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We brought educators together to discuss their experiences
with implementing assistive technologies in the classroom.
In this segment they're talking about professional development.
What level of expertise
does a classroom teacher need to have
around assistive technology
to meet the needs of students
using laptops in the classroom?
I'm not sure if expertise
is necessarily as important
as a willingness to have the technology in your classroom,
and a willingness to learn yourself.
If, um, the student knows more than you, that's great
because they can help you along with it
but as long as you're open and receptive to having
the technology in your room,
it, it doesn't matter what level you start at.
You will become an expert throughout the year.
Teaching a congregated class or even just in a regular classroom, per se,
using assistive technology
provides opportunities, opportunities for problem solving.
You know sometimes, just, things happen,
and, you know, as, as an educator, you can demonstrate that to your,
to your, uh, students.
And they can also, uh, the learner themself can, can show
that to their colleagues as well.
And I think, by extension, there's also opportunities for self advocacy.
But, uh, definite problem solving from the smallest thing
to, you know, not having a USB stick
to an outlet, to, uh, you know - the application has just quit,
I haven't saved my work.
So lots of avenues for, uh, demonstrating those learning skills.
(Jim Tayler) I think as an, uh, an administrator, I'm looking for teachers
who are willing to, to take risks, and, uh, to be able
to go out there and literally make some mistakes
in terms of some of their, the decisions that they've made,
to be able to recognize it, rebound and, and learn from it.
And, uh, in a lot of ways, the assistive technology,
um, is like, uh, a pioneer, and the teachers are the explorers
and pioneers who are trying to, um, use the technology
to meet their kids' needs.
And we're not always going to follow the right path,
sometimes we have to turn around to come back
and, um, sometimes the kids will be leading us.
Is there any professional development opportunities available for teachers?
It seems like quite a bit to learn.
So is there anything out there?
Uh, more and more we're seeing, um,
access to professional development,
uh, with this assistive technology. Uh,
the universities are now offering courses.
Uh, within the Boards, certainly, um, at our Board,
uh, for example, we have, uh, "Where it's AT", "AT".
So every Wednesday, um, the assistive technology consultant,
uh, puts on a workshop, and, for anyone,
and, you can go there for an hour and a half
after your school day and, uh, goes through -
you know, you bring your laptop and you're able to work through the programs
and learn the programs, bring them back to your school
and you can teach everyone else in your school, if that's possible.
Um, we also have a great, uh, Web site,
a support website for AT.
In addition to that, we'd, uh, we'd like to see
students actually become the experts
and, and in some cases
train and work with teachers
because, uh, really that's what we want.
Um, I know, initially when I found out
I was going to be getting, um, this technology in my classroom,
I went to a video website - um, YouTube - and I typed in
um, whatever I was using
and there was tons of free, like, three minute clips
of different things you could learn, without having to do anything formal.
So from your living room, you can take a look
and very quickly see what other teachers are doing
with the technology already in their classroom.
In order to be able to provide the, uh, support to teachers,
uh, we were able to go to our principal
and, uh, she was able to help us out in directing us
to where we could actually apply to the Board for specific funds.
Oh, and we were able to also access some funding in our school
through the Student Su-Success Initiative.
And, um, in that we were able to then, uh, release teachers
to be able to work directly with them.
(Timothy Quinn) Once the student develops that sort of basic competency
and, and comfort level with their, those applications
and the, uh, assistive technology, they're well positioned
not only to instruct, uh, uh,
peers, uh, possibly, uh, a staff
but also younger students as well.
And whether or not, uh, you have, um,
younger primary students coming into, like, a congregated class mind,
like-mind, with the interactive white board
and having some sort of peer teaching going on,
that also develops their, uh, self confidence and, uh, self worth.
I think, again as a school administrator,
um, having, uh, assistive technology
as part of professional development day
uh, being able to access Board resources,
uh, in terms of technicians who can come in
and, and and do demonstrations.
Uh, I think what we find in our school is that the, the word spreads,
uh, very quickly in terms of what's working and, and what's not.
Uh, we'd also like to look at assistive technology, really,
as just one piece of a teacher's professional development,
but one that's not isolated, that is actually integrated,
uh, into their approach of, uh, working with students
and, uh, student achievement and, uh, reporting and evaluation.
Not in isolation - teaching as a team sport.
(Narrator) Thanks for watching.
You may wish to look at the other videos in this series
and browse through the resources available on our website.
captioned by inclusivemedia.ca