What assistive technologies are
available to you as a teacher?
What is assistive
technology?
Assistive
Technology is any form/ type of software/device/equipment that assist anyone
who has a disability to function more easily or in a more efficient
manner.
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Examples of how one may use assistive technology
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1.
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Communication
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2.
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To Hear
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3.
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To See
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4.
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To use the
Computer
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5.
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To Play
Games
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6.
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To Learn
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AT- Communication
There
are many forms of assistive technology to help people with disabilities to
communicate. For example people who are unable to speak now have the option of
using technology to communicate. Proloquo2Go is an app that allows people to
speak though the use of technology. This app has many symbols and pictures so
the one can chose a symbol and it will verbalize it from any apple devise. As
teachers we could have a student with that are unable to speak but we also may
have students who are just unable to communicate in a verbal manner. So whether
educators have a student with a disability or just someone who is trying to
learn how to communicate clearly you could use this app. This app is available
on iTunes.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go-symbol-based-aac/id308368164?mt=8
AT-Deaf and Hearing Impaired
I
think we have all met someone or know someone who was deaf. When I was in the
elementary school I remember one of my classmates having to use assistive
technology. She was not completely deaf but was hearing impaired. I remember my
teacher having to wear a microphone. It went around the teacher’s head and had
a peace that she talked into right in front of her mouth with a small black box
that hooked to her belt. The student had a receiving speaker sitting on her
desk. With out this device she would not have been able to hear the teacher
when she taught. This was basically just to make the teachers voice amplified
so that the hearing impaired student to hear her. But of course this was many years ago.
But not of course they have upgraded
this technology, now they have almost the same exact thing only virtually
invisible plus it is wireless. These types of things can help teachers while
lecturing to keep the attention of the students but it can help any hearing
impaired student be able to learn more efficiently.
AT-
Blind and the Visually Impaired
Blind and Visually
impaired students could be totally blind, Color blind, or maybe just not able
to see as well as others. As a teacher
one should become aware of any students who may be visually impaired. In the
classroom if a student is simple unable to see perfectly or from far away the
teacher could just move them to the front of the classroom so that they are
able to see the board but this may not always work. Students who are blind will
need extra assistance but there are many forms of technology to make this less
stressful. For example the Mountbattern Brailler, this is a system that can
help anyone who is blind learn to read and write using Braille. Not only will
this help the student this device makes it easier for teachers to help the
students by using the technology software that comes with the machine. Not only
is this great for the student and teacher this devise is one of the most
high-tech systems on the market.
I enjoyed reading your post. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGreat Post Shelby! your post is very through and filled with good information. I myself have never heard of "Proloquo2Go". But now that I have I am very intrigued. Im very glad that we have finally gotten to a place where certain handicaps won't hold back students from learning or achieving their best.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Shelby! I really enjoyed reading your post and I think we had some of the same ideas. I liked how you gave a picture for each device you were talking about.
ReplyDelete