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any item, piece of equipment, or system that helps increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.

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assistive technology in the classroom being used by teacher of color 

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an approach that recognizes and responds to the different learning needs, styles, interests and abilities of students.

ABILITY OF CHOICE; most important with differentiated instruction

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CONTENT 🤍

what students learn or how they access information

PROCESS 🤍

activities students engage in to understand or master the content

PRODUCT🤍

collecting tasks that allow students to apply and extend what they have learned

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT🤍

The classroom operates, creating a sense of community.

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Classroom Setup💚

designated computers + devices available for student usage.

Inclusive Lessons 💚

incorporating assistive technology into regular lessons to familiarize other students with the technology.

Universal Use 💚

use assistive technology methods, such as larger font, calculator and etc, for the whole class. finding ways AT can benefit all students.

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🦋computer access, with voice recognition, word prediction software, alternate keyboards.

🦋writing tools such as pencil gripers, spelling/grammar check to assist students with writing challenges.

🦋communication boards, speech synthesis tools to support non-verbal students.

🦋 electronic books, talking software to help students who struggle with reading comprehension

🦋 enlarged worksheets, highlighters, calculators, closed captioning, large print books.

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instructional routines

🌺 identify learning preferences + plan lessons that appeal to a diverse preference w/ varied instructional approaches.

expand + sustain differentiation

🌺 adapt lessons based on student engagement

🌺 challenge students to adapt with different ways of learning styles; to develop a class culture of differentiated instruction

flexible grouping

🌺 allowing students to work in short term groups, inclusion of different + similar strengthens.

tiered instruction

🌺 all students work on the same skills, but complex nature of tasks differs to ensure all students are challenged at appropriate levels.

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content

🐛 usage of materials at varied reading levels

🐛 providing information through auditory AND visual methods

process

🐛 offering tiered activities / varied complexity

🐛 usage of centers to allow students to explore topics of interests

🐛 giving kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment

product

🐛use rubrics that reflect varied skill levels

auditory learners give an oral report while visual learners give a graphic organizer

🐛provide options for how students demonstrate learning.

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Inclusion

🐝 fosters inclusion by allowing students with disabilities to learn alongside thier peers.

🐝 helps students understand material in ways that suits their abilities + decreases obstacles that might prevent them from reaching academic goals

Applicable to all Students

🐝 may benefit other students 'at-risk', for students who might need cognitive task assistance, but don't officially qualify for FORMAL services.

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🪷 RAFT; Role-Audience-Format-Topic

encourages creative writing across subjects, students write from different perspectives

gives students choice, appealing to their interests and learning profiles

🪷 Think-Tac-Toe

gives students alternative ways to explore key ideas.

game-like design to help motivate children to think about a topic from different angles.

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🪷Teaching and Learning Strategies for Differentiated Instruction, created and presented by Dr. Whitmore.

🪷Assistive Technology in the Classroom Ppt created and presented by Center for Technology and Disability CTDInstitute.com

🪷Center on Technology and Disability | American Institutes for Research

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Assistive technology (AT) and instructional technology (IT) tools, when selected and used appropriately, can help students with disabilities achieve positive outcomes and be successful at school, at home, in the community, and ultimately, in the workplace. For students with disabilities to realize the potential of AT and IT interventions to increase access to the general curriculum and enhance learning outcomes, state and district leaders, school administrators and practitioners, and parents need access to current, relevant and reliable information to make decisions on the selection of appropriate technologies, services and evidence-based interventions.

To support this need, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) established the Center on Technology and Disability (CTD), a five-year technical assistance center, to increase knowledge of evidence-based AT and IT practices, provide technical assistance (TA) with the goal of building capacity among multiple stakeholder groups and fostering a cohesive system that reflects current AT and IT advances. AIR partners with FHI360, PACER and national experts on AT and IT to accomplish the following Center goals:

1. Increase the effectiveness of educators in using AT and IT in the classroom;

2. Provide high-quality TA to SEAs and LEAs to help them build sustainable systems of competence in assistive and instructional technologies; and

3. Help families make informed decisions about AT for their children with disabilities and advocate on their behalf.

In this work, AIR serves as the lead for delivering high-quality universal and targeted TA to state and district leaders that addresses current AT and IT needs of education leaders as they support school administrators, teachers, and students in their selection, acquisition, and use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.

Featured Work

In this joint webinar series with CTD and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), learn more about the legal requirements related to accessibility, particularly as it relates to recent legislation. Understand the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies and considerations for your technology planning and purchasing decisions.

Accessibility is essential for leveraging technology and providing educational opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners. The toolkit offers resources, tips, and information for state and district leaders that can provide guidance on how to ensure accessibility is part of the educational equation. The goal is to support leaders in being proactive instead of reactive. The four sections of the toolkit define accessibility and share why this effort is important today, identify the legal requirements for digital accessibility, describe the benefits of digital accessibility, and explain the procurement of accessible technology.

This video series is designed to help SEA and LEA leaders conduct and participate in their own research and evaluation studies on technology initiatives to support improved learning outcomes for students with disabilities. Each video in the series addresses key topics such as study design, crafting research questions, partnering with external researchers, and reviewing the literature.

This guide was developed as a companion to the Center on Technology and Disability's video series Research, Technology, & Students With Disabilities: Supporting LEA & SEA Decision Making. This guide extends the learning in the video series and is designed to support education leaders as you evaluate progress toward meeting the goals and intended outcomes for your educational technology initiatives and programs.

Rapid changes in technology will continue to shape the future of special education services and the integration of assistive technology. An understanding of the shifts in the technology landscape and possible future directions for the field is imperative for state education agency leaders as they develop the procedures, guidance, policies, and funding structures to support future-ready special education programs and initiatives. This report provides insights into the current status and future development of assistive technology as well as guidance to resources.

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Center on Technology and Disability | American Institutes for Research

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Assistive technology (AT) and instructional technology (IT) tools, when selected and used appropriately, can help students with disabilities achieve positive outcomes and be successful at school, at home, in the community, and ultimately, in the workplace.