Today's classrooms are significantly different from the
classrooms twenty years ago. Students
with disabilities are now being mainstreamed into the regular classroom and it
has become a rewarding, yet challenging task for teachers. Today’s teachers no
longer rely solely on the assistance of a one to one aide, but they now have
the opportunity to work with students who utilize and rely on assistive
technology. In the video Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, students like Susanna Sweeney-Martini and Lukas Bratcher have exceled
in their educational and musical careers thanks to the use of assistive
technology (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2005). However, in order for
teachers to continue helping students like Martini and Bratcher succeed, they
have to formulate and revise activities in their lesson plans to fit the needs of all
students including those with disabilities.
There are a few steps that need to be taken into consideration when planning activities. One major step is to know the student and what they are capable of doing. A great source of information pertaining to this area is the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). According to Laura Kaloi, National Center of Learning Disabilities Public Policy Director, the IEP contains detailed information on the student's disability and whether or not he or she requires assistive technology. The IEP also contains appropriate goals for the student that are set to be attained by the end of the school year (The National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2012). Activities in the lesson plan should be designed to help the students work toward those goals stated in the IEP. This is a critical step so that the student may not have the feeling of helplessness and isolation.
There are a few steps that need to be taken into consideration when planning activities. One major step is to know the student and what they are capable of doing. A great source of information pertaining to this area is the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). According to Laura Kaloi, National Center of Learning Disabilities Public Policy Director, the IEP contains detailed information on the student's disability and whether or not he or she requires assistive technology. The IEP also contains appropriate goals for the student that are set to be attained by the end of the school year (The National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2012). Activities in the lesson plan should be designed to help the students work toward those goals stated in the IEP. This is a critical step so that the student may not have the feeling of helplessness and isolation.
Another major step that could be taken in revising or building a lesson plan to accommodate a student with disabilities is to ask several key questions such as:
1. What is the goal of the activity?
2. Is the student able to actively participate in the activity? If not, how can I make it less challenging for the student?
3. How will he or she complete tasks within the activity while utilizing their assistive technology tool?
These questions should be given deep thought when creating activities in order to successfully plan and execute the activity. The learning goals of the activity must also be met by not just the student with the disability, but by all the students within the class. The student has to be able to participate to the fullest extent with the least amount of difficulty. Most importantly, the assistive technology tool has to be recognized and integrated into the activity in order for the disabled student to gain understanding and successfully apply the knowledge gained from the activity. For example, in the exploration stage of the lesson plan, students are required to expand their minds through active participation. If there is a student who is like Susanna Martini from the video Enabling Dreams born with Cerebral Palsy, they may find writing activities to be difficult to complete without the use of a voice activated software. Because of this tool, Martini was given the opportunity to excel alongside her peers, and look toward a brighter future despite her disability.
Creating a revised activity in a lesson plan with accommodations and modifications is a difficult task. I have had the opportunity to create lesson plans and facilitate activities within those lesson plans through my methods courses. However, I have not worked with a student that required assistive technology tools in my practicums. Therefore, I believe it is important to do the research on the disabled student as well as asking key questions that will guide you in the creation process of the lesson plan. Assistive technology whether it may be low tech such as magnifiers, or high tech such as voice activated software or onscreen keyboard devices along with a revised lesson plan, allow disabled students to reach further than they could have ever imagined. It will also enable them to look toward a brighter future giving them better opportunities throughout their educational career and their life.
References:
The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2005, February 02). Assistive-Technology: Enabling Dreams [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
