Field+Based+Activities+Reflection+III.B

Standard III B is about using methods and strategies to integrate technology resources to support the needs of diverse learners, including adaptive and assistive technologies (Williamson & Redish, 2009). I attended a staffing to determine the need for adaptive technology for a student who has problems with cognitive processing speed, as well as with short term memory. At the request of our speical education teacher, I had done some research technology that might be appropriate. The question that had been posed to me was "What kind of adaptive technology is available to help this student." The adaptive technology specialist from the district quickly reminded us that it does not matter what is available, what we must determine is what is needed. Then we must make it available. That goes along with what I learned early in the Educational Technology Leadership program - that curriculum must drive the technology, not the other way around. In the case of adaptive technology, the law dictates that we provide what ever resources are necessary.

In this case, the main area of discussion was audio books and text to speech software. The conclusion of the meeting was to provide text to speech software on all the computers the student uses at school. The great thing about it is that the computers in the library that will have this software can be use by anybody. A student doesn't have to be designated as special ed, or have official accommodations to benefit form text to speech software.

Since we have decided to eventually install this on all school computers, we will offer staff training at the start of the next school year.

References

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's technology facilitation and leadership standards: //What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.// Eugene, Or: International Society for Technology in Education.