Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Assistive Technology
My teaching philosophy consists of
every child having the ability to learn. This does not mean they all learn the
same way – only that they have the ability
to gain knowledge. Students face many different challenges in schooling. As
teachers we need to be able to provide support to help students learn in their
best possible manner and to the highest level they can achieve. Students with
mild disabilities, moderate to severe disabilities, physical disabilities,
sensory disabilities, at risk behaviors/situations, and gifts and talents are
all able to learn to their best ability with the help of assistive technology.
Depending on the level of severity
of cognitive disabilities, there are many different assistive technologies available
to help students learn. According to Roblyer & Doering, mild cognitive
disabilities can range from learning disabilities to mental retardation. For
these students, they mostly need help with reading, math, and writing skills (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 406).
For math, there is an app called Math by fishdog.net. Math allows for children to play games that allow for them to
practice math. For students who are struggling with reading there are a number
of interactive books available for
the iPad or computer. Many of these can be downloaded for free. The internet is
your friend when it comes to resources. Here is a list of online interactive Clifford stories. Now for students who have
more severe cognitive disabilities, the focus of instruction should be on basic
function skills for them to be ready for the world (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 408). A list of apps for children struggling with
autism can be found here.
These can be used for a variety of severe cognitive disabilities – not just
autism – because they focus on functional and social skills. Another assistive
technology for students with severe cognitive disabilities comes in the form of
alternative keyboards (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 408).
These can be used for a variety of needs because they have several different
functions. An example of alternative keyboards is the Intellikeys keyboard by Intellitools. Using these resources can help students with cognitive
disabilities to get a leg up on the curriculum.
Students with physical and sensory disabilities have
a different kind of challenge with learning. Not all resources for learning are
applicable to them. For students with physical disabilities, they need
assistive technology that allows for instructional activities to be available
to them. Simple things such as using a joystick
or switches give them better access to computers and other
curricular activities (Roblyer
& Doering, 2013, p. 408). For students who have sensory disabilities, there
are assistive technologies for blindness and hearing loss. For students who are
completely blind, there is optical
character recognition software that allows for print materials to be
converted into audio (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 409). An example of this
is found here. For
students who have hearing loss, teachers can use FM amplification systems to
help students hear their teacher’s voice through the use of microphones and receivers
(Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 409).
An example of an FM amplification system
can be found here.
These are all resources a teacher can use for students who have physical or
sensory disabilities.
Students
who are constantly failing in school academics are considered at-risk. These
students are often unmotivated and have little confidence in their ability to
do school tasks (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 409). For these students, assistive
technology helps with work on skills that are troubling to students and on
motivation. Giving students extra tools to be successful can make all the
difference in these students. Allowing them to manage their own to-do list with a website like http://my.yahoo.com/ can help keep them
accountable to the tasks that are expected and required from them. Teachers can use a website called Trackstar to help create engaging and
motivating activities that go with the curriculum.
For students who are gifted, sometimes the pace and
level of instruction don’t seem enough. For these students, allowing different
forms of learning should be encouraged. For showing what they learned, gifted
students can create a project using technology. Glogster is a great tool for this. Also, finding out what
gifted students are interested in gives a huge motivational boost to class work.
If students are interested in space, allow them to navigate and research on
NASA’s homepage. Little things like these go a long way in
keeping gifted students engaged.
Students with mild disabilities,
moderate to severe disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, at
risk behaviors/situations, and gifts and talents are all able to learn to their
best ability with the help of assistive technology. These few technologies are
only the tip of the iceberg as to what is available to students, teachers, and
classrooms. Providing students with their best chance to succeed should be
every teacher’s dream and with assistive technology, it becomes a little bit
easier!
References:
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching
References:
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching
5th edition. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.
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