Assisting Learning with Technology
Of all the interesting and cool things you can do with digital technology, for me the most powerful effect it has is when it enables students to access learning and share their thinking when traditional reading and writing it quite a barrier for them. I am very keen on equity and justice in education and these technologies have gone a long way to helping provide that for my students. My Y10 science class and I have been trying out a few readily available assistive technologies with the idea that next year, when they are in Level 1 NCEA, they will have a few options that might better support the communication of instructions to them from their teachers, and their thinking and learning to their teachers. For all my Y10 students, their learning struggles are not severe enough to be financially supported by the Assistive Technology Funding provided by the MOE, but most will qualify for special assessment conditions for NCEA should they sit external exams in Level 1 and beyond. I