Assistive technology can change a child’s life. Hearing of the transformation of Joey’s school and life experience is inspiring. It takes more than just the teacher to realize that more can be done for the student. Family members, classmates, and professionals are needed in order to make decisions that would be best for the individual and help increase their level of participation and activity. There are many possibilities for technology tools to assist students, and having these opportunities will increase self-confidence and social interactions.
“Special educators, who support students such as Joey in inclusive settings, are becoming more proficient at adapting core curriculum, infusing basic skills into daily activities, and scheduling staff, students and other resources to best meet students' needs.” This statement is what all teachers should be doing in order to help each of their students. I do not understand why teachers would not access certain assistive technology if it would help the student grow in social interactions and classroom participation. I have been in classrooms before where disabled students sat for about eight hours each day and did not participate any in class. I don’t see why a student with limited abilities would even come to school if all they are doing is sitting because others are not taking action to accommodate their needs.
Teachers seem to be all about their “numbers.” The only reason I can think of why teachers neglect using assistive technology would be because it would be focusing on one individual and not the entire class. The rest of the class could possibly improve classroom scores, while the focus of one would take away from that time. I also do not understand why assistive technology isn’t talked about in schools. I have seen such technology used on television, but never for a student in my school. It would be so beneficial to discuss options for students who have disabilities that could be helped with the use of technology.
“Technology opens a world of possibilities for students with disabilities.” I love this idea. Students should be given anything that would help them succeed in their academic careers. I do not understand why schools are somewhat afraid of mild disabled student’s parents finding out about these possible applications. I understand that is time consuming and may be expensive, but it is for the benefit of the child. Any parent would only want the best for his or her child, and the schools should be willing to accommodate that.
The idea of toolkits in the classroom could be a very valuable source. Toolkits “quickly deploy tools of obvious value into the hands of teachers and students, and provide readily accessible opportunities for exploratory use.” These strategies being used are Type II strategies that can be made adaptable to general education requirements. Using such technology in the classroom allows students to explore and enhance their productivity. With such technology being used, students will increase their level of awareness and want to learn. Whether disabled or not, students today caught up in the digital realm of things. Making their education available, or supporting their education through toolkits, would only support them more.
Technology has only been used for research in all of the years that I have gone to school. I have never heard teachers discuss such ideas about how to support their students through technology. In today’s society, everything revolved around the newest and most advanced technology, so it would only make sense for students to learn that way too. Assistive technology should be taken into consideration by all schools and teachers for the betterment of the students.
