Assistive Technology Discussion - EDUC 630

Roblyer and Hughes (2019) suggest that implementing technology into the classroom also serves as a way to implement student-centered instruction (p. 415).  Whereas assistive technologies are commonly thought to help students with special needs, Grabiec (2017) has noted that “students without learning disabilities (are) learning more effectively using text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools—they read longer, write longer, and show a great improvement in spelling” (para. 1).

A common misperception is that “assistive technology is primarily for students with significant or severe disabilities” (Sullivan, 2019, para. 12). However, technology and assistive devices can be utilized in the classroom to meet the needs of all the students.  These devices can range anywhere from low-tech to complicated technology.  In my classroom over the years, some of the assistive technology that I have commonly utilized has been graphic organizers, post-it notes, graph paper, and bookmarks.  Although these seem small and less complicated, for some students, they have been game changers.  A graphic organizer serves as a prewriting tool for students who have trouble organizing their thoughts in a story.  Post-it notes and graph paper have been useful in teaching division to fourth graders.  For some students who have trouble tracking as they read, bookmarks have improved their fluency and speed. 

In recent years, I have had a couple of students whose vision was extremely impaired.  One student needed worksheets copied on larger sheets of paper.  He also had a device that was essentially a large magnifying glass to read the print in his textbooks.  Very rarely has a student required complicated assistive technologies in my classroom; however, in recent years, as technology has become more available, Google Chrome extensions that allow Text-to-Speech have proven themselves useful. 

 

References:

Grabiec, J. (2017, June 8).  Assistive technology can benefit all students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/assistive-technology-can-benefit-all-students-jenny-grabiec

Roblyer, M. D. & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: Transforming learning across disciplines (8th ed.). Pearson

Sullivan, J. (2019, February 21).  Rethinking assistive technology. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/rethinking-assistive-technology