“Boundaries serve not only as constraints but also, oftentimes, as catalysts for innovation.”

I believe teachers should never underestimate their students’ abilities. Working with students who are marginalized, and who are also highly impacted by autism, where language, communication skills, and confidence are lacking, provided me with opportunities to identify professional development resources and opportunities for instructional technology. I make it my mission to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology to engage my students and to provide meaningful benefit in their learning. I work with teenage students who exhibit behaviors that are obstacles to their learning. These behaviors manifest when they become frustrated and are unable to express their needs and wants.

I believe that when we have high expectations for our students, they will rise to meet those expectations. One of our success stories in the classroom was being able to place a communication device in the hands of one of my nonverbal students. After working with her using the Unique Learning platform, and by giving her access to BrainPOP Jr., we were able to show, through assessment data, that this student was comprehending the leveled content at 80 to 100%. We were able to remove any doubt that she was simply guessing. As a technology leader I practice ongoing reflection on the effectiveness of each strategy and digital tool implemented.

I believe in creating a classroom culture where students take ownership of their learning and curiosity is fostered. Because we were able to provide a tool that helped her to express and communicate her wants and needs, we no longer witness self-harming behavior such as biting and throwing herself on the ground. The transformation continues to be remarkable. Academically, her spelling and her vocabulary have improved dramatically. More than that, when a new word or concept is introduced to her, she uses Google to provide her with context and to construct meaning with visual images.

Digital tools which make my teaching job more rewarding and provide me with data to measure success, also provide my students with more engaging ways to access and work with content. When an iPad or a Chromebook is placed in their hands, my students are able to create private viewing windows to avoid being caught off task by their teachers! They play video games with mastery and possess tools such as Bluetooth gaming controllers that they use to play with up to four players on a Bluetooth connected smartphone. Teachers need to harness and take full advantage of these interests and skills. My students, who often have trouble finding words to communicate, interact with each other and collaborate. They decide which games to play together and they support each other.

In his book, The Gamification of Learning and Instruction, Karl Kapp explains the concept of gamification and introduces various examples of gamification at work in education. All students enjoy playing games and through Piaget’s theories, we understand that it is through playing that children make sense of the world around them. I know that my students are very good at playing digital games and I believe it is my responsibility as an educational technology leader to help them to become producers of digital resources, rather than just being consumers of it.

The greatest successes we experience in the classroom have, at their foundation, a digital tool that provides students with a voice. My non-verbal students create short autobiographical videos where they are able to show us who they are. This data is invaluable when developing lessons and units that are relevant.

I believe that computational thinking is a foundational skill. The introduction of the Code.org curriculum into my classroom has had a profound impact on both the students and me. This highly engaging and highly preferred activity has my students reading instructions, implementing computational thinking skills, developing their executive functioning by writing down their plan to solve the problems and collaborating with each other in partner-programming. The once quiet and shy students are enthusiastic learners who have found their voices and gained tremendous confidence.

As a technology leader I support other teachers by helping them to choose the right digital tools and to rethink learning as we work towards Blended Learning and Flipped Learning classroom models. As a leader, I will assure them that they don’t need to implement new digital tools perfectly and will provide guidance and support as they switch roles from teacher to facilitator. Educators need to be reminded that they can support and cultivate learning by creating an environment where risks are taken. It's my belief that we need to model this risk taking so that our students can learn how to value mistakes and see them as necessary steps to learning. I believe that It is time to start focusing on what our students can do and let them enjoy successes that lead to greater confidence and a greater willingness to risk failure.

As a Digital Leader, I advocate for students and make sure that we are able to provide them with the best chance for success. I continue to explore and learn more about virtual reality and augmented reality learning tools through practice and research. I believe students impacted by autism will benefit by engaging with and participating in social emotional learning and life skills using these tools. Additionally, I believe our students can create their own social learning scenarios using the technology as creative producers.

My stated philosophy regarding education is to help students find their voices by integrating creativity and technology in the classroom. These technology tools lead to whole class and small group discussions where students are able to demonstrate their abilities and skills as well as utilize the 21st Century Skills: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking.

References

Iste.org. 2020. ISTE Standards | ISTE. [online] Available at: <https://www.iste.org/standards> [Accessed 5 September 2020].

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: game-based methods and strategies for training and education. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace?