Shared Lesson II

My main goal when searching for a resource that could be applied to the second shared lesson was to locate something that could be related to both special education, which I just finished teaching, and language arts, my specialty. Many lesson plans are so specific that it would take much effort to modify them enough so that they could be applicable to such differing domains. The article "Virtual Technology: Bringing the World into the Special Education Classroom," offers some really intriguing possibilities for both the special ed classroom and the English realm.

The authors, Therese M. Smedley and Kyle Higgins, suggest employing technology in order to create such activities as simulations and virtual field trips. I really liked the idea of the virtual field trip, which can be utilized as both an advance organizer and a stand-alone lesson. The most interesting possibility would be engaging advanced students, such as college-prep juniors and seniors, in a lesson that takes them to places that they would otherwise be unable to go, such as the distant setting of a novel or the environment of the author as he/she created a work. One idea that I had pretty immediately was the notion of supplementing James Joyce's Dubliners (1914) with a virtual field trip to the various cityscapes of each of the work's fifteen short stories. There is certainly an abundance of information, photography, and video available on the web that could reflect the Irish landscape, as well as the moods of the characters during the period. This sort of exposure and imagery is otherwise unavailable, short of a very expensive physical field trip. I can easily imagine students developing a greater interest and appreciation for the book when offered such an involving task.

The virtual field trip is a class activity that could easily be applied to many age groups, from elementary classes to college courses, as well as many achievement levels, which seems to be its most valuable asset (an impending trip to the zoo could be anticipated with a virtual field trip to the African jungle, or the zoo itself). This is an exercise that has a lot of potential and flexibility, and one that increases the odds that meaningful learning ensues.


Applicable standards (NETS-T):

IB. Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies.

IIA. Design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners.

IIIC. Apply technology to develop students' higher order skills and creativity.