Assistive Technology Meeting Needs

        Not all students are going to learn what is taught during one lesson. One thing that all teachers should know is that no two students are alike. There will be different types of learners in a classroom, such as visual learners and audio learners. But to what extent are we teachers willing to take to ensure that all our students are able to participate and learn during our lessons? According to the article “Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students”, the key to success for a child with disabilities in the classroom is to have the appropriate adaptations, accommodations, and modifications made to the classroom instructions and activities.

        As a teacher, we have to be aware of the different things that are going on with our students. We have to perform certain tests that tells us how our students are, how they learn, how they think, and what drives them to do certain tasks. After we have conducted tests and spoken to the student’s parents, this is where we will create an Individualized Education Program (IEP), to set goals for the student. Having an IEP will also notify us of the student’s needs and it is our job to meet those needs.

        Learning the difference between modification and accommodation is especially important when dealing with students with disabilities. So what is the difference? Modification, according to the Jersey City Public School’s “Accommodations/Modifications/Interventions”, is defined as altering the expected content knowledge and the assessment administration practices. Also, they defined accommodation as not altering what the student is expected to learn but makes learning accessible to them and to show what they know.

        In the video “How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams”, they accommodated Lukas Bratcher with an instrument that was modified because his hands were not fully capable of pressing the necessary tools in his instrument. He showed a passion for wanting to play the instrument so Lee Shook, his first band director, sought out to find a way to do it. Though he felt it to be a very difficult task, they were able to find a shop that welcomed those with arms that were not able to play with instruments to fit their needs.

        Assistive technology has played a part in also creating modifications in classrooms because they can be assigned to each student and whatever meets their goals for their IEPs are included in their technology, such as iPads and computers. George Rehmet, a teacher at the Redwood Heights Elementary School, found it effective in meeting the needs of their content. In the video, they mention that first they have to teach the students how to use their device, which makes them believe that the earlier they learn to use their technology tool, the more proficient they will be with it, and will be able to teach their students more and more.

        Sadly, not all teachers are too familiar with all the assistive technology tools out there, which students can use. It brings a disadvantage to both the students and the teacher because the student would have been able to use tools earlier in their education and teachers would have had an easier time meeting or coming close to the goals set for a particular student. An example is Susanna Martini. In the video, she was currently attending college and has cerebral palsy. She said that assistive technology is a part of who she is because she would not be able to walk or do the things she is able to do. She even mentioned how she did not get a computer until her mom requested it and believed that if she had the equipment when she was in high school, it would have made her life easier.

        There are many ways to revise an activity to meet the needs of students with disabilities. In the video, their differences were apparent and their needs were meet with the help of their teacher and their assistive technology tool. A step to getting to know what to revise is to test them in order to complete their Individualized Education Program and to get to know the needs of the student. Another step to revising an activity is to know whether that student needs any modifications or accommodations in order to learn from the activity. Lastly, as teachers, we need to do our part and educate ourselves on the different types of assistive technologies that would help our students and ourselves when it comes to achieving the student’s annual goals in their IEPs.

References:

Accommodations/Modifications/Interventions. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://www.jcboe.org/boe2015/images/pdf/depts/speced/13-14/links13-14/accommodationsmodificationsinterventions.pdf

Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students | Center for Parent Information and Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/accommodations/