Assistive Technology: Starts with Teachers

           In my philosophy of education, I state that it is my belief that students learn best through active participation and interaction with their peers and the instructor through the use of different teaching and learning strategies.  This should not only be my creed because it is something all educators must take into consideration. Every student who walks into the classroom has a preferred style of learning or some sort of need on the teacher’s part to assist them daily in the way they learn. Sometimes, certain students require more assistance than others due to disabilities. This is where the accommodations of Assistive Technology, commonly known as AT, plays a vital role. Getting access to such devices, however, is probably the biggest challenge for students with disabilities and those working with them.

            In the video, Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler of the University of Washington Disabilities Opportunities Internet-working and Technology Program says, “Even though there is a lot of technology available for people with disabilities, it isn’t implemented that much in our school systems today and there are a lot of reasons for that. One is that people who work with students with disabilities, this could be teachers, lab managers, parents, often aren’t aware of the technology that is available for them, and then technology is not always included in the planning process.” Assistive technology has been progressing at the same rate as other types of technology. The problem is that people who need them have no idea that such devices exist or where to even look for it. When this happens, students with disabilities are educated at a slower-rate and the contents of what they are learning are watered down to basics to accommodate them. It is my belief that the fault, in these situations, lie with the school system and its educators. Educators should be able to assess a student’s needs within the first few days to first few weeks of class and find appropriate accommodations.

Technology has different purposes, but its users are all equal. 

            In another sense, I believe that educators are sometimes not informed of the various AT devices available for their students. This is why I believe that a course that provides instruction

on assistive technologies and methodology for all teachers should be required. According to Terence Cavanaugh of the University of Florida, “To provide more extensive experience and education to instructional and educational technology specialists concerning assistive technology, a course should be devoted to the presentation of the basic concepts and applications of assistive technology.” When educators are familiar with AT devices and how to apply them in their classroom, students who are in need of them will be able to benefit from them. According to Special Education teacher Ann Marie Pulcini in the Assistive Technology: Powerful Solutionsfor Success preview video, AT devices empower students with disabilities because it accommodates them and makes things easier or more at their level.

            Once teachers become familiar with AT devices and how to incorporate them in their instruction, the earlier students can learn how to use them. In the video Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, Redwood Heights Elementary School teacher, George Rehmet, asserts, “By introducing ids to technology early, it gets them better prepared and makes it easier down the road and then they can spend the later years of their school years focusing on content material and the curriculum.” This goes back to my belief that some teachers water down content material for students with disabilities because they have no AT devices to help their students grasp everything as efficiently and effectively as other students do. There is a need in our education system to detect early students with disabilities and get them the appropriate AT devices needed to help them learn so that they can begin learning how to use these devices at an early age. When this is achieved, the content material for students with disabilities would be at a higher level and students will be able to get more out of their education than just watered-down basics. Students with disabilities should not be treated any different than students without disabilities. If they need assistance, we should help them. However, they should never be made to feel like they have fewer opportunities than others do.

            I believe that teachers should be able to adjust their teaching strategies to accommodate the variety of learning needs their students have. Instead of just special education teachers, all teachers should be required to take some course that provides information and instruction on the use of AT devices in their classrooms. Teachers, together with parents, should work together in detecting each student’s needs, if any, at an early age to get them the necessary help for them to move forward in their education. Technology is moving the world forward, and we must not be held back to all traditional aspects of education. Students are more diverse than they were back then, so we must use technology to accommodate diversity, especially for special needs students. In the words of Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, “Technology has changed all of our lives but for these students, technology truly changes their life and the opportunities that they’ll have in the future.”

References     

           

Cavanaugh, T. (n.d.). The Need for Assistive Technology in Educational 
            Technology. Jacksonville, FL: University of North Florida. Retrieved 
            from file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/article_17778.pdf

Edutopia. (2010, July 28). Assitive Technology: Enabling Dreams [Video file]. 
            Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXxdxck8Gic

Natprofes. (n.d.). Assistive Technology: Powerful Solutions for Success preview 
            [Video file] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faepVmPsRvQ

Reflection #1: Educational Online Game

       Teenagers and young adults, like myself, can browse all day through the Internet, go on different websites, play numerous online games, visit different social networks, and all at the same time, not pay attention to the features on each new page we come across. This is how I was until I started to take this class. Doing this project opened my eyes even more to the many tools one can use to create web pages. I love going on the Internet whenever I get the opportunity. Although, I never thought of myself as Internet savvy because I am not. I can honestly say that I am good when it comes to books and charts. However, when it comes to creating web pages, using online tools to create presentations, or using another search engine other than Google, I am the dumbest person in the room. Thank heavens for ED 271!

       I must admit that I would have never gotten through this project without my group. As I mentioned before, I am not the best at using online tools. Even at that, I am always open to learning new things, like how to create a website. I was thankful for the group that I had because we all had our different gifts to contribute in completing this project. Since I love charts and writing, I offered to take the lead in creating the rubric to evaluate our online game. The hardest part about creating our rubric was deciding what things we were going to evaluate depending on the online game we chose. Choosing the game had to be the hardest part of the project. Each member of our group found interesting and exciting games. Finally, we selected a game that was simple, enjoyable, and appropriate for our targeted age group. The overall characteristics of the game made our scoring much easier.

       As I have stated before, I am thankful for the group that I have. They were able to teach me a few things I did not know about creating websites and other neat things online. There was no problem regarding communication in our group. Our primary method of contact was through Wiggio. We did not make use of the web conference tool in Wiggio. We were very simple and just used the basic instant messaging and wall posts to communicate. The group decided to use Weebly to create our website since most of us in the group were familiar with it. Naturally, I was not, but I did learn. In the end, I was happy and content with the way our presentation turned out. The interaction with the class in playing the game was quite humorous. I look forward to learning more through collaboration with my group members.

       Doing this project got me thinking how I can use such tools in my classroom when I become a teacher. There are many neat things teachers and students can do online. Creating a blog to submit and showcase assignments, as we do in this class, is something I would like to do with my students. Blogs are probably old by now in the Internet world. That is why using a blog might be a bit troublesome though considering not many people use them anymore. According to Santrock (2012), fewer adolescents are blogging nowadays. In a survey in 2006, 28 percent of adolescents were blogging. By 2009, those numbers dropped by half to 14 percent. Although I would like to make use of blogs in my classroom, I need to find other online tools and methods that appeal to today's generation.

       The game that we chose, BalloonPop Subtraction, is in no way related to my content area. However, doing this project has given me ideas of how I can extend learning beyond the classroom for my students. For example, I could find games related to my content area that would help students study, learn, and give feedback. It is also my belief that more teachers should consider doing these extra steps to promote learning outside the classroom. However, the problem is that some teachers are hesitant to use the Internet for instructional purposes. "When a teacher is somewhat reluctant to use technology or views it in a negative way, pedagogy may suffer (Harper et al., 2004)." Teachers must find innovative ways to engage their students. I believe using the Internet more as a method of communication rather than just a source of information would be beneficial to student learning.

       In conclusion, this project was a creative and beneficial learning experience, at least for me. The work put into learning new tools as we have done in this project is definitely tedious and time consuming. However, it is rewarding seeing the many things one can do with today's technology. I am excited to learn more ways on all these technological and media resources can enhance my work as a student and future teacher.

References

Harper, K. C., Chen, K., & Yen, D. C. (2004). Distance learning, virtual
      classrooms, and teaching pedagogy in the Internet Environment. Oxford, OH:
      Miami University.

Santrock, J.W. (2012). Adolescence ( 14th Ed.). The Media and Technology
      (p. 415). New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.