Research Paper on "Availability and Value of Using Assistive Technology With Young Children"

Research Paper 4 pages (1591 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Value of Using Assistive Technology with Young Children

This paper discusses the availability and value of using assistive technology with young children. It includes the educational learning standards of individual learning differences (CEC 3) and instructional strategies (CEC4) as well as procedures for preparing and organizing lesson plans that include remedial lessons (Outcome 23). As the paper illustrates, the educational learning standards CEC 3 and CEC 4 call for specialized skills from educators to ensure they deliver the expected in the disadvantaged young students (Council for Exceptional Children, 2010). For a successful outcome 23, the strategizing organization of planning, implementation, and monitoring is crucial to ascertain that assistive technology is playing the expected role to make the disabled children, if not equal to their normal peers, better placed as valuable group in the society. Though there are shortcomings in the use of assistive technology, the benefits overweigh the disadvantages (Axistive, 2007). Assistive technology remains a great motivator for tutors/teachers to give authority to children.

The Availability and Value of Using Assistive Technology with Young Children

With the current advancement in technology, and as much as it have assisted many to make work easier, it has not been left out in education. It is thus not only a wonderful harmonizer but also a valuable motivation tool for the young students/children with specialized needs and to a significant number of people, it has become a reality. Assistive technology was not available in the past but currently, educators are able to assist in developing this interest in the young children. With the increasing providence of technology in classes at all levels of education continuing, it has allowed the educators and young students to make it possible for all these children to have a feel of being able and part of the group that include their fellow students and the surrounding and even further ahead (Izumi-Taylor, & Blake, 2009). As this is all necessary and acknowledgeable, overlooking the aspect of success to every individual young child will render assistive technology invaluable in education. Assistive technology remains a great motivator for tutors/teachers to give authority to children.

As one will establish, whenever the young students have success in using technology devices in their efforts to achieve what they could not without that device, their instinct will direct them to have higher interest to continue using the device and achieve even more. They will then be feeling as able members of the society through their contribution in using assisting technology, as those who involve in assistive technology learning for these disadvantaged children acknowledge this (Izumi-Taylor, & Blake, 2009, p. 114).

A significant number of benefits of assistive technology exist to the disabled young children. This includes cognitive development that helps in both academic and social lives to develop motor, perceptual/visual, social/emotional, and cognitive/language skills (Wilds, 1996). Irrespective of the varying capabilities of children in their psychological, emotional, and physical characters, they have the interest of belonging and feeling of importance. Using assistive technology, it helps children to explore their abilities and observe with practical acquaintance the facts and events of success in both curriculum and extra curriculum activities that assist in the eventual working of the communality/institution by identifying facts in both activities. In addition, with the help of assistive technology, especially in curriculum activities, it helps the child to master realistic goals in their tasks and thus become important group in their institutions where there is enriching of their social and emotional abilities beyond measurable levels bringing general development and fulfillment (Izumi-Taylor, & Blake, 2009, p.115).

Although these skills may look broad for the young children, they are generally in majority preschool checklists and practiced using different approaches. As many educators recognize that play is important to children, it can be enhanced through assistive technology. Its lack will then sideline disabled children as other able play. This is because disabled children always have limits in exploring their surrounding. Therefore, assistive technology will offer them the chance to explore their environments more interactively that eventually helps in development of their cognitive abilities. For example, toys forms a crucial play companions for young children and as tools of playing, they would require thorough examination to ensure they deliver the expected benefit to the disadvantaged young children. This should not only be for the teachers, but also parents and guardians should be involved (Wilds, 1996). Different assistive technology exists that vary in their outputs. For example, photography that can include cameras will give teachers the humble opportunity to have visual supports in enhancing positive characters. Behavioral picture stories will best be beneficial to children having mental development disorders (Izumi-Taylor, & Blake, 2009).

A social benefit of assistive technology helps the disabled children to develop by being able to appreciate the capabilities of normal people such that these children are able to have a social potential as well. Therefore, through argument communication with toys/devices, they are able to explore undoubtedly their surroundings just as if not equally as their peers, to develop a positive individual opinion and freedom.

In educational learning standards that involve individual learning differences (CEC 3), teachers/tutors should ensure that they have the skills that allow them to utilize intervention to not only the short-term periods, but also the long-term plans. This should include the young students and their families, with asserting and regard to these families, culture and language diversity of the children (Council for Exceptional Children, 2010). On its part, Instructional strategies (CEC 4), the skills of teachers/tutors should utilize instructional procedures that have understanding of the child, his/her family, society and the subjects of interest. In addition, the teacher should make sure that they understand the anticipated educational organization that helps in developing learning practical acquaintance as well as identify the appropriate learning strategies for these young learners. Finally, preparation of the young children is necessary for any successful transition such that they can be prosperous (Council for Exceptional Children, 2010).

The efforts of the above processes are for an expected and beneficial outcome. Therefore, because disabled children require a varied technology tools that help then in their class and organizational expertise, it becomes advisable to use appropriate approaches in identifying the necessary methods for preparing, and organizing lesson plans that include remedial lessons for these children (Outcome 23). For example, a teacher can find that it is difficult for some students to understand printed material and perhaps difficulties in handling books. In this case, the teacher will need to use word processors to help in teaching. For this reason, and others, there needs to be a standard guide for instructions in teaching.

Since many institutions have territorial standards like national or state standards, written guides should direct the acceptable instructional undertakings as well as personal learning results. To help in developing technology enhanced for lesson plans, majority of tutors need plans that use instructional and assistive technology. To avoid misuse of this endeavor, there should be no compromise on student achievements, thus tutors/teachers should be serous on this. After identifying the appropriate instructional activities and developing lesson structures, planning for the technology integration to the obvious tasks follows. Here, the lesson plots from the teachers and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), it is possible to obtain information to direct the integrated technology in classwork, which should include comprehensive assisting technology. This integration will involve identifying instructional tasks in the learning areas that need specifications and strategizing to ensure the technology devices result helpful. However, for it to succeed there needs to be a cumulative cooperation from all stakeholders. Following the plan on integrating technology, is implementation of the assistive technology where the set strategies and assistance should be towards enhancing success of the students. Customizing technology becomes crucial in this regard. After implementation, monitoring of the students performance comes after where… READ MORE

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