Kali Alford Assistive Technology ModuleFor this module I chose to focus on a student who has recently been added to my class. He is temporarily receiving special education services for dysgraphia which they developed following a recent trauma. For the students privacy I will refer to the student simply as The Student. The Student has been receiving therapy for the condition and was enrolled in my class as a replacement elective for the engineering course they were previously enrolled in. In addition to the therapy the student is assigned a laptop to assist them while they are treating the dysgraphia. The students parents had some concerns regarding the student being left out of sync due to this condition and eventually missing out on a lot of information. The student is to receive these services for one calendar year, before another 504 review can determine whether to cancel, extend, or alter them. The student was enrolled in my Latin American Studies course which has a considerate writing component to it.

Assistive Technology Module Initial ThoughtsWhat should teachers know about assistive technology and how it is used by students with disabilities? Teachers should know that the technology is only meant to support the student in grasping the content. It does not make the student independent enough that the teacher should assume that because they have this resource they will no longer need additional assistance. They should also know that assistive technology comes in a variety of forms, but regardless they should takes to familiarize themselves with as many forms as possible.

What are the school's responsibilities regarding assistive technology? Schools should be responsible for establishing effective committees to oversee IEPs and identifying appropriate forms of assistive technology. Additionally, schools should be able to evaluate the implementation of assistive technology with students in need of it.

What can classroom teachers do to help their students fully succeed in their use of assistive technology? First and foremost classroom teachers are the primary troubleshooters for issues that arise with assistive technology. They should be familiar enough to assist students with whatever technical issues arise. Additionally, they should be familiar enough to cater lessons to the particular resource to insure that the device is not skewing the playfield in favor of the student by stripping them of the same challenge the other students are getting

Assistive Technology Implementation Plan

STUDENT INFORMATION

Student NameGradeDate of Birth

THE STUDENT11th

SchoolRiDateAT Plan Review Date

Riverwood High School

3/4/16

EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE TO BE USEDSTATUS (e.g., owned by school, will purchase, will borrow, etc)

Dell Inspirion LaptopOwned by schools exceptional education department.

POINT OF CONTACT (Individual assigned to keep the Implementation Plan updated)

ANGUS GUBERMAN

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

NAME (List all individuals who will implement the AT with the student.)ROLE (e.g., administrator, teacher, family member, service provider, etc)

Max GertzEnglish Teacher

Angel JonesCounselor

Stephanie Flores504 Chair

Amanda DayMath Teacher

Brittany WoodUS History Teacher

Angus GubermanCase Worker

EQUIPMENT TASKS

TASK (e.g., order/procure AT, load software, adapt/customize devices/software, set upat home/school, maintain/repair, etc.)PERSON RESPONSIBLEDATE DUE

Updates and repairBob BoydAs needed

CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION

IEP GOALCURRICULUM/DOMAIN (e.g., math, science, PE, art, etc)PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLEAT NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH GOAL (List specific AT and customized settings if appropriate)

Submit legible and well organized written assignments without time accommodationsSS, English, MathTHE STUDENTDell Inspirion Printing Intranet

TRAINING

TRAINING NEEDTRAINEESTRAINERDATES & TIMESFOLLOW UP / ALONG PLAN

TBD as needed

HOME IMPLEMENTATION

IEP GOALCURRICULUM/DOMAIN (e.g., math, science, PE, art, etc)PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLEAT NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH GOAL (List specific AT and customized settings if appropriate)

Submit legible and well organized written assignments without time accommodationsSS, English, MathTHE STUDENTDell Inspirion Printing Intranet

MONITORING/EVALUATION

GOALINSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY (How will you teach student to use equipment and/or how to achieve goals.)RECORDING SYSTEM & FREQUENCY (e.g., task analysis recording system; score + or - on data recording sheet)PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION / DATA COLLECTION

Submit legible and well organized written assignments without time accommodationsUsing word processing software student will use laptop to complete major written assessments and assignments while receiving therapy for dysgraphia. Student will continue to hand write minor assignments as a mean of monitoring progress through therapyWork samples submitted in classClassroom teachersCase WorkerEducational Therapist504 Chair

Assistive Technology Module Post-ThoughtsWhat should teachers know about assistive technology and how it is used by students with disabilities? The resources that are labeled as assistive technology are not to be used to make coursework easier, but instead used to make coursework fair. I worked with a student who suffered from dysgraphia. Because of this he was allowed to use a laptop to type assignments and in class essays. Because many of these assignments were timed he was not allowed to use the extra-time accommodation on assessments that he completed using the laptop. After discussing this with his teacher Mr. Gertz, I learned that was Mr. Gertz he actually advocated for this stipulation citing that it would hurt his writing abilities in the long run much more than dysgraphia would. This made it very clear to me that teachers need to have a moral barometer that tells them what is fair for the student in the short term as well as long-term. In the age of short-term testing this is not always the case.

What are the school's responsibilities regarding assistive technology? I currently teach at a school were many students and parents walk in the door with senses of entitlement. To a point, I cannot fault a parent for advocating for their student. However, there is a line that should be drawn by the school to insure that parents are not taking advantage of the policies that are meant to level the playing field for students with learning disabilities. Mr. Gertz was telling me of a student he once had whose mother fought tooth and nail to include a list of so many accommodations for her student that there was no way they could possibly fail any class. The student could turn work in late up to 90 days, 50% extra-time for assessments and major assignments, and could re-take assessments it they felt anxiety while taking it. While Mr. Gertz is no physician, he surmised that the accommodations afforded to this student were both unnecessary and abuses of the system meant to aid students like the one I worked with. Despite his reservations and the fact the parent had accomplished this same task with two older children only to terminate their IEPs prior to graduation, the school allowed her to do this. I think the school should be able to make decisions that do not allow parents to abuse the system and the school district should back them up, in the case of lawsuits.

What can classroom teachers do to help their students fully succeed in their use of assistive technology? It hadnt occurred to me the amount of personalization that goes into working with a student who relies on assistive technology. It fact, when working with my student I realized that it might be better to afford the other students in class the same support. In order to do this I established BYOD rules for certain assignments. I think this alleviated any stigmas the student may have been feeling. I think teachers have role in incorporating the assistive technologies being used in their classroom into the class culture. This helps with the cool factor for the student. Particularly in middle school and elementary school classrooms, it helps to be able to pull out a device with feeling shame, or alienation.