Well, our first day of Assistive Technology is complete. Looking back on it, as it's been over a week since we first met, there are several key moments that stuck out for me.
1) I had previously seen the Ted Talk video on Banning the Average, and I always take away something different from it each time I watch. I appreciate notion of "designing to the edges". As educators, it's our job to make sure that we're not designing our lessons for the average student, because, as seen in the video, there's no such thing as 'average'. Our students are just like the pilots that were studied; they all have their own version of a jagged profile. This means, they have their strengths and their weaknesses. No two pilots fit the exact same mold, and no two students do either. It's important for us to remember that and to be sure that our lessons are designed to the edges! One fairly simple way for us to make our schools more inclusive is making our text books available digitally. This allows all students to access the information! It doesn't exclude those not reading at grade level, those who suffer from learning disabilities or physical disabilities. Through the use of various technology, it makes information accessible to all. Which leads me to...
2) The amount of assistive technology available nowadays is amazing! Even if we are just looking at Apple technology (ie - iPhones & iPads), the accessibility options that can be found are unreal. It takes all the information found online, which previously was inaccessible to those with a visual impairment, and makes it accessible. I knew that there were some options available, like voice-to-text and voiceover options, but I had no idea how in-depth the options went. Options such as: inverting colors to make reading easier for those with dyslexia or vision disorders, making the text larger, changing the button shapes, assistive touch, and touch accommodations, just to name a few! They can allow us to take the traditional paper handouts & digitalize them, making them editable, malleable and accessible for all.
3) Apps! The amount of apps that we looked at on the first day was a bit overwhelming. I feel as though I need some additional time to play with the apps in order to fully understand which ones can be used regularly in a classroom setting. That being said, the ones that I did have time to use in class were very fun & I could imagine how much fun my students would have using them.
Chomp - Naomi & I were given the opportunity to introduce one another using the Chomp app. It was fairly simple & straightforward to use. Neither of us were super technologically-inclined, but we figured out what worked and what didn't quite quickly. I think students would have a great time using this app in class, and could be a fun get-to-know-you activity at the beginning of the year.
Tellagami - I practiced with this app briefly during a break in our class, and it was a lot of fun to use. It is quite limited in the number of characters you can choose from, and so I don't know if I would use it in my classroom, as I teach in a multi-cultural school. That being said, it still is a fun app to use and I believe students would enjoy using it.
Showbie - The concept of Showbie is fascinating. I have used Google Classroom before, but I think I might prefer how Showbie works. It seems like a quick, easy way to communicate with a class, and to assign and organize work that comes in. I like how it is available in app-form, as well as through a desktop/laptop computer, as not all students would have access to an iPad/iPhone, but the majority of kids would have some type of computer at home.
All in all, it was a very interesting introduction to Assistive Tech., and I am looking forward to where we go from here!
Cheers!
