Adventures in WebQuests and learning about Assistive Technology

In terms of how the WebQuest we had to complete for class went, I’m a little unsure. I enjoyed it, sure, and I certainly learned a lot from it, but part of me is walking away uneasy for I am not 100% certain I completely it properly. Setting that fear aside, and focusing solely on the walk-through of the WebQuest and information learned, I think it was an excellent resource. It ultimately seemed like a scavenger hunt, but we just needed to find all the information needed on the website provided. It was frustrating that many of the links didn’t work or that the sites we were linked to were down due to the government shut down, but other than that I think it ran rather smoothly. I may use something like this in my future classroom for it is not that challenging of an assignment but it requires thought and interest to provide good answers. If I were to set up a WebQuest like this for my future classroom I would set it up similarly to this one (though of course links would be up-to-date and accessible, something uncontrollable here) so that all the students would need to do is look through this particular website to get their answers, but they’d also need to think thoroughly about the answers they’re going to give.

I felt I learned a lot about AT/AAC but mostly from the perspective of how it works legally. I have some knowledge of AT from previous classes as well as my current job as a teacher aide in special education classrooms, so more so I was just learning of different specific devices that exist (like the one-handed keyboard). But legally, I wasn’t really aware of any of those mandates or laws (like the Assistive Technology Act which provides funds to states to establish AT centers, provide protection and advocacy, and establish low interest loan programs for AT) or the rules required by employers. I was aware of the anti-discriminatory laws that disallowed discrimination against a student or possible employee because of their disability, but I was unaware of how much responsibility falls on an employer to provide resources for their employees. Being aware of this could certainly help me with future students who are ready to transition into the working world.