One of those ways, she believes, is through thoughtful use of tech-nology. Technology has, in many ways, helped change schools for the better by allowing teachers to teach more specifically to the needs of individual students, she says. She describes how using software programs can benefit both slower and advanced students. The school participates in an accelerated reading program that offers comprehension tests to accompany thousands of books in the school library. A teacher couldn't get through a fraction of that many books if they were all taught in class with everyone reading the same books, she says.
Teachers have more information at their fingertips.
Work done on computers can be quickly analyzed to see students' progress as well as strengths and weaknesses, and teachers can plan accordingly. But technology is only part of what makes education today exciting. Teachers don't have to just follow the example of a favorite teacher from their past, even though they may well carry some valuable insights with them from good experiences. Research, she says, helps them know so much more about how children learn. For example, based on brain research, teachers today know that the first place a child's energy goes is to meet basic physical needs, then emotional needs, and finally cognitive needs.