Back to School for a Successful School Year Tip from a Teacher…

“One thing that stops learning and is very frustrating for teachers… is many parents want us to use apps and devices and there are TONS of them. In most school districts, however, training is very minimal and if the teacher is not tech savvy, then getting handed a device and having no idea how to use it only hurts the child. To ASSUME the staff knows how to use any specific device means your child may not be getting much use out of it.”

It could be as long as five months into the year with NO training on the app or device and then the student REALLY loses.

Teachers can’t “try it out on the student” when they have no idea how to use it.

There is no time during the school day to learn, think or try out the device.

Teachers need time to learn Dynavox, Eye Gaze, or any other app, for that matter.

Parents CAN HELP!! As part of the IEP team, parents need to INSIST on training for the staff that need it. Making sure all involved know how to use the device…and NOT just a few minutes to try it out. Put the Training TIME needed in the IEP minutes!

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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2017 Magazine