I can personally relate to this, since I wear hearing aids in both ears. Before I had them, my husband would ask if I had heard certain things; I would say I did not, which made him concerned.I would also have to ask students, over and over, what they had said; we have all had the soft talkers, which made it that much harder to hear. Being in traffic, where you need to heard horns blowing or tires screaching to a halt, is also an important situation to have good hearing. Not being able to hear a collegue trying to get my attention, in traffic, was what finally got me to get hearing aids. In reference to students, they need to hear the instructors; this appies to hearing their fellow students, as well. In reference to home, any student who has children would need to be able to hear the child's cry. Other things include hearing a door knock or door bell, a kitchen timer when cooking or baking, a phone ring and the person on the other end.

Do you think that anyone is able to teach ELL students?

This questions made me think of a guy at the college I went to, for my junior and senior year; he was totally blind. He had a person with him who recorded the lecture, for him to listen to again later. Also, the chapters in the books were read to him; I'm not sure if he had Braille translations or not. Anyway, he went on to be in radio at a local station. In reference to accommodating lind student, I would be willing to have my lectures recorded. I would also find out how he has communicated in the past, what has worked and what has not. Since my workplace has accommodated for a nearly deaf student w/interpreter, I don't see why we could not do what it takes for a blind person. We have had a guy who needed a sight dog, for him to get around; I'm not sure what he could see and what he could not, or how he functioned in class.

We have had students, over the years, who have needed medical attention. It seems that everyone on campus knows to call 911 for help; we also have a great medical dept.,usually with one or more nurse being on campus at one time. I, myself, have had to help and "coordinate" people into action, when a student needed it. The former head of our Medical dept. taught me so much about being calm, and taking control; watching her, during a couple of times helping a student, especially during a student's seizure, is what taught me that I could be of help. When someone at my school says, "I need some help," people come out of their areas for assistance. In other words, students will be taken care of, and I think they know it.

How do we submit application exercises? Do we work them into a discussion question?

It seems to me that, no matter the disability, as long as you the teacher are willing to show the student that you are interested in making sure they get a fair shake they will respect and appreciate your initiative. I have dealt with most of the different types of students that have been listed in this CEE and simple gestures and patience has gained me and the student the most of their time in my class.

How do you make your classroom environment comfortable? I took ESL classes long time ago to learn English when I came to the US from my origin country. I felt nervous when I was at the classroom...It is important to make students from overseas or who do not speak English feel comfortable when they learn English...it helps them to learn English faster...what do you think?

Why do Generation Y learners value experiential learning?

What are some strategies for engaging Generation Y learners?

How do social networks influence the learning of Gen Y students?

As digital natives how do Gen Y students view technology?

What are strategies that have worked for you with Gen Y learners?

What is the value of knowing the characteristics of different generations of learners?

From your perspective, how has technology impacted the learning process of Gen Y students?

How do the characteristics of Generation Y learners impact the instructional planning process?

How do the characteristics of Generation Y learners impact the instructional planning process?

I was hoping this class would discuss more on how to engage students with certain types of psychological learning disabilities. Does anyone know what web sites would offer good advice on what different ways of encouragement an instructor can give a student and how to keep them focused on what they are trying to learn?

It can be challenging to provide students with the accommodations needed to be successful. This challenge is greater still in the Online environment. Because instructors must manage a virtual classroom, and an asynchronous environment, relating directly to students becomes a skill of great experience. Tone and inflection cannot be seen online; physical qeues cannot be seen online; voice can be heard by the instructor but often not the student. When a student in this environment has a disability, they may even have a more difficult time expressing it to or sharing with the appropriate staff or instructors. Sometimes the disability will be stated the wrong way, for example in a Discussion Forum or a chat, in front of other students. Then the instructor must work hard to overcome that public knowledge. Often, school administration and instructors will have to speak with the student by phone to fully understand their needs. They may even need to seek the assistance of a parent or guardian to the student, who has been allowed by FERPA disclosure to assist. On the flip side, some students with disabilities may find the online environment a perfect place because they are only recognized by the value of their contribution and not by any appearence they may have. Online offers both challenges and benefits to students with disabilities and their faculty and staff.