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I choose to find an article on technology and special education because of my area of specialization. I found a very interesting article about assistive technology in the classroom. Assistive technology is "any item, piece of equipment, or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities"
The article discusses how much technology has opened the doors to accommodating those with physical, sensory or cognitive impairments. It talked about technology as an equalizer. I really liked that phrase. Many times those with disabilities are thought of as different, but with the help of the changing technology, those individuals can participate with everyone else. With the help of technology, those unable to speak can now use voice synthesizers to communicate. Those in wheel chairs can easily get around the school with the help of automatic doors. Text and graphic enhancements assist those with visual impairments. Technology as simple as word processing, editing and spell-checking found in many software often helps those with disabilities keep up with much work. With the help of FM signals, teacher's can wear a microphone to transmit their voice to a child with hearing impairments. The help of the assistive technology allo the students to feel better about themselves as active learners. New technology tools enable teachers to offer new and motivating tools for students with special needs. Computers allow teachers to facilitate learning beyond drill and practice.
The article discusses the implications of the effects on children with disabilities in the school. It described the feeling of seeing a young child speak or hear for the first time.
It is pointed out that virtually all applications of technology can be defined as assistive technology. Many may think assistive technology is only for those with physical disabilities but something as low-tech as a pencil grip to help a child hold a pencil is considered assistive technology. As educators we strive to increase or add new academic, social or living skills. In some cases it's simply important to help students maintain their capability. Assistive technology can do this.
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires an "appropriate" education in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. With the help of assistive technology, many students can work in a regular education classroom. This is beneficial because some child may not benefit appropriately from a full inclusion program.
This article shows how important technology is in our classroom. It doesn't need to be 1:1 or simply a computer. Technology has improved everyones life no matter if born with a disability or not.
Reference:
Behrmann, M. (2004). Assistive technology for young children in special education . Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Retrieved from http://www.lcsd150.ab.ca/ICT/ATL/Child_or_SpecEd_Assist_Tech.pdf
I like the idea of technology as an equalizer because it is true. Technology has provided many people with opportunities that they wouldn't have had otherwise. The advances in technology have allowed schools to become much more accommodating to those with special needs. It is interesting to think though that a pencil grip is technology because when I think of assistive technology I think of things such as voice synthesizers. This is a very interesting article!
ReplyDeleteThis article was really cool, I actually printed it off, because I thought it was really interesting. I wish we had read it in class because I think a lot of times, we forget that we use a lot of this stuff everyday in our classrooms and in our daily lives. It was such a cool article, thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology can open so many doors. It's is interesting to think somethings that assistive technology can be almost anything. My preschool teacher used the triangular shaped Crayola crayons with students who had trouble holding a crayon/utensil correctly. Also, I feel that technology is an equalizer to those student who need it because it allows them to function better in the classroom. I enjoyed reading this article!
ReplyDeleteI think it is so important for us to know about assistive technologies (low and high tech) that students may need to "equalize" their classroom experience. Glad you read this article to keep reminding us of this important topic - we all need to learn more about it!
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