It could be the key to helping Learning Disabled Students

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Technology in the Classroom

• It could be the key to helping Learning Disabled
  Students

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Backround Information

• Survey was conducted at a Middle School in
  Upstate New York
• 37 Students and Five Teachers took the survey

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Teachers Survey
And Answers
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Why do you believe Learning Disabled Students are
taken out of Foreign Language?
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• It is assumed that their disabilities make it
  impossible for them to be successful.
• Certain grammatical concepts are considered to
  be too abstract.
• Most of them need much more help in basic
  subjects such as English.
• They need to concentrate on primary language
  acquisition in their first language. Foreign
  Language conversation can be taught in High
  School.
• They have difficulties in their own language, it
  would be even more difficult to transfer
  knowledge to a second language.

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What factors do you feel contribute to Learning
Disability Students not doing well in a Foreign
Language?
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• The fact that their disabilities make it very
  difficult for them to process the language.
• Discipline problems. An emotional stigmatism
  could impede students also.
• Many cannot process the language- it confuses
  them and sets them up for failure. Distraction
  also plays a part.
• No aide support provided. They have an aide in
  core courses, but not in foreign language.
• Reading comprehension and Listening
  comprehension.

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What are some procedures you are taking to help
Learning Disabled Students?
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• I think that LDS should be treated the same as
  other students. They need special help and
  encouragement and their success needs constant
  praise. Ive found that if they are made to feel
  equal to others they can be quite successful.
• Position reinforcements and extra help after
  school.
• We dont have these students at the middle
  school level.
• Modify class arrangements (seating), extended
  time for assignments, individual help.

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What can be done in a Foreign Language Class that
would increase success for Learning Disabled
Students?
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• Equal treatment and expectations (within
  limits), activities which allow them to show
  their strengths. Ive found that many who are
  unable to perform on written tests do exceedingly
  well with listening and speaking activities.
• Finding out students impediments early would be
  helpful. Praising is also helpful.
• A lot of visuals and oral activities. Dont
  expect them to spell correctly or conjugate
  perfectly!
• Give teachers support so that we dont take
  precious time from the majority of the class to
  attend to basic problems not related to the
  subject area.
• Base techniques on more oral activities and less
  on reading/writing

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Do you feel technology in the classroom would
help learning disabled students? If yes, how?
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• I dont feel that technology would help learning
  disabled students any more than regular students.
  Technology can help all students.
• I honestly dont know. Perhaps those who are
  more visual learners. If they have to manipulate
  the technology themselves, and if its difficult
  for them, that could be problematic.
• Yes, they could listen to cassettes and practice
  pronunciation. Vocabulary games via the internet
  are great also.
• Without a doubt! I have a website that helps
  students. If the special ed teachers and parents
  could put them on the web to practice- success
  would come easier.
• Absolutely, being able to tie in to different
  learning styles.

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Student Survey
And Answers
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How do you think youre doing in your Foreign
Language class?

• On a scale of 0 (Failing) to 4 (Very Good)

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• One student said 0
• Two students gave themselves a one
• Two students presented themselves with a two
• Sixteen students said they would give themselves
  a three
• Sixteen students gave themselves a four,
  believing they were doing very good in their
  foreign language class.

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Students were then asked what grade they would
give themselves, and then what grade the teacher
would give them.
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• In many cases, the grade that they would give
  themselves and the grade the teacher would give
  them, was either the same or off by a few points.
  
  
• The majority of the students would say they were
  in the 90s or 80s.
• One student recorded having an average in the
  30s.

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What does your teacher do to help you speak/learn
a foreign language?
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• Bingo
• Telefrancais
• Goes over pronunciation
• Helps individually
• Goes over material several times
• Makes them do homework
• Language Packets, stays after
• Contests, flashcards, websites with games

• Says word and then has them repeat
• Quizzes and homework
• Booklets
• Pronounces
• Listen to cassettes
• Spells words on board
• Songs
• Brings things from France into the classroom,
  like food.

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Do you feel technology in the classroom would
help/does help you? How?
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• Yes, it would help me learn how to pronounce my
  words better.
• Yes, Id like more language games on the
  computer.
• Yes, it cuts down on paper.
• You can actually see the words.
• We could see real situations that involve
  language.
• It shows material more quickly.

• No, Learning from the book is easier.
• Im not good with computers, so that would be
  harder for me.

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Do you feel technology (videos, visuals,
computers etc) would be better able to help you
in your journey to learn a foreign language?
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• 34 students believed that technology would help.
• It makes you learn but you also have fun.
• Videos/visuals would help learn about culture.
• Visuals and maps make things clearer.

• 3 students believed that technology would not
  help them.
• We wouldnt be able to write and learn as much
  with videos and computers.

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For the last question, the students were asked to
circle either learning disabled or not learning
disabled.
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• One student circled Learning Disabled.
• Five students circled Learning Disabled but then
  either crossed it out or erased it.
• The other 31 students circled that they were not
  learning disabled.

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Recommendations

• I would recommend that the same students were
  surveyed a few years from now to see if they were
  learning disabled in High School.
• I would also recommend that another school was
  surveyed to see if the number of learning
  disabled students in the same grade were higher
  or lower than that of the one I surveyed.

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Any ?s