Abstract

Access to instruction is key to students' success. Deaf and hard of hearing students who gain skills to become independent learners are better prepared to pursue higher-level education with confidence and to have independence in the work place environment (Anderson, 2014). As an itinerant educator, Victoria Bricker works with students' teachers and parents--and teamwork is essential. They share ideas to benefit students along their journey of learning. Since she is in a small school system--Asheville City Schools in Asheville, North Carolina--she works with 25 deaf and hard of hearing students who have Individualized Education Programs or 504 plans. Providing iPads to deaf and hard of hearing students in order for them to access curriculum and to foster academic independence started as a search to help a struggling ninth grade student. It was a journey that included the students' parents, the school system, and, perhaps most of all, the student himself. This endeavor led to discovering how iPads can be used in the classroom and was instrumental in making iPads an important part of her toolkit for engaging deaf and hard of hearing students in her school system. Bricker describes her journey herein and demonstrates how today's deaf and hard of hearing students are pioneers, showing adults what they can do independently when given the technology that provides them with access to learning. With high expectations from their parents and teachers and today's technology in place for meaningful educational use, these students will be ready for college and careers.

Citation

Bricker, V. (2015). iPads for Access, Independence, and Achievement. Odyssey: New Directions in Deaf Education, 16, 10-13. Retrieved March 23, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/158486/.

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Keywords

• Accessibility (for Disabled)
• assistive technology
• Change Strategies
• Classroom Environment
• Classroom Techniques
• Deafness
• Educational Practices
• Handheld Devices
• Partial Hearing
• Student Improvement
• Technology Uses in Education