'Necessary for some, good for all'.

The quote “Necessary for some, good for all,” is a great phrase when we talk about implementing technology into the classroom for special needs students. We as educators have a responsibility to prepare all of our students for success. When dealing with technology, we are using differentiated instruction to provide for the needs of our students. Sometimes providing a specific tool for a student is absolutely necessary in order for that child to be successful within the classroom environment. An example of this would be when I had a student with CP in Gr. 4. This student required assistive technology such as an iPad. I used an app called Abilipad for her to type journal responses. It provided word prediction and was extremely beneficial to her. However, we must also look at that tool and say that if it’s beneficial to this child, why not offer that tool to others. In that same Gr. 4 classroom, I provided several students the opportunity to use the iPad and that same application. We all learn in different ways, and what is necessary for some, might also be helpful for others.