As I am progressing in my path as a special educator, my beliefs are emerging

Four months ago, my idea of technology integrated in education was very simple. I had no idea about the different options, considerations, and affects of certain technologies on a student or a whole classroom. Technology is not something you can just stick in a classroom and expect to work miracles. Educators and students need to be trained to use the technology. Lots of pre-planning needs to be done before technology is chosen and bought to be used in the classroom.

When considering the idea of Universal Design for Learning, classrooms should be using technology. Technology is apart of our everyday lives and it also helps incorporate learning in the classroom. There are two different types of technology that I think should be used in the classroom. The first is technology for individual students. Students that need assistive technology, have their right to receive it. Students may have communication disabilities, mobility disabilities, or cognitive disabilities. Technology may be the right answer for these students. This type of technology should assist them in progressing in the general education classroom. This technology has to compensate for something the student has difficulty doing. Whether that be math computation, reading, vocally speaking, or writing. The second type of technology is technology that a whole classroom can use. These types of technology should enhance their learning experience, not take place of instruction. When I think of classroom technology I think of computers, Internet, SmartBoards, etc. These tools provide a different type of learning experience as opposed to just using a textbook. They provide more visual and interactive learning.

The use of technology can positively or negatively impact the educational experience of students with disabilities. The piece of technology has to be specifically chosen for the particular student. You can’t just give every student who has difficulty vocally communicating a Dynavox and expect it to work for them. There is so much that goes into choosing the right form of assistive technology for a student. They include things like consideration, implementation, and evaluation. If the technology compensates for a task a student has difficulty completing and the student can operate the technology correctly than the student can have a very positive and rewarding experience. Outcomes of using technology with a student with disabilities can again have a positive or negative outcome.  It is all about considering the student and their strengths and needs before using a technology. If a technology is the right fit for a student, a student should be able to have the same outcomes of a student who didn’t have difficulty with that task.

Effective technology for students with disabilities looks different for each individual.  Effective technology can be a piece of tape for one student or a thousand dollar device for another. Technology caters to the student. The student doesn’t cater to the technology.

 My views on technology have completely becmme more detailed. I have also learned that technology should not be the priority in the classroom. The priority should be the student’s needs and then the technology is based off the student. It’s not about price, how cool it is, or who wants it. It’s about helping a student do something the student had trouble doing before. Not all technology works for every student. Each case is individual and sometimes the technology may not be the right fit. With the right research, data, and planning, technology can work wonders for every student.

“If we can’t do it, we can’t teach it. And if we can’t teach it, we’re out of business.”- Darcy Moore

How many educators actually use things like twitter, wikis, or facebook to enhance their instruction? Have you ever had a teacher tweet another professional across the world during class to find an answer about something that you were learning in class?

I think an issue in our educational system is that some teacher's are not willing to incorporate more technology into their instruction. If students are being taught using the technology that they enjoy using outside of school, they may be more responsive to learning in general. Or do students not want teachers to interfere with technology that they think of as "fun," will those technologies not be fun anymore because they have to use them at school?

ipads...our savior? or our failure?

One of education's new hypes seems to be the ipad. Thousands of schools are buying hundreds of them, thinking they are going to work miracles. But are they really going to? Can the ipad do everything? Simply, I believe the answer is no. I am supportive that the ipad can be a great tool in aiding learning especially in special education. But is it necessary for schools to be spending so much of their budget on hundreds of these? The problem I have with this, is that not a lot of schools know how to correctly use the ipad for education. I know the ipad can do a lot, but it can't teach it students for you. Teachers need to first know how to use an ipad, which apps are reliable and appropriate, and if the tool is benefiting for the students.

I really love the ipad, but I am not sure it should be taking over the way it is. I have seen it do amazing things with students, especially the students I have worked with who are diagnosed with Autism. I am on the fence about this issue. Where do you stand? What do you think?

ATIA 2011

Another picture of my fellow ISU special education major students and I at the last ATIA held in Chicago. Maybe we can all take a trip to the yearly Orlando ATIA?

ATIA Chicago 2011

This semester I had a wonderful opportunity through my AT course. I got to attend ATIA! This convention was an awesome experience. I got to check out so many different forms of assistive tech and meet with the companys that market them. It's amazing to see how much technology is changing the world of special education. Not only did I get to check out lots of AT, I got to attend a student session with my classmates, where we had a discussion with ATIA's CEO, David Dikter. 

My classmates and I at ATIA

Two of my favorite booths that I visited at ATIA were the module hose and the Humanware Smartview 360. The module hose is a great piece of assistive technology that can be used for so many different things. It can be used to hold and position many different things like a cup, phone, ipad, etc. (www.modularhose.com)

The smartview is a very versatile camera and monitor to help with vision. The camera can move in all directions so students can magnify the white board to see what their teacher is writing on their screen, or move it to face their notebook so they can clearly see what they are writing. (www.humanware.com) Has anyone used these AT tools? Have you had a positive or negative experience with them?

AT...a new world I never knew existed.

When starting my Assistive technology course this semester, I was excited to learn about new technology I could use with my future students and in my future classroom. But through this semester, I have learned so, so much more! Assistive technology is not just an ipad, a computer, or a tennis ball. AT is any device/tool that can help an individual do something he or she could not do before. Just because on form AT works for one student does not mean it will work the same for the other. In my learning of AT I have learned how important consideration of the task and the student are. Finding the right form of AT is not an easy task. Although it make take a lot of time and energy to find the right AT for a student, it is so worth it when you see the AT help that student be even more successful than they were before.

Please join me in my conversation of what I am learning, what things I find interesting, my journeys in AT, and how all this affects my "road to becoming a special educator."