Journal 10

Focus question: How does assistive technology support efforts by teachers to reach all learners?

Assistive technologies are tools that are used to navigate around learning barriers for those students with disabilities. Assistive technologies have become extremely useful in everyday life as well as in a classroom setting.  Some examples of assistive technologies would be: wheel chairs, voice recognition software, and iReaders. These tools all help reduce learning barriers in the classroom. Wheelchairs help physically handicapped children to mobilize around the classroom just as any other student may. Voice recognition devices help visually impaired student use computers, students can simple speak to the computer, giving answers to questions or simple not taking by speaking and the computer automates a speak to text.

Photo credit to Speakcomputers on Google

Tech tool:  Extra-large and online calculators

The CC16 extra large calculator is a great resource for those that are visually impaired or disabled. There are large buttons with large numbers and signs written clearly across the calculator making it easy for those whom may be sight-impaired. It is an intriguing calculator pulling students in to use it more so than a normal calculator with smaller numbers. The size, shape, and numbers of the large calculator interest students more so than your average calculator. Although I am not sight-impaired, I do wear contacts and larger calculators do help me a lot more. They help to make sure you are hitting the correct buttons to corresponding instructions.

Summary:

This chapter helps illustrate how awesome and assistive new technologies are becoming in creating an easy pathway to learning for disabled students. Whether it be a hearing deficit, sight-impaired, or physically disabled technology is finding ways around the learning barriers with different tools. This chapter shares many of the most popular helpful devices in classrooms. Voice-recognition software is a great device for those visually impaired. It enables them to still use computers, and creates and easy understandings with speak to text. Electronic storybooks are used so that those students can read along at the same pace as their peers. It is an automated voice in which reads a story out loud as the student listens and follows along. There are so many things that are of great use for all disabilities. Technology is helping to give equal opportunities to those whom are disabled.