Assistive Technology in Education

     Assistive Technology, as explained by Gayl Bowser in "Assistive Technology in the Digital Age", is 1) "any item or piece of technology, and 2) "AT increases the ability of a person with a disability to do something functional as read, write, or organize thoughts". As the technology in the modern era rises, our availability of assistive technology is on the rise.
     Bowser explains the wonderful use of voice recognition technology in Shanon Henry's classrooms in Portland. The use of the voice recognition AT has made it easier for students to translate words from their mouths to a computer screen. This makes it easier for children who need assistance with writing, and using keyboards. While it brings the words to life on their computer screen, the technology also allows them easier access to contacting their teacher through e-mail, and sending assignments online. This is a wonderful new resource for our students to use, but Bowser explains that students aren't being acclimating to assisted technology because our teachers today themselves do not have enough knowledge about it themselves. This is something we need to bridge in the future.
     Daniel Cochrane illustrates the gap between assistive technology and instructional technology, and how bridging the gap would be a benefit to our students in "Mind the AT-IT Overlap". Cochrane explains that AT are usually reserved for case-by-case to individual students, but explains that opening up access of ATs to all students would help motivate their learning. In his article, Cochrane addresses the negative stigma that ATs have to do with only being used by disabled children, but explains that the AT "doesn't change the person, it changes the person's learning environment". This is compelling evidence to open up all ATs as Instructional Technology to be used as open resources for all students to use to their educational advantage.
     I find assistive technologies to be an incredible resource that we in these modern times have the ability to take advantage of. I'm surprised to find that not all teachers are well-versed in the areas of AT, because I think they serve a high utility value for our students, and will correlate highly in the success of the disabled students who use them, and I also believe that Cochrane (March/April 2013) places a compelling argument that ATs should be widely available to all students. If ATs can provide new learnable environments for our students, then I agree that we should make all ATs available for our students - I would definitely use them to enhance and encourage my own students learning in the future.


Bowser, Gayl "Assistive Technology in the Digital Age" (September/October 2013)
Cochrane, Daniel "Mind the AT-IT Overlap" (March/April 2013)