Does: give students independent access to a task and improves their performance
Does NOT = Information Technology (IT)
This was my biggest new understanding as a result of our first class. Rather than acquiring 'technology' and then deciding who could benefit, we use Backward by Design-type planning to consider first, the expectation or task required of a student, then examining how AT can give the learner greater independent access to this task and experience greater success at it.
Practice Practice Practice! Now that the freshness of class #1 is far behind me and I have forgotten all of those instructions within blogger.com that Barbara said were "really important to remember to click"! It gets better. With practice. And just like handing a toolkit to an unschooled 'carpenter', learning HOW to use the technology is as important as knowing why it is being used.
On CHANGE: Teachers are constantly inundated with resources and materials that promise to be the latest solution to all of their needs. The selection of AT to choose from is ever changing, quickly outdated, and, it seems, overwhelming!
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