Kids Who Use Assistive Technology in Our Classrooms.

I am really excited by the topic, especially because I will potentially be doing my student teaching at the John A Coleman School in this upcoming semester, where all  of the students use wheelchairs and  many of the students use AAC devices. I really enjoyed watching the video and reading the article about TACLE and DO-IT, and learning about all of the adaptations that have enabled these individuals with exceptionalities to achieve independence and pursue their interests. I enjoyed putting names and faces to the concepts that we study about and hearing the stories of Susannah and  Lukas. 

Relating this information to the sample learning profiles, assistive technology, like Cochlear Implants for Rebecca and the Smart-scan 32 and power wheelchair for Sarah, enables these students to participate in every day activities. I believe strongly that it is our responsibility as society as a whole, and personally  as their teachers to utilize technology to make our classrooms work for them, rather than forcing these students to adapt to our world or sit on the sidelines. I think that Dr. Richard Keller, here at TC, would support my argument that it is the responsibility of society to adapt to meet the needs of these individuals through technology. In his interview, he stated "the disability studies paradigm, or the disability rights movement paradigm and the shift there is of course to locating the source of the disability, not within the person... it's more an attribute that comes about by the decisions that the dominate culture makes and how they impact on my ability to do things in the environment that they create."

Watching the video Adapting Classrooms for AT users,  I found it disheartening to hear how students with physical disabilities in public schools, like Steven, were included in academic subjects, but excluded in those socially crucial activities like gym. These students felt so out of place that they sought out the Henry Viscardi school, a more restrictive option than a local public school, because their public schools were not making the simple accommodations that would have let them "fit in. " I think its important to realize that students who use AT, like Stephen from the video and  Lukas in the short video and article,  need their teachers to not only make adaptions that enable them to access the curriculum, but adaptations to enable them to participate in extracurricular and social activities like band and gym.