Technology is a powerful tool for helping students at all age levels and intellectual abilities learn all sorts of things more effectively. While we know that there is technology available to help kids of all ages, we might sometimes forget that there are also tools to help students who learn differently. When it comes to students with learning disabilities, EdTech tools can help them learn in the same ways they help the average child learn and, for that reason, there is no need to fear using technology to engage special education students and enhance the ways they learn.
The Power of Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities
Technology is a tool that, among many other things, paves the way for progression in whatever field it is being used. In education specifically, technology is a valuable aid that helps both teachers and students enhance the learning experience on a daily basis. While extremely valuable during classroom activities, EdTech’s real worth comes from its long-term benefits and the more effective and meaningful comprehension it helps enable. These factors are important to consider when weighing whether or not to utilize technology when teaching students with learning disabilities. Of course, some of these students lack focus, some lack the intellectual capabilities, and others could need guidance in a number of different areas. Technology, however, can help level the playing field and engage students with learning disabilities in a way that’s incredibly powerful.
To put it perfectly bluntly, technology is capable of opening a whole new world of opportunities for students with learning disabilities and can help them reach new levels of success. The beauty of today's STEM tools is that they are not too complicated to use. This affords every student, especially those who learn differently, with the opportunity to be positively impacted by EdTech. Technology helps make learning interactive and gives kids the chance to focus on something they actually enjoy doing—like building a robot, for example. Since they can see the progress they’re making right before their eyes, they’re far less likely to get discouraged and more able to appreciate the successes they achieve. For students who struggle with everyday tasks, such as reading, technology can be a valuable supplement to help guide them in the right direction.
Whether it’s a visual, physical, auditory, or mental disability, technology is able to help ease the burden of learning for students who need the help. Despite the simplicity of many of the technologies students with learning disabilities use, the results are commonly great. The advancements in technology have allowed educators to leverage crucial combinations of simplistic tech that help teach something big. They also help reduce the challenges teachers face in educating students with learning challenges. Every child today should have the opportunity to learn the skills they need for success in the real world—learning disability or not and technology could very well be the key to unlocking learning in a way that benefits students who learn differently.
Coding and Kids with Learning Disabilities
There is little remaining doubt that coding is the skill every current student will need to master by the time they enter the workforce in 10 or 15 years. And, yes, we do mean every student. Coding has taken over the modern workforce with expectations that it will only get more prevalent, meaning that everybody who wants a shot at a successful future needs to get started early on in their education. For students with learning disabilities, it may be hard to think about teaching them something as complex as coding. While it is true that coding can progress to be pretty complex, it’s actually very simple when broken down and, thanks to modern tech tools, there’s no reason to shy away from teaching the basics to special education students.
While many children are capable of learning the basics of coding as early as 6 or 7 years old, students with unique needs might need a little extra time to develop. By the time they are 11-14, however, in most cases, it should be okay to introduce them to technologies that mimic the principles of coding. Ideally, they will progress each year and be ready to take on tougher coding challenges by the time they are 15-18, which can be supplemented by regular exposure to computer classes throughout the school year. Making coding practice a routine part of the school day is perhaps the best way to get these students used to the concepts through repetitive, hands-on projects. With this practice will come the skills needed for the majority of the jobs that will be available in the future.
Like with any educational concept, students will develop the skills eventually especially when exposed to the basics from a young age. While there is no guarantee that constant coding will be able to help students with special circumstances learn all they need to know to thrive in a future job, they certainly won’t be able to thrive without those basic coding skills. The number of vacant coding jobs in the next 10 years is estimated to be in the millions rather than the thousands, so, unless something drastically changes, coding is something that all students will need to know. The one thing we can control is making sure that these students have access to coding classes at least a couple of times per week while they are in school. Like we said, it may not guarantee success, but the chances will certainly become higher.
Using Tech to Empower Special Education Students
Technology is a game changer in contemporary education and anybody who thinks it can’t be used to engage students with learning difficulties needs to do a bit more research on the power of tech tools today. Students with special situations may have a lack of motivation or dwindling academic confidence, which can also be addressed by getting them comfortable with simple technologies. Rather than a distraction, technology should be seen as a tool for empowerment—because that’s what it does for students in modern classrooms. With technology, students can collaborate more fluidly and innovate more naturally. Whether it’s in early elementary school or anywhere in high school, educational technology is an option teachers should explore for engaging and retaining their students who learn differently.
Special education students tend to miss out on being able to take courses that are personalized to their individual interests. They often have to replace electives with supplemental courses to reinforce their math, writing, or reading skills and can’t always get into the classes that teach the most important 21st century skills. Here’s where technology can really help engage them. By allowing students to use tools and toys that they’re actually interested in, teachers can keep their attention more effectively. And, hey, most kids are interested in technology—especially the ones that look cool! This also helps teachers modify their lessons based on the individual needs of their students—something they can’t really do when teaching traditionally. To combat the lack of student motivation and inability to stay focused, EdTech is an extremely helpful tool.
It has become evident that student performance is elevated when they are able to participate in passion projects, or activities they choose and enjoy doing. This can fit within the curriculum or fall outside its reach and only needs to take up a small chunk of the school day to be effective. Students will become better able to set and achieve realistic goals when they plan out projects step by step. Different kinds of technology—namely computing tools and Web-based programs—can help students organize their work and clarify a consistent plan of action, which will help them to stay on task. In the classroom, technology also helps facilitate collaboration and discussion—two important 21st century skills that students with learning disabilities sometimes shy away from developing. Learning with technology helps students relax, which helps them become more willing to share their ideas and engage in the classroom activities, helping better prepare them for the world.
How Tech Helps Teachers Reach Special Education Students
Many students who have learning disabilities simply learn differently than their peers. A lot of people, however, draw the conclusion that they are mentally deficient and this could not be further from the truth. They just need some patience, someone to work with them, and to be given an appealing reason to sit down and learn. It’s certainly true that students with developmental disorders have a tougher time showing their intelligence, but that doesn’t mean that it is not there. Using technology in education is a good way to alleviate this issue. EdTech tools give students a previously unavailable outlet to demonstrate what they know, get creative in finding new ways to express themselves, and even learn some key real-world skills at the same time.
One of the best tools for engaging special education students and reaching them on their level is the iPad. There are other tools available, however, that get kids learning with modern technology while bolstering their fundamental skills. One of the best examples of this is the Makey Makey, which creates functional touchpads out of conductive objects that kids are able to use to replace the keys on the keyboard or mouse of their computer. By touching their connected object, they are controlling the key on the keyboard with which it is associated. The Makey Makey helps students begin to realize cause-and-effect relationships and the fact that there are different ways to manipulate objects using technology. It also helps enhance their general learning, literacy, and communication skills, which sometimes get left behind when teachers worry too much about developing the intellectual skills of these students.
Oftentimes, children with learning differences have a difficult time relating to other people, namely their peers, and actually relate more easily to inanimate objects. This has led to the emergence of using robotics to help reach students with learning disabilities. When given technology that resembles human-to-human interaction but eliminates the pressure of actual interaction, kids who learn differently seem to respond quite well. Among the benefits of this style are increased motor skill development, movement in the classroom, and social and emotional recognition. Introducing children to robots also helps give them a personalized learning experience as they can choose which one they want to play with and even decorate it however they’d like. And, finally, using robotics and technology tools with special education students helps take some of the pressure out of learning, making it more like a game, and presenting them with something they actually want to experience.
PBL Makes Special Education More Inclusive
One thing that special education teachers routinely lack is resources. Whether that’s a supportive staff, ideas for projects to have students complete, or technology that's appropriate for them to use. There is a solution that has emerged, however, and it’s one that’s already a mainstay in mainstream 21st century education. Project-based learning has been known as an effective way to engage students with content they care about and incorporate technology to get them learning the technical skills at the same time. And, hey, guess what. The same thing can be done in special education. It’s a pretty well-kept secret, but PBL and special education fit together pretty nicely—especially in the digital age.
The biggest advantage project-based learning has for students with disabilities is that it allows them to be fully included in their classes—and not just special education classes, but regular classes too. Teachers should never underestimate the power of inclusion in special education as PBL is able to make even those with the most significant support needs feel like a true part of the classroom. What they might not realize is that it doesn’t take a lot to make modern education into something inclusive. Some of the best indicators of full-scale inclusion include technology, collaboration, and differentiated instruction, which are fairly simple to bring into the classroom. In fact, PBL is such an effective strategy for teachers because it’s designed to create the kind of engagement and dynamic learning that’s able to serve students with a range of different learning disabilities.
To get started with creating a fully inclusive classroom environment, the foremost focus of teachers should be to collaborate. In this case, we don’t mean getting students to collaborate in the classroom; we mean teachers should collaborate with their colleagues in both special and general education to get enlightened on what they believe to be the most important aspects of inclusive education. Next, teachers should make a conscious effort to differentiate their instruction for special education students especially. This can be done by offering students choice, assigning projects that highlight their individual strengths, or even offering supplemental materials that cater to each student’s reading level. Finally, teachers can also select and have students pursue additional, non-academic goals while they’re engaged in PBL. For example, part of their success could depend on their ability to open communication with someone new in the classroom or show how they were able to collaborate effectively to get their project done. Here’s your chance to get creative and make inclusive, PBL-centered special education ideal for students!
For the latest EdTech, STEM, and 21st century education news, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Like us on Facebook, too, or sign up for our newsletter for our latest product announcements and offerings. If you have an idea for the next Eduporium Weekly theme, send us a message on any of our social media accounts or comment below.