Technology and Funding

       This week we took a look at technology and the funding that is needed to acquire assistive technology. Working in a school that uses all types of assistive technology, I see how difficult it can be to maintain the technology and to constantly update to the newest and most current assistive technology. Some devices may become out dated and less efficient, and therefore useless to the student. This is where funding can comes into play. Schools need funding to be able to provide the most appropriate assistive technology devices for their students. I have seen how difficult it can be to receive adequate funding and how much work it takes to get the funding. The articles we read this week talked a lot about the laws that come into play for technology and how to get appropriate funding to fulfill all the technology needs in a student's IEP.
      The article, Funding Assistive Technology, describes funding and the ways to obtain funding for students with learning disabilities. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts must provide assistive technology for students who have assistive technology devices in their IEP. It is the school districts responsibility to provide the technology and get what ever funding is needed. The difficulty with funding is finding appropriate funding and ensuring that their is no cost to the parents. Funding can be difficult to come by because not all funding sources will approve the technology or approve the newest technology.
      The article, Building an Initial Information Base, goes into detail talking about developing an appropriate educational plan for a student. Once the IEP is written up and evaluated, the assistive technology should then be considered. Under the IDEA, assistive technology must be provided if it is within the education plan of the student. This means finding the necessary funding to make this possible. Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) talks about how assistive technology should always be considered when writing a student's IEP. Students should be provided with all of the resources and tools they need to be successful in school. This improves the "functional levels" of a student who has a disability.
       The last article, Assistive and Universally Designed Technology, discusses "technology making things possible." For some students technology plays a vital role in their education and in their daily form of communication. Without this technology, school would be more difficult then it needs to be. Technology allows people with learning disabilities to live life in anyway they choose and to complete tasks they may have thought were impossible. The key to living a "possible" life is by getting the proper funding to make the technology readily available for anyone who needs it. This is done through funding. This article gave suggestions on how to receive funding and how to work around getting denied. There is always funding out there and as educators, we must advocate for our students to ensure that they are getting the assistive technology they need.
       I found the readings this week to be very informative. I learned about a lot of great resources to use when trying to obtain funding for assistive technology. Technology is a key resource to learning for a student with a learning disability and an IEP. By advocating for our students, we can ensure that they receive the technology devices they need and ensure that the funding is being fought for.