Too Much Technology?

My favorite part of the Prezi presentation was the embedded video of Louis CK’s technology rant. I don’t often stop to appreciate how truly amazing technology is but rather get easily angered when a website takes more than 2 seconds to load. My aunt and uncle actually had a rotary phone up until about 10 years ago. They upgraded to a phone still attached to a cord without an answering machine. When they finally got an answering machine a few years ago, I already owned a cell phone. They still refuse to buy cell phones because they don’t feel the necessity and would rather not be bothered. Its completely baffling to me because I don’t go anywhere without my iPhone, which I check often throughout the day. I think we’ve become an impatient generation that expects and needs quick fixes for everything. We’re also quite spoiled given the new technology that comes out every year. It’s hard to imagine what life was like before laptops, cell phones, and iPads even though I was alive at the time.

How do we avoid the cost of a pervasive digital environment in the classroom in the presence of instructional and adaptive technology?

Students must be exposed to a combination of technological and traditional lessons, activities, and resources. As teachers, we will be constantly learning about new technologies that we may want to test in the classroom. We need to make sure that it actually benefits the students rather than distract or over stimulate them. The video clip from the economist discussed the limits of working memory. We can only retain about 7 pieces of information in working memory at one time, and when we become overwhelmed with information we don’t fully attend to anything. So teachers need to be sure that the technology they use in the classroom does not overwhelm students.

There are some skills that cannot be fully developed if technology is used. Learning handwriting, for example, will never be replaced despite the numerous devices that have been invented for students to type on. I worked with a fifth grader whose school gave him a Neo because his handwriting was awful and they didn’t feel like trying to help him. Using adaptive technology should never replace another skill that needs to be learned (if the student is capable of it of course).

How do we prepare students with good strategies for using technology in their outside lives?

Students should be taught to engage in metacognition. They should be able evaluate which technologies may be hindering or helping them in school and in life. They should also be aware of how much time and effort they invest in using technology versus using traditional means to accomplish a goal. Students should be taught to reflect on the results of interactions that involve technology versus those that were face to face. I don’t think we as teachers should or are able to convince students to restrict their technology use, but we can teach them to be reflective.

What about in your professional practice?

I plan on getting my PhD in clinical psychology and continuing to work with children with various disabilities. I plan to stay well informed on assistive and adaptive technology so that I can recommend the best resources to parents.

Universal Design

In our last class we were presented with numerous objects whose function were not immediately obvious, such as a one handed book holder. These objects were created with the principles of universal design to meet the needs of a diverse set of consumers. One such company that designs their products with UD is OXO. Their website actually has a page that addresses UD.

"For OXO, the principles of Universal Design mean a salad spinner that can be used with one hand; liquid measuring cups that can be read from above without bending over; kettles with whistle lids that open automatically when tipped to pour; and tools with pressure-absorbing, non-slip handles that make them more efficient."

OXO designs their products to meet the needs of as many people as possible, including those with special needs. I love this company's philosophy and wish that more companies made UD a part of their mission. 

Testing Accomodations

The University of the State of New York, The State Education Department, and VESID have detailed important information on testing accommodations and modifications in a lengthy document. One of the very important distinctions it makes is testing accommodations vs. modifications. An accommodation is a change made in the way the test is administered to make it fully accessible to the student with a disability. Accommodations do not change the constructs being tested in anyway. In contrast, a modification changes the constructs of the test by altering the content, changing the test process, or adding assistive technology. 
I imagine it must be difficult to meet a student's needs with an accommodation rather than a modification in some cases. All of the students in my current student teaching placement do not participate in state assessments. They are administered alternative assessments. I wonder where the state draws the line in how much modifications and accommodations a student needs before they should just be administered an alternative assessment. 
I think it is very important that teachers use the accommodations provided to students on state tests regularly in the classroom. Students who have no prior experience using the accommodations may find them intrusive, unfamiliar, or confusing. I believe the IEP and the CSE team should make it a requirement that the teacher use these accommodations in the classroom as well as for state tests. 

AAC

My Experience with AAC:

Two of the five students in the classroom I am student teaching in are nonverbal and use an AAC application on the iPad, Proloquo2go, as their main form of communication. This application is wonderful because you can create symbols, phrases, and categories. The students have learned to maneuver through the application to find the proper symbols to express their needs and answer questions we pose. It is especially interesting to see how students use the speech available to them on the iPad to create novel phrases that are not already preprogrammed. For example, one student asked "When are we going to the park?" in response to the teacher saying we were going on a field trip. He did not have the phrase "Where are we going?," so he used another phrase to communicate this meaning. Similarly, he will click on the symbol that say's his mother's name then the symbol for car in order to say his mother is picking him up. The only drawback to this application is the amount of time it takes to update it with more phrases and symbols. 

What is language?

Language is a code used to communicate wants and needs. It is a dynamic system of sounds, symbols, and gestures used to communicate. 

What is speech?

Speech is the spoken form of language. 

Inherent difficulties of unaided system:

I have a nonverbal student who has created his own signs. When he wants to watch Blues Clues, he points to his stomach. Anyone who hasn't been told what his unique signs mean will have to guess. It is useful for him to have this unaided system to communicate his needs when his iPad is not available, but only those who have worked with him know what he's saying. 

Planning with Technology

Students may have barriers to accessing educational content in one or more networks: strategic, affective, and recognition networks. These are actual networks in the brain:

Although, teachers cannot use brain imaging to identify which networks may be under active, they can use assessments and observation to identify students' strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can match up the strengths and weaknesses assessed to the different networks and determine which technologies would best address their needs. We have a large technological tool belt at our disposal, but we have to make sure the methods we choose meet the diverse needs of our learners. Luckily, many of the technologies we use have features that activate multiple networks. One such technology is the SMART board. It allows a teacher to manipulate the presentation of information so that students are using multiple sensory modalities to access the information (recognition network). It allows for multiple means of interaction and engagement (strategic network). Additionally, using interactive lessons with media is highly motivating for most students (affective network). 
It is important for teachers to use technology with purpose. We may inadvertently complicate a lesson or make it less accessible by trying to incorporate technology, so we must always reflect on the needs of the students and how the technology will address those needs. 

Assistive and Adaptive Technology

Adapting Classrooms for AT Users: Challenges and Solutions


Nothing seems more cruel to me than having a student who cannot run sit on the sidelines in a gym class watching his peers run and play sports. We need to take a Partial Participation approach to including students in activities that are typically considered off limits. Those who are not familiar with adapting activities find it easier to just find an alternate activity for students with disabilities. This video details classrooms designed for students with disabilities. A modification like a supportive chair can allow a child to participate in an activity without falling off her chair. Something as simple as putting felt in between the pages of a book make it easier for a child with a physical disability to turn the pages. There are many modifications and accommodations that are costly but there are also things we can do that cost very little. We have to think outside of the box and be willing to spend some time to make classrooms accessible to all students. 

Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged

Providing students with disabilities access to assistive technology devices increases their independence. My non-verbal students with autism use Proloquo2go to communicate. Without it (and the devices that preceded the iPad and this application) all the adults in these students lives would just guess what they needed and do everything for them. The students in this article/video were able to pursue their interests and participate fully in school and extracurricular activities through the use of assistive technology. When there was no technology yet available (the device made to play the instrument), it pushed someone to create it. Without students like this who continually seek to be involved in activities considered out of their reach, we would not continue to make advances in AT. 

Interview with Richard Keller

Dr. Keller explains the difference between assistive and adaptive technology, two words that are often used interchangeably. Dr. Keller points out that assistive technology is derived from the medical model of disability in which the person will somehow be fixed or made complete. On the other hand, adaptive technology changes the technology, not the person --a disabilities study paradigm. Dr. Keller explains further, "when we say assistive it means you're helping me and when it says adaptive, it's a tool that works specially for me in the circumstances I want to use it in." I think it is very important to speak about disabilities using language that empowers individuals. Dr. Keller also speaks about gaining independence through the use of adaptive technology.

SMART Board: A Glorified Projector?

Many classrooms are now equipped with SMART Boards. Used to its fullest potential, the SMART Board can be used as both an instructional tool and an adaptive technology tool. Lessons can be created that are adapted to fit the learning and accessibility needs of many learners. However, there are many accessibility issues that remain unresolved. The SMART Board is primarily manipulated by touch, but for students with physical disabilities the interactive feature that is the highlight of the white board may not be accessible. A solution may be making the SMART Board compatible with a laser pointer mounted to a student's glasses. Many AAC devices use a laser pointer and it seems relatively easy to incorporate this technology to make the SMART Board more accessible. 
I spoke to a first year teacher who has a SMART Board in her classroom. I asked her if she had any formal training and what her experience has been thus far. She replied, "It's basically a glorified projector." She expressed difficulty in using it for anything more than displaying texts and PowerPoints. She has not been provided with any training by the school. Educators provided with this amazing tool should be provided with professional development training on how to use it to its full potential. Teachers with very busy schedules may not have time outside of school to access the many tutorials provided online. Trainings should be part of the normal hours of the school day or part of summer orientations.