My Technology Integration Statement:
I imagine that technology will play an important role in my future classroom. I want to be a teacher for students with autism, and technology has been a tremendous help for students with this disability. There are many assistive speech technologies offered on the iPad and computer that will help enhance speech development for autistic students. Some examples of assistive speech technology to use in the classroom would be the LAMP app, the GoTalk Express 32, and the Choiceworks app. LAMP Words for Life app is downloadable only for teachers who are certified to use it in the classroom. It is compatible with any Apple products, but is pretty pricy. It requires teachers to go through training courses in order to be able to use it in their classroom. This app provides pictures that allow students to communicate by clicking on the picture of the word they want to say and then hear it aloud.
The Go-Talk Express 32 is a picture and text based portable keyboard. Users are able to change the voice to either male or female and can adjust the volume as needed. It is a lightweight device that has different pictures of words or phrases students may need to say throughout the course of a day. These "pictures" are buttons that can be pushed in order to have the machine say the word or phrase aloud for the student. It is helpful for students with disabilities in communicating with others, especially if they are at risk or in danger. The Choiceworks app for iPhone/iPad allows students to create and follow their own routine schedule with the use of pictures and times. Set routines are vital to autistic students as they give a sense of security and purpose. This app can be used in the classroom and also at home. I believe that technology opens many doors for students with special needs, but it is important to never overuse technology and keep the classroom focused on forming students’ own individual skills and relationships. Although this technology is extremely beneficial for students with autism, I believe that rather than allowing them to depend on technology for everything, teachers have the responsibility to ensure that there is development and growth among students without the use of technology. |