Assistive Tech - Helping us Help Ourselves

   

        Assistive Technology has played an ever increasing role in my classroom over the course of my teaching career. As every individual has such unique challenges in learning about, interpreting, and interacting with the world around them, there are countless reasons for assistive technologies in our world. I appreciated the attention that the presenters brought to the history of assistive technologies, referring to examples such as braille, reading glasses, artificial limbs, and wheel chairs. This focus really shed light on how assistive technologies have been meeting needs and improving the quality of life for people for a very long time. For the purpose of this blog post, I will be referring to digital technologies used in the classroom to enhance student learning. 

    As the foundational philosophies backing assistive technologies are heavily rooted in social justice and human rights, there is no wonder why the resulting impacts have been so positive in our classrooms and society in general. I guess the most remarkable thing about assistive tech is it's ability to empower individuals with disabilities to have equal access and opportunities in life. As mentioned in the presentation, this idea is at the forefront of the Rehabilitation Act (1973 - present). I would say that as technologies have advanced, the usage has become less obvious for the user and as a result draws less attention to them in many cases. One example would be reading glasses; I think about in my youth how there were only a couple of styles of glasses (mostly not very fashionable and definitely not 'cool') and now kids have so many options for glasses and even contact lenses. This is just one example of the empowerment born of a technology that has become developed and accepted by mainstream culture.

    I have witnessed the positive impacts of assistive technologies in the classroom over the years. Students who have assistive technology built into their learning program are often able to independently find successes with day to day tasks and gain confidence in themselves as learners. Additionally, learning becomes so much more individualized and it is less obvious that students may be working on something 'different' than the other students, which is a very common concern for kids. The educational theories supporting assistive technologies have predominantly constructivist ideals and support inclusion. There are a wealth of options for adaptations geared towards different disabilities and learning needs. When hands on manipulatives aren't available in the classroom, there are often free online platforms when students can experiment with manipulatives, whether it be for math, or science experiments. Assistive technologies in the classroom lead to a broader learner perspective.

    While the benefits are undeniable, there are some setbacks to using assistive tech in the classroom. For one, accessibility is a frequent challenge. For example in my school we currently have an entire laptop cart which are out of commission and have been sent away to the board office to be 'fixed' so lessons and unit which require the use of technology to enhance students learning are falling by the wayside. A part of inaccessibility is the cost of some assistive technologies. I would deem Mathletics to be a very useful resource and assistive technology, not only to students who are struggling in math, but also for students who benefit from enrichment. However, it has extremely difficult in the past years to get funding to pay for the yearly subscription in my classroom. Finally, there are often specific assistive technologies which are required for certain students and teachers haven't received proper training on how to implement or help guide students in their learning. 

    The reality is that while many assistive technologies were invented to aid a 'disability' in some way, assistive technologies can be used by anyone. If you think about it, anyone with a smartphone in their back pocket is using assistive technology. The number of tasks that we go about on a daily basis with the assistance of our smartphones are likely too numerous to mention. As assistive technologies become more normalized as a part of everyday life, and for people with and without disabilities, there is bound to be advancements with inclusion, accountability, and realizations around self awareness with regards to paying attention to our own learning and life needs.