Standard 3.4 - Adaptive and Assistive Technology
Candidates facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support individual student learning needs. (PSC 3.4/ISTE 3d)
Artifact - Assistive and Adaptive Technology Implementation Plan
Artifact - Assistive Technology Field Experience Discussion
Reflection
Adaptive and assistive technology is an important part of any teacher’s or technology coach’s toolkit. Referring to the Assistive and Adaptive Technology Implementation Plan and corresponding field experience log documents my ability to facilitate the use of adaptive or assistive technology to support individual student learning needs. I developed this implementation plan through conversations with my school’s interrelated teacher and special education paraprofessional to document a need among several students for assistive technology.
My school has consistently made strong efforts to fully support our students who have learning challenges. Teachers advocate for students to be evaluated for services. We ensure that individual education plans (IEPs) are up to date and complete, addressing everything from classroom needs to special testing accommodations. Although our school enrolls only a few students with physical challenges, we have a significant number who have learning disabilities. However, we have not fully explored how assistive or adaptive technology could benefit these students.
For this project I focused on ways one program, Dragon Dictation, could facilitate student writing and communication. We have noted that students with learning disabilities can often explain content orally, yet assignments still need to be completed in writing. Because of this, classroom teachers will usually let students dictate assignments to another teacher or even a student. Knowing that all students love using my iPad in the media center, I downloaded Dragon Dictation and facilitated use of this assistive technology by a second grade student, "KJ,"* to see how it helped him write. He was able to dictate whole paragraphs about his favorite animal. Dragon Dictation also read his essay back to him so he could make changes. "KJ" was able to edit his essay, and was thrilled that he wrote “a whole paper!” which I downloaded to a library computer for printing. I shared this experience with our interrelated special education teacher and we developed a list of ways this program or similar speech-to-text software could be made available through all school computers for other students like "KJ." We also explored how this technology could support "KJ" in the classroom, not just for writing assignments.
Although I have assisted students whom I know have learning difficulties when possible, it took completing the assistive and adaptive technology implementation plan to fully understand how technology could make school much easier for many students. I learned that a great deal of documentation is needed to implement some plans, but I also learned that it is not difficult to make a small change in technology use that has a huge effect. To improve student learning I would like to be more involved in advocating for and facilitating assistive and adaptive technology. More preparation and training for teachers is required for assistive and adaptive technology, but once in regular use students quickly can learn to manipulate the programs.
The work that went into creating the assistive and adaptive technology implementation plan will contribute to improved student learning at my school. In order for students with learning disabilities to access and use assistive technologies, procedures and rationale for the technology must first be explicitly described. When students are given all the support and assistance they need to complete assignments, their confidence will improve along with their understanding, which can be documented through improved achievement test scores. I will continue to be an advocate helping all students using whatever technologies are needed to help them be successful.
*pseudonym
Adaptive and assistive technology is an important part of any teacher’s or technology coach’s toolkit. Referring to the Assistive and Adaptive Technology Implementation Plan and corresponding field experience log documents my ability to facilitate the use of adaptive or assistive technology to support individual student learning needs. I developed this implementation plan through conversations with my school’s interrelated teacher and special education paraprofessional to document a need among several students for assistive technology.
My school has consistently made strong efforts to fully support our students who have learning challenges. Teachers advocate for students to be evaluated for services. We ensure that individual education plans (IEPs) are up to date and complete, addressing everything from classroom needs to special testing accommodations. Although our school enrolls only a few students with physical challenges, we have a significant number who have learning disabilities. However, we have not fully explored how assistive or adaptive technology could benefit these students.
For this project I focused on ways one program, Dragon Dictation, could facilitate student writing and communication. We have noted that students with learning disabilities can often explain content orally, yet assignments still need to be completed in writing. Because of this, classroom teachers will usually let students dictate assignments to another teacher or even a student. Knowing that all students love using my iPad in the media center, I downloaded Dragon Dictation and facilitated use of this assistive technology by a second grade student, "KJ,"* to see how it helped him write. He was able to dictate whole paragraphs about his favorite animal. Dragon Dictation also read his essay back to him so he could make changes. "KJ" was able to edit his essay, and was thrilled that he wrote “a whole paper!” which I downloaded to a library computer for printing. I shared this experience with our interrelated special education teacher and we developed a list of ways this program or similar speech-to-text software could be made available through all school computers for other students like "KJ." We also explored how this technology could support "KJ" in the classroom, not just for writing assignments.
Although I have assisted students whom I know have learning difficulties when possible, it took completing the assistive and adaptive technology implementation plan to fully understand how technology could make school much easier for many students. I learned that a great deal of documentation is needed to implement some plans, but I also learned that it is not difficult to make a small change in technology use that has a huge effect. To improve student learning I would like to be more involved in advocating for and facilitating assistive and adaptive technology. More preparation and training for teachers is required for assistive and adaptive technology, but once in regular use students quickly can learn to manipulate the programs.
The work that went into creating the assistive and adaptive technology implementation plan will contribute to improved student learning at my school. In order for students with learning disabilities to access and use assistive technologies, procedures and rationale for the technology must first be explicitly described. When students are given all the support and assistance they need to complete assignments, their confidence will improve along with their understanding, which can be documented through improved achievement test scores. I will continue to be an advocate helping all students using whatever technologies are needed to help them be successful.
*pseudonym