This document discusses the role of teachers in collaborating with students and using assistive technologies. It defines collaboration as requiring active participation from all parties who benefit. A collaborative learning environment addresses cognitive, emotional, and social needs through teacher modeling, questioning, discussions, and reflective journals. Assistive technologies include low, mid, and high-tech devices that can help accommodate students with learning disabilities achieve learning goals. Teachers play a vital role in adapting hardware, software, and providing tools to help students feel successful using technology.

1. TEACHER AS
COLLABORATOR
&
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Allison Williams
EIM 504
Summer Term

2.  Collaboration is more than
communication and more then
cooperation.
 Collaboration requires active
participation.
 All parties benefit.
 Partners bring different
strengths and interests to the
relationship.
 Everyone contributes and
gains from collaboration.
VALUE OF ENGAGING IN
COLLABORATIVE PLANNING
What is collaboration? Benefits of Collaboration

3. INVITATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT
A collaborative
learning environment
addresses not only
cognitive needs, but
emotional and social
needs as well.

4.  Teacher modeling.
 Questioning.
 Quality responding.
 Peer interactions and discussion.
 Reflective journals.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF
INVITATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
According to Barell (2007) the following elements are essential:

5.  Strictly focused on helping students
in a specific school or program.
 Emphasize helping all students be
successful.
 Meetings are purposeful and have a
focus.
 Highly driven by student data.
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING COMMUNITY (PLC)?
Easton (2015) notes that a PLC
can usually be described as a
group of educators who get
together to improve their own
practice so that the students they
work with can succeed.
Benefits of a PLC:

6. TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNOLOGIES
1. Identify the problem.
 What are the symptoms?
 Where do they occur?
2. Apply a solution.
 Discuss problems with colleagues.
 Examine manuals.
3. Check the results.
 If it works-you’re done.
 If it doesn’t work, put it back the way it was!
4. Repeat as necessary.
 If it still doesn’t work, seek outside assistance.

7. C U LT U R A L LY R E S P O N S I V E
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
Digital technologies allow us to collaborate with friends across the globe
through participation in online role-playing games, discussion forums
about your favorite hobbies, or through social networking sites.
The political recommendation for research policy is thus that, when researching an educational
technology, there should be consideration of how societally and culturally compatible it is with
the wider societal culture wherein it will be implemented. This societal and cultural
compatibility could be ensured by authorizing affected people, or at least their representatives,
to participate in the processes of planning, constructing, implementing, evaluating, and
developing educational technologies, thereby enabling them to share (and, of course, shape)
such developments according to their societal and cultural concerns. (Borovoi, Leah 2016).

8. Some students may need to use
specific technologies to
accommodate their identified
learning disabilities, which help
them achieve learning goals.
 An item
 A piece of equipment
 A product system
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
When are assistive
technologies necessary?
An AT device can include:

9. Mid-Tech-Use some form of power
source, are moderately priced, and
may require initial training for use.
Ex: tape recorders, portable word
processors, etc.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
CONTINUUM
Low Tech-Inexpensive tools
often lacking moving parts and
having limited functionality.
Ex: calculator, timer, etc.
High-Tech-more complex and
expensive.
Ex: computers, software programs, etc.

10. Word Processing Applications
Keyboard Adaptions
Mouse Adaptations
Touchscreens
ADAPTING HARDWARE
AND SOFTWARE
Many students who experience physical, cognitive, visual,
organizational, or auditory disabilities can use digital hardware
and software. Adaptations such as the following can be made:

11. Teachers play a vital role in
providing students with the tools
and communication needed to
feel successful when using
technology in the classroom.
Providing adaptations when
needed, whether virtually or in
the traditional classroom, gives
those students the confidence
they need to use technology in a
productive manner.
CONCLUSION
Teacher as a Collaborator Assistive Technologies

12. Barell, J. (2007). Problem-based learning: An inquiry approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Cennamo, Katherine, et al. Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use a Standards-Based Approach.
Cengage, 2019.
Borovoi, L., & Vlaev, I. (2015). Social Informatics in Education. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society,
35(5-6), 178–186. https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467616644383
Easton, L. (2015). Professional learning communities. In L. B. Easton (Ed.), Powerful designs for professional
learning (3rd ed., pp. 263–275). Oxford, OH: Learning Forward.
Wo r k s C i t e d