Assistive Technology

 https://youtu.be/AUWUOHeoKw8


Assistive Technology

    Equality verses equity is a hot topic in all levels of education. Equal experiences and opportunities do not necessarily meet the needs of unique learners. Safir (2016) highlights the important difference between these buzz words by saying “If equality means giving everyone the same resources, equity means giving each student access to the resources they need to learn and thrive” (Equality vs. Equity).

    I always try to teach my students that each person will be given the tools that they need to be successful, and that these tools may be different for everyone. I model this for them through an activity where an “injury” card is dispersed to each student. Examples are things like a paper cut, broken leg, bruised knee, etc. Then students are all given a Band aid to heal their injury. Students that have serious injuries often get very upset, they explain that a Band aid will not heal their broken leg, or bruised knee. Through the act of this mock activity, students understand the concept of equity.

    With the integration of technology, educators need to be aware of what students need to access this technology. Roblyer & Hughes (2019) emphasize some of the enhancements that can be made to better the learning experience for students with special needs. These enhancements include: “the ability to enlarge text, alternatives to mouse controls, keyboards, videos, audio, and text presentations” (p. 295). In my classroom specifically, I use documents through Microsoft office so that students have the ability to click enable editing and make text and graphics larger when needed. In addition, I include a transcript with any videos that I post for students that have hearing impairments. In my current environment, no further accommodations have been needed, but I look forward to hearing from others that may have implemented more accommodations in their classroom environment.

 

References

Roblyer, M. D., & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: transforming learning across disciplines (8th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.

Safir, S. (2016, January 21). Equity vs. Equality: 6 Steps Toward Equity. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/equity-vs-equality-shane-safir  


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