Assistive Technology:)

At first I thought assistive technology was just a technology that enhanced student’s learning in the classroom. I imagined it as students typing instead of writing so they could get the job done faster. They would be introduced to the world of computers earlier because they’re such a big part of our future as students and teachers. I thought it was a general thing and not something so complex. Assistive learning techniques are created to enhance learning for students but in a different way then I imagined. After learning about things in the Kalikow Center, I realized what a big impact these things can make on a student’s life. Universal Design is created to help students who may struggle. In one classroom there could be several students with learning disabilities and it would be hard for one teacher to give them attention. Using these tools, teachers can help the kids keeps up with their classmates without having to take too much time away from the rest of the class.

Section 508 is an act Congress passed so those with disabilities are not left behind. This goes for school and in the workplace. The section requires that a minimum amount of electronic technology is available to those with disabilities. Although only a minimum amount is required Section 508 is pushing to have schools and employers have more than just the minimum accessible.

Some tools in the Kalikow Center that caught my eye were the books on tape. Growing up, I have always loved to listen to a book on tape with traveling or at home and if the story is interesting, students will want to listen to it. Not only does it speed up the trips, it may also enhance the plot for the student because they wouldn’t be struggling with the text the whole time. At first I thought the computer was reading the words fast but I found out that you can slow down the reading or speed it up. The cds also come with worksheets so if the student is the only student in the class listening to it, the student doesn’t have to create a whole set of worksheet/activities for them.

I saw this cute set of crayons that were there. They were skin colored, but they weren’t only peach they were all skin colors. That would be a good set of crayons to have in your classroom so your kids could have them available from the beginning. All people have different skin colors so this way each child could have their choice. In Diversity, we were talking about how the ‘peach’ crayon used to be known as ‘skin colored’, when in reality there are many skin colors. I also thought the LOMAC was a really amazing piece of technology. You make have a child who is paralized, or who has bad motor skills and the LOMAC would be really convenient for them to communicate and be able to use a computer. A down side to the LOMAC is that it is probably pretty expensive. The Tango is a very useful tool but we learned in was $7000 and not a lot of classrooms are going to be able to afford that.

I found something similar to the Tango on http://www.assistivetech.com/p-wordpower.htm. It is called Word Power and it is a communication device. It is designed to help students communicate better and to learn to communicate through words and not the computer. There are over 10,000 words so the student would always be able to get something across. It looks like it would be pretty confusing at first but I think as soon as the student got the hang of it, they would have an easy time. That’s the bad thing about some of these technologies: they are complicated. They take some getting used to but children learn so quick. I think that it is important for students to all have equal opportunities. Particular students should not be held back because of a disability or because someone in their class has a disability.