Date: February 3, 2010
Speaker: Katharina Boser, Ph.D., President of Individual Differences in Learning, Inc.
Description: Harnessing the “Conceptual Thinker” through Technology Tools: Environments that strengthen the attention-different student’s strengths
Students with attention impairments are known for their distractibility, disorganization, impulsivity and ‘unique’ response to reward. One might logically conclude that technology, particularly gaming, social tools, web2.0 internet tools as well as ‘high-interest’, graphics environments would only further distract a students’ attention, keeping them from learning.
Some games truly do act merely as a ‘distraction’ for such students. Recent research, however, demonstrates that when learning tools include narratives, embed rewards in the task itself rather than requiring the user to ‘wait’ to have fun until they’ve completed some rote task, and have engaging high interest animation and graphics, students are more engaged in the curriculum content.
This presentation will provide participants with an understanding of the difference between ‘addictive’ games, educational tools that make a student feel like they’re ‘eating their vegetables’ and those tools that actually push student learning forward by requiring critical thinking, problem solving, interactivity and/or collaboration.
About the speaker: Katharina Boser, Ph.D. has a doctorate in developmental psychology and cognitive science from Cornell University. She has a research background studying language processing in early development and language impairments in both adults and children.
She has published articles on the use of computerized language systems in the rehabilitation of adults with aphasia and children with autism. She is a scientific advisor for Autism Speaks and Anthrotronix, a robotics company, where she focusses on research of learning technologies for people with autism.
She is on the advocacy task force for Universal Design for Learning in Maryland and was part of a team of educators who wrote a new teacher education curriculum for University of Maryland University College’s Master’s in Teaching program that has a large focus on disability, diversity, global learning and technology integration.
Details:
7:15 – 8:45 pm
Loyola College Graduate Center
2034 Greenspring Drive
Timonium, Maryland 21093
For driving directions and other calendar listings: www.chadd-mc.org/calendar
The flier for this event is not yet available.
If you have a question about this article or any other on the site,please click here to use our contact form.
Comments on this entry are closed.