When people hear the word ‘technology’,
they associate it with many different ideas or devices. For many of us, it can simply
mean an easier way to communicate with someone across the world or simply a
useful device that allows us to perform many of our daily tasks. While for some, it holds great significance
to them particularly for individuals with disabilities. As we witnessed technology progress over the
years, it has impacted our society tremendously. We see it in the business world as well in
education. Many have become heavily dependent on
technology that it has become a necessity that many cannot live without because
it assists us in our daily lives.
In the educational
setting, technology has its positive effects in the classroom. It can be used to supplement classroom
learning or more importantly, it can help students with disabilities keep up with
their peers including achieve what a normal person is capable of achieving. They too, can be successful like everyone
else. In the video, assistive technology
has been very helpful for college student, Susanna Martini. Susanna stated “Assistive technology is the
major foundation of my life. Without it,
I could not assist as I am today”. (Ellis,
2005). Diagnosed with cerebral palsy,
Susanna relies on assistive technology for mobility and a way to get her
assignments done.
As future teachers, it
is important to keep in mind that lesson plans have to accommodate every single
student sitting in our classroom. Lesson
plans should be modified when needed. When
modifications are done, this gives every diverse learner including those with
disabilities a chance to be successful participants in the classroom. They will all benefit as they will share the
same opportunity to learn the lesson.
Teachers
are also encouraged to keep up with the newest and most useful assistive technology
available in the market. Before any
student with special needs can utilize any assistive technology, the teacher
must be ready to take on extra tasks to ensure that all needs are met in their
classroom. According to Steele-Carlin (2011),
“As with other technologies, training is essential to successful use”. For the student to fully benefit from any
assistive technological device, teachers must have the knowledge and ability to
properly use the device before teaching their students to master that certain
technology.
I
feel that assistive technology is wonderful and it can bring out the best in individuals
with disabilities. As assistive technology
slowly makes its way into the classroom, I feel that teachers have the power to
help disabled students achieve their goals and dreams. By altering lesson plans and including assistive
technology to accommodate students with disabilities, learning is
possible. After watching this video, I now
understand the importance of assistive technology. Technology will continue to advance as the
years go by and it will forever continue to make huge differences in our
lives.
.
References
Ellis, K. (Producer). (2005, February
02). Assistive-Technology: Enabling
Dreams [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
Steele-Carlin,
S. (2011, June 15). Assistive Technology
in the Classroom | Helping Challenged Kids Get the Most from Learning. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech086.shtml
Hi:
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written
-j-