Teachers have the responsibility to teach to all students. This means providing education to everyone; students deemed “normal” and those labeled with a disability. As a classroom teacher with students of all kinds of abilities and likes and learning capabilities, it is important to know about the ever-morphing technology available to support students. The technology mentioned already in the previous blogs are great for the general classroom to teach to the majority of the classroom, but what about the students that need extra support?
That’s where knowing about the technological tools that can support specific needs comes into play. These tools include:
· Text-to-speech tools
· Adapted keyboards
· Adapted writing tools
· Hearing aids like cochlear implants
There are of course many more tools that support a student depending on their specific need. The most important thing is that teachers explore their options and use them to support all of them. Special Education has a phrase for this: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and this is what all teachers must work together to achieve.
Good to see your comment on the least restrictive environment. Definitely necessary to consider that at we seek to educate our students in a safe and encouraging environment that helps them grow!
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest benefits, I think, that LREs provide is that students who do not have a specific need or, perhaps, deficit have increased opportunities in addition to the special needs of students being addressed. One student may require a type of service that significantly enhances the learning of another student simply because it matches their personality/preferences better than "traditional" instruction might. The more learning resources available, the more learning can be effective!
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