In this week’s lecture we had a guest speaker for BCEdAccess speaking to our cohort about the importance to tech availability to learners and their families. Not just those with developmental or learning challenges, but inclusion for all learners. They are an amazing advocate group with a strong voice for learners and their families. While we were presented with list after list of tech and programs, I could feel the apprehension rising over Zoom. All these programs are amazing, but how do we actually use them?
Throughout this course I have really been struggling with having name after name given to us, but then never shown the actual program or learned what type of learner would benefit from which type of tech. I consider myself lucky that I have had experience with some of the platforms mentioned, but certainly not all of them. I would really like the chance to be able to actually see what these programs look like. I am also concerned that mentor teachers and administrators may have a certain level of assistive tech experience expectations of us as recent graduates, and at the moment, I just don’t feel that I do. I completely understand that if I walk into a classroom and have a student that relies on the use of a technology system or tool that I am not familiar with training will be offered, but I was really hoping to have experienced some of the more common applications within this course.
I think that tech and more importantly access to tech for all learners is incredibly important and I want to be able to weave those tools seamlessly into a classroom, but to be honest, right now that seems like a overwhelming struggle and I am not quite sure where to start.
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