ICT in the Classroom: "Necessary for some, good for all"

"Necessary for some, good for all." I love this saying because it means that while I can use technology to assist students with special needs, I can use the same technology to enrich the learning of everyone else in class and extend the learning for the students who need a challenge.  And if everyone is using technology to complete tasks, no one is feeling singled out.

Many of my special needs students in the past have been hesitant to start using technology if they were the only ones in class using it.  They already felt embarrassed that they could not do the same as all the others and getting a Chromebook or iPad to work on while everyone else was using pen and paper, made them feel even worse.  Once they see the benefits and become more independent, usually they stop caring so much, but it does make the initial sell tough.  However, if everyone uses it, nobody needs to feel excluded or singled out in anyway and all learners can become more independent in their learning.  By careful planning and giving students choice using technology, everyone can be successful at their own level.