consultancies. Consequently, it is a primary aim of Tennessee Promise to demonstrate the positive sides of information technologies as well as instruct the students on a beneficial appliance of technological devices. As a result, the students are expected to become successful specialists in the domain.

Comparative Analysis of P-TECH Model and Tennessee Promise Program

While assessing a public policy, it is crucial to estimate the costs of its implementation and further expansion. Due to the general analysis of cost allocations that were directed upon the development of two programs, P-TECH model implementation requires much more financial support that the Tennessee Promise. According to Bakeman (2014), the federal government of the USA allocated $107 million in support of P-TECH implementation at New York schools in 2014. Moreover, there were some additional voluntary allocations of $56 million that was provided by separate governors in the same year (para. 8).

Therefore, the major critique that is voiced against the P-TECH educational model is concerned with its expensiveness. In contrast to this program, Tennessee Promise implementation does not require any substantial cost allocations, since the program is based upon some internal financial transformations that are conducted within the educational establishments and do not require any external aids. Thus, due to Carey (2014), the Tennessee Promise introduction was launched together with some reduces of scholarship awards. According to the regulations of this model, university/college freshmen and sophomores started receiving a $1750 scholarship instead of a $2000 payment in 2014 (para. 11). Consequently, the reform was sustained with the help of internal financial distributions.

Despite its low-price implementation, the Tennessee Promise educational model possesses some crucial drawbacks. Thus, the general efficiency of the program is much lower than the P-TECHs effectiveness. The major flaw of Tennessee Promise is its target politics. The program adopted a special attitude towards the students who are motivated to receive associate degrees in sciences. Thus, it positions itself as a safety for the high school graduates who do not score high academically and can not be eligible for scholarship nominations. The students of the Tennessee Promise get attracted to a chance to receive no-cost associate degrees, instead of following their professional interests. In the aftermath, Tennessee Promise educational program does not reduce the U.S. technology skills gap, but rather produces a number of low-quality professionals who are not motivated to pursue their career paths.

In contrast to this model, the P-TECH educational program always promotes a deep change, for it targets exclusively those learners who are interested in information technologies and related subjects. The idea behind P-TECH promotes a universal strategy that makes students attracted to the professions and, thus, guides them to their future employers. In his article on progressive education, Bloomberg (2013) emphasizes that by connecting students directly to college  and directly to potential employers  our students will be better prepared to succeed (para. 8). Therefore, P-TECHs profession-oriented conception makes it a leading program among the alternative educational models, since its expensiveness may be justified by its high-quality standards.

Despite P-TECH program is based upon the elaborated principles, it is currently hard to predict the consistent outcomes of the model implementation since the first groups of students who entered P-TECH study programs have not graduated yet. Therefore, it is not easy to estimate the final achievements of technology-oriented learners before they enter a real job market. Nevertheless, one may assess the general progress that is made by the New York P-TECH students. According to Bakeman (2014), 103 Brooklyn students who began their P-TECH study in 2011 scored 80 points and higher on a math Regents test that was held in 2015 (para. 14). Moreover, there is a general tendency of New York students to outperform their American peers in technological subjects. Therefore, the trend may serve as a guarantee of the bright future of P-TECH education.

Conclusion: P-TECH Implementation Results and Recommendations

In 2013, a president of the USA, Barack Obama, gave a speech on the future development and extension of P-TECH education. According to his opinion, it is a unique opportunity for every American student to become a high-skilled professional, for the school-to-work transition is a guarantee of successful career development (Watkins, 2014, para. 7). Since that time, American citizens got attracted to the idea of technological instruction being a key to universal success. It is crucial to realize, though, that a P-TECH model education should not be regarded as an initial advantage of every student. It is rather a background that will place American graduates into the front lines of a job market. Moreover, the P-TECH graduates have to be aware of a limitation of their professional specialization. In other words, P-TECH associate degrees are not the credentials of career success. In general, it is demanded to continue pursuing higher education paths. The initial aim of the P-TECH educational program implementation is providing an entry ticket to technological resources and tools as well as exposing the sphere of sciences as an interesting and exciting domain.

Through the P-TECH educational model serves only as an initial stage of accessing information technology proficiency, it provides a consistent solution to the general problems of American education. Since the U.S. labor market is marked with a huge technological skills gap, the New York P-TECH model can be adopted by all the federal states, which can help the central government to bridge the gap. The innovation demands huge financial investments. Nevertheless, it is the only American educational program that can bring the countrys economy on a new level. The ultimate goal of the U.S. government, thus, is to make an effort to adopt the school-to-work policy like a universal approach to American education.

References

Bakeman, J. (2014). Statewide P-TECH model promising but still experimental. Capital. Web.

Bloomberg, M. (2013). Progress in schools using new, innovative models like P-TECH. Filipino Reporter. Web.

Carey, S. (2014). Policy breakdown: The Tennessee Promise explained.UT Advocacy. Web.

Dresang, D. (2008). Personnel management in government agencies and non-profit organizations. (5th ed.). London: Routledge.

IBM and P-TECH. (2013). Web..

Lynch, S., Behrend, T., Burton, E., & Means, B. (2013). Inclusive STEM-focused high schools: STEM education and opportunity structures. Paper presented at NARST Annual International Conference, Puerto Rico.

Philips, W. (2014). Spotlight: P-TECH provides an alternative model for post-secondary education. The Daily News Journal. Web.

The Business Council: IBM SmartCloud helps New York state connect education to jobs. (2013). Web.

Watkins, C. (2014). P-TECH schools: The remaking of career, technical education. Web.

Introduction

Language knowledge develops during the preschool years to prepare students for success in kindergarten and beyond. Preschool and kindergarten education is normally the base that ought to be firm to ensure that a child gets the best in terms of education and that the child is well prepared for other stages of education. This means that the kind of base we lay for our children during the preschool stage is very crucial. Preschool education and the government funding that supports it has been a consistent topic of debate since its conception. Recently, debates have come up regarding whether it is appropriate for kindergarten kids to have iPads and proms. This discussion focuses on the appropriateness of this kind of technology on kindergarteners and the possible impact they are likely to have.

Arguments against

Since this issue came up, there have been a variety of reactions, with some people arguing that it is too early to give kids this kind of gadget (Combs, 2011, p.23). A number of people feel that it may be very costly to entrust young kids with such technological devices because, more often, they are likely to drop them, thus destroying them. Others feel that by allowing children to have access to this technology at such an early age, they will not be able to learn the basics that they very much need in laying a firm educational foundation. They argue that such kids will not see the need to use books for purposes of research, and this will mean that they will be lacking in terms of being fully efficient students (Combs, 2011, p.23-4).

Arguments in favor

However, looking at the other side of the coin, giving iPads and proms to kindergarten kids is a good way of helping the kids adapt to technology at an early age. The world has changed and has become quite technological. Almost everything, including education, now revolves around technology, and a child who is not well conversant with various technological advancements may find it difficult to cope with the education system. It is, therefore, important to have them learn the nitty-gritty of technology at this young age (Hess, 2011, p.123).

The other reason why kids need to be introduced to iPads and proms at an early age is to ensure that the process of learning is made enjoyable among kids. For a long time, the learning process has been seen as torturous and almost unbearable, especially for young kids. However, with the introduction of iPads, children can enjoy the process of learning and therefore making learning easier for them.

The other great importance of having kindergarten kids using iPads is because it will help save on paper and therefore protect the environment by going green (Gruman, 2011, p.34). Production of papers is one of the aspects that cause environmental degradation, and therefore introducing the use of iPads at the kindergarten stage will mean that there will be less paper used.

Conclusion

The introduction of iPads, proms, and other technological devices is a great idea that ensures that children get acquainted with the necessary skills that they may need. It is, however, important to ensure that there is a limit to which kids should be allowed to use these gadgets because, again, books are equally important, and iPads and proms cannot be used exclusively to the exception of books. They, therefore, need to be used but only to supplement what is available in books.

References

Combs, B. (2011). Assessing and addressing literacy needs: cases and instructional strategies. London: Sage.

Gruman, G. (2011). Exploring Ipad 2 for dummies. New York: For Dummies.

Hess, A. (2011). Ipad 2 fully loaded. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

There are multiple ways to deliver the curriculum to students. Despite the fact that only one Ontario Curriculum is applicable at schools, the teacher can accommodate and modify it so as to respond to the existing diversity of the class and address the needs of every student so that no child is left behind (Bennett, Dworet, & Weber, 2013). It should be noted that students can demonstrate the skills that they have attained in different ways, and it is the educators task to implement such strategies and methods that allow students to manifest what they have learned. In order to orient the educational activities at the student on an IEP, it is advisable to differentiate instruction according to the students needs to be able to support his or her individual learning patterns (Bennett et al., 2013).

All of the teachers efforts should aim at letting the student meet the grade level requirements through age-appropriate activities and tasks. It is worth mentioning that it is rather common that educators mix accommodation with modification; thus, it is essential to differentiate the two domains. The first notion implies that the curriculum activities promote equity while the second one means that the study plan is altered to respond to the needs of a child that are drastically different from those expressed in the curriculum. For instance, altering the expectations for a specific grade is a modification whereas providing a child with extra time to complete an assignment is accommodation.

Activity Description

The proposed activity is aimed at elementary school children aged 7-13. The description and implications of it can be presented to the adult staff teachers at a staff meeting or in a demonstration with parents whose child is on an IEP to ensure they do not have concerns about the inclusion of him or her in the educational process (Learning for all, 2013). It should be stressed out that the content of the activity does not relate to a specific age while, at every stage, the expectations are different; therefore, the proposed variant of the task can be changed according to the setting.

The integrated activity that can be implemented in class is called Jigsaw. A functional learning practice enables to group the students into small subgroups for the purposes of analysis of a text. Several ways can be adopted to complete this activity. For instance, each group can be assigned a task and then will share the findings with the rest of the students or every student within the team will be assigned to a question and then the team will bring together all the results to find a solution to the problem. In both approaches, the assignment should be divided into equal parts to ensure that all the students have the same amount of work to complete. This type of activity implies the engagement of all the students, the development of critical thinking, mutual learning, and an opportunity for students to collaborate under the teachers guidance.

The main advantage of this activity is the opportunity to reach the learning outcomes of children with various literacy levels so that the students on IEP are involved in reading comprehension to the same extent as the rest of the class is. With this approach, the teacher can support the reading proficiency through differentiated texts and questions (Teaching strategies for students with special needs, n.d.). After the students acquaint themselves with their reading part, they will gather together in heterogeneous teams to discuss what they have found out. Each text will be provided according to the reading level of the child, and the educator should make sure that it is done discreetly. One of the ways to implement such activity can be furnished in six steps.

The students should be divided into the groups consisting of four to six children. The text for analysis can be divided correspondingly into four or six parts respectively, and it should be assigned to the students according to their reading skills. Each student will be given time to read and process his or her part. After everyone has gone through the reading, the children with the same parts to read will gather together to discuss what they found out and ensure that they understood everything correctly. Afterward, the team will assemble and then consider all of the parts together. When the discussion is over, the students will be asked to complete an assignment and discuss the results of their activity.

The role of the teacher is to ensure that every student understands his or her task and to provide assistance to those students having difficulty in understanding their role. Extra time can be given to the children who require more time to process the task. When the students start the discussion, it is crucial that the educator guides this process though not affecting the flow of the work. If students with difficulty in comprehension do not follow, the teacher should support or provide an explanation to what is unclear. Moreover, it is essential that, in the beginning, the students discuss their reading with those children who have read the same parts so that they do not get a limited perspective on the text and clear out what they were unable to comprehend. Importantly, the children with lower reading levels should work with those students who are more advanced prior to returning to their Jigsaw team.

Accommodation and Modification Details

Prior to the Jigsaw, it is necessary to remind the students of the topic. It is advisable to aid the students on IEP with visuals to ensure that they gained an insight into it. The class can brainstorm about this question to relate the new material to the background information that they already knew. This approach will enable children on IEP to remember the key concepts and notions that are related to the texts that they are to read (The individual education plan, 2004). The sample questions to support students comprehension throughout the activity can be found in the Attachment section.

During the Jigsaw activity, the students should be provided with the visual aid to promote easier understanding. Moreover, it is essential that students on IEP have an opportunity to use dictionaries, thesauruses, and other sources. After everyone has read his or her part, the team members will discuss their reading section with those who have read the same piece and the advanced readers will discuss the reading with those children who have difficulty in comprehension (Learning disabilities, n.d.). It is necessary that the teacher will keep track whether advanced learners support their partners. After that, the students can return to their initial groups and start the discussion.

At this stage, the group debates on the important concepts and such a discussion allows automatic support of those students on IEP since each team member is responsible for the team comprehension and he or she should support the understanding of the peers. Those students with the lower level of reading skills will be able to ask questions to gain a better understanding of the content. It is crucial to note that the student on an IEP can be assigned to read the text at home prior to the lesson so that he or she has more time to read and analyze the text without getting anxious or negligent (The individual education plan, 2004). Another way to promote differentiation is to provide the student with an audio tape of the text. If the situation requires so, the educator can ask students to prepare visuals or cue cards to aid their team members.

In order to assess the students understanding, the teacher will keep a written dialogue with all the students where they will be able to reflect on their experience, ideas, comprehension and ask questions. The educator will assess the understanding of the students on IEP by evaluating the content of their writing rather than the form and will respond to the questions to allow them to understand what has remained unclear (The individual education plan, 2004).

Conclusion

Thus, there is a strict distinction between accommodations and modifications while the first one defines how to educate and evaluate while the second one implies alterations to what is taught and evaluated. Accommodations imply utilizing such strategies that aid the student in learning but do not change the expectations for the educational level. Whereas modifications are related to the changes that affect the learning expectations characteristic of a specific age or grade.

References

Bennett, S., Dworet, D., & Weber, K. (2013). Special education in Ontario schools. Thorold, Canada: Highlands Press.

Learning disabilities. (n.d.). 

Learning for all. (2013). Web.

Teaching strategies for students with special needs. (n.d.). Web.

The individual education plan. (2004). Web.

Living in times of blistering development of computer technologies, we should recognize the fact that they have a great influence on traditional things. Every day we observe more and more changes introduced by digital technologies. These technologies help people in their work and study, providing easy access to information. However, society still does not use all possibilities which digital revolution gives us. People understood a great benefit of using a computer however, they still deny the possibility of using video games in the process of study. Meanwhile, their capabilities are limitless. The article What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee is devoted to this issue. The author is sure that the ability of video games to teach people is underestimated.

He says that schools, workplaces, families, and academic researchers have a lot to learn about learning from good computer and video games [1, p.1]. To prove his words, the author gives clear evidences. He outlines some games, which he considers to be good examples of his words. Describing gaming process, the author also shows the reader in which way these games can help people to develop their skills and literacy. Describing cultural aspect of the game Age of Mythology, the author stresses its positive role in obtaining knowledge about ancient mythology of different countries. The author underlines the fact that in games information is given in context that is why it is much easier for a person to understand and remember it. One more advantage of using video games in teaching process is described. The author says that in the age of computer technologies it will be more interesting for young people to receive information with the help of video games, just playing. It will not bother them.

Moreover, presence of additional information in a game can help to enlarge general knowledge of a person. The author also outlines main learning principles which a good game obtains, underlining its ability to give information and remain challenging for a person. Moreover, he points out that video games can allow a person to be a producer, creating something new in virtual world. Moreover, a though-out game can teach a person to be responsible, as in games like The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind players actions influence development of virtual world, making some changes. The last thing which the author mentions is that video games can develop insistence and creativity among players as some difficult task or situation in a game demands new skill or creative approach.

Having read this article, it is possible to obtain new information about video games and look on them from a different perspective. Moreover, this article is very important for better understanding of new media. It gives a clear image of what positive peculiarities video games have, how modern digital technologies influence our world and can be used in unusual way. The author managed to create very interesting work which is easy to read and follow. Moreover, taking such cultic video games as Morrowind or Half Life as examples, he managed to sound very convincing. The article can be useful both for people which are interested in this issue and for those who just want to enlarge their knowledge about new media.

With this in mind, this article can be called very informative and useful as it helps to understand the concept of new media better.

References

[1] J.P. Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy ACM Computers in Entertainment, vol. 1, no. 16, pp. 1  4, 2003.