A few weeks back I created a short video as part of a digital storytelling workshop and while I initially thought that this was just a proof of concept and would be something that I would return to and improve, I quickly realized that the message that the video tells is something that should be heard so I have put the video in its raw state up on Vimeo. I was moved by a faculty member at ACU who came up to me and indicated that I had provided a valid reason for the use of technology in the learning environment and that there may be students in his class who learn in unconventional ways. Since he thanked me for “opening his eyes” to these types of students I hope that I can open a few more eyes.
I am not the only person who has questions about ADHD and the way that children are treated who have this “condition” or “disability”.
Sir Ken Robinson addresses this issue in the later portion of his TED Talk Bring on the Learning Revolution.
“I wasn’t suited for school…but I am suited for learning.”
Wow, Dr. Harapnuik…a lot to digest and think about. I feel the same way; I consider myself a technology freak, and many of my coworkers and family members say I have a “technology problem,” but I cannot explain what it has done for me. The way I am able to access things so quickly, and even create quickly (I use iMovie to create presentations for my classroom sometimes), have not only helped me learn, but also to impress my students as well sometimes 🙂
I am definitely on the fence about ADHD…what if it is just simply the fact that we are not engaging those “ADHD” learners in the way they need to be?
Anyway…lots to think about…
Jason
Yes, engagement is the key to these type of learners.
As our school district’s Transition Coordinator, I work daily with students with various disabilities in special education. Many of our students in special education have been diagnosed with ADHD. Your post I watched before of Sir Ken Robinson in “Changing Education Paradigms” made me think of many of my students that are over-medicated. They walk around like zombies during the majority of the morning; however, when lunch hits their medicine usually wears off. The result is they end up being in trouble nearly all afternoon and sitting in the principal’s office because that is a convenient place to send them and get them out of the teacher’s hair. The way I look at it neither situation, zombie or the office, is benefitting the student in any way. The other “cure” I have noticed is the ARD committee providing the student with so many modifications and accommodations to try in some way to “help” them and control their behavior; however, in my opinion, this is doing the student no good, as well. Sometimes it seems as though the students with ADHD who are most often extremely bright end up with more mods and accommodations than some of our learning disabled students. This is doing the student no good at all. As the video “Changing Education Paradigms” talked about students being bored in the classroom because they are used to being exposed to so much media, I believe our students are even more bored that are loaded up with these mods and accommodations. It seems that we are failing to realize that we are taking an already bored student and boring them more by making things so easy for them they have to put forth no effort. They are not challenged in any way. As a result, it seems a lot of times they end up slipping through the cracks in the school system.
Your video about being an ADHD survivor and technology helping with that made me think of many of our junior high students diagnosed with ADHD. This past January, our junior high started providing each student with their own Mac computer. The students I work with that have ADHD showed remarkable improvement in school after receiving these computers. They were allowed to be more creative with assignments with the use of the computers among other things. Our high school is (budget permitting) going to begin this in the upcoming school year, and I am hoping it has the same effect because sadly some of the older students have reached the point of wanting to give up completely.
When I saw your post about this, I was eager to read it and see the videos. Because I work with students with ADHD so much and see them slipping away little by little, I am very passionate about anything we can do to save them from not caring about learning.
I think it is terrible if we let any of these kids “slip away”. I am glad that you are committed to making sure this doesn’t happen