Online Learning - Education Online And Computer Elearning Tools For Special Kids; By Lance Winslow

By Lance Winslow

Special Kids require more teachers and assistants per students to assist them in learning. This is a challenge for school budgets as even the regular classes are often bursting at the seams with regards to student/teacher ratios. Tough choices thus, are sometimes made by administrators as the parents of regular kids and of special kids battle it out at PTA Meetings.

“Hey wait a minute; can we have some order here? We are all on the same team! This is about the kids not us.” - Superintendent of Public Instruction in a town near you

Why can’t we rely more on eLearning, computer tools, virtual reality and online education to assist in crossing the challenges of the teacher/student ratios and maxed out school budgets? My question to educators is what are your thoughts on Self-Esteem and eLearning in special cases?

My thoughts I think are much about the use of Virtual Reality, Avatars - congratulating kids. Do you remember that cool little device “toy” called; Speak and Spell? It congratulated the students when they go the answer right; “you are correct!” and what does the kid do? He or she has a big smile and makes a gesture. Even looks around to see if anyone noticed! Right, sure they do.

Now then if no one is there the student things; who cares, but if a Virtual Reality Avatar says, “you are doing really good and getting a lot better” then someone is there and that becomes not only a bonding with the computer, which will be necessary for “trust” and future mutual reliance, but it also builds self esteem.

It seems we need to cross more than the digital divide in eLearning, we need to cross the self-esteem and self-confidence divide you see? I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought.


By Lance Winslow
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