3.4 Adaptive and Assistive Technology
Candidates facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support individual student learning needs. (PSC 3.4/ISTE 3d)
Artifact:
sills_at_implementation_plan_wati_consideration_guide.pdf | |
File Size: | 740 kb |
File Type: |
Reflection:
The Assistive Technology Implementation Plan artifact for standard 3.4 analyzes one student that needed assistive technology to be successful. This artifact is a description of the tools the student is currently using as well as a description of the assistive technology that was added to help the student succeed with bettering his written communication skills. After trying the tools with the student I was able to evaluate their usefulness.
This artifact demonstrates mastery of standard 3.4 about adaptive and assistive technology to support student learning needs. Before doing this project I was not familiar with how the assistive technology process worked and all of the steps that went into getting assistive technology started. I knew a lot about this student because he was in my class the year before so I knew he needed help with handwriting if his was not improving. First the implementation plan had me dig deeper into researching and thinking about what the student needed help with, when he needed help (at home, in school), and what training would need to take place in order to make it happen. After thinking through and researching different types of assistive technology I was able to facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support his individual needs of using word processer to help him type his information instead of write it. This was a process that took working with his classroom teacher, his special education teacher and the county to get the technology needed. When facilitating the use of this technology one of the key aspects is to evaluate its usefulness and in this students case I was able to obtain that the technology was not doing a lot to help him with his spelling and grammar. After realizing that this obviously helped his handwriting but it did not help his writing become more readable, I recommended a new form of assistive technology that has word prediction software. This software may be a better way to support the students individual learning needs.
After completing this artifact, I learned that evaluation of the assistive technology is the most important part of the process. If you give a student something to use and then never follow up you can never know if it worked or if it was the right tool for them. In this case typing did not help the student because his spelling was too difficult to understand not just his handwriting. If you are able to evaluate you will be able to change the assistive technology to better meet the student’s needs. If I were to change one thing about this project, I would have worked with a few more students that had other learning needs. It was great to learn about assistive and adaptive technology and I would like to learn more about other forms of technology that the county offers. If I worked with more students, I would be able to see how other forms of technology work for the students that have individual learning needs.
This artifact impacted student learning because I was able to help a student who really needed support. He is now on his way to getting other forms of assistive technology that will help him get his information out to others. Without this technology he may never be able to have any form of legible written communication. Because I went through this process, I am better able to help students in my own classroom get the tools they need in the future. I know what forms of technology are out there as well as how to use them. This impact can be assessed through observations by the special education teacher in my classroom. She will be able to evaluate that student learning needs are being met. This artifact also impacts faculty development because I am better able to help my grade level with assistive technology in our planning meetings. Because I know the process, I can guide the other teachers and maybe even do a workshop about the process from a teacher’s point of view. This impact could be assessed through teacher feedback and surveys on usefulness.
The Assistive Technology Implementation Plan artifact for standard 3.4 analyzes one student that needed assistive technology to be successful. This artifact is a description of the tools the student is currently using as well as a description of the assistive technology that was added to help the student succeed with bettering his written communication skills. After trying the tools with the student I was able to evaluate their usefulness.
This artifact demonstrates mastery of standard 3.4 about adaptive and assistive technology to support student learning needs. Before doing this project I was not familiar with how the assistive technology process worked and all of the steps that went into getting assistive technology started. I knew a lot about this student because he was in my class the year before so I knew he needed help with handwriting if his was not improving. First the implementation plan had me dig deeper into researching and thinking about what the student needed help with, when he needed help (at home, in school), and what training would need to take place in order to make it happen. After thinking through and researching different types of assistive technology I was able to facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support his individual needs of using word processer to help him type his information instead of write it. This was a process that took working with his classroom teacher, his special education teacher and the county to get the technology needed. When facilitating the use of this technology one of the key aspects is to evaluate its usefulness and in this students case I was able to obtain that the technology was not doing a lot to help him with his spelling and grammar. After realizing that this obviously helped his handwriting but it did not help his writing become more readable, I recommended a new form of assistive technology that has word prediction software. This software may be a better way to support the students individual learning needs.
After completing this artifact, I learned that evaluation of the assistive technology is the most important part of the process. If you give a student something to use and then never follow up you can never know if it worked or if it was the right tool for them. In this case typing did not help the student because his spelling was too difficult to understand not just his handwriting. If you are able to evaluate you will be able to change the assistive technology to better meet the student’s needs. If I were to change one thing about this project, I would have worked with a few more students that had other learning needs. It was great to learn about assistive and adaptive technology and I would like to learn more about other forms of technology that the county offers. If I worked with more students, I would be able to see how other forms of technology work for the students that have individual learning needs.
This artifact impacted student learning because I was able to help a student who really needed support. He is now on his way to getting other forms of assistive technology that will help him get his information out to others. Without this technology he may never be able to have any form of legible written communication. Because I went through this process, I am better able to help students in my own classroom get the tools they need in the future. I know what forms of technology are out there as well as how to use them. This impact can be assessed through observations by the special education teacher in my classroom. She will be able to evaluate that student learning needs are being met. This artifact also impacts faculty development because I am better able to help my grade level with assistive technology in our planning meetings. Because I know the process, I can guide the other teachers and maybe even do a workshop about the process from a teacher’s point of view. This impact could be assessed through teacher feedback and surveys on usefulness.