2nd Semester Article Response 2:

by Gabe K. Asper, gabeasper@hotmail.com, 3/24/08

Article Title: Assistive Technologies for Reading by Hasselbring and Bausch

This is a cool article because not many authors write about this subject. It is clear that the author has researched a lot of assistive technologies, and they mention some of the more successful ones. I believe that assistive technology can provide opportunities for many students. I also believe that the schools as a system, and the teachers, have to both be behind such programs.

Questions I thought of while reading:
- How do we assure that SPED teachers are trained in using assistive technologies?
- How do we assure that regular ed teachers are trained in using assistive technologies?
- What can we do about the abuse of funding for assistive technologies? Materials are stolen from students; the families of students steal materials from SPED programs.
- Who is in charge of picking out the assistive technologies used? Not all software is good software. In my experience a lot of bureaucrats and “higher ups” are in charge of selecting materials that the teachers have to implement in their classrooms.
- Who is making money off these programs and how can we be sure they have the interest of the students in mind? Perhaps they are money-grubbing companies that care nothing for the students.

5 good points the author makes:
1. There are more than 6 million students nationwide who receive special education services.
2. Assistive technology is: “any item, piece of equipment, or product system… used to increase. Maintain, or improve functional capacities of individuals with disabilities”.
3. Assistive technology can help LD students increase literacy skills by giving them access to new programs and diversifying reading instruction.
4. Computers can provide students with a tool to read grade-level text without depending on a teacher or another reader.
5. When used skillfully, assistive technology can help students achieve.

This article is about assistive technology. Assistive technology means using technology to assist students with disabilities. I agree with the principle of assistive technology but I have seen far to many abuses of it. There are no measures on these programs. The teachers are rarely involved in choosing them, and there is rarely training offered for us to learn how to use these tools. Teachers must dedicate their own time in order to learn technology on any level. There is not enough training provided by school systems. Recently it was a relief that I attended a professional development workshop on Adobe Photoshop. I actually felt that I learned something useful for once. Instead of training its teachers in technology or useful skills, the Juneau School District spent all of its PD time this year in planning for the new high school. Somehow that should not be the job of the teachers. Why do we have central offices again? In my time as a teacher I have seen students benefit greatly from assistive technology. I have also seen expensive items stolen or broken by the student’s family, or worse, school staff. I can tell the author of this article is a person who takes learning about assistive technology seriously. I am not sure many teachers have that dedication. To me it feels more like money wasted because the school systems do not pay enough for training in the application of the technology. The teachers who do use it successfully are working OVERTIME!