Technology is all around us. It has definitely made life more convenient and has opened an entirely new dimension for us in which communication across the globe is only a click/call away and news updates are always up-to-the-minute, and even up-to-the-second. Technology has really enabled us to do amazing things, and it pleases me to know that individuals with exceptionalities are greatly benefitting from technology as well through assistive technology—“any item, piece of equipment, or product system...that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capacities of individuals with disabilities” ("What is assistive," 2011).
“Enabling Dreams,” a video about assistive technology in the classroom, opened my eyes to what technology has to offer to all of our students. I saw in the video how teachers integrated the use of technology in their lesson in order to make learning more accessible to students with disabilities (Ellis, 2005). I saw how important it was for disabled students to have the right tools, whether it be a laptop, a touch screen device, or even a joystick-controlled horn, in order to be successful participants. Without these accommodations, these students will feel that they cannot do much in this world, which is very untrue because many of them are as equally brilliant as a “normal” person.
This caused me to think back to the different lessons I learned in class and even lesson plans I have written and realized that not many of these lessons accommodate all types of learners. What if a student was vision impaired? Hearing impaired? Then, they could not have participated much in the lesson and activity, which means they may not have gained much from the lesson as well.
It is saddening to think that teachers exclude disabled students because they are ignorant of what is available for these students. I do not want to repeat the same mistake, so I searched online and found this great site: Assistive Technology to Meet K-12 Student Needs. It has a list of alternatives according to the different needs of the students. If a student is blind or has low vision, assistive devices such as audio books and Braille printers are some great tools to help them. If a student has trouble with verbal communication, devices such as simple-voice outputs or talking word processors are some options that can be used. However, some of these tools are not readily available, so the website also suggested low-technology tools, such as incorporating more pictures and text to accommodate the deaf and hard-of-hearing (“Assistive technology to”, 2004).
Now that I am more aware of assistive technology, I want to find out what type of technology is available to my students before I create a revised activity because I want to be able to do an activity in which this tool can be fully utilized. I found that the Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education located at the University of Guam loans out different devices for free ("Guam system for," 2009). I will use the U.S. Department of Education’s Modified Academic Achievement Standards to check if my revised lesson/activity meets the requirements. One requirement indicates that the student must meet “goals that are based on the academic content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled,” and if my revision meets this along with a few other requirements, then I know I am doing it correctly (U.S. Department, 2007).
In conclusion, although it may take more time and effort to create lesson plans that include all learners, it is the only way educators can empower each and every student with the knowledge and skill they need to prepare them for the future.
Assistive technology to meet k-12 student needs. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te7assist.htm
Ellis, K. (Director). (2005). Assistive-technology: Enabling dreams [Web]. Available from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
Guam system for assistive technology. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.gsatcedders.org/lending_library.html
U. S. Departement of Education, Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. (2007). Modified academic achievment standards Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/modachieve-summary.html
What is assistive technology?. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/asstive_tech/
Image from: http://www.disaboom.com/assistive-technology-general/top-6-assistive-communication-technology
Hi:
ReplyDeleteExcellent work!
-j-