Assistive Technology March 27, 2008

I ultimately would like to become a special education teacher when I graduate. I thought researching assistive technology (AT) would give me much more information on what is currently in the market, but I eventually found some issues concerning AT. If I never did this research paper,  I would have not learned that assistive technology and instructional technology are actually very similar. We learned in class that Inspiration is an instructional tool, but what I found from my research is that it is also considered assistive technology when concerning students with disabilities. I feel that I could benefit from much of the AT available, and I’m a college student! Having a talking spellchecker could allow me to look up long words and actually know how to say them. Teachers are not prepared to teach in inclusive settings and really many of them do not want to learn. The IEP team needs to put AT on a student’s IEP and if they are not familiar with them and the benefits, how can we promote optimal success? Teachers need to teach themselves how to use AT either by doing research, experiencing AT hands on, or from a social network. I found that user groups, blogs, or even wikis could help teachers find how to use and practice AT in the classroom. Teachers should be constantly assessing and monitoring how the AT is providing your student with support. I feel that general education teachers think its up to  the special education teacher to be taking care of “their” students. General education teachers are teaching in inclusive settings and should work with the special education teacher to learn AT and strategies.  

To my knowledge I thought AT was very effective, by hear say, it is the “new” technology, but actually little research shows proving that. I already have a bias about research and do not believe everything I read. I’m sure some students have had positive and negative experiences probably depending on many different factors like the teacher, learning environment and type of disability. I had a hard time finding really informative articles, so I’ve concluded that the  assistive technology field needs much more studies to validate the research. Many articles I read had websites available with information on  certain AT, but when I visited them I felt like they were trying to sell me something more than give me information! I realized from my paper that AT is sometimes under used and some students are not being taught how to use them. Students can have the AT, but if they do not have direct instruction when and how to use them, then they are basically useless. I read an article about using a calculator, as assistive technology, a key point was to teach students when exactly to use a calculator. You do not need a calculator when you can use mental math or a pencil and paper, the teaching piece seems to make all the difference, no matter the tool. Overall AT can benefit individual students differently, with or without “labeled” disabilities, so take the time to know your students because that is what will make all the difference.

Technology accepts that people learn differently February 10, 2008

Having technology  allows students of all learning differences to see how capable they are in succeeding. My research topic looks at how technology could benefit students with disabilities. Since I would like to be a special education teacher I need to know what kind of technology is out there for my students. I would need to know what works well for their strengths and weaknesses. How can technology help students with disabilities feel like a “regular” student? There is so much technology out there to help students with needs and allowing a student discover ways that work well with their learning preferences is most important. I remember being a terrible speller my whole life and when I was in college I purchased a spell checker and I used it regularly. This little piece of technology at the time gave me the power to feel that I can accomplish anything. This must be the same feeling students get when given a device or program that is easy to use and makes you feel smart. You can even purchase spell checkers that speak the word and meaning. The possibilities are endless with technology and money is an issue regarding devices out there. I am looking forward to finding more articles on this topic and seeing what I can learn about to enhance student learning.