Blog C

I believe that every classroom should have some form of technology that will help further the education of all students involved no matter what their ability is. Some of the technology that I have seen that could be added to a classroom can benefit more than just exceptional students or special needs children. I feel that all children in the classroom should have a chance to become familiar with the technology and feel as though no one is being treated differently. Each student may have a different use for it, but the concept of them using it shouldn’t change.

One of the first questions we were asked to address in this blog post is what universal design is. After looking over this website, I found that universal design is an approach that gives many ways of learning. There is no one correct way to do something. Students are able to learn and understand in many ways and they are also able to demonstrate what they know in more than one way as well. I feel that universal design is a great way for students of different learning abilities to come together and express what they have really learned in a way that is comfortable and successful for them personally. If the student is engaged and can relate to the material being presented, there will be more motivation overall and this will benefit the individual student, teacher, and class as a whole. This is a flexible approach that is setting up the class to succeed since there is no one way for everyone to learn.

After looking up what Section 508 is I found out that that it is required that electronic and technological information has to be given to people with disabilities.¹ One website stated the purpose of Section 508 to be as follows “Section 508 requires Federal departments and agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology to ensure that Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities have access to and use of information and data, comparable to that of the employees and members of the public without disabilities unless it is an undue burden to do so.”² This statement really helped put this section into prospective for me. This covers federal agencies such as the United States Post Office.

After spending some time in the Kalikow Center last week, there were several pieces of technology that I would really like to have in my classroom when I become a teacher. Some I know will be possible, while others I probably won’t have the chance to use. The one that would be my dream piece of technology was the Tango! This would really separate the barrier between teacher, parents, and students with disabilities. This would be very expensive though for the school to afford so this may not be something I get the chance to use. I also really liked the start to finish books. I feel that this would be very helpful for kids who are either above or behind the others in their class. This could also be used as a special privilege for those who have already finished their work and want to listen to a book and follow along. I feel that this is something that I might get the chance to use. The board maker seemed like it would also be a great tool for any classroom. I made a “how are you feeling today” board and I feel that this would really help simplify certain things as a teacher and wouldn’t be asking too much to have it available in schools. The forth technology I looked up was the electronic whiteboards. Most of us know them as smartboard. The reason I was interested to look this up was because I was wondering how much they cost and how realistic it would be to have them in every classroom or at least most in a school. I found out that they are anywhere from a couple thousand dollars up. These seems like it would be a great interactive way to keep student and teachers involved and on the same topic.

In conclusion, I have learned a lot about assistive technology over the past few days and after visiting the Kalikow Center. I know realize how important it is to use these advances in technology in a practicum class and even in your future career. I can see how important it is for children to express what they learn and know in more than one way. These advances can really separate that barrier and help children move forward in their education. When using assistive technology, those students who may have fallen behind usually can now stay on track to success. This can also help the teachers when they feel as though they can’t directly help each level. I now realize that there is a lot of technology out there for teachers and parents, it is just a matter of realizing the importance of assistive technology and how it can really help everyone involved.

1. http://www.section508.gov/

2. http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/brochure.htm