One of the most critical parts of the elements of
instruction is the repetition required the practice. The authors
of this web site have been successful in maintaining the interest
of their students during the practice activities by infusing various
applications of technology. In addition to learning language arts
and social skills, the students acquire abilities in using technology.
The following is a list of some examples:
The students take turns using a digital camera to
record critical moments in the segments of their role plays. At
our school we had an early model of a digital camera that recorded
directly onto 3 1/2 inch floppy discs. This worked great in giving
individual or small groups a means to transport the images to a
computer with a word processor. The picture was inserted into their
essays about the social skills. Having actual pictures of themselves
or their classmates was an incredibly engaging factor. Using a digital
camera to capture images of the role plays, students could make
a story board and add captions. Some students went out into the
community and took photographs of people using social skills in
real life. The students could use a digital camera or a conventional
camera. A flatbed scanner was used to make their conventional prints
into images they could use in their reports.