Assistive Technology

 What AT supports have you noticed in our placement classroom? If you haven't noticed anything, ask your cooperating teacher about it (ask how they accommodate students with IEPs or special needs). Do you recall AT supports in your elementary, middle, or secondary classrooms? What tools do you find helpful?

Because of the subject that I am placed in (instrumental music), I have not seen much AT used in the classroom. The only instance I can think of how AT is used is through a software they use for students' lessons called "SmartMusic". This gives students access to all of their lesson materials (lesson books, solos, etc) on their school-issued computer. They are also able to have a metronome, audio recording, and other tools on there as they practice.

I do not remember much AT being used when I was in K-12 schooling, but it could have just been because it didn't catch my eye or I did not notice it. The only instance I remember is in high school when my math teacher would record his lessons and would post them on his website for students to watch if they missed the lesson. I generally liked having access to lessons like these and it was a great tool for the class. 

How can 3D printing and modeling be used to create tactile teaching aids for students with visual impairments, and what are the potential benefits of such tools?

Some students do not learn as well just seeing a 2D model, such as students with visual impairments. 3D printing and modeling could be used to create teaching aids for students to rather feel instead of see. One potential benefit I could see from tools like these would be to keep students engaged and interested with learning. Having these models that students can fully see and touch can help them get a better understanding of a topic.

What are the challenges classroom teachers face with assistive technologies and universal design? What are the benefits?

One thing I could see being a challenge with assistive technologies is that some resources that fall into the "assistive technology" category can be costly, especially for low-income schools. To use some of these resources, training also has to take place, which can be very time consuming.

Benefits of assistive technology would be that students can work at their own pace, they are able to achieve academic standards, and can help students accomplish more goals individually.

What do you think your role is in in terms of implementing assistive tech and universal design?

Technology is developing constantly and will always continue to develop as time goes on. I believe that my role as a future teacher with implementing assistive tech is to always experiment and try things out. Every student will have things that work and things that don't work to help them succeed, so figuring out what we can do to make sure all students are succeeding can make a difference.

Have you tried any Chrome extensions (look under accessibility, well being, and education) yourself? What did you try and what did it do?

I have tried a few Chrome extensions while in school. I currently have Grammarly on my computer, which is a tool to check grammar, phrasing, and other writing things while you are writing. It helps me out quite a bit because there are times where I get brain fog and use incorrect grammar and spelling for things in an academic paper.


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