Technology for Inclusion

Research suggests that technology is a fantastic way of creating equality in mixed ability classrooms. For many students with special educational needs (SEN) a computer is somewhere that they can feel in control, free and equal to their peers. For this reason then it is a critical resource to be using within all of your classes, be they mixed ability or nurture groups. Further to the benefit of equality, technology can also create a sense of autonomy, particularly for those students with a physical disability or those who have often relied on the support of a teaching assistant. Technology can also provide a simple way for students to demonstrate their ability to achieve tasks in a variety of ways, for example an iPad would allow students to provide written answers to questions, but they could also record themselves visually or vocally. There are also numerous apps that really allow students to be creative in the way they demonstrate their abilities. Research has also shown that students who engage in using technology are more likely to be motivated to complete ICT based work outside of school hours.

There are a wealth of resources on the internet and hundreds of apps designed specifically for helping students with an SEN and you certainly don’t need to be really tech savvy to access them.

Here are a few ideas you could use in your lessons:

• Talking books on iPads and computers are a great way to get students engaged in reading. Text books are also available and would be useful for students with dyslexia.
• Mind mapping apps/software are available for free and provide a visual way for students to lay out their ideas. On top of this these same apps can be used for concept mapping.
• Cameras and voice recorders on iPads are a great way for students to record evidence. They can also be useful for students to take pictures of work they might do on whiteboards or on the table so they have lasting evidence to revise from.
• Technology is able to provide lots of game based learning – the school iPads have a number of games on for both maths and English that can be easily differentiated.
• One study in Finland found that students with an SEN engage particularly well with robot based technology and another study found that gaming tech can increase social interaction and communication.
• It is now possible to link iPads to smart boards allowing students to interact with the board without leaving their chair. This may be useful for students who lack confidence in standing up, but want to take part in the lesson.
• Book Creator – is a great app in which students can create a book using audio, written work and videos.
• Mad pad – an app that allows you to record short sound/picture bites and play them in different sequences. This can be used for all sorts of things, but in the link we use it to help studentsrecognise mouth shapes when saying different sound like ‘th’ ‘v’ and ‘f’.
• iPads provide a simple way to differentiate resources such as worksheets. To empower students let them be in charge of what their worksheet should look like. For example do they need to remove pictures, increase font size, have less text on a page etc.

From this last bullet point it is clear to see that technology can be a great way to adapt resources for all students and it can be a way to empower them to take control of their own needs. However when using technology in class it is imperative that the tech is available, charged and fit for purpose.