Weekly Reflection (week 8)
Links to videos played in class:
ARC BC: create and record audio textbooks, novels, etc… to make reading more accessible for students.
SET BC: Provincial outreach program. Offers direct student support such as physical access tools, visual aids, accessibility for multi modal learners. PL services are training for teachers designed to meet the specific needs for students. Also offers consultation with staff and school community. Works with staff, students, and families.
In my opinion:
In my K-12 education I saw several times where we had students who moved from countries where English wasn’t their first language. For a specific example, in grade 4 we had a student move to Quesnel who had originally been born in the Philippines. While he had a very basic knowledge when it came to speaking and understanding English the classroom teacher was able to set up the computer to fit his needs and help him get the best of his education and by the end of the year he rarely needed the computer anymore. As well, growing up with T1D, all of my teachers and the school faculty were very supportive of understanding what to do in any emergency situations and regularly had meetings with my parents when I was younger. This helped the school faculty and my parents to feel comfortable knowing what to do if there was ever an emergency.
I think it is very useful to have adaptive technologies in schools to support learners and their education. I think that using these tools can help break some of the barriers within the education system. However one struggle is that they might not be accessible for everyone to access. Depending on where someone lives can alter what resources they have access to. I also think that while technology is very beneficial in assisting students, educators should have an understanding of ways to support students without it. If there was ever a situation where there was no longer any working technology available I think it is still important for teachers to have supports in place to support their students no matter their diverse learning needs.