System Planning for Inclusive Technology - Applying the "Then What" Factor or What to do BEFORE the technology is purchased

My first article "Then What? Getting Started with Inclusive Technology" focused on supporting the classroom teacher to move beyond a software approach. In this article I will discuss what I believe schools and/or districts need to consider BEFORE technology is purchased. There will be many questions - only you can determine the answers that best suit your school or board. Key Questions There are three key questions to help avoid Desktop Stranding. Software that sits on the desktop ineffectively used or unused. What will inclusive technology look like, sound like and feel like in three to five years? What did we put in place to make this happen? What is our starting point? (Students and Learning)

Before the Software: What Needs to Be Considered?

Vision: I believe a clear vision for the future of Inclusive Technology is needed. It is difficult to predict the future but chances are the workplace will provide reasonable accommodations for employees. Just as today ramps and wide hallways are provided for those with physical challenges so will screen reading, word prediction and voice recognition technology be routinely provided for those with learning differences. Based on this assumption: Will the technology and its use change as the student moves through the system? How will a student use this technology in grade 2, grade 8 and grade 12 to prepare them for this future? What will a typical day look like for teachers and students using this technology? As this vision is developed it needs to blend with, and perhaps transform, what is already in place or envisioned. How does this vision of inclusive technology fit with the programs and plans already in place? Will it blend seamlessly with other initiatives such as those around equity, engagement or literacy, or will it transform them? Awareness and Capacity Building: It is difficult to create wide scale change if stakeholders consider the use of technology cheating. If there is resistance to the use of technology or ignorance as to its purpose and use, how will the school/district build awareness about this issue? Important questions need to be addressed: (See Figure 1). Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com

Is it cheating? How long do students use the technology? Is the technology a "cast" to remove after a period of time or "glasses" to remain and be used as needed? Who can use the technology? When can they use it? Why? Can the technology be used in testing? How does Inclusive Technology fit with our concept of Response to Intervention?

If there are misunderstandings, questions, confusion or resistance, long lasting change will be difficult to achieve. Ensuring everyone understands this important paradigm shift is key.

Figure 1: Questions to Consider

Student Needs: To truly understand what technology is required, how it will impact learning and who will use it and how, requires boards to examine student needs carefully. It is important to include numbered data and statistics but must go beyond that to include the views of parents and staff who know the students best. What are the learning needs of our students? What are their strengths? What do we do well for students? Where do we need to improve? What data do we have that provides insight into what students need to learn?

Teacher Needs: We know that any initiative that impacts the classroom impacts teachers. It is teachers who are expected to learn the software and integrate it into classroom use. Without teachers no change will happen. Talk to teachers, anonymously. Find out: what has helped, what other support do they need, what hasnt helped. Then consider the following: What skills do the teachers already have in the use of technology? Are teacher's overwhelmed by other initiatives? Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com

How do you get teachers involved and interested? Who is ready to begin? Who is resistant to the change?

Teaching/Learning Strategies: Technology can provide students with access to information but without teachers and the support they bring, learning will be far less accessible for most students. It is important to remember that the technology cant do it all. There is no software to take the place of good teaching. Some important questions to ask include: What learning strategies and teaching methods are we currently using that work for students? How do we know? How will technology support and enhance these strategies and methods? What current initiatives could technology support and enhance (literacy/numeracy)? For example: if there is a focus on writing frameworks how would inclusive technology fit with this initiative? Technology not Software: It is important to talk about technology without being software specific. Learn what the technology can and cant do. Invite someone from inside or outside the school/board to present an overview. This will help ensure all key stakeholders understand the various technologies; what their functions are, their impact on the classroom and students, and how they work together and with current practice to support student success. This type of presentation will help to answer the following: Do we know and understand what technology is currently available to us? Is there any technology that will support our initiatives? What technology will have the most impact? Where do we invest first - screen readers or word prediction? What students would benefit from the different types of technology? How does the different technology connect and interconnect for seamless student support?

Implementation
More than Teachers It takes a village to raise a child is also true about the use of inclusive technology. Everyone needs to be involved; to have a stake in its success. Everyone needs to understand the purpose of the technology and the reasons for using it. Everyone should be encouraged to learn more; to use the technology as required for their own learning and work. The burden of change needs to be distributed so that teachers feel supported and encouraged, while students and their learning remain the key focus. (Figure 2) With this in mind: Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com

How will other stakeholders be introduced to the technology? Will Principals and Superintendents be encouraged to explore and use the technology? How will parents learn about the technology? How will you use students to build awareness, encourage inclusive environment and help move the use of the technology forward? Will teachers/parents/students have access to the technology to learn more or use at home?

Figure 2: Student Centric Approach Learning: Successful implementation requires long term support for long term change. If it is recognized that students learn differently then it is fair to say that teachers learn differently as well. Just as we need to rethink technology we also need to rethink teacher training. (Figure 3) In many districts, a new software arrives and training sessions are provided. At each session participants are lead through the software, given a handout or manual and perhaps given time to "play" with the program. This approach focuses on training and software. Learning sessions focus on curriculum, strategies and teacher learning. Learning sessions that ask important questions and then tie the learning of the software into the answers, are an excellent way to begin the journey of bringing inclusive technology to the classroom Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com

and students. What will my novel study, math lesson or history class look like if I include this technology. What might be different about my final assessment if I include this technology? What does a classroom like mine that successfully uses inclusive technology, look like, sound like and feel like?

Figure 3: Training vs. Learning We also need to look beyond the idea of workshops or learning sessions. There are many ways to encourage the learning process. In Figure 4 it shows some of the ways to help teachers bring inclusive technology into their classroom practice. These are suggestions only; many more ideas could be generated that have a local feel for your district.

Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com

Review and Support If you have been in education for a few years you most likely have seen initiatives come and go. The use of inclusive technology is one initiative that needs to remain. We owe it to our students who struggle with a learning environment that doesn't meet their needs. To help bring about long lasting change some questions need to be addressed: How will we review our progress and celebrate our successes? How will we ensure this initiative continues on regardless of changes in administration or staff? What do we need to put in place to make this part of our culture; part of what we do in our school/board? Software Purchase By asking and answering the above questions there will be a shift in thinking: a shift away from buying software towards investing in learning. However, before the actual software is determined there are a few more questions to consider before decisions are made. Who will make the final decision? Will it be the purchasing department, teachers, a committee? How will the actual software be reviewed? Will a salesperson demonstrate? Will there be pilot projects to determine the choice? Is price the biggest determinant of choice? Whoever is part of this decision ensure they have been a part of the questioning process. Ensure they understand the technology and the reason for its use. Regardless of how the software is chosen remember to dig deep beyond sales presentations and demonstrations. If you view a presentation of the software ask yourself: Is the presenter software focused or student and learning centric? Can they answer the Then What? question? Are the features of the software easy to use and understand? Are the features robust? Do they do what they are supposed to do? Are there additional features that have limited impact on learning? Is the interface simple and intuitive to use or will it require extensive teaching to effectively use? Can a software really do it all? If there is data to support the use of the software, is the data valid? There may be a correlation but no causation. Too often in the past software is purchased and fails to live up to its expectations. It is too important for students to have access to inclusive technology for this type of resource to sit on the desktop underused or unused. Considering each aspect of the process - vision creation, Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com

awareness, needs assessment and teacher support before the purchase, will go a long way to ensuring the tools students need are readily available in every classroom to support, enhance and enrich their learning.

Kendra Grant 2009 kendragrant@rogers.com