Assistive Technology
Assistive
technology is described in the videos as any tool that can make life easier or
increase independence for people with disabilities. This can vary from high school students as we see in the
first video, to the elderly and children of the second video. I learned that
there are many different ways that one can utilize assistive technology. For
example, there was one boy who was not able to move any part of his body except
for his eyebrow, so the school created a system where he would twitch his eyebrow
to select from a series of columns and rows on a computer screen. I also found
it interesting to learn about how it can not only assist kids needs in school
and communication, but it can be used to help people with disabilities do what
they love to do, such as the boy who plays the musical instrument created
especially for him with a joystick by a mechanical engineer. It seems as though
one of the biggest challenges with implementing assistive technology nation
wide is the lack of awareness and knowledge about it. I would hope that as a
teacher I could help my students in the best way for them.
In
the article, Build an Assistive
Technology Toolkit, I learned that you could find free tools that will
instill independence and confidence in students with special needs by searching
from online libraries, concept maps, and spell checkers. If more enhanced and
specialized programs are needed, you can work with your IT department in order
to download the appropriate software. The second video mentioned that there are many free online
resources, especially for the younger ages, which are great assistive tools. It
is exciting to think about the progress of technology and how it will keep
getting better and helping more people with disabilities feel as normal and independent
as everyone should feel. The second article, I Have Something to Say, features an app called the Proloquo2go for
the iTouch, iPad, or iPhone. This
app could be extremely helpful if you have a student that isn’t able to speak
because of disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome,
developmental disabilities, and apraxia of speech. This app gives students a
voice and is customizable, allowing educators or parents to create a unique
matrix or vocabulary set for each student. Because this app is customizable, it
can meet the needs of varying levels of students. On the other hand, this app
does come with a price tag of up to $499, which could present financial
difficulties for many families.
I
especially liked this app because it reminds me of a student that went to my
high school. He was ultimately featured on the MTV show, “True Life,” for his
disability and use of assistive technology. He had a motorized scooter and some
sort of computer program that allowed him to select buttons with a joystick in
order to communicate. Not only did this allow him to participate in classes,
but he was also then able to interact socially and communicate with others about
his needs. Having this “entry level” understanding of assistive technology
intrigues me about the subject and causes me to want to be very aware of the
possibilities and benefits of assistive technology. I would hope that all other
teachers do their best to not only help their students learn but to make them
feel independent and secure about themselves.
References
Ahrens, K. (2011). Build an Assistive Technology
Toolkit. Learning and Leading, 22-23.
Retrieved from
http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201111?pg=24&search_term=assistive%20technology&doc_id=-1#pg24
Runyan, M. (2011). I Have Something to Say. Learning and Leading, 32-33. Retrieved
from
http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201108?pg=35&search_term=assistive%20technology%20devices&doc_id=-1&search_term=assistive%20technology%20devices#pg35
Stephanie you are correct about lacking the knowledge and awareness of Assistive Technology. I can speak for myself, I had no Idea of what exactly Assistive Technology was prior to completing the assignment. Today I know of the major improvements that people have in their life when they are given the tools to complete day to day tasks. I am very amazed of the tools that are offered and are only a touch away. It is so cool to know that these handy tools can be used on devices as simple as a phone or an ipad. I really liked that you included the apps you found interesting on your post. Like you I also believe that the tools need to become accessible for students by their teachers help. I think that the students also need to explore the various devices that can be helpful for their future success at an early age.
ReplyDeleteGreat post I enjoyed reading it!
Hey Stephanie. I think that the price of these technologies is a very important subject that must be explored. We clearly need to implement these devices in schools as much as possible, just like other technology, but we need to find the funding for it. I imagine that parents will fund what they can, if they can, but it should be the responsibility of the school and/or the district to provide for students. I know it will be difficult, but the good that it can do is something that cannot be ignored.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Stephanie. This assistive technology is very important to have future teachers have at least an entry level knowledge of this stuff. It is very true that this can change lives and create something amazing for the students that need it. I liked that you used the example of the kid that could not move anything around his body except for his eyebrows. When I saw that I was saddened about his situation but amazed on how far technology has come. It's going to be interesting to see what other tools can be made to help these students out.
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