Resources

Accessible Technology Across Grade Levels

April 13, 2017

How to Choose Technology
With a variety of technology options available for classroom use, it can be difficult to know what to choose and when to incorporate it. Joy Zabala’s SETT Frameworks provide helpful documents to aid teachers in determining if a technology is appropriate, as well as help them to consider which skills the chosen technology should target. It is important to note that technology is not appropriate for every student, nor is it effective in every situation. Following these guidelines can help to determine if, when, and how to use technology on a case-by-case basis to benefit a specific student by considering the following questions:

• Is the student struggling to engage in and keep up with the class content?
• Is the student receiving remediation in skill areas of weakness?
• Would the student benefit from utilizing a technological tool to advance remediation and provide a forum for accessing class content?
• Does the student have the necessary technological knowledge and training to use the technology?
• Which technological tool will best serve the student’s needs?
• What training and implementation need to occur in order for the student to benefit from the use of technology?

How Does This Connect to Landmark’s Teaching Principles™?
Of great importance in working with students who have specific learning disabilities is the idea that technology should never replace instruction. Classroom instruction should continue to follow the six Landmark Teaching Principles™, which help teachers to provide rich environments for learning through appropriate, student-driven instruction. Specifically, technology can ensure automatization of skills and content through practice and review, which is Landmark’s 4th Teaching Principle. Students need to be able to use technology to appropriately and independently enhance their learning experiences, and they benefit from multiple meaningful exposures to these tools in order to master their use. The more practice and review students receive, along with direct instruction in how to effectively apply technological aids, the more likely they will be to use these tools across content areas. For a more detailed review of which tools may be appropriate for various school grades, please see the attachment.