Critical Links

Breaking the barriers in special education with the C3 Micro-Cloud

Students with special learning needs are found everywhere in a school – some are learning side-by-side with their peers, while others are in a self contained classroom. Some have problems with decoding texts; others with comprehension; some have high cognitive abilities but are easily distracted in large classrooms. Those students are often quite intelligent, but their distinct process of absorbing and retaining information can determinate the learning method that is best suitable for them. The common, traditional classroom model of lecturing, note-taking, and completing worksheets may not be the best way to help them reach their potential.

The educational standards claim that students in special education should participate in education and training on the same basis as other students and that they are not subject to discrimination. For that reason, special education teachers must be prepared to work in those various settings: they have to know how to modify lessons, offer support to all those very different students, and find ways to coordinates group lessons. But with increasing demands on their time and tight budgets, teachers say they always feel that there is not enough time in the day to help each student individually.

The fact is that majority today’s classrooms are composed of students with varying learning needs and not all students learn the same way. How can teachers around the world overcome this challenge?

Technology is making it easier for teachers to deliver an education that works with each student’s unique needs, by providing a wide range of learning materials and promoting flexibility and differentiation in learning methods.

The C3 Micro-Cloud is a self-contained, cloud-enabled environment that allows the provisioning of content, resources, and management to local students and teachers. Content, in the form of texts, podcasts, e-books, audio-books and other resources, can be centrally curated in the C3 Cloud Control portal by those responsible for curriculum, and distributed to any authorized C3 Micro-Cloud. Teachers can plan their own lessons, adding content that better suits with the particular needs of each group of students: Some can learn about a topic by watching a video, while others can hear a podcast about the same topic and after that, the teacher can bring the entire group together for a discussion about what they just learn.

This possibility to create differentiated learning environments, through C3 Cloud Control, enables students with special needs to choose the speed of learning that is more convenient for them, without the need of a special curriculum. Being on the same timeline and curriculum as their peers helps to increase the independence feeling of a particular student, freeing him from the constant need for direct teacher involvement.

Integrating students with special needs into mainstream classes can help reduce the costs associated with special education. But, most importantly, working alongside their classmates and completing the same curriculum leads to a feeling of greater social inclusion, positive selfesteem and confidence.

With the C3 Micro-Cloud students are no longer stuck in a classroom they don’t understand, trying to learn at a pace they can’t keep up with or participate in. There can be a place in the modern learning environment for every student.

Let us show you how can you use this technology in your school, even if your school/classroom faces technology and infrastructure challenges!

___________________________________________________________________________________________ By Critical Links #connectingstudentstoknowledge