Introduction to Assistive Technology
A Special Mini-Course for Teacher Training in Advanced Technology Techniques
Ellen Hoffenberg-Serfaty, J.D.
Introduction: Why "Assistive Technology"?
There are numerous reasons why English teachers, coordinators and other school personnel should be learning more about assistive and adaptive technology or "AT":
- because it is used extensively and very successfully in many countries that have stricter laws about adapting materials and instruction for students with special needs
- because AT helps students to bypass many basic learning difficulties so that they can access the content of learning material, produce assignments much more easily, become better and more independent learners
- because it recognizes that multi-sensory and differential learning better meets the needs of most students, those who are identified as having special educational needs, and those who are just our "regular" learners.
In Israel, we are currently facing a crisis that could be easily solved by the use of assistive technology: we are focusing on the lack of government agency sensitivity to the needs of learning disabled students who are entitled to recieve cassettes containing readings of English bagrut texts. Many teachers think that the solution is to send more tapes. But there's no doubt in my mind that using AT--installing tried and true, as well as experimental programs in our labs, training teachers and students to use them, and matching students to the appropriate AT--is really the solution for the new millenium.
How can I be so sure?
During the next three lessons, you will introduce yourselves to assistive technology through the exploration of some excellent resources, and conduct of exercises. At the end of these session, you decide:-)
A Note of Acknowledgement: I want to apologize to all of you who are pursuing this course for my failure to be there with you F2F (face-to-face) but I am presently engaged in a very exciting venture--teaching and guiding mechina students, along with English Coordinator, Dr. Erica Garb, at the Learning Center for the Blind through the first computerized English bagrut in the country (I think!). My gratitude to Avi Tsur and Gail Mann for recognizing how important this area of technology is to the future of English teaching here in Israel, and agreeing to be on-site trainers for these sessions.
At any time during the next three weeks, please feel free to contact me: I will be "on-line" at each of the sessions, and you can contact me through e-mail.
So let's begin!