Imagine having the will, but no way to easily learn things on your own and feeling excluded by this inability. This is a problem in the educational journey of students with disabilities. However, the video titled, “How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams,” introduces a working solution. In the video, technology is not only used to connect people around the world, but it is used to connect people with disabilities in the classroom. Susanna Sweeney-Martini, a college student with cerebral palsy uses her computer to research and write essays independently. Adrian, a student with a physical disability uses assistive technology to express how he feels by a twitch of his brow connected to a device. However, teachers are vital to student success in effectively using assistive technology in the classroom. Teachers need to add features of their lesson plan that enable the successful participation of students with disabilities, revise class activities, and have criteria to evaluate the effectiveness these lesson plans and revised activities have in the inclusion of students with disabilities.
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| This student is using the Tobii Dynavox I-series mobile device. This device operates just by your eye movement. It is designed for people with cerebral palsy, ALS, Rett syndrome or spinal cord injury. |
An important feature of a lesson plan that would enable the successful participation of students with disabilities is the implementation of mobile devices. The video demonstrated students using laptops to research and write their assignments. They also used specialized text-to-speech devices in expressing themselves during class. As a teacher, I would create a lesson plan that requires the use of mobile devices. Each student with a disability will have a mobile device with programs specialized for them to participate in the lesson. An example is using video-based instruction on the mobile device. Students with disabilities have difficulty learning skills and achieving tasks quickly. They need one on one time with the teacher to model the behavior to complete the task. Mobile devices can present video-based instruction for students to learn behaviors for completing tasks at their pace. They can also review the instructions later to practice the skill set in completing the task. Psychologists that have research the effects of mobile device use, found the benefits were increases in self-instruction, self-management, and self-determination (Ayres, Mechling, & Sansosti, 2013, pp. 263-265). When students use mobile devices for lessons, they learn to how to seek out resources on their own. By assigning mobile device tasks it provides a system for them to build their skills in research. Another key feature of using mobile devices for lessons is the ability to monitor. Teachers can quickly gain feedback on how the student is progressing in their thought process while doing tasks. Sometimes the physical presence of the teacher may deter some students from completing the task at hand. If the student uses mobile devices on their own they will also feel more independent and confident in their learning skills and in the classroom environment.
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| Nearpod is a student engagement platform that has interactive PowerPoint presentation applications. |
With new ways to incorporate technology in the classroom, I can as a teacher revise my old class activities to include students with disabilities. For example, instead of having an open verbal discussion in class, students can write or draw their feedback using interactive PowerPoints such as Nearpod. Feedback will be projected on the board for all the students to see. This method will make it easier for students with disabilities to connect to the rest of the class without feeling targeted. Another way I can revise class activities, is assigning online projects such as creating videos. Students with disabilities would use their imagination and share their work in a creative way. I don’t have a lot of experience working with students with disabilities, but I do remember working on a group project with a classmate who had a speech-impairment. He used a program on his iPad to communicate to the group by using a text-to-speech app to express his ideas. To my surprise, he explained the ideas so clearly using the iPad that it was easy to communicate with him. A bridge of communication was built using assistive technology between my classmates and this student with a speech-impairment. I think this is a key component to the inclusion of students with disabilities. It is cooperative activities such as group projects. According to Gartin and Murdick (1992) they found, “Research has indicated that cooperative learning activities foster cooperation and concern for peers. Teachers in the regular school setting have found these cooperative activities useful in encouraging the interaction among students with disabilities and their peers with no disabilities” (p. 241). From my experience I believe online group activities would be the best way to promote inclusion of students with disabilities. The breaking barriers and establishing equality may be achieved when assigning the group with the task of a creating a video online. Students with disabilities may use their devices in their own way to contribute to the group whether it be recording audio, doing research, or creating visuals. They wouldn’t be discriminated based on their disability because in the digital world anyone who can use technology is considered equal. Students would focus more on the project content and communication, than on how far each person is from society’s norms (physical appearance, social and mental abilities).
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| Students with disabilities often feel excluded from their peers in a regular classroom setting. A way to make them feel included is by conducting cooperative activities. |
Foremost, criteria must be made to evaluate the effectiveness of the revised activities for including students with disabilities. The criteria should include time progression, comprehension, and design. First, the revised activity should be evaluated on the time it takes for the student to complete the task. The task should be done in the same progress and time as the original activity. For example, if the original activity was making a making a poster with a quote by their favorite president in 10 minutes. In the first five minutes students should have already chosen their favorite president and quote. Then in the last five minutes they have written the quote and designed the poster. The revised activity using an online poster making program on a mobile device should be done in the same about of time. Students with disabilities should be able to use the first five minutes to research and select their quote. The last 5 minutes should be used to copy the quote and design the poster using the program’s features. The second criteria is comprehension, students with disabilities should clearly comprehend the objective and instruction of the revised activity. If they were task to do the same activity again, they would how to successfully complete it on their own. Lastly, the design of the activity should accommodate the specific disabilities of each student, so that all students will be successful participants.
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| This is a rubric I created for revised activities that include students with disabilities. I created this rubric on a rubric maker website. |
Students with disabilities are a group of individuals who have and may continue to benefit from the innovation of technology. I often think technology has advanced society more than ever, but I forgot the effect it has on students with disabilities. Technology has allowed these unique individuals to become “equal” in the classroom. But for this equality to be established in the learning environment teachers must use it effectively by implementing key features in lessons plans, revising activities, and using criteria to evaluate its implementations. Students with disabilities can be outstanding students in their educational environments depending on the teacher’s use of technology for inclusion. I am only learning some ways of how to achieve this goal of creating successful students with disabilities using technology. I hope to learn more ways and master this skill as a future teacher.
References
Gartin, B. C., & Murdick, N. L. (1992). Cooperative activities to assist in the integration of students with disabilities. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 19(4), 241. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=9607251317&site=eds-live
Ayres, K. M., Mechling, L., & Sansosti, F. J. (2013). The Use of Mobile Technologies to Assist with Life Skills/Independence of Students with Moderate/Severe Intellectual Disability And/Or Autism Spectrum Disorders: Considerations for the Future of School Psychology. Psychology in the Schools, 50(3), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21673
Ms. Acfalle:
ReplyDeleteExcellent work!
-j-