Summarizing my Semester with AT

Beginning the course in Assistive Technology, I did not know what to expect. I knew I have encountered students throughout my (currently short) teaching career who have needs other students do not; I knew of students who had behavioral issues, and ones who were unable to hold attention for long periods of time without becoming distracted; I knew of students who had physical disabilities and emotional disabilities; I knew of students who had various learning disabilities, and I also knew my own niece struggled in subjects, which meant she had a learning disability. However, I didn’t know what any of this meant, what I could do about it, or what could help these students in their education.

Studying Assistive Technology has been eye opening. As I substitute in schools and teach students who have certain needs, I am more aware of what I am teaching, how I am teaching it, and how I can help the student. By implementing various AT services and devices in classrooms and schools, and by differentiating instruction, teachers are better able to tend to the needs to all of their students – all of the learners in the class.

The entire semester has caused me to look at my world from a different perspective. I feel that’s important. I should be able to understand (or try to understand) the perspective of my students.

This is just the beginning; I hope to continue learning about AT outside of this course as it will help my future students. Doing what is best for them is what my career is about.

Let's Play... and Learn

Exploring Let's Play! Projects, a site adapted for parents as a way to introduce/help/guide them in their experiences with Assistive Technology and Universal Design, it was easy to see and understand the valuable resources the site provided. The site emphasized the importance of play in a child's life, encouraging parents to encourage play.

In fact, one of the most helpful pages on the site, in my opinion was the Toy Adaption page, giving parents questions to ask when their child is having diffculty with a toy. These questions, ranging from "Can my child reach the toy?" to "How can I make this toy more simple?" offer parents guidance in finding adaptations for their children's needs and toys. Adapting a toy could be as simply as stabilizing the item so the child can get a better hold, enhacing objects with color, or making an object more simple.

Similary, another page on the site, Emerging Play Strategies, lists six different ways a child plays. This allows parents to better connect the type of toy needed with the type of toy and the needs of their child.

Lastly, the site offeres plenty of resources for contacting vendors who design or offer toys/adaptive materials.

Overall, the site is a wonderful source for parents, and even pre-childhood educators, who want a better understanding of how adaptive toys are used, how to integrate assitive techonology, or how to apply Universal Design.

The Power of Silence

"Of those who say nothing, few are silent."

Thomas Neiel

The teacher I was subbing for today left plans to have "an easy day." Great! I don't mind the OCCASIONAL easy day. Especially if the students have New York State Exams over the next few days. Not to mention, this meant I had a say in what the classes did today. Instead of setting the kids loose, or strictly playing games, or some pointless activity that would have wasted fifty-four minutes of the day, I grabbed a Story Works magazine... well, I grabbed 3 sets of Story Works. They're amazing - thought-provoking articles, engaging activities; overall, perfect for an "easy" day. The first thing I did with the students was read an article titled "The Day Aliens Attacked America," which discussed Orson Welles' broadcast of War of the Worlds in 1938, space exploration, and more. The students were captivated! After, I thought I would move onto something fun, but still educationally related: Mad Libs. See, Mad Libs require students to associate words with parts of speech. As they're creating sill paragraphs, they're also learning nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and so on. This is where my lesson came in today. The kids completely enjoyed the Mad Libs, which I expected they would. However, they also began getting carried away, as I put a stop to their slightly goofy, slightly inappropriate (think bodily functions) suggestions one student blurted out a very offensive word that silenced the entire class. Not only was my point of "let's not get carried away" received after that, but the class made their own point about boundaries. We were able to go back to having appropriate fun.

Free Write - Journal 11

This week I realized the importance of educators communicating together. Between two jobs and four graduate-level courses worth of projects, I have found myself stressed for time, trying to keep up with projects and papers, and wondering why educators don't discuss deadlines with each other. As a result of keeping track of my final assignments, and with an unconventional class this past week, I forgot to write my journal entry. So, here it is, filled with frustration and anxiety because I have to finish up everything else as well.

I realize this may sound like I have poor time management. However, I have been working diligently on several of my projects throughout the week, save one (which miraculously was finished last night). I have also always been great at multitasking, and have no doubt that I will get every project done, and get it done to my best ability. Still, as an educator and a student, I know the pressures and stresses students face. If I gained anything from this past week, it is to discuss my curriculum with other teachers so our students do not being overwhelmed.

Thoughts on Being a Substitute

I substitute regularly in Webster School District. While I have subbed at several schools, on several teams, and in several classes within that district, I usually sub at one particular school and for the same group of children thanks (truly many thanks) to classroom teachers continually relying on me while they’re absent. As a result, I have come to know the students as if I had my own class at the school. Being able to sub for the same students frequently makes my job as a substitute teacher easier, giving me the opportunity to know each student as an individual, understand his or her needs, understand where each student excels and where each student may need extra help, and know when a concept is just not “clicking,” giving me more options and different ways to present the materials of the lesson. Furthermore, students are more comfortable with me since they see me more frequently in various classes; they understand my classroom management style and they don’t lose out on learning when their teacher is unavailable. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

At the same time, I would love my own classroom and would love to know I’d be seeing the same group of students each day, create my own lessons, and have a little more security.

New and Exciting Changes

Earlier this evening, I was discussing with my friend Megan, an English teacher, her lesson plans for this week. She has decided to do an overview of Helen Keller since their school has recently performed the play The Miracle Worker. I let Megan know of a recent project I completed for one of my graduate classes, a virtual fieldtrip on genres, which included a section on nonfiction stories. One of those stories happened to be This is My Story by Helen Keller and with it I offered websites and videos to view.

Beyond wanting to discuss Helen Keller, Megan also wanted to bring to the attention of her students information “about people with disabilities and the timeline of treatment.” At this point, I mentioned another graduate class I am taking, Assistive Technology, and an article I happened to read earlier in the day. Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley discusses a mother’s anticipation for the birth of her first child, equating it to her dream vacation to Italy. After months of preparation for her “dream vacation” the mother’s plans are changed as she ends up in Holland rather than Italy. Symbolizing a child with a disability, Holland offers a new, exciting, yet uncertain experience, and while it is no longer the mother’s dream vacation, she is ale to see hope and beauty is the place she has found herself.

After sharing the article with Megan, she decided she wants to share it with her students during the week. Her only concern is the position she is in as a pregnant teacher: will her students think she is trying to tell them she is having a child with a disability? We discussed this thoroughly, and I was able to remind Megan that she could use her position as an attention getting and as a learning experience. If her students do question Megan’s intentions, she should be honest by telling them she doesn’t know if her child will or won’t have a disability, however, that would not change her love for her child. She should then steer the discussion back to Helen Keller, whose family did abandon her, and who became a brilliant and intelligent woman in lieu of being a person who is deaf and blind. Overall, the article has been an eye-opening experience not only for me and my friend, but a possible learning experience for Megan’s students.

Design for the Other 90%

Design for the other 90%, a movement that "began" during the 1960s and 1970s and has grown tremendously since, encompasses an idea of providing everyone, worldwide, with with the products and services that many of us have and take for granted. The services and products that 5.8 billion people have restricted access to, if any access at all, include our accessibility to food, water, shelter, transportation, education, health care, and energy.

Focusing on Education:

Only 16% of the world population has access to basic computer technologies, meaning the remaining 84% don' t have the technologies available or the energy to support them. As a result, the movement, which includes educators, engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs, is looking to find ways to provide technological resources to countries in poverty and remote areas of the world.

The Projects:

• AMD Personal Internet Communicator
• Kinkajou Microfilm Projector and Portable Library
• One Laptop per Child
• Sierra Portable Light Project
• Solar Home Light System

The movement/project is amazing and deserves more attention through news, media, and word of mouth.