Option 1: What are your experiences with assistive technology, and what are some of the challenges and limitations?
Throughout this school year, utilizing assistive technology has become an inseparable part of my daily tasks. As a Learning Resource Teacher, part of my job is to help students with their literacy skills, whether through traditional methods or technology. I have to admit that technology was not my favourite method; however, that perception changed drastically when I was introduced to Magic School, an artificial intelligence platform. Not only did Magic School transform my views on technology, but it also made me eager to learn and expand my knowledge on various platforms and tools that are vital for my students’ success. Some of these tools that I have been learning and using daily with my students are Immersive Reader, Dictation, Speech-to-Text and Cpen. When I started using them, of course, there was a bit of frustration. However, after I attended a training offered by my school division, things improved drastically.
In last week’s presentation, Assistive Technology was described as “any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities.” This definition taken from ATiA (Assistive Technology Industry Association), states that assistive technology is vital for people with disabilities; however, the video that was also presented last week, The Myth of Assistive Technology, explains that assistive technology is not just restricted to people with disabilities but everyone can use it. Assistive Technology can enhance productivity for people without disabilities, while it “can make things possible” for students with learning challenges. Talking from my personal experience, speech-to-text helps me quite often to jot down ideas faster, whereas Immersive Reader helps me with reading books or articles, while performing other duties as a mother. Even though, nothing can beat the pleasure of reading a book on your own, at least this is my personal opinion, for my students this seems like a past habit because they will always choose audiobooks over paper books. As a teacher I find Immersive Reader a valuable resource because some of its elements are very helpful for students whose primary language is not English. Translating various texts or just words from the many languages available, having a picture dictionary and a reading coach, focusing on various parts of speech and syllables are some of the features that enable me to help the EAL (English as an Additional Language) students to overcome the barriers in English language and to set them up for success in their new journey.
Immersive Reader is beneficial for students as well to help them overcome reading challenges and to promote independent reading and learning.
Cpen is also a useful reading tool for some students that I help with their daily reading. Last week’s presentation mentioned that Cpen was “designed to make significant changes in people’s lives.” This is true because it has greatly impacted my students, especially one of them. The students are allowed to use the Cpen at school, but unfortunately, they are not allowed to take it home. The good side of this is that one particular student loves to use the Cpen so much that she hardly misses any day at school now. So, not only has the Cpen helped her with reading, but it has also enabled her to improve attendance at school.
Despite the benefits for students and myself, sometimes these tools present challenges and limitations. Speech-to-Text does not present any major issues if someone has an accent, however if a person has a speech impairment, depending on the degree of impairment, there might be a lack of accuracy in the text. Another factor that can impact the accuracy of speech-to text is the high level of noise in the environment where the text is being recorded.
One disadvantage of the Immersive Reader that was mentioned in the last week’s presentation was “using it the wrong way.” This means doing another thing while you are listening to a text. In my daily teaching, I have seen this happen, but very rarely. Most of the time, students really enjoy listening to text and being engaged with reading.
As for the Cpen, one limitation is that it reads one line at a time and only certain types of fonts. The charging does not present a big challenge as long as the teacher remembers to charge it at the end of the day. The cost might be a limitation for some students though.
Despite being confusing and not very easy to navigate at times, assistive technology offers immense values that can improve the learning experience. It can empower ALL students, and not only, to enhance their everyday learning and living. By providing tools tailored to individual needs, assistive technology opens up new opportunities and possibilities, making learning and education more accessible and inclusive for everyone.