Technology Field Trip Reflection

           On March 29^th our class took a field trip to a special needs school. This trip was designed to show us practical applications of technology in the classroom. This was a great experience for me as it showed me the many different ways technology can be implemented in the classroom. I learned so much from this visit and it has given me ideas for using different technologies to accommodate needs in my future classroom.

            The school that we visited was designed specifically for students who had severe disabilities. Each classroom was different and had innovative technology to help each student learn and reach their fullest potential. In the first classroom we went to, the majority of the students were in wheel chairs. The classroom was large so that the students could be moved around easily and could comfortably sit at the table with their peers. The head teacher in the classroom told us a little about working in a special education environment like this school and she began to show us all the technology they used. Something that I found amazing was the computer one boy used to communicate. Because this boy was wheelchair bound and could not speak, the computer would read his eye movements and he could spell out words and sentences by using his eyes. It was fascinating to watch him use this device to talk to us. His teachers even informed us that he wrote raps and songs by using this computer. The only downside was the computer lost its charge quickly and had to be plugged in.

            Another piece of technology that I found interesting was the Dynavox. This is a computer like communication device that helped some of the students communicate. The head teacher showed us how it worked and explained that students selected pictures that would make up sentences to tell their caretakers and teachers what they wanted or needed. A positive thing about this machine was that it was sturdy and could survive a fall. The teacher explained that sometimes the students knocked the boxes off the desk and sometimes teachers even drop them. Accidents do happen, and it is a good thing that these technologies can survive them. These machines are very expensive to purchase but they are worth it if students can use them to communicate. The classroom is also equipped with a few computers and a smart board. When we walked into the class, they were having their art lesson. On the smart board was their assignment. The students were enjoying their lesson and were eager to show us their art work.

These students were so friendly and so eager to talk to us or show us their work and everyone in the classroom was so welcoming. I enjoyed my time at this school and I liked seeing the different technology used. In my future classroom I know that I could use technology like the Dynavox if a student has a speech disability. It is a great idea for education students to go into classrooms and learn about these technologies available. The firsthand experience is so important because we get insight on what works in a classroom and what are the positives and negatives to each piece of equipment.