3.4 Adaptive and Assistive Technology
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Candidates facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support individual student learning needs. (PSC 3.4/ISTE 3d)
With the type of schedule classes (English & Social Studies) that I teach in 8th grade at Madison County Middle School, I do not have any students that require the use of adaptive or assistive technology. I decided to meet the requirements of my field experience logs by working with an elementary student in another school district of which I am a family friend. They invited me to take part of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that was geared towards the inclusion of assistive technology to help the second grade student remain in the classroom setting for longer periods of time.
The facilitation of this particular assistive technology was possible because of the IEP meeting that occurred which brought in the relevant educators and family members to discuss the best social, emotional, and educational outcomes for the student. It was determined that the student needed additional support to feel more comfortable to keep the student in the learning environment. The student deals with extremely high levels of anxiety and has difficulty focusing on content, at times, due to this diagnosed disorder. What seems to assist the student is identifying with his mother and father as they are the reassuring and calming solutions to this problem.
I suggested the use of an iPod or any other portable device with headphones that can play audio of his mother and/or father talking to their son in pre-recorded messages. This could be messages of encouragement, or even them reading one of his favorite books, to help him manage his high levels of anxiety. The idea was to allow the student to remain in the classroom to complete his work and be a contributing member of the learning community. The parent voices would then calm and create a soothing transition from any outbursts and even for anger management.
Once the plan was approved, the parents created the playlist and it was implemented the following week. Without the facilitation of the IEP that utilizes the assistive technology needed by the student, the student would be out of the classroom and not learning with his peers. This is just one of the many steps that occurred to try to keep this student in the general education classroom by the parents and educators.
The use of the assistive technology, according to the parents, did help the student and they noted that the classroom teacher noticed an immediate shift with the student being able to stay in the classroom. The headphones were just temporarily used throughout the day, as needed, which allowed the student quick and easy access to a more comfortable, safe, and inclusive learning environment.
I already knew that each student has individual needs to increase their learning and achievement. I already knew that IEP and 504 plans are there to assist the student, and teachers, through the learning materials within the curriculum. I learned that sometimes it takes a meeting for this to occur. As a parent, especially one that may end up having special education needs to be addressed, the parents must be an advocate for their child. By setting up this plan, and connecting all stakeholders, the student now has a support system in place to assist him with his learning needs. I feel this is just the beginning, but it is a beginning, and now, the parents and teachers have a basic understanding of the challenges they may encounter along the way. The major thing I would have done differently would be to include more strategies in which to help the student manage the anxiety – technology related or not. Knowing this student, he will need more assistance than this one strategy, but if anything, we got the process of documentation started.
The work and time put into this meeting, and artifact, assists the faculty at this school with the development of an additional strategy in how to use technology to assist students with high levels of anxiety, at the early elementary age level. It also assists the student as he is now able to spend more quality and educational time within the learning environment. The impact can be assessed by the teacher being able to document if the time spent in the room, while using the assistive technology, is beneficial to the student and the student’s learning.
The facilitation of this particular assistive technology was possible because of the IEP meeting that occurred which brought in the relevant educators and family members to discuss the best social, emotional, and educational outcomes for the student. It was determined that the student needed additional support to feel more comfortable to keep the student in the learning environment. The student deals with extremely high levels of anxiety and has difficulty focusing on content, at times, due to this diagnosed disorder. What seems to assist the student is identifying with his mother and father as they are the reassuring and calming solutions to this problem.
I suggested the use of an iPod or any other portable device with headphones that can play audio of his mother and/or father talking to their son in pre-recorded messages. This could be messages of encouragement, or even them reading one of his favorite books, to help him manage his high levels of anxiety. The idea was to allow the student to remain in the classroom to complete his work and be a contributing member of the learning community. The parent voices would then calm and create a soothing transition from any outbursts and even for anger management.
Once the plan was approved, the parents created the playlist and it was implemented the following week. Without the facilitation of the IEP that utilizes the assistive technology needed by the student, the student would be out of the classroom and not learning with his peers. This is just one of the many steps that occurred to try to keep this student in the general education classroom by the parents and educators.
The use of the assistive technology, according to the parents, did help the student and they noted that the classroom teacher noticed an immediate shift with the student being able to stay in the classroom. The headphones were just temporarily used throughout the day, as needed, which allowed the student quick and easy access to a more comfortable, safe, and inclusive learning environment.
I already knew that each student has individual needs to increase their learning and achievement. I already knew that IEP and 504 plans are there to assist the student, and teachers, through the learning materials within the curriculum. I learned that sometimes it takes a meeting for this to occur. As a parent, especially one that may end up having special education needs to be addressed, the parents must be an advocate for their child. By setting up this plan, and connecting all stakeholders, the student now has a support system in place to assist him with his learning needs. I feel this is just the beginning, but it is a beginning, and now, the parents and teachers have a basic understanding of the challenges they may encounter along the way. The major thing I would have done differently would be to include more strategies in which to help the student manage the anxiety – technology related or not. Knowing this student, he will need more assistance than this one strategy, but if anything, we got the process of documentation started.
The work and time put into this meeting, and artifact, assists the faculty at this school with the development of an additional strategy in how to use technology to assist students with high levels of anxiety, at the early elementary age level. It also assists the student as he is now able to spend more quality and educational time within the learning environment. The impact can be assessed by the teacher being able to document if the time spent in the room, while using the assistive technology, is beneficial to the student and the student’s learning.