Assistive Technology Guidance

In chapter three of the Illinois Assistive Technology manual we come across the idea of how common core standards are related to assistive technology. They are intertwined by the idea that they both help students to succeed in some way, common core helps to set students up for the content on which they are expected to learn whereas AT helps individual students with disabilities succeed by engagement in the curriculum. I feel that AT is one of the most important parts about schools because every student is not like one another each student is unique in every way in how they learn. Schools with the diversity that AT provides them with allows for acceptance of all students in an inclusive environment that allows every student equal opportunity to learn. I found it very interesting that differentiated learning and AT approach to learning can coexist because although they may seem very similar differentiation is responsive teaching and AT is a reactive teaching approach. An experience I can relate back to these ideas is when in my field experience of teaching doing my hours at a school, I experienced that one of the students had a hearing impairment and was provided with an aid that was able to sign some of the words to the child when needed. In my experience the student was able to learn at the same pace even though the disability prevented them to hear what the other students were hearing the school provided assistance such as the aid, and technology such as words on the screen during movies or presentations.
After exploring some more lessons and looking at the different tools created I found a lesson about rhyming for second grade English and language arts. Looking through this lesson I was able to find a useful tool called Interactive Sites for Education.  In this tool you are able to access a variety of different subjects and topics useful for any grade level. I found that the tool engages diverse learners because the site offers a Spanish speaking bridge for students with English as their second language to practice math, language, other subjects in their language for a better understanding. The tool serves other purposes such as for teachers using different activities to use on smart boards to present to the class such as using learning to use rulers or protractors in math displayed on the smart board. I feel this site is a great way for diverse learners and teachers looking for new lesson plans and activities to use in the class.