Transcript

Often one of the problems we see is that students don't want to use their technology in the classroom, even though we know the technology is going to be beneficial for them. And I think the reason for this is kind of a developmental component. Often students who are having learning challenges, they have developed what is known as a low-academic self-concept. They've had so many years of frustration and kind of getting feedback that they're not great students that they've internalized that and they don't want to use anything else such as a computer or a laptop in the classroom to signal to other students that they are continuing to have difficulties. Students don't want to use technology because they think that it shows that they're stupid. That is completely contrary to what we know about many of these students, is that they are able to learn but they need the right tool.

So we can't force it upon them. What we really need to do is integrate the technology in a very scaffold approach and kind of do a release of responsibility back to the student. And to do this, if we're looking at the area of reading let's say using text-to-speech, let's not have them start reading their textbook, let's have them read the comics, let's have them read their favorite website.

As they start to see the benefits of that technology, then we do it to the homework. Don't bring it to the classroom yet, let's do it at home, let's use it in the safety of the home. And as they start to see how much they can benefit from it at home, then we start to move it back to the classroom.