Here we go again on the assistive technology journey...It was nice to be able to jump right back into this dynamic topic. I am thankful that I took Barb's introductory course to assistive technology in the summer, because I was better prepared for the lightning speed at which she operates. I could empathize with the newbies who had not taken a class from Barb before. It must be daunting to sit in a classroom where fifteen people are familiar with how the instructor operates and who appear to have plenty of background information. Newbies try to adjust to the warp speed! That is the one thing I can say about Barb's courses, it's full speed ahead and damn the torpedos, but the skill set and knowledge acquired by the end is certainly worth it.
Right out of the starting gate Barb had us creating movie trailers for, "What is Assistive Technology?" using iMovie on the iPad. Great app! Had lots of fun using iMovie and it would be a great motivator to introduce a new topic of study in my grade 5 class. Check out our iMovie link you will find below the iMovie icon!
There are so many things that have to be taken into consideration when identifying and selecting the best assistive technology for an individual student, number one being that in the end we, as teachers, are trying to encourage independent learning. Teachers need to begin to realize that paper is not accessible to everyone. That is a big one! We also need to look at proprioception, the skill sets of our students, where the student will be using the technology, the task we are asking the student to perform, and the characteristics of the technology itself. Keeping in mind that these factors are constantly changing.
After taking the introduction to assistive technology course in the summer and seeing how the ipad was not only a great piece of assistive technology, but was also such an economical choice, I went to my principal in September and gave him a quick demonstration. He had mentioned in the spring that he was interested in purchasing more netbooks for our school and I just couldn't let him do that! He has started by purchasing two ipads for the school, and I hope before he retires in June, I will be able to push him enough to purchase at least another 5! I also have to let my resource teacher know about the guided access option on the ipad. I had a conversation with her on Friday and she mentioned that one of the students kept bumping himself out of the app he was using.
On Saturday we talked a lot about COMMUNICATION. What does it mean to communicate, and what does a person need in order to communicate? In order to communicate we need three things: Common language, Joint attention, and a Communication partner. The actions with which we choose to communicate can look vastly different. The two videos I have included are both examples of how two young women with Autism communicate with the use of assistive technology. I am amazed at how the use of technology has helped to unlock some of the mystery of ASD. While many who have ASD have not had a voice in the past, technology is allowing mankind a glimpse into what the world of ASD is. It is unfortunate that society continues to judge books by their covers. If the two women in these videos were not able to communicate through technology, people around them would continue to assume that they are incapable of the thought processes they are capable of.
Carly Fleischman
Autism is a World
This is why the use of assistive technology is so crucial in elementary schools, especially the ipad. Imagine how the early lives of these two women could have been different if they had had access to an ipad with the proloquo2go app installed on it. Their ability to communicate could have begun at such an earlier age. Children being diagnosed with autism appears to be increasing exponentially. Elementary schools have to do a better job of being prepared for these students.
Proloquo2go
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