Assistive Technology Integration
As teachers, we are always on the hunt for new ways to assist our students and promote higher learning. For all students however, learning can look and appear in a variety of ways. Some students may take a different approach to learning and others may require some form of assistive technology. Here lies the issue. Can the educator fulfill the needs of the student if the educator themselves aren't equipped mentally or technologically? Assistive technology, and any technology for that matter is going to be a crucial part of any classroom, but can a teacher relate and build trust with the student without being equipped with the tools to "speak their language?" I've interacted with teachers, coaches, and counselors who aren't well acquainted with certain technologies or strategies to help their students and they are okay with it. They have accepted that there may be some students they "can't reach" or may "pass off" to other teachers more familiar with assistive technologies. To me, this is an issue. I've often held the opinion that it's the responsibility of the teacher to be familiar with a number of different technologies and strategies to help the student. I myself am very uncomfortable with technology and I struggle with the digital world every day. This however is no excuse as there will always be students whose strength lies within some form of technology or assistive technology in the classroom.
Some things to keep in mind when considering the use of technology or assistive technology in the classroom are, do I know exactly what I am using? Do I know this form of technology inside and out? Do I know how to appropriately apply this to my classroom? Does my student have faith that I know what I am doing? These are all things to consider when applying a new form of technology or approach to the classroom. Students, much like the teachers, are constantly observing whom that is teaching them. Students that need some form of assistive tech are trying to learn but also find comfort in the idea that the teacher knows what is best for them and that the assistive technology is going to work. If a teacher isn't familiar, the student will pick up on this. A teacher that isn't efficient at monitoring and applying assistive technology in the classroom ends up hurting the student mentally, since they are implementing an application without understanding how to work it. And in a world that is so technology driven, every teacher has no choice but to conform to the digital world or else their classroom will suffer. A website that determines effective forms of assistive technology states that basically "all technology is assistive," therefore we as educators have to understand that almost all our incoming students have either had experience with technology or have had the resources to help them, and it's our job to continue that trend.
A student that needs a ramp to enter the school building, an I-pad to enlarge text, speech to text applications...these are all ways technology allows students to receive an education despite their setbacks. These students are willing to work around their impairments, but their success lies on their teachers willingness to be familiar with the many different forms of assistive technology.
https://builtin.com/edtech/assistive-technology-in-the-classroom (website// examples of assistive technology)
Hi Ben, you have made your point clearly that it is important for the teacher to be willing to be familiar with the use of assistive technology and accessibility features. The primary reason for this is to ensure that students with some form of disability may be able to complete tasks in class like other students, by teachers finding ways to remove barriers. The other students who are in the class can also benefit from the use of accessibility features. I find your claim that "all technology is assistive" interesting because the term "assistive technology" has its history in providing help to people with disabilities and the scope has greatly expanded over the years. So AT does assist other kinds of learners as well. Although I think the teacher has a responsibility to familiar with AT to help students learn, it would be most ideal to learn on the job, so that it's not so overwhelming and it is also meaningful since this knowledge can be immediately applied. I wonder if you currently teach any students who need to use assistive technology on a daily basis. In my class, I use closed captioning when playing videos because I may have non-native English speakers, but I don't necessarily have a student with a learning or physical disability that warrants such a use of AT.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your post! One point that I have not thought of before in relation to assistive technology is that students rely on teachers to take care of them and to know what is best for them. I remember looking up to my teachers and believing that they had all the answers when I was a child. Although I do not think that teachers need to pretend to know everything, I do think it is sad that students with various disabilities are let down by teachers who do not attempt to learn about assistive technology. Another great point you made is that assistive technology may be underutilized by certain educators like coaches. As assistive technology gains popularity, I think classroom teachers are beginning to implement it more and more. However, I also believe that specials teachers should become more familiar with assistive technology to make every aspect of school more inclusive. If assistive technology is used in the classroom, gym, art room, library, and more, students will be able to thrive in the school environment.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post and seeing your opinion on the topic of assistive technology in the classroom. Your paragraph about know how to use and implement assistive technology before introducing it stood out to me. This reminds me of the importance of leading by example. However, I do believe that we need to be patient with technology and realize it will not always work the way we want it to. It is important to know and understand the technology that your are utilizing in order to show the students that they can be confident in using this assistive technology. Thank you for sharing!
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