Engaging Students with Special Needs

"Having our students engaged in learning is a constant challenge," said Mari Liles, Director of Technology for TSD. "Couple that with the advanced accountability and student achievement issues required by the No Child Left Behind federal education mandate, we really had our work cut out for us. We needed a learning tool that students could connect with - one that would drive them beyond their limits and stretch their educational experience. We also were cognizant of our teachers' desire to provide more interesting, interactive, visually stimulating, and technologically advanced lessons."

Challenges and Goals

TSD administrators and teachers alike embrace the thinking outlined in Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning, 6th Edition, written by Robert Heinich, Michael Molenda, James D. Russell and Sharon E. Smaldino. In the book, the authors succinctly state that visual learners gain knowledge more readily when they see images, and even students who tend to rely on other sensory input often need visual supports in order to grasp certain concepts. Additionally, cognitive theories of learning support the principle that students learn more effectively when they are actively manipulating information.