Return to ISTE 3: Digital Age Learning Environments
ISTE Coaching Standard and Indicator 3d: Select, evaluate and facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support student learning.
Invaluable digital resources are ones that provide scaffolding or different entry point for a variety of learning styles. Thus, accessibility to digital tools becomes an equity issue if all students don’t have what they need to be successful learners. In order to maximize the number of students who can access digital tools effectively, a competent instructional technology leader must select and evaluate appropriate and meaningful resources plus provide management and training to users. The following examples demonstrate my competence as a librarian and instructional technology leader ensuring access to what all students and teachers need.
Our district librarian worked tirelessly with the student data specialists and our local public library system to ensure all of our K-12 students were provided an individual student public library account. Once accounts were established I planned and co-taught lessons with elementary librarians to facilitate use of the databases and eBooks offered within the system. Our mission was to ensure that students could access specific assistive features like text to speech, audio books, highlighting and note-taking tools, and easy source citation. Since the inception, I work specifically with primary teachers and their students helping non-readers and emerging readers access appropriate databases. Interest and excitement for this new program is overwhelming with kids and parents raving how much students are reading!
The elementary literacy curriculum adopted Newsela Pro, a database of non-fiction news articles. Teachers can assign articles to students at differentiated reading levels allowing for more personalized learning. I offer individualized or grade level team professional learning sharing strategies for best teaching practice using Newsela.
In the following blog post I recognize many adaptive and assistive technologies that support our ELL students.
