We all agree that every student is an individual unique person. When we create a lesson, we not only have to consider about the class as whole, also we have to look at individual student to make sure no child left behind. However, are we really doing that good? How about the students with disabilities? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Public Law 105-17 (1997) mandates that children with disabilities have the same opportunity to receive education, like other children. However, in our school system, students with disabilities sometimes are part of groups that being neglected in the classroom. Most of teacher are concerned about they do not have time and training they need to fell confident to teach students with disabilities. But what if there is a better way of assisting and training students with disabilities to success and pursue their dreams?
In the video Enable Dreams, assistive technology plays a crucial role in the life of students with disabilities. Susanna Martini, a students at University of Washington, said, “Technology is the major foundation of my life, without it, I couldn’t exist as I am today.” Because of technology, Susanna is able to go around, jog, and call friends and family for help, do her homework by herself and do research. Because of technology, Lukea Bratcher, a student at Mead High School, is able to pursue her music dream. Assistive technology (AT) can be defined as technology that modified, or customized used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. (National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST], 2011) For example, powered mobility, communication devices and word processing program, and speech recognition system. The use of assistive technology for students with disabilities can provide an individual with an opportunity to experience leaning productivity and motivation. The video Enable Dreams is really inspirational and provoked. I will suggest teachers look at this video and rethink what we can do to help students with disabilities to accomplish their dreams and fulfill their abilities.
Just like Sheryl Burgstahler in the video said, “it (Assistant Technology) is not that much implemented into our school system.” Most of teacher are not aware of technology is available for disability students and also it is not always included in the plan. As a future secondary math teacher, I would like to get to know my students, especially students with disabilities, before I create and plan my lesson plan. In my opinion, knowing your students is the first step of creating and designing an activity or a lesson plan. I would consult with colleagues and look over students’ record and go online to find more information for students with disabilities for providing an appropriate curriculum, particularly in secondary math classroom. While including students with disabilities, the article Students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms: A resource for teachers suggests some other advice that I would also like to implement in my future classroom:- Use visual supports such as diagrams, pictures and visual timetables;
- Use assistive technology such as software to read the text aloud;
- Introduce more variety into ways of assessing student performance. (Shaddock, Giorcelli, Smith, 2007)
I believe assistive technology would give me an opportunity to create a new approach towards learning math. Like I learnt in this class, I would like to use digital tutorial as extra curriculum for all students to look over. I would also use multimedia, such as Prezi, PowerPoint and iMovie to improve student access.
I would also like to use alternative assessments to assess student performance. I think alternative assessments make it easier for many students to demonstrate their learning. In the traditional math class, test and exam seem to be the only way of assesses students and determines their ability. I don’t agree with it. Like I said in the beginning, every student has his or her own learning way. I would like to create a platform for students to demonstrate their learning and improvement.
Meanwhile, I would like to use rubric and portfolios to assess the appropriateness of the activity and performance of students with disabilities. Sometimes a score can’t tell you everything, but using a rubric to assess student’s performance may be another good choice and excellent tools to accurately reflect student’s learning. We are setting goals for all of our students. We have to keep in mind that every child can learn and is able to learn. What we need to do is to give them the key and let them explore the adventure of learning. Assistive technology is the key for students with disabilities to capture their dreams and can put an engine on their efforts of pursuing their dreams.
Reference
National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2011) Assistive Technology. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from http://standards.gov/assistivetechnology.cfm
Shaddock. A., Giorcelli. L., and Smith. S. (2007). Students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms: A resource for teachers. Retrieved from
