Assistive Technologies in the Classroom

When I first started thinking about what assistive technologies I use in the classroom, not many came to mind.  I thought of the magnifying sheet and iPad that was for a student who has diminished sight, the highlighter strips that single out and highlight a sentence in a book or the visual schedule I have for students that need more than the classroom schedule at the front of the room.  It wasn't until the class presentation and reading "Where It's At: Mrs. DiChiara's Assistive Technology Blog", I realized that I have implemented and currently implement many assistive technologies in my classroom.  Below is a list of some of the assistive technologies that have been used in my classroom in the past or that I currently use now. 

Magnifying sheet

This simple device was helpful when working with a student that had diminished eye sight.  It enabled the student to enlarge a picture or piece of text from a book that they were reading.  It was one of the few technologies that supported the student in the classroom.

iPad

A magnifying page may be useful; however, it is limited in it's functionality.  For the same student we also had an iPad.  This device allowed the student to zoom in through the camera function to see a presenter better in the classroom or in the auditorium during whole school gatherings.  It allowed the student to easily enlarge what they were looking at on the screen and to listen to books on various websites.

Highlighter Strips

This strips are great for helping kids with reading the text on a page.  They are particularly good for 'stopping the words from moving around' - as told by one student.  

Visual Schedule

This is an adaptive technology that I have used in the past and currently use in my classroom now.  I have had students build their own schedule so that they know what is happening in the day and they also get to remove the pictures as we finish each class.  Although we have a large daily schedule posted in the classroom, these smaller visual schedules benefit students who need to manage their day in a different way.

Coloured Paper

I have found, that for some students, providing handouts/activities on coloured paper has benefited them.  They have said that it makes the print easier to read and they are less likely to loose there place on the page.

Voice to Text

Voice to text in Google Docs is a new assistive technology that a couple of my students will use to help support them during writers workshop.  They do not require this technology for all communication but will benefit from it in order to complete writing tasks.

Visual Timers or Sand Timer

I have used both a visual timer similar to the one in the picture and also a sand timer.  What I like about both of these assistive technologies is that students can see the coloured section of the timer getting smaller or the sand going down to indicate time remaining.  I actually use the visual timer for building our reading stamina, for quiet writing time during writers workshop, and as a transition timer through out the day. 

Wiggle Cushions

Students with sensory concerns sometimes like to have a wiggle cushion for sitting on.  It helps they move their body more easily when needed.

Graphic Organizers

In our classroom we use graphic organizers for every form or type of writing that we do.  They give students an opportunity to organize their thoughts and break the task down into smaller parts.  This supports all students in writing.

Pencil Weight

These pencil weights are my favourite ones to have available for students to use.  I have had students try many styles of pencil grips and these pencil weights seem to work best.  The weight helps to keep the pencil in the crook of the thumb and pointer finger and keeps the pencil steady as students print.

In her blog post, Mrs. Dichiara defines assistive technology "as any device, piece of equipment or system that helps a person with a disability work around his challenges so he can learn, communicate, or simply function better" and I feel that all students can benefit from assistive technologies as they help all students to simply function better in a classroom setting.  Although I listed a few of the assistive technologies that I use in the classroom, I am sure there are more assistive practices that I incorporate that I have missed.   If something will help my students be more successful in the classroom, regardless of ability, then they should use it.