We all stand witness to the incredible rate at which technology progresses these days and to the ways in which that progression affects education. One of the most amazing opportunities the classroom is presented with thanks to technology, in my opinion, is assistive technology. Assistive technology is technology, such as speech generation devices, designed to help people with disabilities. This type of technology not only promotes independence in students with physical disabilities, but also gives them the opportunity to participate in the school community in ways that would be impossible otherwise.
A 2005 Edutopia article - "Disabled Bodies, Able Minds" - highlights the possibilities for using assistive technology in the classroom. It is truly amazing to see what technology can do for our students with special needs, and I'm sure assitive technology has only gotten more intricate since the article was first published. I found a fascinating article that focuses on a futuristic new assistive technology for the blind. With developments like these, who knows how much of an impact assistive technology will have on classrooms in the future; I can't wait to find out!
Of course, this technology is not inexpensive, but "Sheryl Burgstahler, director of DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology), an advocacy program for disabled students at the University of Washington... points to the benefits, and she wonders how schools can justify not investing in tools for disabled students." I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment - if we are truly committed to providing educational opportunities for all students, this is an investment schools cannot afford not to make!
Even though we may not all be going into special education, we are bound to find ourselves teaching students who use assistive technology at some point in our careers, especially since there is such a push to mainstream students into inclusive classrooms. On the less extreme end of the spectrum, things like text-to-speech software and hearing aids will almost certainly cross our paths and I, for one, am thankful that this technology exists and allows children with disabilities to feel like they belong in the classroom.
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post that assisted technology is a wonderful way for disabled students to become a part of mainstream classrooms and I found the article you attached intriguing, especially the part about how computers can read the movement of the student's eyebrows to illustrate what he's trying to say. It amazes me how crucial computers can be to the learning of the disabled. Without this technology, teachers would not be successful in teaching students with disabilities. I agree it's very important for us future educators to know about these kinds of technologies available to disabled students so that we can better serve them in our classes.
What a great article and insightful blog. I am teaching in an Urban school district and it is amazing how little the schools have. 33% of the students in the school I am teaching are Special Education students. So seriously - how can you justify not investing in these items? The help and knowledge that students can gain from these tools doesn't even have a money value in my eyes and I wish more people felt this way.
ReplyDeleteAssistive technologies in the classroom are a very important source of furthering the education of students who are sometimes overlooked. As the brother of a student who would have benefitted from these technologies, I am really interested in seeing where the field of assistive learning materials will go. While it is important to never blanket a term over students with special needs because of the specific needs each learner will have, it is impossible to deny the fact that these tools will help immensely. I think one factor that is sometimes overlooked, especially in the inclusion classroom setting, is that most technologies that are focused on specific students will benefit all learners. These technologies will help students further their education, regardless of their abilities because they branch into the larger picture incorporating communication, learning and community.
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