This workshop is offered by IT Tralee as part of the SOAR project for broadening participation in third level education.

Assistive technology can reduce or remove many of the barriers to learning faced by students with disabilities.  A difficulty often faced in schools, however, is that the use of technology in the classroom may single out and stigmatise the student using it.  Many teachers have noted students actively or passively resisting using a laptop when others are writing by hand.

However, many of the technologies now available have much wider application and are used effectively and productively by students and professionals across the board.  The need for all students to have access to a full range of technology for learning has been brought strongly to the fore by the current COVID crisis.

These sessions will be an opportunity to consider how technology can be incorporated into mainstream classes to create an inclusive environment where students can experiment with different means of representation and of expression as per Universal Design for Learning. 

After the introductory first session, teachers will try out some of these approaches in their own classrooms.  This will vary depending on the individual school’s technology infrastructure and policies, the subject matter to be covered and the teacher’s and students’ preferences.  The second session will be a sharing of experiences, problem solving and forward planning.

Session 1. Date – Monday 5th October, 7-8.30pm

Overview of technologies: text to speech, speech to text, mind mapping, collaboration

Integrating technologies into inclusive mainstream classrooms

Session 2. Date – Wednesday 21^st October, 5-6.30pm

Review of experiences, difficulties arising, planning future learning.

Who should attend?

Mainstream subject teachers, SEN teachers working or planning to work in mainstream classes, SNAs.  Participants are asked to commit to attending both sessions in full.

Participation in this training can be included in your school’s Digital Learning Plan. 

Click Here to Register