Margo Tripsa

Ed. S. Instructional Technology

ITEC 7445

Assistive Technology Post Reflection


Initial Thoughts Assignment

What should teachers know about assistive technology and how it is used
by students with disabilities?
The teachers should know that the use assistive technology can ensure equity
in the classroom because what is equal is not necessary fair in classrooms with
diverse populations of students. The teachers should reach out to specialist teachers
and instructional technology teachers in order to identify tools that would address the
students needs and help them overcome the barriers imposed by their disability. The
students would use various assistive technology tools or software to perform different
academic tasks in the classroom or at home depending on the nature of their
disability.

What are the school's responsibilities regarding assistive technology?

Students are entitled to equitable opportunities for learning therefore the
school has to be responsive to the needs of all students including the need for assistive
technology devices to support students in accessing the curriculum and showcasing
their learning. The school has to have a system in place for identifying the need for
assistive technology, the tools that could be utilized, and the resources for
implementation. It would also be the schools responsibility to ensure that the right
tools are used correctly and efficiently.

What can classroom teachers do to help their students fully succeed in

their use of assistive technology?
First, the classroom teacher should create an inclusive classroom community
where students feel free to take risks and where diversity is valued. Second, the
classroom teacher should collaborate with the specialists, parents, and the doctors
who screened the student to ensure that the students needs are best addressed. Third,
the teacher should monitor the use of assistive technology and evaluate its
effectiveness. Finally, the teacher should differentiate his or her instruction allowing
students to learn, showcase their learning, and interact with content and each other in
various ways.

Post Reflection Answers

What should teachers know about assistive technology and how it is used
by students with disabilities?
Teachers should know that assistive technology ranges from very low tech
resources and services to high tech resources. They should also know that certain apps
that are useful for students with disabilities, speech impairment, for instance, are very
good and can be used with regular students, as well. Before taking this class, I did not
know that certain great apps for teaching beginning readers can be considered
assistive technology tools for speech impaired students. Teachers should know that
they already have in their classrooms many items that could be considered AT.
General education students use technology in the classroom and this is referred to as
use of instructional technology. Teachers should know that when instructional
technology is documented on an IEP and is incorporated into a classroom for a
student who has a disability, it is referred to as assistive technology.
Teachers should also know that they can use assistive technology for
remediation purposes (providing additional instruction, training, or coaching) or for
compensation purposes (using technology or other strategies to make up for
difficulties performing specific tasks).

What are the school's responsibilities regarding assistive technology?

The schools responsibility is to have the human resources, especially the
teachers specialized in working with students with disabilities, the support staff, and
the instructional technology coaches work together in order to design learning
environments that support individual students learning needs. The school has to
consider the use of assistive technology, has to design and implement programs to
support the students with special needs, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the
programs implemented.
What can classroom teachers do to help their students fully succeed in
their use of assistive technology?
 To help the students fully succeed in the use of assistive technology, the
classroom teachers has to train the student and possibly the parents in the use of
assistive technology. They should seek support from knowledgeable individuals. It is
very important that the student likes to use that assistive technology. Therefore, the
teacher should work with the student and never impose the use of a certain tool or
device that the students doesnt feel comfortable using. They should also create an
inclusive and supportive environment.
About my experience using assistive technology.
My experience working with a first grade student who had speech
impairment was great. I learned many things in the short time I worked with him. I
learned what it takes to work with a student with speech impairment to help him
overcome his disability. I learned that besides the use of assistive technology I had to
employ various strategies while offering services to the student, such as: listening
patiently, speaking directly to the student, using gestures, providing interactive
communication opportunities, modeling correct speech patterns, being a good speech
model, and providing positive reinforcement. To address this students speech
impairment, I used several iPad apps (Phonetics Focus, Starfall, Word Wizard,
Reading Raven, and Reader). My school is made up of linguistically and culturally
diverse group of students, with a predominant Arab population. The Phonetics of
English might seem very foreign to some of these students. Therefore, I learned that
the use of assistive technology might be very useful for some of our English language
learners.