Forum: Assistive Technology

From my personal experience as a brand new teacher about to end their first year with no previous experience at any other school inside or out of the country I have to say that I have been dissapointed with the lack of regular updates on and or easily accessible opportunities to find out about all of the 'assistive technology' available.

To be honest, just from a brief 30 minute power point that I was shown the other day that briefly covered some of the programs out there that we (as fcps teachers) have access to shocked me. I felt as though I had been cheated by not knowing about all of these great tools that I am 'suppossed' to have access to. I'm sure if I had tons of time on my hands I could have inquired and searched the fcps website, etc. But, especially as a new teacher without that extra time, I wish that there was a better forum through which teachers could be updated regularly about the cool new technologies that are coming out and that we have access to.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't state how much information is available on the assistive technology home page - IF you have the time and the motivation to surf through it.

From my experience, the school-based IT specialists are the bridge between ATS and teachers thanks to their proximity and daily interactions with school personnel. I frequently receive email from the IT specialist at my school regarding IT issues. After-hour classes are offered weekly, and tech tidbits are e-distributed regularly. Although the ATS website is rather impressive, it is only effective for the ones who visit the site. When teachers are inundated with routine tasks, not many can afford the luxury of browsing websites.

At the school I was at, there was a case load worker assigned to our school who would come in at the beginning of the year and go over our options depending on the needs in the class room. This person would drop in occationally throughout the year, and was fairly accessible when we called.

Although I am sure it varies from school to school, my guess is there is some consistency across the county. At the school in which I teach, new teachers are required to sit through an information session at the beginning of the school year. Although intentions are good, the session is primarily a slew of worksheets and a list of technological resources. Without an actual session where teachers are taught "hands-on" how to utilize the technology, in reality, the 'lesson' is soon forgotten.
Furthermore, new teachers are required to meet certain standards through completion of TSIPS. Again, this is merely a formality and not very helpful.
New technology is sometimes introduced at faculty meetings, or offered in voluntary after school sessions, and occasionally training sessions have mandatory attendance on teacher workdays.
FCPS regularly send on emails, and/or flyers with updates or pertinent technology information.
As common sense would dictate, despite websites or manuals galore, the most helpful attempts at making teachers aware of the technology available to them take place in one-on-one or other small group hands on sessions. Technology is often complicated, or requires multiple steps, and seeing it on paper is not enough.

In Arlington County there are a few trainings listed for teachers to go to that would like more information. We also have a Share Fair which is similiar to the Chatterbox Fair in FCPS, where teachers brings adapted lessons and equipment that they use. Our ATS person contacts us in the beginning of the year with a lists of equipment and sees whihc students would benefit from assistive technology.

> In what ways to do you believe assistive technology services attempt to inform school personnel of assistive technology available to them? Describe any that you feel to be particularly effective.
Our county website has a list of possible websites for assisttive technology services available. I believe it is left up to the individual to search the website in order to find out what assistive technologies are available. It would be helpful to have e mails sent out by the county consisting of new information available to each teacher in the county. The assistive technology person at our school does an excellent job notifying all teachers in the building of any new assistive technology services she discovers. One particular site that has been effective for me has been the short 2 minute tutorials on SmartBoard instruction. These are brief instruction segments that assist me in learning something new about the SmartBoard on a daily basis. I watch these segments with the students in order to include the students in the learning process.

Montgomery County has a section under special education listing program tools, such as write outloud which allows children to self-correct. These programs allow parents to become aware of programs that are available to them and the authors that created those particular programs.

According to their website, Fairfax County offered a series of trainings on assistive technology services that may make teachers more aware of the technologies that are available. HOwever, I don't know how well they advertised these trainings.

> In what ways to do you believe assistive technology services attempt to inform school personnel of assistive technology available to them? Describe any that you feel to be particularly effective.

Many school systems provide training sessions for teachers as well as newsletters and activities such as a Chatterbox Fair that include the parents and allow them to gather information about Assistive Technology.

> In what ways to do you believe assistive technology services attempt to inform school personnel of assistive technology available to them? Describe any that you feel to be particularly effective.

We have had staff development trainings offered to us as a special ed department, and as a school staff in general. We also have our school based ATS person who is available as needed and sends us e-mails. I do not feel as if I do not know where to go if I have a question.

FCPS had a Chatterbox Fair in May that was for preschool through six grade students that use pictureboards or devices to communicate to come and learn about the ATS services and equipment available. As far as information for teachers, it is really not told outright what is a availble, however teachers talk amongst them selves and find out the equipment to ask for. Also, if there is a particular communication issue for a student there is an ATS person that will come and help.

In my school setting the occupational therapist is our primary contact with assitvie technology services. She delivers direct services and therapy to two of my students one day a week and then is available to me for consult/questions/collaboration for my entire case load. This works well for me because I have an established professional relationship with a AT professional who is familiar with the challenges of my students. She informas of us new products, trainings, and free web resources. The AT is so closely related to OT in the classroom that this works really well for us.

>Fairfax County offers a Chatterbox Fair that informs parents about the technology available to special ed students. This way a fun way to get students and families involved.

The technology service sends emails to us personally with information.

FCPS offers classes through My PLT to help with technology training.