NEW INPUT METHODS: WHAT ARE THEY? HOW DO THEY FIT IN THE CLASSROOM? PART 4 (Final Part)

THE CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL

How Would Teachers and Students Learn the New Input Methods?

Teachers, and specifically business teachers, will have to learn the new input methods before students can learn the new methods. In Nebraska some business teachers attended a conference to learn how to use voice recognition software, after completing that course they went back to their schools and then taught their peers in their school divisions (Arneson). This is an effective way for teachers to learn the software; it allows for the teachers who will be teaching the software to learn from the highest point and then allows them to have practice teaching it with their peers before they teach students the software.

Students would learn the methods through traditional methods. Dr. Patricia Arneson states that typical phrases that are used today such as “eyes on copy, feet flat on floor, ready, begin” will be replaced with “microphone on, start dragon pad, microphone off” (Arneson). Students would continue to practice speed and accuracy as well as continue to create documents and be tested. The only difference would be the methods that they use to create the documents and to practice their speed and accuracy. One portion of the current system that would have to be revised is the amount of homework students have. It would have to be assumed, at first, that students do not have the necessary software and tools at home to be able to complete their homework at home.

How would students be tested?

Testing would not have to change very much at all due to the new input methods, the students would still be inputting data. Students could still be tested on speed, and accuracy in regards to inputting the data, as well they could continue to be tested on how to manipulate data into documents. The difference would come in the requirements that students are expected to meet to complete assignments and to be graded on.

Another aspect that would change in testing and evaluation would be homework; students would not necessarily have the proper equipment at home to complete assignments using voice recognition or handwriting recognition software. Therefore there would need to be more classroom evaluation than homework that is handed in to the teacher.

How would classrooms be setup?

Classrooms would not have to change dramatically, for the students to learn to the fullest extent it would be important for each student to have a computer to work on during class time. Most schools would already have labs in place and this would not be something that teachers would have to worry about. However if teachers had to they would need to find a solution to maximize the amount of time students would have with the software to meet the curriculum's requirements and to ensure the student knows how to use the software properly.

An important aspect of the classroom would be the establishment of rules regarding the new software. By having reasonable rules in the classroom you can be effective as a teacher (Lang and Evans 171). By creating rules such as “respect the equipment” and “respect each other” a teacher will be able to have an effective classroom.

CONCLUSION

The new input methods should be an important part of the future curriculum in Saskatchewan, and for that matter everywhere. There uses will become essential to businesses throughout the world, if students know how to use these technologies it will allow them to have an advantage in the working world. Voice recognition has also proved to be able to help students with disabilities and can help them achieve success that they previously would not have been able to achieve without the proper use of aids such as voice recognition. There are many uses for these new input technologies; however they will not be able to be used properly unless they are taught to students in a way that will benefit the students, not just a small unit taught once in grade nine. It all starts with teaching the teachers, who should be constant learners, how to use the technologies and allow them to then teach others.

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