We often find ourselves having trouble happily getting through the
day, our work, or tending to our responsibilities. Even though I’m
blessed with my faculties and a strong, sound physical frame, I often
complain or feel sorry for myself. I rarely, if ever, stop to consider
what it would be like to do all I have to do having an extra added
challenge to overcome or an impairment to deal with. Such egocentricity
is human nature. Fortunately, it is also human nature to want to succeed
at or accomplish something you really want to do, no matter the obstacles in
your way. Nowhere is this seen more genuinely than with those
dealing with a disability or disorder. As an educator, making sure I
can aid in student success and empower all individuals in my classroom
is of utmost importance. By being familiar with current forms of
assistive technology and considering special needs in lesson planning,
one can be both a positive support and effective enabler of dreams.
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| Students will reach their full potential when we give them the tools. |
I
haven’t had many experiences in the last few years of working with
students with severe special needs or with those who required assistive technology.
I did however work for two years with a student in Japan who was deaf,
learning English, and had two hearing aids and a hearing device she wore
around her neck. Naturally, I was a little dismayed at first when I
learned I would be teaching English to a student who was at a
disadvantage when it came to learning the fundamentals of English speech
and pronunciation using an oral approach. I did what any solid teacher
would do in this situation by learning as much about the girl, her
capabilities, and the assistive tech as I could before our lessons
started. In this situation (an elective class in Japan), I was not at
liberty to sit down with the parents or school and set any goals.
Looking back and moving forward, I would use a communication options chart with parents prior to beginning the year to decide what would best maximize learning in my general education English class. There are many forms of communication options charts. The chart is preferably used early in a deaf child’s educational path to best help shape who he or she will become and how they will best express themselves (Hall, 2008). I feel that at an upper school level, a meeting with this chart and the student’s parents or guardians can be a great way to demonstrate commitment to doing your best for the student and provide an opportunity to learn much about his or her needs/learning styles before instruction takes place. My student’s device and hearing aids gave her the chance to interact and impress our class in the form of her many accomplishments such as a 5 minute self-introduction speech, a cooking demonstration, and her pleasant, determined interaction in her second language in every class. It was a joy having her for that year, and proved the fact that even with a small bit of hearing and motivation, a hearing setback can be overcome.
Looking back and moving forward, I would use a communication options chart with parents prior to beginning the year to decide what would best maximize learning in my general education English class. There are many forms of communication options charts. The chart is preferably used early in a deaf child’s educational path to best help shape who he or she will become and how they will best express themselves (Hall, 2008). I feel that at an upper school level, a meeting with this chart and the student’s parents or guardians can be a great way to demonstrate commitment to doing your best for the student and provide an opportunity to learn much about his or her needs/learning styles before instruction takes place. My student’s device and hearing aids gave her the chance to interact and impress our class in the form of her many accomplishments such as a 5 minute self-introduction speech, a cooking demonstration, and her pleasant, determined interaction in her second language in every class. It was a joy having her for that year, and proved the fact that even with a small bit of hearing and motivation, a hearing setback can be overcome.
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| A Communication Options Chart |
Click here for a better look at an effective example of a Communication Options Chart (pictured left).
Thinking
of how to best ensure students with disabilities are accommodated in my
classroom, it is imperative that an educator take steps to include
strategies for success in the planning phase. As the video "Assistive
Technology: Enabling Dreams" (see video below) points out, teachers are not familiar with
current assistive technology or ways in which computers can be used to
help students with special needs (Edutopia, 2010). The video does do an
excellent job however of showcasing examples of incredible cases where
innovation and incorporation yield wonderful results. The
short expose advocates such technological assistance as early as
possible as to ensure students gain mastery and have the years ahead to
focus on both content and personal achievement. As I mentioned at the
start of this post, we all possess the innate drive and enthusiasm to
accomplish our goals and dreams, it is our duty as educators and stewards of youth to
ensure they all have the tools and opportunities to do so. As the video
explicitly states, “technology changes life and the opportunities one
can have in the future” (Edutopia, 2010).
Thinking
about having a student with a hearing disability, I would make some
adjustments to my instruction. For a given lesson, I would make sure to
have multiple sources of the information to be covered during the
lesson. A copy of the main points, a list of key facts on the
whiteboard, and a recap with subtitles for the Deaf or hard of hearing
archived in my LMS that the student could access at anytime. I feel
these steps can serve to ensure the student is able to immerse in the
content. When it comes to activities and class interaction, I would
ensure that the student was properly placed according to his or her need
and comfort level in reading lips or receiving quality sound from any
devices in use. I would gently remind other members of the class to
speak clearly and enunciate when working together. When working in
paired partner activities, it can be helpful for the partner of the
special needs student to make key notes of what is being discussed.
These notes can be used to help the Deaf student study, as well as serve
as a basis for a quick oral formative assessment to ensure the material
is getting through. I also feel that allowing a Deaf or hard of hearing
child to partake in a check of written work or be in charge of putting
up some information on the whiteboard (from a document). As you can see,
with some thought and effort an educator can implement some simple
practices to help a special needs students immensely.
Of course making the accommodations is not enough, assessing and ensuring that a student is benefiting from the changes is required. As I mentioned, formative assessments and quick checks with the student are vital. It may also be helpful to meet with the student outside class from time to time to ensure they are on top of homework or special project/activity specifics. Finally, making sure to carefully monitor the classroom activities and interactions of the student will serve as the best indicator on whether or not the individual is comfortable and progressing along with the rest of the class.
Of course making the accommodations is not enough, assessing and ensuring that a student is benefiting from the changes is required. As I mentioned, formative assessments and quick checks with the student are vital. It may also be helpful to meet with the student outside class from time to time to ensure they are on top of homework or special project/activity specifics. Finally, making sure to carefully monitor the classroom activities and interactions of the student will serve as the best indicator on whether or not the individual is comfortable and progressing along with the rest of the class.
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| Constant monitoring proves most effective |
As
educators, we have the responsibility to meet all our students’ needs.
Giving students with special needs the tools they need not only
accomplishes this, but also gives them independence and a strong sense
of personal efficacy. As Sheryl Burgstahler, director of DO-IT
(Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Check out DO-IT Here!, an
advocacy program for disabled students at the University of Washington
says,"If they (students) have access to their own computers, they can
take their own notes, they can take their own tests, they can write
their own papers, they can use the Internet and do their own
research"(Curtis, 2005). Thinking about our effectiveness in the
classroom and the importance of integrating technology for all 21
Century learners, Burgstahler’s words ring clear, "Students can now use
their brainpower instead of their physical capabilities to go to college
and then on to careers so they can have the life all of us want to
have," she says. "They can have the American dream" (Curtis, 2005).
For more on the article that features the video "Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams" hit the following link: Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged
References:
Curtis,
D. (2005, February 2). Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice,
Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged. Retrieved June
28, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/
Edutopia.Org. (2010, July 28). Assisstive Technology: Enabling Dreams. [Youtube Video].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Hall, J. (2008, May 9). Communication Options Chart for Deaf Children - Sound Advice.Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http://sound-advice.ie/
