Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Watching the videos in class on Assistive Technology really made me realize the myriad of ways that I can help my future students with disabilities and unique learning needs be successful. I was inspired by the teachers and therapists who commit so fully to helping create a positive learning environment for their students. They work endlessly to figure out which assistive technologies are right for their students. And I was amazed at the perseverance and dedication shown by the young individuals in the video who have committed to following their passions and achieving their goals despite any challenge or obstacle. It was truly inspiring!

I learned that there are many inventions and adaptations that have been created to work around difficulties that disabled people encounter in school and daily life. I was especially interested in the assistive technologies used in the classroom to help students who have limited or no speech ability. With these devices, students were able to communicate and participate in class. There were multiple types shown in the videos, but most of them relied on the user either touching a screen or triggering with another body part (like eyebrows) to select an image or word on the screen and then compiling sentences or single words to be spoken aloud by the device. The name for this type of device is alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) device. As Marla Runyan describes in her article ‘I Have Something to Say,’ these devices give a voice to students who otherwise would not have one, and can help students with a range of disabilities, like autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental disabilities, and apraxia of speech (Runyan, 2011).

Runyan has seen one particular app for the Ipad or Itouch work wonders in her life-skills classroom. Students can use the app to select pre-made images or teachers and parents can make their own symbols that pertain to the student. The student then creates sentences by selecting a series of symbols and images and is then able to do things like share in class, ask to eat or drink, and tell their parents about their day. This also creates opportunities for non-speaking students to bond with their peers. Runyan describes how one of her students used her device to ask a classmate if she would like to see her prized box of necklaces. Without the device, that student might not have been able to reach out to her peer and share something she enjoys.

AAC devices make class participation, communication, and inquiry possible, so I cannot think of a learning activity in which this type of device would not create a more equitable experience for a non-speaking student or a student with limited speech. The possibilities are endless, especially with the option to customize the available icons and continuously expand vocabulary. Having access to this type of assistive technology would help me meet learning goals in my future classroom if I were to have a non-speaking student in my class.

This introduction to assistive technology helps prepare me to lead my own classroom with a greater awareness of the types of resources that exist and the overall knowledge that even if I don’t know exactly what the device is yet, there is something out there that can help my student. I just need to identify the need and then tap into my available resources to find the right Assistive Technology. In her article, Assistive Technology in the Digital Age, Gayl Bowser describes a number of devices that can be used in the classroom and points out that new technology is making them applicable for students outside of the pre-conceived notion of which students need assistive technology. Rather than being used solely in Special Education classrooms, these devices can be used by any student who needs assistance in demonstrating what they know (Bowser, 2013). Bowser encourages teachers to broaden the scope of assistive technology in order to best serve their students. Knowing about a variety of assistive technology devices will help me to accommodate a variety of students in my classroom.

Runyan, Marla (2011). ‘I Have Something to Say.’ Learning & Leading with Technology, August 2011. Volume 39 (Number 1) 32-33. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading

         Bowser, Gayl (2013).Assistive Technology in the Digital Age. Learning & Leading with Technology, September/October  2013. Volume 41 (Number 2), 10-11. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading

Digital Storytelling and Literacy

Digital storytelling is a means of telling a story with digital audio/video. This can be done by teachers, who can model a creative use of technology as a way to share information, or by students who can express ideas about various topics in an inventive way. As a means of incorporating technology in the classroom and fulfilling the NETS for students, digital storytelling is an effective way to teach language arts, encourage literacy, and develop technological knowledge.

The merits of digital storytelling as a reading and writing tool are described in detail by Regina Royer and Patricia Richards in their article “Digital Storytelling” (2008). The authors break down the five pillars of reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) into success strategies and explain how digital storytelling projects can relate to each one. They go on to describe five additional pillars (writing; access, choice, and collaboration; differentiated reading instruction; classroom organization; expert tutoring) and the relation to those as well. Royer and Richards emphasize opportunities for creativity, choice, and collaboration that will aid in developing literacy. One specific example of the literacy benefits of digital storytelling can be seen in the example of English Language Learners. In his article “Toontastic Makes Storytelling Fun!” Juan Carlos Venegas shares how he was able to use a digital storytelling app called Toontastic to get his ELL students engaged and excited about creative writing. Prior to this method, he struggled to get them to complete creative writing projects that were vital to his assessment of their learning. With this app, his students can create cartoons and then record their own narration of the story. Venegas describes the pride his students exhibit in sharing their work and the ease with which they discuss their stories. He is able to see where they are linguistically and enjoys seeing their creativity shine in this low-pressure setting.

What stood out most in these two articles was the level of engagement possible in the creation of digital storytelling projects. From writing the script, conducting peer reviews and edits, and asking questions, to the actual filming of the project, there is a big emphasis placed on collaboration between students and the benefits of that collaboration on developing literacy. Influence from peers, as Royer and Richards point out, can be a big step for learning, “Literacy development is social and cultural. Expert peers can provide a zone of proximal development that fosters literacy development in less capable peers who struggle in reading and writing” (2008).  For students who are not as strong in reading and writing, digital storytelling can offer an opportunity to collaborate with a student who is stronger in those areas. It can also be a moment for some students to shine, whereas in traditional writing assignments they might not. I look forward to using digital storytelling in my classroom to encourage creativity and collaboration, and to introduce new technologies to my students. For older elementary students, I will create a group video project in which they will write an original script, assign roles and responsibilities, act out and film the project, and then present it to the class. The theme could center around our current science unit, like water conservation, or the period of history we are studying, like colonial history. The students would be reinforcing science or history knowledge while writing creatively, using technology, and working together. For younger students I might design a digital storytelling lesson in which each student illustrates one page of a story. Then I would scan in the illustrated pages and assemble them into a digital book. I would dub a recording of myself reading the story over the digital book and then share the finished project with the class. Students would benefit from seeing the words on the page, illustrating the action of that page, and hearing the words read aloud as part of the whole story. These are just two ideas, and the possibilities are endless with digital storytelling. I look forward to putting it to use in my own classroom.

Royer, Regina. Richards, Patricia, (2008). Digital Storytelling. Learning & Leading with Technology, November 2008. Volume 36 (Number 3) 29-31. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading

          Venaga, Juan Carlos (2013).Toontastic Makes Storytelling Fun!. Learning & Leading with Technology, February 2013. Volume 40 (Number 5), 39. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading

Digital Citizenship: Staying Safe in Cyber Space

There is no denying that technology is developing and changing at a rapid pace. Today’s students find themselves in a unique and exciting reality very different from the one I experienced just 20 short years ago. With the advantages of these new technologies come some very real and potentially long-lasting challenges. It is our job as educators, parents, and members of the community to teach young people the value of technology while also instilling in them a respect for its dangers, an awareness of its hazards, and the tools and skillset to use it wisely.

This is the topic of the article Digital Citizenship: Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior (Ribble, Bailey, Ross, 2004) from the ISTE journal Learning & Leading With Technology. In this article, the authors describe ways to adapt the NETS standards for students to real-world learning and to teach students to be proper citizens of the digital world in which they live. They present a set of nine guidelines to digital citizenship and outline each one with examples of how they affect students and strategies for educators to encourage good behaviors or habits. The behaviors addressed are etiquette, communication, education, access, commerce, responsibility, rights, safety, and security (Ribble, Bailey, Ross, 2004).

There is some debate as to who should be teaching young people how to use technology appropriately, and whether it should be taught at all. In another article from the ISTE journal called By Point/Counterpoint: Should Schools Be Required to Teach Digital Citizenship? (Ohler, Malmstrom, 2012) two educators answer that question. Both authors agree to some degree that digital citizenship should be taught, but differ in their opinion of the best approach. Ohler argues for collaboration with students on policy-making, incorporating digital citizenship into school codes, infusing digital citizenship into all aspects of education, and rewarding good behavior. Malmstrom advocates for a less direct tactic that involves meeting students where they are most comfortable using technology, such as interactive gaming and online, so that we can model good behavior in the real setting. She calls this “participatory media” and says that she has seen more success in this approach than with the teaching method.  

In my opinion, digital citizenship is a topic with as much relevance and importance as any of the core subjects. It is something that must be learned and we are doing our students a disservice if we do not prepare them with this knowledge. Whenever I read a story in the news about a high school sexting scandal or a cyberbullying incident I feel so sad for these young people whose lives are forever changed by negative behavior. I also feel regret that for them this hard lesson is learned a little too late, after the damage has been done and their actions have been immortalized by technology. I think the answer lies in education, and in informing young people about the consequences of these actions. While there will always be those who still engage in unsafe behaviors, the possibility of preventing even a fraction of these incidents is worth the hard work. In addition to protecting privacy and reputation, digital citizenship pertains to overall safety and security online. Things like posting your location to social media, sharing addresses, or identifying information make us vulnerable to strangers who might have harmful intentions. Many adults are unaware of the dangers of sharing personal information online, so how can we expect our kids to know how to stay safe online without showing them? Now is the time to teach a generation of technology users how to do so safely, respectfully, and responsibly.

Ohler, J., Malmstrom, M., (2012). By Point/Counterpoint: Should Schools Be Required to Teach Digital Citizenship?. Learning & Leading with Technology, December-January 2012-13.

Ribble, M.S., Bailey, G.D., Ross, T.W. (2004). Digital Citizenship: Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior. Learning & Leading with Technology, Volume 32 (Number 1), 11. www.iste.org

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