Technology has expanded not only in the general education classroom, but also to aid special education students succeed in the mainstreamed classroom. I was substitute teaching the other day in a general education third grade classroom. In this class was a blind student that has previously been placed in a special education classroom because of his disability. I was nervous after learning about this student being in the room I was subbing for. How was I going to pay close attention to him and connect with him while trying to teach the rest of the class? How would I follow through with his accommodations? How was he going to do his work if he couldn’t see it?
I was very pleasantly surprised when the student was escorted into the room minutes after the bell rang. The student sat in his desk and waited for his instructions. He was not worried about his disability because there was piece of equipment in the room that would magnify his work enough that he could see it and complete his work. There was a magnifying glass type piece on the table which one would put over the paper he was supposed to be working on. The page would then show up on a computer screen that would allow the student to see and finish his work. Without this piece of technology, this student may not have the opportunity be placed into a general education classroom. His education may not have been able to meet his full capabilities. It was very interesting to see!
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That had to be an awesome experience for you because you were able to see some technology that you had never heard of before. I too have never heard of this and it amazes me the things that are developed to help those individuals with special needs. It makes sense for individuals with special needs to have the proper equipment that is necessary to help them learn.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Last year I had a legally deaf student. Before meeting her, a worker from the school distrcit came in to explain the situtation and let me know that I would have a microphone that was linked to her hearing aids. I was a bit nervous about it until the student showed up on the 1st day with thos little microphone on a lanyard. No buttons for me to push or anything. I just wore the lanyard and she could tune me in or out depending on the situation. I am so glad technology is able to help students get a fair shot as the same education as their peers.
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ReplyDeleteIt's always refreshing to see technology individualize education. This can be very difficult for a general education teacher to do. I can see how it would be frightening to work with such a disability and am grateful that people have been creative to meet the needs of our students with special needs.
ReplyDeleteJulie Simonsen
What an awesome experience. I have found that being a substitute really exposes you to the best Education has to offer. I recently worked with a blind student who had a specially designed computer to use during her resource time. It allowed her to type using Braille, but produced a standard word processed documents for her to turn in to her teachers. It also allowed her aid to take quizzes and tests from her teachers and convert them to Braille copies. This computer allowed her to function in her academic classes. These experiences can be eye opening, but it is reassuring to see how helpful technology can be.
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