Thanks All!

I thank you for the interest you have shown in my blog. As the weeks progress I hope that I would address all your issues especially posed by Paulad and Jennifer thus far. Thanks also to Merle and Lyn.

Firstly, I agree with Merle that children have different capabilities and we must recognize this fact. When I used the term used “ proficiently” however, I recognize that there would be various shades of proficiency depending on the abilities of the learners. I have been forced to accept this harsh reality from my interaction with a class of special needs children in the past year.

Paulad and Jennifer, I agree that children have to learn the basics of reading and writing, this is irrefutable. The use of technology could greatly enhance this process. I have used games from Leap frog for example that were very interactive and motivational for the early learners. I remember one child learning all the alphabet letters and sounds in two weeks. There was also the opportunity to learn to write the letters using magnetic pens. There are also many simple websites with games that reinforce concepts taught in the class. The important thing to note is that the technology does not replace the teacher but assist her and the learner in ‘working smart’.