A Shout Out for Technology

(Warning: I am on a soapbox) I must admit, I am a bit old fashioned. I am not a huge fan of technology, and find myself angry at how it has taken away from our interpersonal communication skills. I can be on campus, surrounded by a sea of students, and still feel so alone. As I pass by each person I see, a screen blocks any person to person contact. I refuse to get a smart phone, and I only carry my phone occasionally...I am strange, and I know it, but I can remember what life was like before technology took the front seat, and I miss it. I miss people saying "hello" as I pass them by. Our world has changed, and often when I think of it, I tend to focus on the negative. Now, with keeping all that in mind, I must give a shout out to technology!

In class yesterday, we focused most of our time on visual impairments. We learned of a small handful of different causes and types. In groups we talked about ways in which we would accommodate students that have visual impairments. I learned a lot of great ideas on how to assist those students, but one particular part of the lesson stood out to me more than the rest. We learned about different types of technological assistance that is now widely available. I was not aware of any of these resources, and I must say that I was very impressed! As a class, we went into our phones (of course I could not participate in this activity without having a smart phone), but we saw how we could change the settings to help navigate the phone if we had visual impairments. Also, we went onto the computer, and found that every computer has settings to make the print/page larger, or be able to have information read out loud. I also learned about how you can now have any book/textbook transformed into a audio book. These are amazing tools and teachers really need to know about them to help assist any students they might have in their classrooms that would benefit from this technology.

So, going back to my first paragraph, I realize now how much good can come from technology. We are now in a world where disabilities are being recognized and accommodated for. It can help the children with certain disabilities to be able to be more independent. That is quite impressive and I can no longer keep a strong negative view about the technological world. For that reason, I must give a shout of for technology! What a wonderful asset to our world!