Assistive Technology
- If I have a student who struggles with reading and this in turn affects their ability to do well on test, I am actually just measuring their reading ability. The questions on the test may deal with content knowledge, but the test is just measuring their ability to decipher words to try to make sense of test questions. This really is not an accurate description of how well the student is performing in my class.
- It is not very important to me as a science teacher to view a student's science knowledge through the lens of their ability to read. Although I want all of my student's to succeed in reading and I think it is vital attribute for success in society, if a disability is preventing or causing struggles for a particular student, I would like to find another fair way to assess their progress in my class. Literacies can come in many forms, and reading is just one of them.
- These assistive technologies would take the stress away from reading and allow the student to focus on the material present. Oral tests given either by a teacher or aide or an assistive technology device can help the student answer the questions without the stress of reading the actual words. Larger print tests could also be beneficial for the struggling reader. Another accommodation could be giving the student extra time or extra help when reading the test, although this may not be assistive technology.
Alex, I agree with you that assessing their reading is not an accurate reflection of science knowledge. Today many technologies allow us to assess students in many ways and should be taken advantage of! I agree with you that every student should have an equal opportunity to demonstrate what they know in the content area, and lessons and assessments should be adapted to help them demonstrate this knowledge!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you. I think more and more students are in need of having their assignments adapted to them in order to be successful. It is a time consuming task but definitely worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteI agree that while a reading assessment may not be a valid reflection of what a student scientifically understands, I do believe it is critical for me as a science teacher to develop and strengthen the students' reading ability. Reading is absolutely critical to becoming an independent learner. I have seen struggling readers who love science, and even if they read science comics, that gives them the motivation to read more. Reading critically leads to better learning, and ultimately, better thinking. I have seen some students who have had so many accomodations that they actually have missed opportunities to learn to read. It catches up with them. I teach 7th grade, and I have some students reading on 3rd grade grade level. They really struggle on state SOL tests not because they don't know the content, but because they can't read/make inferences from the test question. A big part of being successful in science is being able to interpret data/graphs/charts, and that is difficult for the struggling reader.
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