Reflective Entry 2

 

 I will use Brookfield’s Four Lenses of Critical Reflection which is “The best way to unearth and scrutinize our teaching assumptions is to use four specific lenses available to us: students’ eyes, colleagues’ perceptions, personal experiences, and theory and research. Viewing what we do through these different lenses helps us uncover when and how certain assumptions work and when distorted or incomplete assumptions need further investigation.” (p.7). 

Brookfield, S. (2017). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Students’ Eyes

When I  asked  my student about how assistive technology will benefit them, this was their response”

  • It will Increased independence, they can work on their own and not rely on an adult

  • Learning can be personalized for them

  • They can engage with their peers and feel included.

  • It will help reduce anxiety and place less pressure on their motor skills.

  • Build confidence in their ability to succeed

  • Improved their academic skills and prepared them for the future.

Personal experience


Education in general, and special education in particular, represent a profession that is undergoing rapid and dramatic change. Although no-one can predict with accuracy what special education will look like in the next century, a number of current trends provide clear implications for future policy and practice. 

Using technology can help my students with disabilities to enhance and improve their independence and support them to participate in classroom discussions, along with helping them to accomplish some difficult academic tasks. 

I want my students to succeed.

Information, communication and technology (ICT) is a bridge in fostering learning who have special needs in education. It becomes a medium of connecting their way of lives and their socialization within education life. Integration of ICT plays a great role in special education. Most of the developing countries pay attention to ICT practices in their education reports in order to provide equality in education and make all citizens active and digitally capable. Some of the reports of developing countries did not set special education needs, learners and ICT support for their learning. Although they pay attention to learners who have special needs, there is an intensified need to make a comprehensive analysis of ICT integration into special education schools. 

 

 

Colleagues’ perceptions 

Colleagues want to stay current and relevant in their practice

My colleagues find that computers and multimedia technologies motivate learning, foster increased social interaction, build self-esteem and give special education students new ways to communicate with the outside world.

Eichleay believes that technology gives teachers more freedom to bring together regular and special education students. It provides an opportunity for students "to work cooperatively to create a quality product, and [allows] students with special needs to contribute at their level of competence and be supported by peers."


Theory & Research

Connectivism, Design Thinking, Digital Blooms, 21st Century learning 

Hasselbring and Glaser provide an overview of the role computer technology can play in promoting the education of children with special needs within the regular classroom. Although computer technology has the potential to act as an equalizer by freeing many students from their disabilities, the barriers of inadequate training and cost must first be overcome before more widespread use can become a reality.

Local Audience Perspectives

They want their child to access the curriculum using targeted assistive technology.

  • Parents want to see their children with Special needs being included in the class programme. 

  • National Audience’s Perspective


    Schools are beginning to look for more ways to incorporate emerging technologies into learning in the classroom. Of those that have a strategic ICT plan, 44% of primary schools and 69% of secondary schools in New Zealand have plans to – or already have implemented – the roll out of personal digital devices for each student. There is also a need to offer teachers more support in incorporating such tech into pedagogy. Next to cost, learning to use these new technologies is one of the main challenges hindering their uptake in the classroom. In New Zealand, 72% of principals report that professional development among staff presents either a “major barrier” or “somewhat of a barrier” to the use of digital technologies in schools. And 70% of Kiwi principals add that support for use of digital tech is a “major barrier” or “somewhat of a barrier” to digital technology use in the classroom.

    Teachers, in general, are struggling with keeping up to date with ICT, so learning about assistive Tech is added pressure and most teachers don’t have the time or energy to upskill for just one student.



    International Audience’s Perspective 

    "The world of education is currently undergoing a massive transformation as a result of the digital revolution"(Collins & Halverson, 2009). 

    Because of this “digital revolution,” it is both important and practical to make use of the availability and accessibility of technology in designing educational or training programs. Technology has the potential to contribute to a better quality of life for students with intellectual disabilities, which is more than just a matter of convenience (Wehmeyer, Palmer, Smith, Davies, & Stock, 2008). 

    The use of technology in education is inevitable; it is only a matter of time before schools will fall behind unless they try to catch up. Students spend long hours of their day outside school using technology, so is it reasonable to expect them to come to school and find themselves in the world of no technology and feel attracted to this world. 

    Technology has changed and continues to change the way people manage things in their lives, both in private and in practical life, so the natural extension of that is to see the impact and the integration of technology in education for students with disabilities in the same way it has been in other areas of life. Using technology can help students with disabilities to enhance and improve their independence in academic and employment tasks and their participation in classroom discussions, along with helping them to accomplish some difficult academic tasks. It will create a sense of achievement and pride.

     

    Fahriye, A. A., & Zehra, A. G. (2015). Examination on ICT integration into special education schools for developing countries. TOJET :

    Collins, A., & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in the age of technology: The digital revolution and the schools. New York, NY: Teachers College Press

    Hasselbring, T. S., & Williams Glaser, C.,H. (2000). Use of computer technology to help students with special needs. The Future of Children The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology


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