Moving Forward

To say that technology changes so quickly and drastically in a very short amount of time is such common knowledge that it is not even worth mentioning sometimes.  Sometimes.  Because the reality that it does happen, never ceases to blow our minds away.  Technology has become a vital part in the lives and learning of many people.  And for people with disabilities, it has become a "life line" in order for them to maximize their learning.  Any technology or device to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities is called assistive technology (Georgia Department of Education, 2014).  In the video "How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams," technology in the classroom included voice recognition programs with Susanna and the modification on Lukas's instrument for his music class.  Since this video was made, assistive technology has made strides and sure as the next sunrise, it will continue to do so.  Such technological advancements include Eye Tech (a technology that allows the eye to control computers), eBooks with audio features, and many tablet apps (Mancini, 2014).

Amazing and expensive technology would be very helpful in the classroom.  But practically speaking for my classroom, it would be very helpful if technology could accommodate both my ESL students and my students with disabilities.  Some ideas include, using eBooks and voice recorders.  Voice recorders are already a standard feature in many word processing softwares (such as Microsoft Word), smartphones, and tablets.  These can also be helpful, and highly feasible, to use with assessments.  For students who cannot write (including ESL students), recording responses would be a great idea.

Also, because of the trend in technological advancements, the next dynamic to really look at for assistive technology would be tablet apps to improve student learning.  This Care.com suggests these great apps: https://www.care.com/a/22-best-mobile-apps-for-kids-with-special-needs-1205211605.

References:
Georgia Department of Education (2014). Definition of assistive technology. Retrieved from http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-Technology/Pages/Assistive-Technology-Definition.aspx.
Mancini, W. (2014). New assistive technology makes strides within the disabled community. Cronkite News.  Retrieved from http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2014/11/new-assistive-technology-makes-strides-within-the-disabled-community/.

Image:
Retrieved from http://techfruit.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013-smartphones.jpg.