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)
Artifacts: WATI
Assistive Technology Consideration Guide
Assistive Technology Implementation Plan
The artifacts I chose for this standard were two "deliverables" in the Assistive Technology Implementation Plan I facilitated during the fall semester 2013. I created and implemented the plan as part of my course work for ITEC 7445. The plan included the selection of a student with special needs who might benefit from the training with an assistive technology device.
The artifact “WATI Assistive Technology Consideration Guide" was used at the outset to determine which types of technology had been used in the past, their effectiveness, and the new technology to be implemented. The artifact "Assistive Technology Implementation Plan" includes the personnel involved in the intervention, the training needs for the student, his teachers, and his mother. This artifact also details which sections of the student's IEP that will be addressed in the plan and the assistive technology needed to address these goals. In this case, I incorporated the use of a word processor to help the student with this writing ability. My six individual training sessions with the student on how to use many editing features of a word processor to help him meet his writing goals in his IEP serves as evidence that I can facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support individual student learning needs.
Over the course of this learning experience my student's skill and knowledge base improved, and he gained confidence in his abilities to improve his writing. He was also able to carry over these newly acquired skills into the regular education classroom. In my social studies class he completed two projects on his own at home with Microsoft Office products with a high degree accuracy - easily eclipsing his baseline goals in his current IEP. I also recall that his enthusiasm for writing and self-editing has increased.
The process of completing this learning experience taught me the power of a word processer in helping students - regardless of their starting ability - with their writing. The "spell check" and "grammar check" features can help students engage in the editing process, which is often an enormous challenge in writing assignments. Students who struggle writing legibly will benefit immediately. And, most school computers come equipped with some type of word processor. If I had to do this over again, I would have incorporated a voice to text element to my lesson. The student was a painfully slow keyboarder. I've since learned of many different ways to get text to document. I would also use Google Docs in the future since it's available with any internet connection and works on all devices, which might be of use for students who may not want to pay for Microsoft on a home computer or tablet.
This assistive technology lesson helped improve student learning. The student I worked with improved his writing and gained valuable computer skills in the process. The impact of our time together can be assessed through formative and summative classroom assessment, and through his performance on the state standardized writing test. I also can improve faculty development by sharing my experiences with my colleagues.
The artifact “WATI Assistive Technology Consideration Guide" was used at the outset to determine which types of technology had been used in the past, their effectiveness, and the new technology to be implemented. The artifact "Assistive Technology Implementation Plan" includes the personnel involved in the intervention, the training needs for the student, his teachers, and his mother. This artifact also details which sections of the student's IEP that will be addressed in the plan and the assistive technology needed to address these goals. In this case, I incorporated the use of a word processor to help the student with this writing ability. My six individual training sessions with the student on how to use many editing features of a word processor to help him meet his writing goals in his IEP serves as evidence that I can facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support individual student learning needs.
Over the course of this learning experience my student's skill and knowledge base improved, and he gained confidence in his abilities to improve his writing. He was also able to carry over these newly acquired skills into the regular education classroom. In my social studies class he completed two projects on his own at home with Microsoft Office products with a high degree accuracy - easily eclipsing his baseline goals in his current IEP. I also recall that his enthusiasm for writing and self-editing has increased.
The process of completing this learning experience taught me the power of a word processer in helping students - regardless of their starting ability - with their writing. The "spell check" and "grammar check" features can help students engage in the editing process, which is often an enormous challenge in writing assignments. Students who struggle writing legibly will benefit immediately. And, most school computers come equipped with some type of word processor. If I had to do this over again, I would have incorporated a voice to text element to my lesson. The student was a painfully slow keyboarder. I've since learned of many different ways to get text to document. I would also use Google Docs in the future since it's available with any internet connection and works on all devices, which might be of use for students who may not want to pay for Microsoft on a home computer or tablet.
This assistive technology lesson helped improve student learning. The student I worked with improved his writing and gained valuable computer skills in the process. The impact of our time together can be assessed through formative and summative classroom assessment, and through his performance on the state standardized writing test. I also can improve faculty development by sharing my experiences with my colleagues.