Learning From text

The first quote that stood out to me from this text was "How much failure data is needed document the fact that a student can't do a given task?". I immediately relate this question to the one raised in class today about when to implement AT. I think this is a difficult question to answer in some aspects but easy in others. My immediate reaction is if a student shows failure, immediate action should be taken. We should look at finding the root of the problem and aiding the student the best we can. When these simple methods don't work, look at the use of assistive technology for answers.

I liked the fact that the author mentioned that we should change context when looking at compensating with assistive technology. The author makes specific mention to the fact that we consider looking up answers on the internet to be cheating but an employer would value an individual's ability to find necessary information.

I also found it interesting that the article shows the majority of etchers will jump to compensation as a fix to a problem instead of trying all of the potential remediation. This certainly makes me wonder why we wait until the problem progresses before we introduce assistive technology into the picture.

I thought the table of modifications was also interesting but could probably be updated significantly as assitive technology has certainly progressed in the past few years. 

I think the big take away for me is the fact that all students have a different approach to learning and reading. When a student struggles, we must find a strategy that suits the individual student's needs instead of grouping them into a section of a chart. Assistive technology allows us to do this if we are willing to put in the time and effort to support the individual student's learning.