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Focus question: How can assistive technologies be incorporated into instruction to support teaching all learners?

Assistive technology enable students to become more independent in school and throughout their life. It allows teachers to “differentiate instruction and pursue universal design” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Disabled children use assistive technologies to learn and function more effectively. Individuals with hearing, sight, mobility, or cognitive challenges are able to translate text and understand spoken words. AT can be communication boards, special purpose computers, prosthetics, attachment devices, positioning devices, screen-readers, communication software, educational software, specialized learning materials, and curriculum aids. Teachers need to be actively involved with the child, in addition to using technology.

A software that displays written text from a person’s spoken words is speech recognition. Individuals with fine motor disabilities and dyslexia use this software. Some individuals prefer to speak than write or type their ideas. Users need to train the system to recognize one or more major voices by speaking into the microphone for speech recognition programs. The software learns to recognize the individual’s speech patterns and tonal nuances. The software provides students a new way to record their thoughts. Although it transfers spoken words to written text, it still needs to be revised by teacher and student.

Text reading software are available in many versions, which enables users to “hear written text aloud by a computer” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). When I observed elementary classes, I noticed that students can listen to stories on the computer. They have the story in front of them, but they have the option of having the computer read the story to them. It’s a wonderful tool for students who learn better through a multimodal experience that supports decoding letters, sounds, and words by listening to text read aloud. Screen reading software is a type of text-to-speech software. This software is like a translator for the visual page. It has features that allows the user to know the whereabouts and actions of the mouse. The screen reading software reads the text that was scanned on the computer screen. Some examples include JAWS, VoiceOver from Apple, Google Chrome, and TalkBack.

Tech Tool link: Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are mounted on a wall or whiteboard. It’s connected to a computer and a projector, which allows “teachers and students to access a computer’s desktop directly at the board using a finger, pen, or other touch device” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Interactive whiteboards show any material on your computer screen in large size. It creates instructional opportunities for students as a class, groups, or individual. Teachers can use it for visual, auditory, and hand-on learning activities.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explains about how teachers have opportunities to meet the learning needs of all students through computer technologies. Diversity students show more interest in U.S. history when they see that teachers have integrated stories and histories of multiple peoples. Technologies such as interactive websites, online videos, and web-based primary source materials bring names of individuals or groups that are not mentioned in books and lesson plans.

Teachers and students are able to access resources from the internet to explore multiple languages. These resources provide opportunities to English speakers and students that are learning English. An example of a helpful resource is online language translation service. Both students and teachers can access Google Translate, which is free and available as a website and app for smartphones and tablets. Teachers are able to translate notes, assignments, letters to parents, and other materials for students of multiple languages. “Technology supports diverse students and multicultural education” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011).

The chapter further discusses about differentiated instruction (DI) and universal design for learning (UDL). The purpose of DI and UDL is to address the needs of diverse students with curriculum and instruction. It benefits students with special educational needs, gifted and talented learners, or ELL by meeting their needs and differentiating classroom activities. Teachers create different educational experiences to meet students need called DI. UDL is “the application of universal design principles to educational settings” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). In order to serve the needs of the widest range of students, teaching and learning situations are created. Students with disabilities use assistive technology to learn and function in society.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.