The Better Picture

Junior year: 2016

       When I was a junior at Okkodo High School. Many of my classmates made fun of my learning disability outside of school. The learning disability that I struggled with is known as "Dysgraphia." Dysgraphia is a "learning disability that affects writing abilities such as spelling, poor handwriting, and trouble putting thoughts on paper" (Understood Team 2014). because of this, my parents enrolled me in a special education program where I found other teenagers with the same disability. My teacher Mrs. Joy Opinion helped me improve my writing  capabilities through an app called "Inspiration Maps." As a student, this app aided me through difficult times in high school. 

       In the Assertive Technology video, Susanna Martini mentions "Assistive technology is the major foundation of my life. Without it, I could not exist as I am today" (George Lucas Foundation, 2005). This direct quote from her shows a comparison where kids with a disability use technology as a productive resource than a regular student utilizing a computer. Some kids may think that having a learning disability may hold them back from their studies, but Susanna did not let this problem stop her from learning. I do admire the effort of one to one aides because they deal with these kinds of issues in a school environment. When I was doing student observations, I noticed one student had trouble hearing the lectures. The teacher provided an alternative assignment where she had him write three paragraphs of what he had just read from the book. I found it as a good teaching strategy in order for students to learn. 

         As a future teacher, one way to accompany a student's learning disability is by introducing a technology tool called "Text to Speech." According to alvernia.edu, "The technology tool works by scanning and then reading the words to the student in a synthesized voice, using a large number of speech sounds that make up in a given context" (Alvernia 2019). This benefits students that have autism, dyslexia, and visual impairment. The primary goal of this is having my students become successful in their careers. Each of my students would be provided with a headset with a microphone and a school laptop. The teacher will then open up the documents for students to listen too in regards to the lesson. Students are to be able to reach common GDOE standards such as 4.0 being the highest. 

Guam Department of Education: Grading Standards 2019

    The Guam Department of Education abuse school funding by purchasing equipment such as drones. Joy Schwartz mentions, "We are preparing our students for jobs that may not even exist right now, so we want to make sure that we’re staying on top of all the new technology and bringing that into the classroom"(Dedicatoria 2019). I can agree on the fact that "staying on top of all the new technology," but how is this helping our learning system here on Guam? As an educator, my opinion is that school funding should be used for purchasing new equipment that students with or without a disability to learn better in a classroom. For example, GDOE should teach special education teachers about Assertive Technology rather than drones here on Guam.

    As a result, watching the video had taught me that assistive technology is essential to countless disabilities. Kids utilizing these resources become proactive in their studies to complete tasks such as reading, writing, and listening skills. Assistive technology not just serves as a foundation for everyday life for Susanna Martini, but another individual like Lukas Bratcher mentions "School technology is the key to pursuing his passion for music" (George Lucas Foundation, 2019). As a future teacher, I would like to start to incorporate assistive technology in my classroom.


                                                                 

Future Teacher: Mr. Ando

                                                        References

Edutopia. (February 2, 2005). How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams. Copyright 2019. https://www.edutopia.org/video/how-assistive-technology-enables-dreams

Amanda, Dedicatoria. (October 18, 2019). GDOE teachers learn about robotics. PDN News First: Copyright 2019. https://pncguam.com/gdoe-teachers-learn-about-robotics/#


Alvernia, Online. (March 8, 2019). 5 Assistive Technology Tools That Are Making a Difference. Copyright 2019. https://online.alvernia.edu/articles/5-assistive-technology-tools-that-are-making-a-difference/