37th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded

Teach Everyone How to Fish for Tools

Date & Time

Thursday, March 17, 2022 - 2:20 PM PST

Location

Grand ABCD

Description

The number of AT professionals in the educational system has not increased in tandem with the need for assistive technology. When a school district has only one AT Specialist serving a high number of kids with disabilities, the workload is often unmanageable, resulting in delays in assistance for the student. Delays in services and supports will lead to students falling further behind since they are not receiving the support they need.

Frequently, teachers already have the resources they require for their students. Accessibility and applications are built into the computers, notebooks, and tablets students access within the school system or their technology toolset. However, instructors and support staff believe that the AT Specialist should introduce the tool to the kid because they are the experts. Or they think the learner needs an assessment before using a tool with them.

This session will demonstrate that building the capacity for teachers to access technology will strengthen success with AT. The teacher is often familiar with the student's strengths and challenges and may not need the support to choose tools and supports that students will see as beneficial. The concepts built into Universal Design for Learning (UDL) have made technology more accessible. It is incumbent upon the educational system to continue these concepts for access by increasing teacher confidence and knowledge base.

This workshop will discuss strategies to increase teacher capacity and facilitate their ability to make technology decisions, investigate tools, and the necessity of involving students in the process.

This Presentation Link is provided by the Presenter(s) and not hosted by the Center on Disabilities at CSUN. The Center on Disabilities has confirmed, as of April 1, 2022, content linked is relevant to the presentation, but has not been reviewed for accessibility nor will the Center on Disabilities attempt to remediate any accessibility issues in the linked content. Please contact the Presenter(s) with any accessibility concerns.

Audience

Higher Education
K-12 Education
Employment & Human Resources

Audience Level

Beginning

Session Summary (Abstract)

This presentation explains how expanding everyone's understanding of investigating and using tools may help improve AT success. We'll discuss how to enhance your decision-making skills, how to research and test tools to determine if they meet a requirement, and why an expert isn't always required.

Session Type