Week 7: Assistive Technology!

To me, this assignment has been the most educational and beneficial assignment thus far in this course. As a general education teacher, I feel as though I lacked knowing valuable information about students with disabilities and the technology used to support their disabilities. This will only be my second year to teach, and I have not had many experiences with an IEP or assistive technology. For this assignment we we asked learn about assistive technology and how it can be impletmented in a classroom for students with mild disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, physical disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, at risk behaviors/situations, and gifts/talents. Roblyer and Doering state, "When an impairment limits and individual from performing an activity in a manner normally excepted for human beings (communicating with others, hearing, movement, manipulating objects, and so on), we refer to this as a disability" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 398). The teacher's role in education is to figure out the best way to educate and motivate all students. Teachers have many types of technology at their finger tips that will help enhance instruction for all types of students and all of their needs.

Our text defines assistive technology as, "extending the abilities of an individual in ways that provide physical access (e.g., wheelchairs, braces) and sensory access (e.g., Braille, closed captioning)" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 400). The Star Legacy Module states "Assistive Technology is any device or service that helps a student with a disability meet his or her individualized education program and to participate in a general education classroom setting to the greatest possible extent" (The Star Legacy Module, p.1). To me assistive technology can be anything a student or teacher uses to enhance the education for all students. Through participating in The Star Legacy Module and reading chapter fifteen of our text I have learned that an assistive technology can be anything from a pencil grip to an electric wheel chair. Technology serves so many different roles in the education world. Teachers are at a wonderful advantage when they are able to teach the information and have access to technology that will enhance their instruction.

Mild Disabilities:
Mild disabilities are the most common types of mental disabilities. Mild disabilities can consist of several different disabilities, Meese (2001) describes the characteristics as, "cognitive (i.e., intellectual ability, attention deficits, memory and thinking skills) academic, (i.e., reading, language arts, mathematics), and social-emotional" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 406). Typically, a student with a mild disability is low-functioning in only one subject area. The teacher can plan activities or reinforcement using software materials or Internet resources to help the student. If the student is low in reading, the teacher could use software such as; Simon Sounds it Out to work on their reading skills. If the student is struggling with writing, he or she could use a NEO Writer to help them create sentences. In addition to using these technologies, teachers also plan intervention time where they are able to work one on one with a child and their specific needs. During that time teachers can use; iPad apps, white boards, books, concept maps, and etc.
Simon Sounds it Out: AT
NEO Writer: AT

Moderate and Severe Disabilities:
"For individuals with moderate and severe cognitive disabilities, considerable effort is devoted to ensure that they acquire daily living skills such as personal hygiene, shopping, and use of public transportation" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 408). The text describes iPad apps that help teach time and money, as a good tool for students with moderate/severe disabilities. As these students learn about real world needs, an iPad has an abundance of apps that teach these specific things. Also, the use of alternative keyboards gives these students the opportunity to use other available software because the keyboard is enlarged enough for them to access the buttons. Below, is a link to an assistive technology website with lots of tools to choose from.
Assitive Technology
iPad Apps- Blog from a mother

Physical Disabilities:
"Physical disabilities typically affect a person's mobility and agility. Difficulties with motor movements may involve gross- or fine-motor movement and frequently exist concurrently with other disabilities" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 408). Some of the assistive technology used by students with physical disabilities are; power wheelchairs, joysticks, and switches. These assistive technologies give students the ability to move, operate keyboards, and manipulating the computer software. Teachers could also offer desks that are adjustable so that a wheelchair can fit under as well as proper room circulation so that the student could move around the room freely.
Desks
Joysticks

Sensory Disabilities:
"Sensory disabilities involve impairments associated with the loss of hearing or vision" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p. 409). Students who have vision issues, but do have activity in their eyes are considered partially sighted. These students use assistive technology such as; enlarged text, contrast altered text, closed-circuit television magnification system, screen magnification, and etc. Blind students use canes to walk, tools that convert printed information, and screen readers to help the listen to a text. Students who have trouble hearing are referred to as hearing impaired, whereas students that cannot hear at all are referred to as deaf. Students that are hearing impaired use assistive technology such as FM amplification system. This system requires the teacher to wear a microphone so that his or her voice is amplified in the students receiver. Deaf students are typically able to use most technologies with little to no modifications.
AT: American Foundation for the Blind
AT: For The Deaf

At Risk Behaviors/Situations:
"Students at risk for school failure are not considered disabled in the sense of the federal definition of disability. However, their lack of success in school often parallels the low performance of students with disabilities" (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p.409). Therefore, the same assistive technology tools that help the disabled, are used to help those students that are at risk. If the student has trouble remembering assignments a calendar or reminder service could be used. If the student struggles with reading or writing tasks, he or she can use the same tools as the student with mild disabilities. If the student is performing low in mathematics, the student could use an online calculator or the software program virtual math. Lastly, to engage or motivate the student the teacher could use technology as a reward. The study could create their own poster using glogster.
Talking Calculator
Glogster

Gifts and Talents:
The definition of gifted student is, "Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title IX, Part A, Section 9101(22); U.S. Department of Education, 2004) (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p.411). In many elementary schools today, gifted/talented students are served by a gifted education teacher. At WBES once a week, the gifted education teacher comes and those students who qualified are pulled from the general education classroom. During their time with the gifted education teacher they work on projects, such as creating a roller coaster. Our book discussed using the Pyryt's P's approach while implementing technology for the gifted/talented students. First, the students should pace themselves while working on web based projects. Second, the students should be allowed to develop or use their own problem solving skills through a software program such as; Destination Imagination. Next is passion, allowing these students to follow their passion and research or work on a project of their choice. Students should then be able to show their creativity through products such as podcast. This allows these students to work on their own or collaboratively with their peers. Other examples of this is; email, wikis, or social networking. (Roblyer & Doering, 2012, p.411-412)
Podcast Kid
Blog: Gifted/Talented

Assistive technology gloves that translate sign language into speech. Double Awesome. http://t.co/vmjFN8l3CC (ht @techcrunch)
— Joseph Reddington (@joereddington) July 15, 2013

Our latest #AT newsletter is available now #TDSB http://t.co/U8m82LhthM
— Assistive Technology (@AssistTech) June 5, 2013

I have learned so much about assistive technology and the role it plays in elementary schools! What do you use at your school? #EDU505UWARAY
— Jessica Owens Taylor (@J_Taylor61811) July 16, 2013

Reference

Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2010). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching Fifth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon