IP Proposal Reflection

     Exploratory writing is interesting. It makes you think. It challenges you to not accept the first solution you come up with, but to explore other options. It also makes you look at the other side of the argument. My topic is about how children with special needs interact with technology in the classroom. My initial thought was that technology would help these kids, but then I explored the other side: why technology wouldn't be helpful. I looking into the pros and cons of the argument instead of only focusing on my point of view. I found some very interesting things which I will include in my paper. Exploratory writing forced me to not be stubborn and get out of my own person  way of thinking. It's interesting what you find when you don't only focus on one side of an issue. It takes a smart mind to be able to see the other side of the argument and dispute it coherently. It was Aristotle that said "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." He could not have been more right.

Here is my proposal:

Candela Lattanzio

Debra Reece

English 1010

29 October 2014

IP Proposal

            Growing up in another country and going to school was a different experience for me. I had never noticed any peers around me with special needs or special disabilities and I felt like everyone was equal. Even though I went to a private school, my classroom did not have computers and we had to go to a computer lab that had about ten old computers. Because the quantity was so small compared to the class size, there were about three students per computer. As I grew up and moved to the United States I realized that schools here were more advanced and that students that required extra assistant went to a special class.

            I began to think about this while studying psychology. We studied how a regular individual develops through life and then we discussed what happens when something goes wrong in development and a child is born with autism or some sort of special need. I became intrigued by this because clearly, these children function differently than others. I then began to think about how they interact with their environment, especially technology.

In this research paper, I will attempt to answer the question of how technology can benefit students, especially those with special needs. I will begin defining some terms and explaining what constitutes a student with learning disabilities as well as a student with cognitive disabilities. I will also share some of the most common technologies used today in the classroom. Next, I will address some of the disadvantages of technology as well as the benefits of it. Finally, I will discuss my conclusion on the use of technology.