Technology levels the playing field in many ways. May of your students' definciencies can become strengths.
I have the worst handwriting in the world. Of course, you would not know this from looking at my submissions in this forum. You would think I write in the most beautiful Arial 9-point font! This is one of the reasons that I see technology as a great equalizer.
Think of some of the smartest kids you see in your classroom—didn’t you used to hope they would become doctors, due to their horrible handwriting? Now, we do not have to worry—some of these kids have brighter futures because they can word process! Of course, this works on the other side of the spectrum as well. Some of the students we teach lack fine motor skills and do not write well. That is so discouraging for them—I know how they feel; I used to despise those practice cursive handwriting worksheets with the dotted letters (and the fact that they are still used in this day and age is beyond my comprehension!). Now, our students are able to concentrate on what they write, not how they write it!
Handwriting is not the only area in which technology has a leveling effect—in math, instead of drilling, students can use calculators to perform many functions. Conversely, if the teacher insists on drill and practice, there are many math websites that offer this feature.
Although the one-computer classroom is the feature this week, using the technology to help students feel successful is worth pursuing.
