Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Physical Disability: Hearing Impairment

Assistive Technology: Voice Amplifier

Student Benefits: Students without a hearing impairment may benefit from this technology because in a classroom of 28-30 students, the teacher may not be heard over the standard noise level of the classroom such as coughing, students whispering to each other, papers, rattling, and the general noises of fidgeting children. Additionally, the students in the neighboring classes may be loud and their noise may carry into the classroom with the hearing impaired student. Voice amplifiers can provide stronger opportunities for student engagement because all students are able to hear and better understand what the teacher is saying, rather just those who are near her. Student performance is enhanced. When all students are able to hear, behaviors are improved and the teacher is able to remain calm.

Physical Disability: Loss of use of limb due to injury or birth defect (specifically a leg)

Assistive Technology: Classroom arrangement, large desk, raised desk (for wheelchair), wider path for easier access

Student Benefits: Other students may benefit from this technology if the desks are easily adjusted to fit with the individual size and needs of students. For instance, desks should be able to be adjusted in height according to the need of each student rather than a standard height. A room with wider aisles between groups/rows allows all students to move freely without accidentally hitting others with their backpacks. This allows for movement during class time that is less disruptive to each student. This also allows for the student with a permanent or temporary disability to participate fully with the other students, allowing for social skills to improve and collaboration for all students.

Learning Disability: Dyslexia

Assistive Technology: Text to Speech apps

Student Benefits: Students will benefit from this technology because, except when being tested in reading, students can quickly hear the directions, listen and follow modeling videos such ‘How To’, and stop and start the text at any point as they practice what they have learned. Students are able to focus on the content of the text rather than what they are reading, particularly when there may be new words in the text. This enhancing their learning in those other areas where they need to focus.

Learning Disability: Dysgraphia

Assistive Technology: Pencil Grips

Student Benefits: Pencil grips help students develop fine motor skills. These attachments fit pencils and pens to provide the user an easier and better way to hold the writing tool. By having proper hold of the writing tool, the user is able to gain control of their handwriting. Pencil grips can be adapted to fit the needs of each student individually. In some instances, using a pencil grip may even fulfil sensory feedback needs.

Overall comments:

This lesson was both overwhelming and exciting at the same time. As a teacher, there is so much to learn about each of our students and it is ever-evolving. It feels like there is no way I will be ever to fill the needs of each of them, yet it is required by law.

In my present classroom, I have a student who is hearing impaired. He has a ruptured ear drum that cannot be operated on until it has reached a specific stage of medical diagnosis due to the cause of the rupture. His IEP has him sitting with his right ear away toward me, which forces him to sit in a certain side of the classroom. After this lesson I purchased a voice amplifier that I can wear around my neck (the one the school provided does not work well as the speaker it is connected to is “blown” by previous years’ use). Not only does this help my student, but I have noticed that my other students are much more engaged and those students at the back of the room who often fall asleep in class are staying engaged, as well. I have started to use this in all of my classes and am seeing similar results. The best result is that I’m not losing my voice at the end of the week every week by trying to talk loud enough for the entire class to hear me.

I learned in my research that there are about 7 “common” disabilities, 3 of which I have seen in some of my own students. ADHD is a very common one, as is executive function disorder (EFD). I have used graphic organizers to try heavily to help students with learning to stay organized, and I have purchased wall pockets (we do not have cubbies in middle school) for those students who have a difficult time keeping track of papers they need to return to regularly. My students hate interactive notebooks so I try to accommodate both types of users. I find it interesting that many learning disabilities seem to hold hands with EFD; I hope to incorporate a planning device that students can use in class to stay organized and have students use the apps that are available in their Google Suite to build their executive function skills throughout the year next year.