Blog C

Assistive technology is a great way to make the classroom more inclusive. Assistive technology is used to help those with disabilities. These disabilities can be physical, communicative or something else. Assistive technologies are important to a classroom. Some student’s have disabilities that can inhibit their learning. Assistive technologies allow students to overcome these obstacles. Learning has to accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Assistive technologies help to make education accessible to all students. Although, they can be expensive assistive technologies are a necessary tool for teachers to complete their mission of educating all students. In a perfect world all students will have everything they need to get through school.
One use of assistive technologies is Universal Design. This is combination of different methods to help accommodate a variety of different learners (http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html). It works off of the idea that all children learn in different ways, so teachers should teach in a variety of ways. This is a great method. Variety in education makes sure that every child is learning. Universal Design is a form of assistive technology, because it is used to make a classroom inclusive to all learners. Universal Design can be used for children with learning disabilities, students whose first language is not English, students with emotional and/or behavioral problems, students who just do not find the curriculum engaging and those with sensory and physical disabilities (http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html). Universal Design is a wonderful tool, but only one of many options teachers have opened to them.
Section 508 is Rehabilitation Act Recommendations (http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/act.htm). It deals with getting assistive technologies for those who need them. According to the law the federal government will help to get assistive technologies for those who need them (http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/act.htm). This helps to take the burden off the community to fund expensive technologies. Obvious tax dollars are going to this and the money issue is still there, but with the governments help schools will be more able to provide assistive technologies to their students. This is not the solution to all problems, but it has been a step in the right direction.
There are many different types of technologies that can make a classroom more inclusive. LOMAC is a device for someone who does not have use of his or her hands, but does have muscle function in the neck region. A headset with a laser pointer is put on the person’s head. The person can type using this headset. The person points to the letter or action it wants the keyboard to take on a keyboard and then confirms the action. What the laser points to appear on the screen. The only problem with this technology is that it is very time consuming. For students that do not have use of their hands it is great for typing papers. An aid tech should still be employed, however, to take notes for the student, because the class cannot be slowed down enough for the student to take notes with just the LOMAC alone. Another wonderful assistive technology is Hip Talk 4. This is a communication device. If a student is mute that student can program key phrases that he or she may need to use during the day. This will help the student communicate with someone who does not know sign language. The child’s teacher should still learn sign language, because the device can only record four different sayings. It is helpful when the teacher and student are still in the learning process. Assistive technology can be less complicated and help learning disorders as well as those with physical handicaps. A fraction stack, which shows how many of a certain fraction it takes to make a whole, is a wonderful manipulative for a student who is struggling in math and has trouble going from concrete to abstract ideas. One more form of assistive technology is Braille embossers. They print out what is typed on a computer in Braille (http://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx). This is helpful to students with a visual impairment. The teacher can give out the same handout to all students. One will be printed in Braille and handed out as if it was no different than the rest. These are just some of the assistive technologies that are out there to help teachers accommodate their students.
Assistive technologies are a wonderful tool. It is amazing how many are out there. They are not just for those with physical disabilities. There are ones for learning disabilities and many others as well. Every school should provide these to their teachers.