Additional Information - Benefits of Technology

(all references can be found on the Resource & Reference page)

Technology and Learning Disabilities

Technology is a great tool to implement into a classroom for all students, especially those students who need extra help completing assignments and activities in-class. Students who have learning disabilities benefit greatly through the use of technology. Today, as a teacher one can find that within a students Individual Education Plan there are suggestions to use technology as a helpful tool. Individual Education Plans have become a great resource for teachers to understand more about how a student learns, and what they need to do to help improve the class environment for them. Using Assistive Technology plays a significant role in helping students work towards the goals outlined within their IEP’s (Watson, Ito, Smith, & Anderson, 2010). “Assistive Technology helps in two ways: it can help the student learn how to complete the task and it can help to bypass an area of difficulty” (Young, 2014). Technology used by our society today has become more complex, especially when dealing with devices that create easy pathways to learning concepts. Therefore, it is important to note that teachers should become familiar with assistive technology and understand how it can be incorporated within their teaching to support an inclusive learning environment (Young, 2014). “Assistive technology that helps students with learning disabilities includes computer programs and tablet applications that provide text-to-speech (e.g., Kurzweil 3000), speech-to-text (e.g., Dragon Naturally Speaking), word prediction capabilities (e.g., WordQ), and graphic organizers (e.g., Inspiration)” (Young, 2014).

There are a wide range of purposes that technology can fulfill such as “compensating for a disability, mediating a disability, to serving as a form of assistive technology to motivate student learning” (Kauffman, J., Hallahan, D., Pullen, 2001). There is a model that can be followed by teachers for integration - TECH (“Target the students’ needs and the learning outcome; Examine the tech choices then decide what to use, Create opportunities to integrate technology with other technology activities; and Handle the implementation and monitor the impact on student learning” (Kauffman, J., Hallahan, D., Pullen, 2001).

Lifelong Learning

An important goal of education is the preparation of students for life after graduation or for further education. In 2002, 86 percent of businesses used computers while 65 percent of private sector employees had access to computers. Furthermore, in the government sector, 90 percent of employees had access to computers. While in the household perspective, 60 percent of families had access to a computer in 2002. It is important for students to learn these skills in the classroom as they may not have access to computers at home, to prepare them for post graduation (Statistics Canada, 2004).

It is also strongly acknowledged by principals that computers provide teachers with the opportunity to enlarge and enrich their curriculum while allowing students to develop further knowledge (Statistics Canada, 2004).

Technology and Individualized Learning

Increasingly, students interact with all forms of technology on a daily basis from the most basic meaning including bell phones, cameras, etc. Technology helps with various individual needs including;

• Vocabulary - learning uses technology effectively - online dictionaries, thesauruses, etc.

• Writing - technology supplements this to allow for ease of the writing and editing process to generate polished products.

• Pronunciation - tools in this are used effectively to understand individual difficulties and provide aid in the proper pronunciation.

Technology and Foreign Language Learning

Previously, computers had been limited to simple texts and solutions. However, with advancements, it is possible to have integration into the language process. Speech-recognition software can be used to immerse students into different environments and they can investigate language in authentic contexts. Furthermore, the internet allows for publish articles regarding information on technology and foreign language learning to be distributed to the public (Warschauer & Healey, 1998).