Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 46

Sharing Good Practice
USING TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT STUDENTS
WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
BY: DEBBIE HAMILTON-BOGUES
the ability to repeat the reading of whole
passage, phrase or word when or if they
choose to do so.
W
hich one of us does not
have something smart
in our homes, offices
or schools? We have
smartphones, watches and televisions
with remotes that can do lots of things
for us. In schools we have smart boards
and laptops, computers and tablets
to make our work more presentable,
more accessible to our students and
in the end make life easier for us!
However, it is not always the same for
the student with SEND, whose lives and
academic progress are at times stunted
because some schools are hesitant and
unenthusiastic to introduce technology
for the enhancement of students’
learning.
Time has evolved and so too has the
variety of available technologies to make
the lives of students with SEND easier.
Over the years schools have been able
to incorporate many types of gadgets to
enhance the learning and support their
access to education.
One such technology that is available,
is the speech to text technology, which
allows the students to speak into a
device and their ‘voice’ is translated into
text. There are many types and brands
but they offer significant benefits to
students with learning disabilities,
dyscalculia, dysgraphia and those with
physical impairments. This technology
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020
If you have students with dyslexia,
learning difficulties or other learning
needs do some more research on this
life-changing technology to support your
students. Bear in mind that the access
arrangement may vary. One examination
board mentioned that a candidate with
severe dyslexia who is desirous of sitting
the English Language exam but is unable
to read or write sufficiently, will not be
qualified for a reader for the reading
paper, BUT a reading pen or computer
can be used instead. How beneficial!
gives students greater independence
and freedom over how and what they
choose to write with less human support
and increases how much they desire
to write by eliminating the struggle
associated with physically manipulating
the pen or pencil, it builds confidence
and reduces the anxiety about writing. It
also is a big booster for students who are
unable to read, but have ideas- creative
ideas which they wish to express in text.
Another tech support which is now
available in many countries and
languages and is allowed in the Joint
Council for Qualifications (JCQ) in
exams in the UK, is called the writing
pen. The technology is well-designed,
and there are many brands, but what
I like most, is the support it offers to
students. It reads for them! This is so
liberating for our students with dyslexia,
learning disabilities and other reading
challenges. It totally eliminates the need
for a reader in class or in the exams and
gives students the independence they
need. It is easy to manage, the students
hold the pen over the words as if they are
reading in a left to right eye sweep and it
reads the text aloud. The students have
For many students including students
on the Autism Spectrum at mid to low
abilities, the tablet can be used in very
many ways to enhance their learning.
The tablet is a relatively small handheld
device when compared to a laptop or a
desktop computer, the students learning
activities can be individually set or
programmed to their specific needs. They
can have their own volume set and they
can individually engage in the activities
they wish to pursue at their own pace
from the raft of learning programmes
downloaded on it. Some students on
the spectrum prefer to be away from the
main group s/he can withdraw to a safe
solitary place and still engage in learning.
Students have the flexibility to touch the
screen to complete activities by dragging
and dropping, colouring, matching and
so on.
Technology does positively impact the
learning of our students with SEND!
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/speech-
recognition-learning
file:///C:/Users/Acer/
Downloads/AA%20regs%202019-2020%20(1).pdf
https://help.cambridgeinternational.org/hc/
en-gb/articles/115004285225-What-are-Access-
Arrangements-and-how-do-I-apply-
Debbie is an experienced international educator, who has spent almost 30 years
in education in the Caribbean, USA, UK and the Middle East. She has a passion for
students with special education needs.
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