AT for Writing

This was another enjoyable class that allowed us to examine various Assistive Tech for writing as well as examine how difficult the writing process is for a student with LD.
The first exercise we were asked to do was to write down every step required when writing a letter to our school board asking for iPads. We needed to break it down to the very basic skills such as being able to find and use the required tools used to write, to actually being able to compose the piece.
This exercise gave me the opportunity to really examine the tremendous effort and skill required to even start writing, let alone complete a writing piece. It is such a complicated process that we take for granted and at times, don't realize how much attention and engagment is needed by our students in order to get started. It gave me more perspecitive and understanding when trying to understand why my LD students find writing to be such a difficult task. There are so many complex skills that are required and if students are missing even one of them, they find the process extremely difficult.


Next, we had to spend time writing about our summer with our non dominant hand, in my case my right hand. This was another learning opportunity that allowed me to reflect upon the need for AT for students and how much of a disadvantage they are in when it is not provided. I found it to be a challenge to do this activity for 10 minutes, so I couldn't imagine the frustration our students would feel when they are asked to do this day after day without the tools that are essential for their success.

The most impactful part of the evening for me came when we viewed samples of student work with and without the use of Assistive Technology. The differences were amazing and stressed the importance of these aids and the huge impact they make in the lives of our students. I think these samples need to be shown to every teacher or school board that doubts the power these tools can give a student with a writing difficulty.

I was pleased to learn about more apps that can be used in the classroom that will give my students the opportunity to write in a less stressful environment with the tools that are designed to allow them to reach their full potential.