Monday night’s class was very interesting. The field trip on assistive/adaptive technologies in the student support services center was great. I really liked how our guide explained each of the services offered and how they went about accomplishing tasks set forth by there department. Though the speech was good, I really perked up when he began showing off the different assistive technologies that the department used. The one technology I am choosing to discuss is the portable voice amplifier that is used to address a student who is hearing impaired. I am choosing to write about Monday’s field trip as I do not have much experience with assistive technology being in practiced use.
How the amplifier works is that the teacher wears a small, wireless microphone and the student wears an ear piece which picks up the radio signal the teacher is transmitting. This, in effect, amplifies the teacher’s voice so that the student’s hearing impairment is diminished.
If I ever have a student with a hearing impairment, this device would not restrict my teaching strategies all that much. I also can’t see it as being uncomfortable as both microphone and hearing aide are small and barely noticeable. In the first few days of usage, I can see there being a little disruption as both teacher and student become accustomed to the technology, but I am sure both will soon not even notice the added hardware. Thusly, the teacher can go about their daily schedule normally and the rest of the class would only have to put up with seeing a tiny microphone close to the teacher’s face, which they would quickly become accustomed to seeing. Putting on the microphone and the ear piece will be an activity as regular as brushing one’s own hair. There will be instances where class will have to pause for a few moments as an event such as dead batteries may happen, but over all, this would be a minor inconvenience. There may also be times where I would check to see if the device is functioning properly or that if the volume is comfortable. I may also have to repeat myself, but I don’t foresee this being a major disruption.
So, in closing, this technology is helpful and non intrusive. I can not see it as being disruptive to either myself or the student in the flow of teaching and learning as we both become accustomed to the device.
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I never thought about the teacher having to be comfy with the technology...good thinking. We think so much about the students, but you don't want to incorporate an assisted technology that would be distracting to you or the students. The more time your fiddling around with it, the less time you are teaching. It would definitely be worth it to explore the technology you are going to use to aid an impaired learner before incorporating it in your day to day life. Good stuff.
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