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Answering your Assistive Technology Questions (That You Didn't Even Know You Had)

By: Anna Colley

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Think about a typical day in your classroom. You may stand in the front of the room and lecture, show a slide show, have students come to the board for interactive white board activities, ask students to work together in groups, and give reading assignments. You probably have directions, labels, and signs posted around your classroom. If you’re like most of us, you probably talk quite a lot during a typical day, and you ask your students to talk to you, to the whole group, and to each other. Your students probably put pencil or pen to paper several times throughout a day or class period.

All of this can be broken down into a typical model for learning that looks something like this:

Now ask yourself: What if a student does not have easy access to the input or the output?

Assistive Technology, or AT, is defined by the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.” The oversimplified translation: AT helps students to receive the input or deliver the output.

What’s the difference between assistive technology and plain-old technology?
They may look exactly the same! AT is not so much defined by what the technology is as by its purpose. Is the technology being used as an enhancement, or as a necessity? As Mary Pat Radabauer so aptly put it, “For people with typical abilities, technology makes doing things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes doing things possible.”

So what is it, exactly?
The answer to that is very complex, because AT comes in such a wide variety of forms. Generally, it can be grouped into 4 categories: no-tech, low-tech, medium-tech, and high-tech.

No-Tech AT consists of procedures, services, and environmental conditions that do not require special equipment or devices. Think about services such as speech therapy, and accommodations such as preferential seating in this category.


Low-Tech AT would involve the use of devices or items that are simple and non-mechanical in nature. For instance, adapted spoons, no-spill cups, tinted transparency overlays for reading, clipboards, and Velcro can all be used for assistive purposes.


Medium-Tech AT are relatively complicated mechanical devices, like walkers and wheelchairs.

High-Tech AT uses electronics to provide assistance. This would include computer software, specialty digital devices, and consumer devices like iPads.

What can AT devices help people to do?
The tasks aided by the use of AT can be grouped into 10 categories, with some overlap between them.

• Daily living aids help people perform everyday tasks such as eating, sitting, moving, or toileting. Examples: adapted spoons, no-spill cups, adaptive toilet seats
  
• Assistive listening and amplification devices help individuals to hear or to attend to audio. Examples: Portable FM systems, hearing aids
  
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices are used for communication for individuals who have no speech or limited speech. Examples: Tech Talk 8, Little Step by Step Communicator with Levels, DynaVox
  
• Computer access devices and software provide assistance for using computers. This includes hardware that help individuals access the computer physically, and software that helps a person accomplish tasks on the computer. Examples: adapted mouse, trackball, or keyboard, PixWriter software, JAWS Screen Reader
  
• Environmental control devices allow a person to control some aspect of the environment, such as adjusting a thermostat or controlling the TV with a special remote. Examples: oversized TV remote, talking thermostat
  
• Mobility aids include walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, and crutches.
• Recreation and leisure aids are used to assist persons in participating in leisure activities, such as listening to music, watching TV, or reading a book. Examples: adapted toys, page fluffers, iPod remote control, adapted bowling
• Seating and positioning aids help individuals to maintain a certain position, or to be more comfortable or safer in a given position. Examples: scooters, pillows, adapted chairs
• Aids for vision impairments include a very wide variety of devices, adaptations, and software to help people with low vision or blindness to perform everyday tasks. Examples: Web Anywhere mobile screen reader, tactile learning materials, electronic magnifiers
• Cause and effect training devices help those with severe and profound disabilities, and very young children, to learn that their actions can change the environment and the behaviors of those around them. This is a necessary first step in teaching someone to use other devices such as switches or an electric wheelchair. Examples: switch-activated lights, switch-operated toys, devices for making choices

What AT are you likely to encounter in a school setting?
Low-tech and no-tech AT are in use at virtually every school, and many teachers use them every day without even realizing they are doing so! Any time a teacher allows an ADHD student to stand while working, provides extended time for an LD student to complete an assignment, hands out a pencil grip or lined paper to help a student improve handwriting, or gives a primary student a “spaceman” word spacer, the teacher is using AT. 

Medium- and high-tech AT are less prevalent, but you are likely to see mobility aids such as wheelchairs, AAC devices for communication, a variety of switches that are used to interact with anything from computers to electric pencil sharpeners, and specialized software. You’re more likely to see AT in a regular education classroom if you happen to have a student with a hearing or vision impairment, or if you have a mainstream student from a self-contained classroom.

How can I learn more?
I highly recommend the A.T.TIPScast podcast for easy ideas for implementing AT solutions in your classroom. Rather than focusing on specialty devices that most of us don’t have access to, podcaster Chris Bugaj helps teachers address the needs of students in regular education classrooms with tools and materials that are readily available to anyone. What’s more, he strives to do so in an entertaining way and in a short format of about 10 minutes per episode. He often highlights the use of Web 2.0 tools within the classroom, and that alone is reason for every educator to check it out! The podcast will be useful for any teacher who works with students with learning disabilities, attention issues, or students who read below grade level.

For those that provide professional development, check out Chris’s easy to implement PD solution! He’s provided all you need to create self-study AT courses for teachers in your school or district with his free PD Kits—13 courses in all! I am excited to be using these at my school this year and providing participating educators 2 hours of staff development credit for each course completed. Chris is also available to teach workshops. His information is available on the website.

If you are interested in going deeper with assistive technology, you may want to check to see if your district has an AT department. Contact your district’s special education department to inquire. Our district’s AT department (which I never knew existed until a year ago) provides a monthly newsletter with ideas and training opportunities, and anyone in the system can request to be added to the distribution list.

Other resources are listed below.

Related Links:
Anna’s Prezi presentation for this topic: Feel free to use it for professional development or reference

AT.TIPScast blog: For regular, quick and easy tips to implementing assistive technology in every classroom. The blog also provides links to download the podcasts.

ATiA—Assistive Technology Industry Association: Includes information about their annual conference, as well as other resources.

The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools by Christopher Bugaj and Sally Norton-Darr: The authors of this book use pirates, monsters, and monkeys to keep you engaged in the topic of AT, but don't sacrifice the tips, strategies, and insight that will help improve your AT program.

Standards.gov Assistive Technology page: Overview of applicable U.S. laws related to AT, a list of categories, guidelines, and standards, and a list of links to other resources.

ISTE—International Society for Technology in Education: Search for assistive technology or RTI.

Many U.S. states and regions have educational technology associations which put on annual conferences, and many of these include AT resources. Try a Google search for educational technology conference and the name of your state to find one near you.

By: Anna Colley

Visit Anna's Teachers Pay Teachers Store

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Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School Sale Link Up!

Featured Teacher-Author: Heather Kaiser

1.   How long have you been on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you decide to be a part of it?

I joined TPT as a basic seller somewhere around July 2009 and upgraded to premium seller in March 2010.  I first heard about TPT from someone on the Proteacher.net forum and immediately decided it was worth joining.  I had been sharing my ideas freely for a long time.  While that has its’ rewards, TPT was exactly the kind of place I had been searching for.

2.   When did you know that you wanted to be in education?

I have known I wanted to be an educator since I was in the 3^rd grade.  My teacher gave me opportunities to be a peer helper and I was hooked.

3.   How are you currently involved in education?

I am currently a science lab teacher for 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade students in a small urban community school. In this role, I was recently nominated for and named as a 2011 recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Math and Science Teachers

4.   What would be your advice to people who are considering joining Teachers Pay Teachers?

Take the time to make your product look professional before posting.  I jumped right in and posted my things as they were without realizing the value of adding copyright notices, cover pages, answer keys, and directions for use.  It takes a lot more time to go back and make the fixes than it does to upload it in a completed format from the very beginning.

5.   What has been a highlight, thus far, about being on Teachers Pay Teachers?

The collaboration with other high quality, creative, caring, competent educators!

6.   What is something fun about you that other teachers don’t know?

I grew up in Southwestern New York.  Every winter, my dad would connect PVC pipes together in an octagon shape and lay out some heavy duty plastic.  Then he’d run the hose out to it and fill it with several inches of water.  By the end of November it had frozen and I had my own private ice skating rink for the winter without the worries of falling through the ice into a pond.

7.   Do you participate in education outside of the classroom?  In what type of role?

Collaboration is the key to becoming a great educator.  With that in mind I tweet, blog, facebook, skype, and socialize on a number of discussion boards with other teachers.  I’m active in our district as a facilitator of professional development both face to face and online.  Additionally, I serve on advisory teams and curriculum teams within the district.

8.   What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

I think I would like to record children’s audio books.  I’ve been told that my speaking voice would be good for that.

9.   What profession would you not like to do?

I would not want to do most of the jobs featured on Mike Rowe’s “Dirty Jobs”.

10.                Who is your favorite author?  Favorite educational author?  And why?

This is seriously hard for me to choose. I do enjoy Kate DiCamillo.  Students love a great animal character with human qualities.  Her books make for some great read alouds.  She has an amazing knack for linking some seemingly unconnected characters together into a tightly woven plot with an unexpected twist at the end.  It gets the kids every time.

by Heather Kaiser

Heather's Pick Products

Super Science Set - Weather and Climate

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Pumpkin Predictions

A fully integrated math, science and cross-curricular writing plan including foldable and suggested uses. This one page (double-sided)foldable can be used to track this investigation from beginning to end. Real world skills of measurement, and using simple machines to make work easier tie in nicely as well as the obvious science concepts centered around the parts of a plant and the scientific method. Take it further by creating a class graph of the data to compare results and come to a conclusion regarding our ability to accurately predict the number of seeds in a pumpkin.

College Advisors and Counselors Explained!

By: Beth Hammett
Visit Beth's Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Your graduating seniors have visited Admissions and taken the college tour. Now, it’s time for them to see advisers or counselors. Both assist in the enrollment process, and understanding the differences between the two can increase students’ college success. The following can help high school teachers and parents guide new college students to the right person for the type of assistance needed.

An adviser is usually suggested as the first stop when enrolling in classes. This person will ask for students’ major but does not help with career options. For help with majors, students should visit their colleges’ Career Center, or a career counselor, where quick assessment tests measure abilities and strengths. Next, students will be asked to consider degree plans based upon their career choices. These plans are divided into semesters and show sequences of classes.

Before enrolling, students need to know freshmen level courses begin with one (Biology 1401), sophomore with two (Biology 2401), junior with three, and senior with four. Also, students should be careful to follow the sequence of courses regardless of enrollment hours. Students need to make sure they understand all prerequisites for the courses in the plan. Finally, advisers will send students to enroll in courses through the college’s website. Advisers are there to guide students through course selections, but are only one piece of the enrollment process.

Students should see a counselor if there are special needs or circumstances. These include a part-time or full-time job, caring for others, or a long commute. Perhaps students are returning to college, are older, or speak English as a second language. If a student has a disability or is a veteran, a visit to the counselor is a good idea. There are many factors which can affect academic success, and counselors can help students prioritize their responsibilities.

Students will be told that they should block off three hours of study time per week for each college class they are enrolled in. Counselors help figure out enrollment hours and assist in planning schedules. They can often enroll students in courses. Then, these experts explain tutoring or other college resources, such as clubs and special interest groups. Students may schedule future appointments as needed. Many times, counselors act as mentors, seeing students through the entire enrollment process and monitoring academic success.

Whether students will be visiting an adviser or a counselor, first-time enrollment should be completed with the assistance of a professional. Course selections are important, and seeing an adviser or counselor will set students’ college careers on the right path.

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Featured Seller: David Rickert

1.   How long have you been on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you decide to be a part of it? 3 years. 
 I read an article about it in the NEA Magazine. I had some educational cartoons called Grammar Comics! that I had drawn and had no luck finding a publisher who wanted to turn them into a book (in hindsight, I don’t blame them – they’ve been through several revisions since.) On Teachers Pay Teachers I was able to find an audience for Grammar Comics! Although I didn’t sell that many at first, it was still gratifying to find out that people found value in them.

2.   When did you know that you wanted to be in education?  
When I was a counselor at summer camp. It never seemed like work being with kids. However, the skills required to be a good camp counselor aren’t really all that transferrable to being a good teacher.

3.   How are you currently involved in education? 
I teach English at Hilliard Darby High School in Hilliard, Ohio. I am also the English Department Chair there. I have also been involved in doing some consulting work for the Ohio State University, presenting to pre-service teachers and consulting on textbooks.

4.   What would be your advice to people who are considering joining Teachers Pay Teachers?
It’s a great opportunity, but do it because you will find it rewarding to share your ideas rather than to make money. It took a long time for me to actually sell a lot, and it still is more fun to know how many people are using what I have created than it is to know how much money I made doing it. If I had done Grammar Comics! solely for the money, I would have become frustrated very easily and given up.

5.   What has been a highlight, thus far, about being on Teachers Pay Teachers? 
Knowing that Grammar Comics! has found a niche in lots of teacher’s curriculum.

6.   What is something fun about you that other teachers don’t know?

I can play guitar pretty well.

7.   Do you participate in education outside of the classroom?  In what type of role? 
I’m pretty much just a classroom teacher and I work on Grammar Comics!

8.   What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

I’d love to be a jazz guitarist or a full-time illustrator.

9.                What profession would you not like to do?
 Anything that has to do with money. I’m not that good at that stuff.

10.                Who is your favorite author?  Favorite educational author?  And why? 
My favorite book of all time is “The Dog of the South” by Charles Portis. My favorite book to teach is “Othello” or maybe “Pride and Prejudice.” I have to give a shout out to Kelly Gallagher and his books, which have been tremendously influential to me.

by David Rickert

David's TPT Store

Grammar Comics! Grammar and Usage 
 I am proud of this product because I feel like they really present grammar in an approachable way that students will remember. It was a fun collaboration with Mark Pennington; these illustrations also appear in his book Teaching Grammar and Mechanics. These were also the first cartoons I did in color, and I think they look terrific.

Poetry Comics! 
 This is probably my favorite out of all the ideas I’ve ever had – doing caricatures of poets explaining their favorite poems. I had what I feel are some of my best jokes in here. They’re not my best sellers, but Poetry Comics! will always be something I look at with pride. Like the Grammar Comics! I feel that Poetry Comics! helps students approach poetry with more enthusiasm.

10 Tips for First Year Teachers

By Denise Boehm
Visit Denise's blog, Sunny Days in Second Grade
Visit Denise's Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Congratulations! You are finally a teacher! It’s a dream come true. I remember those days very well. I almost didn’t believe it was real until I walked into my first classroom and saw those naked walls and piled up furniture staring back at me. You will certainly get lots of advice from lots of people. Remember that in the end, this is your classroom--the classroom you’ve wanted for so long. Consider carefully about all the advice you are about to be given, especially the ten tips from me that follow.

1. Stay informed, but don’t obsess over current political actions, education reform, biased news reporting and especially publicly posted comments related to education. There is great value in knowing what is happening in the world of education outside of your classroom, and I strongly recommend staying informed, but find a reputable, unbiased source of educational news. Support education advocates that align with your views, but as a new educator, leave the actual advocating to them for a while. You’re going to have your hands full.
2. Don’t feel pressured to do it all. As a new teacher, you might find it a bit difficult to maintain a class website, write a teacher blog, head up a committee, advise for an extracurricular activity, create interactive whiteboard lessons for every subject, and tutor students for free after hours, all while you’re finding your way in our profession. In time, you may find yourself drawn to one or more of these very valuable, rewarding endeavors, but give yourself a while to find out who you are as a teacher, and then build on the strengths that naturally emerge. Don’t be afraid to say “no” during the first year.
3. Save your money for really important things. You will be tempted to buy treats and gifts for your students. You will want pillows and chairs and rugs for your reading area. You will want each student to have a book box, and your class library to be overflowing with books in every genre. You will want educational software, homey room decorations, and almost everything you see in teacher catalogs. You will want things you see in other teachers’ classrooms. It’s important to remember that those things were accumulated over time. Some were probably donated, some scavenged at garage sales and clearance aisles, and others from friends who were moving. None of the classrooms you see was outfitted all at once during the first year. Our profession does require some out of pocket spending though. Every teacher will tell you that. So, spend wisely. Think of what’s really important. Work on building up that classroom library before you worry about having the perfect beach chairs to go with your “Oceans of Learning” theme. (That one can be a hard one, I know.) Don’t forget to check out those garage sales and dollar stores for bargains too.
4. Respect professional boundaries between you and your administration, you and your students’ parents, you and your students, you and Facebook...well, you get the idea. You are a professional, and to be treated as one, you must act like one. Your reputation is forming in this first year. Let those around you see your excitement, your enthusiasm, your dedication, and your kindness, but when you need to vent, be sure that you confide in one person that you trust implicitly. Avoid mentioning anything negative online about your work. Don’t talk about the student who said something inappropriate (even without giving a name), or how desperate you are for winter break to start. You are under scrutiny as a teacher, and that includes Facebook and Twitter.
5. Be consistent in everything you do. Enforce your behavior management system consistently. Establish routines and follow them consistently. If you start sending homework folders to parents every Monday, then follow through and do it EVERY Monday. As soon as the students start to feel a slack in routine, they will pick up on it faster than any academic concept you will try to teach them. Sometimes this may mean continuing something that you know you don’t want to do again next year, but for this year, follow through. Unless the practice is causing some kind of harm, do your best to keep up with what you start. There will be times that you must change something. For example, you may find that your center schedule is not working at all. Then by all means, change it. Don’t feel the need to over-explain why there is a change to your students, but inform them of the change and then move forward. It’s usually best for everyone when routine and structure are maintained as much as possible, but certainly make notes about what you want to change next year and act on it.
6. “Style over substance” is a trap you can fall into without even realizing it! You have probably been dreaming about how you want your room to look, what you will put on each bulletin board, and how to arrange the desks. Maybe you’ve even picked up some things that will be perfect decorations. You’ve stocked up on things from the Dollar Store that were on other teachers’ “must have” blog posts. Now what? Always remember the heart of your mission: teaching content. You need to know your stuff, literally. Your students will learn reading strategies better from a confident, prepared teacher in a sparsely decorated room than they will from an ill-prepared teacher in a room straight out of “Classroom Beautiful” magazine. Now, the ultimate goal is to combine both of those elements, and in time you most likely will, but for now, make sure you spend as much time planning lessons and studying content as you do preparing your physical space.
7. Organize everything. You don’t necessarily need a separate system for everything you do, but come up with a way to keep things from piling up. The absolute BEST thing I ever did was to number my students. As long as they put their numbers in the corner of their paper, you can alphabetize assignments in a snap. You can see in an instant whose work is missing. You can randomly call students by numbers to complete tasks or be helpers. They can line up in number order to avoid rushing the door. The best part is that you can number things in the classroom (job charts, supplies) with numbers, and then they are reusable next year!
8. Respect your elders. Ok, I’m being a bit facetious here, but honestly, the veteran teachers at your school have a lot to offer. If a veteran teacher has advice about the token economy system you are going to use, listen. That teacher was once a new teacher just like you, and she is trying to save you the headaches that she’s endured. Of course, consider the advice, and then make your own decisions. You have a lot of pressure on you as a new teacher, and seeking out the advice of a seasoned teacher can be such a benefit to you. Watch and listen in your first days to find out which colleagues are positive and encouraging, and which are negative and complaining. Choose your friends and mentors wisely, because they will influence your own attitude. Before you know it, you’ll be the veteran teacher people are coming to for advice!
9. Forgive yourself. You will make mistakes. You will say something you instantly wish you could rewind and take back. You will have at least one observation that you know didn’t show you at your best. Guess what? You will survive it all. No one little thing you do in your first year will define you for the rest of your career. You are not expected to be perfect. You will make mistakes, and you will learn from them. You will have a bad day, but they will be far outnumbered by great days. When you’re feeling like you let yourself down, forgive yourself and move on.
10. Find a balance between work and school. As a new teacher, my classroom door opened to the outside, but I had no windows. Sometimes I would be working and working, and when I finally left for the day I’d be shocked to open the door and find it was already nighttime! It got to the point that my friends would show up at my door with dinner because when they couldn’t reach me, they knew where I was. I actually enjoyed that time in my career. I liked being in my room, making things, checking papers, changing bulletin boards, but even though I enjoyed myself, I found myself struggling toward the end of the year and began to force myself to leave at a reasonable hour. Finding joy and relaxation in my personal life actually made me a better teacher in the classroom. Make time for your friends and relationships outside of school. Avoid working all day on Saturday. Schedule time to continue with hobbies and interests you had before you became a teacher.

Best of luck to you as you enter this most wonderful, rewarding, and challenging profession that I’m proud to call my own: Teaching.

Denise Boehm has been a teacher in Florida since 1994. She is Nationally Board Certified, holds ESOL and gifted endorsements, and has taught grades 2-5, served as a drop-out prevention specialist, writing specialist, and is active on the leadership team, often serving as an acting administrator. Visit Denise at the Sunny Days in 2nd Grade Blog and check out her Teachers Pay Teachers store.


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