Assistive Technology
It’s all around us!
What is Assistive Technology?
Assistive technology (often abbreviated as AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
Because education is going in the direction of personalized learning because we all learn in different ways, I feel that we are going to see more students using the different tools to enhance their learning and capabilities.
Below, you will hear just one way I have used Garageband when working with students to increase their Oral Reading Fluency (ORF). The more fluent a reader is, the less struggles and stumbles the reader makes and comprehension tends to come easier to that student. Using Garageband has allowed me not only to allow the students to hear their ORF at the beginning, middle and end of the year, but I also use the Podcasts at conference time with parents. When I am recommending a child for special education services or accommodations, this is again a very powerful tool because everyone in attendance at the various meetings can hear the child and determine whether there has been growth or not based on grade level equivalent benchmarks.
When working with the younger children, I assist them in creating the Podcasts. I assist the older students at the beginning of the year and by the first month, they are then helping me record the younger students. Eventually, the older students begin to create other types of recording for assignments in and out of class. Once they see the music component of it and are familiar with how it works, the sky is the limit!
Garageband isn’t only used for music!!!!
What you will need?
*IPAD
*Garageband Software
*Itunes Account