AT in the Classroom - Reflection on the Case Studies and My Final Post

Reflecting on my Classmate's Blogs

I learned so much today, and had my mind opened to many different ways that AT, more specifically the IPAD, could be used in a classroom. We were asked to do a Case Study on a student that we currently teach, and almost every person decided to use an IPad as an appropriate form of assistive technology.

There were some interesting conversations that came out of these case studies. One thing that I found particularly interesting was the fact that only one case study involved a female, where all of the other ones were male. This is an interesting statistic. When I think back over the years that I have been teaching, majority of my students that come to mind that could benefit the most from assistive technology are boys. It would be interesting to do research to see if there are significant differences between the way boys and girls learn.

A challenge that was discussed was the fact that not all schools have the technology, nor can access the technology to support students. There are some schools within our board that have carts of IPads and others that have no IPads at all! How can there be such discrepency between schools in the same school board? I would like to know how to be one of the schools that have access to extra technology!

Many of the apps that were discussed today were apps that we had learned about during this course, and also the last assistive technology course I took from Barb. Here are some of the apps that I could see myself using with the students I currently teach:

• Book Creator - Create books and read them in iBooks. There are no boundaries! Students have the opportunity to tap into their creativity.
• Strip Designer - I used this app with one of my students, and he produced a wonderful, information packed comic strip! This possibilities for use with this app are endless!
• PicCollage - Tell a story with pictures.
• Math Tappers - Great app to allow students to practice basic math skills.
• Relax Melodies - I like this app for me. It is great for students who need some calming strategies.
• Dexteria - Students can practice their fine motor skills with this app!
• Yes/No - This app would be great for the non-verbal learner. Students are able to have a voice by answering "yes" or "no" to questions just by tapping the screen!

My thoughts about Assistive Technology after this course...

• All Positives -  I honestly feel like there are only positives to incorporating assistive technology into the classroom. The IPad is by far the best tool, but there are also other low-high tech solutions that can support student learning. As teachers, we should be doing everything we can to ensure our students are getting the best possible education, and for many students, that means allowing them access to assistive technology!
  
• Saves time - After listening to the case studies, many people reported that their students were able to give more output, faster. Also, it saves time for the teacher because the apps are already created for them! There really is an app for everything!
• Increased motivation/engagement in learning - This is a given! In this age of technology, of course students are going to be more engaged if they are given an opportunity to use their technology, or technology that is provided to them in the classroom.
  
• Money is a problem - AT does not seem to be a priority within our board, yet. There are a few schools that are "technology pilot" schools, and they are benefitting from access to assitive technology, but majority of the schools have no access. I am hoping that these pilot schools are reporting the benefits of having access to IPads so that more schools will be able to gain access.
• There are discrepencies between schools - Some have a lot of access and some have limited access. Also, there are some schools who have access, and because of lack of knowledge, the technology is not being used. How does having IPads locked up in the office benefit the students?
• Have a problem? There's an app for that! - If students have a challenge, there is almost always an app that can support them within the classroom.
• Limited opportunities for professional developement - I am often looking for PD opportunities to learn about the latest technology used in classrooms, and there are rarely opportunities. I usually find myself asking friends who are "tech savvy" to help me out. This course has been extremely helpful, and I feel like I will be a better teacher because I took it! Thank to Barb for sharing your wealth of knowledge, you have helped to make me a better teacher!