Spencer Vanderheide
ED. 453 Philosophy of Technology
Professor Cherup
9/23/2012
Teachnology
We are individuals living in a state-of-the-art society. My students are also part of this
population. Every day, they are constantly bombarded by television, video games,
computers, and cell phones. While I’m not saying these devices are harmful, it makes the
job of teaching these students much more difficult. As a teacher, I must now work extra
hard to capture, engage and hold the attention and interest of my students. Instead of
competing against technology, I choose to embrace it, especially for my students in the
classroom. Living in a world that advances in technology on a daily basis, I believe
teachers must access and utilize the latest and greatest devices in order to enhance student
learning. The potential growth and progress a student can make using an assistive
technology is exponential. In this paper, I will discuss the importance of Assistive
Technology, Universal Design for Learning, Response to Intervention and my personal
philosophy of technology use to support teaching, learning, and assessment in the
classroom.
Students in special education are at a disadvantage. Their diagnosed disability adversely
effects their learning and success in education. While there is a gap between general
education and special education, Assistive Technology works to close or even erase that
achievement gap. Assistive Technologies come in all different shapes and sizes.
According to the legal definition in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, an
assistive technology is,“Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether
acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase,
maintain, or improve functional capabilities of an individual with a disability (Pearson et
al. 2011).
In other words, any tool that helps a student perform a skill that would otherwise be
impossible is considered an assistive technology. These technologies improve the lives of
students and can help them develop a greater level of independence.For example, during
my student teaching placement at Woodside Elementary, I had a nonverbal student in my
class. This young boy made an immense amount of progress in the general education
setting by utilizing an iPad in order to communicate with his peers. He used an
application on his iPad in order to type and select pictures, which would then create
sentences for iPad to then read aloud. This task of communication would be impossible
without the assistive technology device.
There is a wide range of Assistive Technology. From low tech, to mid tech, all the way to
high tech (Pearson et al. 2011). One example of a low tech Assistive Technology I used
in my student teaching classroom for a student with poor penmanship was a pencil grip.
An example of a mid tech Assistive Technology I used last year were books on tape for a
small group of students who struggled with reading fluency and reading comprehension.
One example of a high tech Assistive Technology includes iPads and the application
Dragon Dictation, used for speech to text software. All three of these examples I used
greatly increased the success of the student in the classroom environment. All of these
technologies must be provided for the student for free by the school district according to
IDEA 2004 which states students with special needs must be offered a free and
appropriate public education (FAPE). Also, assistive technology now must be considered
by the IEP teams while creating the IEP.
Assistive Technology includes both devices and services. For example, devices would
include tools such as iPads, translators, computers, and any other product that helps a
student compensate for their disability. On the other hand, services include the process of
determining which Assistive Technology is most effective for the student, locating
organizations to pay for the device, finding repair services and also training for the
student on how to use the device. One effective way to determine the best possible
Assistive Technology is to use the S.E.T.T. framework, which is the mastermind of Joy
Zabala. The SETT framework considers the student, environment, task, and tools in order
to select the most effective Assistive Technology for the student with special needs.
In order to become a master special education teacher, I must stay current with my
technology skills. I must know several beneficial examples of Assistive Technology in
order to help out my students. I will stay current by joining the Special Education
Technology group, which is an interest group of the International Society for Technology
Education (Pearson et al. 2011).
While assistive technologies work to close the achievement gap for students with special
needs, the Universal Design for Learning attempts to meet different learning styles of
students in both general and special education. The Universal Design for Learning is a
teaching method used by teachers in order to consider the diverse learning styles and
needs of students (Beard et. al 2011). Teachers must carefully plan and intentionally
design lessons for the benefit of every student (Beard et al. 2011). The Universal Design
for Learning considers multiple methods of representation, engagement, and expression
within every single lesson (UDLtechtoolkit). In the area of representation, UDL provides
alternative ways to perceive information, comprehend and understand information
(CAST). UDL also provides multiple means of physical action, communication, and
executive functions such as goal setting and monitoring progress (CAST). In
engagement, UDL utilizes strategies to keep the student interested in the content and also
help the student self-monitor his or her progress. For example, a student with a learning
disability in the area of reading comprehension would be at a disadvantage in English
class was assigned to read one specific book and type a lengthy book report. Instead,
using the Universal Design for Learning model, the student could choose a book with a
topic he is very interested in, follow along while listening to an online audiobook, and
create an iMovie presentation about the book. The Universal design for learning is a
“means to adapt- for all learners- all materials, methods, strategies, and delivery of
instruction and evaluation instruments that are accessible and without barriers” (Beard et
al 2011).
While the Universal Design for Learning works for the benefit of all students, Response
To Intervention focuses on remediation techniques for struggling students. Response To
Intervention is used primarily to prevent a student from receiving special education
services. Currently, in Michigan, Response To Intervention is a three-tiered model that
can also be used in the special education identification process. The model consists of
three levels, each varying in intensity and individualization. During my semester of
student teaching in West Ottawa, I collaborated with other colleagues in order to students
into different intervention programs based on their current struggles in the classroom. For
some students, the intense remediation practice caught them back up the grade level in
the specific content area. As students move out of each tier, higher tiers become more
individualized and also more intense (Cummings, K. D et al).
While Response to Intervention has good intentions, currently it is an issue in the field of
special education. Although this model helps students in specific areas of need, the
boundaries and explanations of each stage are still vague (Mellard, D. et al). With vague
stages and levels of RTI, issues of inconsistent identification creates problems across the
country. For example, in on state, a student could be identified and receive services for
special education in a few short weeks, whereas in another state, the student may be stuck
in one stage of intervention for several marking periods. The progression in or out of a
tier is only decided by the discretion of the teacher. Also, with the fairly new concept of
response-to-intervention, there is little research-based evidence on the effectiveness of
certain practices used for remediation in the RTI setting (Zirkel, P.A.). Currently in
Michigan, we are moving towards an RTI based model for the identification process.
The Universal Design for Learning, Assistive Technology and Response to Intervention
have many similar characteristics. First, all of these concepts are utilized for the benefit
of students. The goal of UDL, AT, and RTI is to diversify instruction and utilize
technology in order to teach the content in a manner that is most beneficial for every
student. The programs of UDL, AT, and RTI work to narrow the achievement gap
between students with special needs and their peers in general education. All three of
these concepts consider the needs of the student first and foremost. For example, in the
Universal Design for Learning, the different learning styles of students with special needs
are considered while teachers design lessons. In the same way, The IEP teams utilize and
consider the most effect Assistive Technology devices and services in order to aid the
student in the classroom.
Even while teachers are utilizing the Universal Design for Learning and Assitive
technology for their studnets, the Response To Intervention model work to remediate in
the specific content area where the student is struggling.
…
My philosophy for utilizing technology for to support teaching, learning, and assessment
in the classroom....
In conclusion....
quotes, citations
support teaching, learning, and assesment
Using the readings, class discussions/activities, PowerPoint presentations, and your
research on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Response to Intervention (RTI),
and Assistive Technology (AT) compare and contrast UDL, RTI, and AT. Share your
understanding of each, how they are alike, and how they are different. Include the
role technology could or should play in UDL and RTI. Include your philosophy of
technology to support teaching, learning, and assessment into the paper.
Support your writing with current research. Use a minimum of four resources to
support your understanding and document them properly within the paper. Include a
Works Cited page
Introduction(topic, philosophy of technology for teaching, learning and assessments
in a detailed manner
UDL- In depth, details, examples
RTI- In depth, details, examples
AT- In depth, details, examples.
Comparison of UDL, RTI and AT.
Conclusion
*Multiple visual cues
*4+ sources
http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf
Cummins, K.D. et al. Response to Intervention: Investigating the New Role of
Special Educators. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(4), 24-31.
Assistive Technology, Access for All Students, Lawrence A. Beard, Laura
Bowden Carpenter, & Linda B. Johnston, 2nd Edition, 2011.
Mellard, D., McKnight, M. & Jordan, J. RTI Tier Structures and Instructional Intensity.
Learning Disabilities Research & Practice 25(4), 271-225.
Zirkel, P.A. The Legal Meaning of Specific Learning Disability for Special Education
Eligibility. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 42(5), 62-67.
Assistive Technology: Access for All Students, 2e, Pearson,
Beard/Carpenter/Johnston, 2011