Chantelle was our guest speaker this past Friday from BCEd access, a volunteer organization designed to help support students with special needs and complex learners through the use of technology. An obvious challenge is getting parents on board and making sure they can also use the technology as well. Technology can be used to help with learning and communicating learning, but it is important to make sure it is used in a productive way and doesn’t become a distraction. There are a lot of resources that are out there that can be used for these purposes.

It is very eye opening to see some of the challenges in even understanding what special needs a child might have, and from there figuring out how to help with learning. It emphasizes how important communication is between parents and teachers.

We had some good discussion in breakout rooms on how you can assess students needs for technologies, how students can be involved in music class using an AAC device, and how to build relationships with students and families. Finding what students need for technology needs to start with having multiple options available and letting students know what options are out there. Giving them a choice and communicating with parents to see what might be useful is another avenue that needs to be considered. An app of some sort on the device that allows students to contribute with some kind of sound or digital instrument seems like it would be a way to get them involved in the class. Building relationships really comes down to communication and supporting the student’s needs. You have to listen to their interests and what you can do to support them. Same thing with parents, communicate, set boundaries, figure out what works for each family and how you can support each other in the student’s learning.