HIGH-LEVERAGE PRACTICES IN General Education and Resource CLASSROOMS

Assisted by Assistive Technologies:
From Hurdle to Helper

Episode Description

In this episode, we explore how educators can adapt curriculum materials and tasks to meet diverse learning goals. Erin shares practical strategies drawn from Universal Design for Learning, from small tweaks to fully differentiated options, and highlights how adaptations can support both struggling and advanced learners. We discuss balancing required curriculum with creative flexibility, leveraging tools like graphic organizers and guided notes, and using student choice to boost engagement. This conversation reframes adaptations as dynamic, responsive, and essential for helping every student access and demonstrate learning.

Key Points and Takeaways

  • Technology supports students with disabilities, promoting learning and independence.
  • Students now receive instant, real-time feedback through technology.
  • Technology boosts teacher efficiency, providing quick data and insights.
  • Tech enhances accessibility for all students, aligned with UDL principles.
  • School leaders must train teachers for effective technology use.
Podcast Guest

Eryn Van Acker, PhD

Eryn Van Acker is a school-based academic and behavioral consultant specializing in MTSS, academic skill acquisition, reinforcement strategies, social skills programming, FBAs/BIPs, and local systematic crisis response development including monitoring and observation. She has been a general education teacher, special education teacher, academic and behavioral education specialist, and researcher in resource, inclusion, co-taught, and higher education settings. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys dog behavior training and sports with her two Border Collies. Eryn is an educational consultant with her Bachelors in Elementary Education, Masters in Special Education, Doctorate in Special Education, and is pursuing her BCBA certification.
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High-Leverage Practice #19:
Use assistive and instructional technologies.
Teachers select and implement assistive and instructional technologies to support the needs of students with disabilities. They select and use augmentative and alternative communication devices and assistive and instructional technology products to promote student learning and independence. They evaluate new technology options given student needs; make informed instructional decisions grounded in evidence, professional wisdom, and students’ IEP goals; and advocate for administrative support in technology implementation. Teachers use the universal design for learning (UDL) framework to select, design, implement, and evaluate important student outcomes.
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I think just ways to really be quick, provide that feedback, and then you have all of that data within that system just easily, easily generated for you is so wonderful these days.

Eryn Van Acker

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Host: Heather Volchko

Guest: Eryn Van Acker

For this hlp, we are talking about using assistive and instructional technologies. And, Erin, I'm excited to have this conversation with you because you did so much work in the classrooms leading up to COVID, and then I've continued to engage in those classrooms from COVID forward. So I'm excited to see all the different types of practices that show up across both of our different spaces. So for you, in your practice, what has assistive and instructional technologies looked like?

I think one thing that has really come up is a lot of the instruction that's more focused online now. So where students are engaged and it's kind of leveled for them, and where we'll adjust specifically for them as they're involved with the lessons, and then where we can both get diagnostics, and then that helps also identify, like, okay, these are the key skills that they need to work on, and it generates different programs for them or activities based on those skills they need to learn. I think we see that so much more now than we ever have.

I think, you know, years ago, when I started in the classroom, we had that to an extent. Right. But it's just, you know, the boom of technology has really taken over. So, yeah, I think a lot of instruction now, like where we'll see it, you know, maybe you do teach a little bit of a whole class lesson or mini lessons, but a lot of times, then there's sometimes instructional technology takes over where students are on their computers engaging with online platforms for either a whole lesson or maybe it's part of center or independent work, right?

And then I think, also integrated with kind of classroom management. So there's Class Dojo and different things to where you can really identify students, provide points if you're in point systems, when they're demonstrating desired behaviors. And I think it can just be so much faster. So you can give it to them. They get that message immediately. And you don't have to worry about going to the whiteboard and removing a mark or going to the desk and, you know, giving them that specific feedback. Now it's great to still go to their desk and give them that specific feedback. But especially for general education teachers. Right. Who may have 35, 40 students, that's not always possible. So I think just ways to really be quick, provide that feedback, and then you have all of that data within that system just easily, easily generated for you is so wonderful these days.

I think instructional technology, you're talking feedback that can be behavioral feedback, instructional feedback. I mean, there's so many different aspects of feedback that instructors are constantly providing to their students. And quite honestly, one of the things that I have loved, especially coming out in the past few years, is that now there's like augmented feedback. And so not only are we able to leverage some technology to find some levels of students, again of assuming that they're engaging with these things appropriately, not doing the click test or speed runs, right, all of this stuff, but assuming that they're actually engaging in those, we can get faster and really pretty dang reliable ideas about like, where our students are at.

But then within that program, it's already built in to have like, here's where, you know, here's a misstep on this piece, or this is, you know, a component of what you were trying to do. And we've identified this lagging skill, and so now we can, you know, go in that direction. I do appreciate as an instructor, most of those platforms have override options. So I can look at it and be like, nah, that was a click test. You know, like we were, we did some classroom stuff, and we know that that's not where the kid is at.

Or they finished in less than a minute, right?

Yes, exactly. But it's like as an instructor, then I am able to cover so much more ground so much more quickly, and my students can get that real-time feedback that, let's be honest, like right now everything is like instantaneous. And so even something like taking homework home to do it and then bringing it back for feedback, that is a very lengthy feedback loop compared to that instantaneous results. I mean, that's where the flipped classroom came from.

I mean, that's something we leveraged a ton in COVID, was instead of, you know, bringing your work back and checking, is like, we can actually just do it together. And then you can take that instructional piece home, and then we can, you know, you do that offline, and then come back in and we'll engage in that interactive learning piece together. But all of that, like, tech is what has made that possible. Not just, you know, I think back to like when computers were first starting to become part of instruction. Now it's just integrated into how we do instruction.

And gosh, that has to be so great for parents as well, right? That they don't need to worry about where's your homework or your books or all of this or how am I supposed to help you? Like, it's just there on their computers and they have that support already based in the computer, like within their programs that they don't need to figure out.

Yeah, for Sure. I mean, like, and even, you know, I think about our students who struggle with maybe executive functioning and some organizational, you know, needs where they're not, you know, walking around with binders full of all these papers sticking out of everywhere and they can't find anything. It's like, no, it's electronically already organized for you, so as long as you can find where you need to go, then you can just plug in. And so it has actually expedited the learning of some of our students that have some of those executive functioning challenges. Now, of course, it shows up in other ways because now it's less tangible. And so some of those things that are really helpful when you're, you know, struggling to kind of ground yourself into routines. Now it's like the same screen for everything. And so it's like now you're getting lost in a virtual space as opposed to getting lost in like an overwhelming physical space.

But I'm curious for you, like, how have you seen, over the course of time, like, how have you seen instructional tech show up? I'm thinking even like back to maybe some of like your earlier teaching and where tech was feeling pretty cutting edge at that point, and now we're like, oh, gosh, that's just kind of how things go.

Yeah. I mean, gosh, when I first started as a general education teacher, right? Like, and we had AR reading. I don't even remember what that stands for. Accelerated reading. Yeah. And students could access some books online, Right. Or and they could take their tests about a book online and they could also go get. Go to the library or go to the classroom library and get physical books. That matched those. And then they could take their little test online and it would print out a Scantron.

Yes!

And tell me where they were at with those quizzes. And then I feel, you know, we moved more and more and then we got like smart whiteboards, like our smart boards and all of that, which is great. Where it's like, I can have my whole lesson. I can have like embedded videos and students can actually come up and interact with the board and the lesson, to now, I mean, every, like they're just sitting at their desk and they have their computer and really the entire class can be online.

I've walked into some classrooms and students are just like, they're not even interacting with the teacher and they're. Or physically. Like, the teacher is in the classroom, but they're doing all their interaction virtually, which is mind-boggling to me. But that's the way we're trending. So. But I think with that, like you said, like, there's so much more immediate feedback individualization that can happen just right away, and it can really take that off the plate of the teacher. To where they can really focus on, okay, maybe they can pinpoint, like, this student struggling a little bit more with this. So how can I add additional supports and not have to worry about, like, all of the testing themselves?

Like, even that benchmark testing? I remember it would take weeks for me to test all of my students. Right. I had 35 first graders when I taught first grade. I mean, it took weeks to do just our reading level tests three times a year. And to think of just all that instructional time that then my students really missed out on because they have a sub while I'm testing all of my students. And that still happens in a lot of schools where we're doing that, but we do have a lot more just integrated assessments as well that are virtual programming.

Yeah. I just think, like, it's really expanding the capacity of what we can accomplish while still giving us the data that we need to make good instructional decisions as that instructional leader in our classroom. And I'm thinking of, like, those relays where you used to, like, ask a question and then someone had to come up and like, say the answer quickly and then go back and like, you had these relay pieces, but you were still only max testing, what, two, three, however many teams you had going. It's a teeny percentage of the class where now things like Kahoot are everywhere. So everybody's on their screens, but the whole class is engaging and you have data on every single kid, on how every one of them answered every single question.

Like, think about expanding those opportunities to respond with that. Where it's like every single question, every student can respond in their own individual way and get immediate feedback on that.

Yeah. And I mean, it's. I don't know. I feel like sometimes practitioners can be a little scared. I know. Especially right now in the world of AI. Right. Like, is AI going to replace teachers? Right. There's all these conversations where I don't think from our conversation so far, I'm hearing anything that's like, oh, yeah, I just kick back and let the computer let it, like, do my instruction for me. It's more like it's supplementing in ways and really expediting my efficiency to be able to continue to do the teaching thing and to meet my students where they're at. But now I can do it faster or more Informed or, like, there's all these, like, additional efficiency pieces that tech is really bringing us right now, right?

And I think, like, just the level that you can even interact with your students through that. Like, even just through Google Docs, right? Really creating, like, different lesson plans and providing that feedback within there. I am sure, you know, a lot more programs that also offer those capabilities, but where you can really interact and scaffold the lesson for every student or individual students, right? As they need.

Yeah. I mean, I think back to, like, I'm teaching English and alternative ed, and writing was like the number one hated activity of every single one of my students. I mean, all the way back to the days of me teaching GED prep, right? Like, writing had always been that sticking point. And so in the building that I was working in, students were not allowed access to cell phones. So they had to check it at the door, and then they could come in and they could pick it up on the way out of our building.

And so this one student could tell you all the right things, could not, like, just the frustration tolerance with a keyboard on a computer or physically writing was just problematic. But as soon as you gave him that phone on the way out the door, his thumbs were flying the whole way. Before he'd even made it to the bus, he'd responded to a million different messages, right? And so I was like, gosh, can we, like, can we play with this? 

And so then it was like, okay, can we for this one class period? And we literally put his Google Doc up on the front board so it's full transparency. You could see exactly like, was he actually working all of that? But then he literally sat there and typed with his thumbs. Beautiful responses. And so it went from full resistance. I, like, there are limitations here, and I'm getting frustrated. I'm done. I'm just not going to do it the whole way to, then he was having some of the best writing. Like, some of the staff didn't even know that that was in him because there was this gap, right? And that's even tech within tech, right? Like tech using a keyboard versus tech doing, you know, with my thumbs. And now it's all swipe text.

So there's so many of these different, you know, ways of communicating that I'm thinking, especially our older students are maybe more used to not saying that, like, you need to know how to use a computer for your job or, like, those kinds of things. You can't always do everything on your phone. But I myself definitely have a variety of tasks that I will gladly sit on my phone and knock out and then I'll go to my computer and do other things. Right. Like, there's just a bunch of different ways to do work now that crosses all of these different forms of technology.So with our students, like, why not?

Absolutely. Yeah. And that made me think, you know, one of the biggest areas of resistance that I would find in my classrooms and with teachers that I work with is writing. Like, writing is just, it's laborious. And if you don't have, like, if you're not strong at it, like, it can really be a struggle and just think, you know, like before you'd have to go and you'd have to meet with like your AT director to make sure, like to get co writer different programs to support students so that they have like speech to text or predictive text. And now like that's just embedded into everything. Right. So every student has access to that.

Yeah, I think those. It's those accessibility pieces, right? It's the UDL aspect where if it's good for some, it's probably good for all, and different people will leverage it in different ways. But why not, right? Like, it's just expanding the opportunity of access to instruction and the opportunities for students to respond to their learning.

When we think instructional technologies, I think a lot of times this high-leverage practice is focused on, like, we've been talking about the feedback to students, but families are part of that feedback loop. And so for them to know how their students are doing is also part of this. And that's something that I think before COVID, we saw, you know, more of that coming through. So I'm thinking of like, you had already mentioned Class Dojo, but there's also like Remind 101 or Bloom. And I don't even know if some of these are still around, but like, they were so common and it was a way of like cutting out the emails. And instead then they could get these quick notifications, especially as smartphones are becoming more commonplace. Then it was just fitting into the typical communication flow on the receiving end, as opposed to like the formalities that emails bring. Or, quite honestly, just a lot of, you know, ads and you know, clutter that fills up in the email inboxes anyway.

But then in COVID, it became a necessity because students were at home and it was more than just having a family help their kid get to the bus. It was now the family has to engage with the student enough to make sure are you actually online. Just because you're on your computer doesn't mean you're with your teacher and like, all of those things. So that need to close the communication gap with our families to make instruction possible boomed in COVID.

And so I saw a lot of practitioners get really creative in how they engage their families. I even had families just participating and learning. We had families that also had, you know, skill deficits of their own, that then they were participating with their students and gaining those skills. And it was just like, hey, we're all at home. Let's just do some learning. And it was just like this open, welcome space. And then to shift that back to now, where the student is gone and the families are at home to maintain some of that, that's where we did see anything that is not just providing access to grades, but the updates of being like, hey, your kid just blew their most recent diagnostic out of the water. Like, holy smokes, this is such a phenomenal growth piece. Or noticing that different behavior points are coming through. Or I've used some platforms where we can then say, like, hey, your student just cashed out for, you know, DoorDash lunch, or whatever that is. 

But to be able to have that open communication with parents, especially with students who are struggling, is such a game changer because so frequently, like, as practitioners, we are identifying what's not working, and then we know that we need to communicate with our families, but so often, then we're communicating what's not working. As opposed to that full picture, that, yes, there's things that aren't working, but there's things that are as well. And so we've been able to leverage. Leverage some of that instructional tech, not just for the feedback for the student, but also to then push that information to their families so that they can actually see what's going on a little bit more transparently too, which has been really beautiful in the current season.

That's great. I think especially thinking of our students who struggle, right? Where a lot of times parents only hear from the teacher, right? When the student has acted up in class or something went wrong. So really making that easier so that you can provide that quick, hey, they did this wonderful thing in class today. I'm really proud of them. Or just keeping that positive communication open is wonderful.

I also think that would have been amazing for me when I had students where it was like, every single day we had a journal with the parents, so the student would take the journal home. You know, I would write, like, how the student did during the day, like, what we did, how they did, you know, etc. like, just keeping open communication of what happened, and then the parent would respond about, like, how the night went, morning went, just so everybody was on common ground. And we could really support the students in the best way possible.

I wish that could have been on some sort of online platform at that point. It was just so hard, you know, like, the notebook would get lost at home, right? Or, like, parents were busy and would forget to put in the backpack, or the student would. Or, you know, like, it would just get lost in the shuffle of life. Or even at the end of the day, it would be a crazy end of the day at the classroom, and it wouldn't always get put in the student's backpack. And so just really having that easy, clean piece to keep that open communication with parents and really, you know, so you can work together and figure out what's best for the student would have been wonderful.

Well, I think, if anything, our conversation is just looking at, like, technology can really expand the capacities of the already overflowing plates of our practitioners. And so in a day and age where sometimes tech can feel a little scary, it's looking at, you know, how can it support me in my practice? What do I need to do? How can it actually help me move a little faster or be more efficient or get better data or, you know, like, what is it that it can really do on my behalf and with me so that I can then actually do, in my opinion, like, the fun part of education and like, actually doing that learning with my students and being able to leverage tech to facilitate that in all these, like, strategic, intentional, you know, pockets of everything that goes into education.

I think this has been a really cool conversation to just open up all of these opportunities and knowing that, like, there's no one-size-fits-all all. There's no yes or no. It's up to that practitioner and those student needs in that context to figure out really what's going to meet those needs.

So thank you so much for engaging in this conversation with me. I know we've seen a lot of different things over our practices. And we've seen it from different angles, too. So. Yeah, thanks for just opening up this can of worms on all things tech.

Yeah, thank you. And thanks for sharing your experiences.

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It's really expanding the capacity of what we can accomplish while still giving us the data that we need to make good instructional decisions as that instructional leader in our classroom.

Heather Volchko

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When we talk about technology for students with disabilities, it generally falls into two categories: assistive and instructional. Assistive technology, often referred to as AT, includes tools like augmentative and assistive communication devices (AACs), which are crucial for giving students access to instruction. These devices can range from something as simple as a pencil grip to more advanced tools, like text-to-speech features or communication devices that allow nonverbal students to interact with others. The beauty of assistive technology is that it's personalized, specifically designed to meet individual needs and reduce the impact of a disability, whether that means improving communication, mobility, or access to learning.


On the other hand, instructional technologies are geared more toward supporting the learning process itself. Think about software or interactive games that help students stay engaged, or instructional videos that make learning more dynamic. Special education teachers often blend both assistive and instructional technologies to create a customized approach that meets the unique needs of their students. These tools work together to ensure that students can fully participate and thrive in their learning environments.


Technology is everywhere in schools, shaping the way both teachers and students engage with learning. However, despite its constant presence, it’s not always used as effectively as it could be to support the specific needs of students with disabilities. Just because technology is available doesn’t mean it will automatically make a difference in student outcomes, especially when we’re talking about students with unique learning challenges. Educators have to be cautious about simply picking tools and expecting immediate improvements in student performance.


This is where a thoughtful approach comes into play, especially in relation to IEPs, which have a designated section focused on assistive technology. These tools are meant to help students access the general curriculum and extracurricular activities, whether it's through communication aids, mobility devices, or tools that assist with reading, writing, or note-taking. The key here is to think critically about how these technologies can be integrated into a student’s learning plan to help them meet both short-term and long-term goals. Importantly, students also need to be explicitly taught how to use these tools effectively, and ongoing feedback is essential to ensure they’re using them in ways that truly enhance their learning. This aligns with best practices outlined in High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), like systematically designing instruction (HLP 11), providing explicit instruction (HLP 16), and offering quality feedback (HLP 8/22). These elements are crucial in making sure technology doesn’t just exist in the classroom but actively contributes to student success.


When we talk about effectively promoting active student engagement, especially in classrooms where students have diverse learning needs, assistive technology (AT) plays a vital role. For students to truly benefit, teachers need to consider AT in a way that aligns with each student's specific goals and their access to the general curriculum and extracurricular activities. One of the best ways to do this is by using the SETT framework, which looks at the student’s strengths and needs, the learning environments, the tasks they’re expected to complete, and the tools—like AT devices—that can support them. This process allows teachers to directly integrate AT into IEP goals, ensuring that technology isn’t just an add-on but a fundamental part of how the student engages with learning. And it’s not just about picking the right tools; it's about collecting and analyzing data on how effectively those tools are working across different instructional settings. Adjustments might need to be made as the student progresses, ensuring that AT continues to support them in meaningful ways.


Instructional technologies (IT) also deserve attention, particularly in core academic areas. Teachers should be thinking about how IT can reduce the challenges students face—whether by minimizing reading difficulties, increasing engagement, or reducing the cognitive load on students. Accessibility is key; we need to evaluate and address any barriers that might prevent students from using IT effectively. This means providing clear instruction on how to use the technology, explaining why it’s being used, modeling it for students, and offering scaffolded practice opportunities so they can eventually use the technology independently. To maximize its impact, educators should also be evaluating how well IT supports students in reaching their learning goals.


The principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are invaluable here. By designing instruction that increases engagement, improves access to content, and offers multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding, technology becomes a tool that fosters active engagement and achievement, not just something that sits passively in the background. It’s about strategically integrating these technologies to enhance learning outcomes for all students.


School leaders play a critical role in ensuring that teachers are equipped with the tools and knowledge they need to effectively integrate assistive and instructional technologies into their classrooms. One of the most impactful ways to support teachers is through targeted instruction, professional development, and coaching that covers a broad range of AT and IT options. This is especially important given the diverse needs of students and the variety of settings in which these technologies can be applied. It's not enough just to introduce these tools; it’s essential to observe teachers in action, providing feedback on how well the technology aligns with both student needs and the curriculum’s demands. This kind of feedback helps ensure that technology isn’t just used for the sake of it, but that it’s truly serving its purpose in advancing student learning.


Collaboration is another key piece of the puzzle. Encouraging content teachers, technology coordinators, and special education teachers to work together fosters a shared understanding of both emerging technologies and innovative uses of existing tools. Often, the best solutions come from these collaborative efforts, where new ideas are exchanged, and educators can learn about “tricks” or strategies to make the most of the technology at their disposal.


For those teachers or staff members who may feel hesitant or uncomfortable with technology, providing support is crucial. It’s about making the benefits of technology use visible—whether that’s through modeling how it can enhance learning or through direct coaching. By showing teachers the real impact technology can have, we can help build their confidence and encourage more widespread adoption of these valuable tools in supporting student success.


Students with disabilities experience significant benefits when they have access to assistive technology devices and services, as well as when teachers leverage instructional technology to address their unique needs. As technology continues to rapidly evolve, it's inevitable that it will have an even greater impact on students’ lives, both in and out of the classroom. This creates a pressing need for school professionals to make increasingly critical decisions about how to allocate resources when selecting, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of various technology tools. Special education teachers, in particular, have a pivotal role to play in this landscape. They must stay informed about the latest technology developments and collaborate with their school or district technology specialists to ensure that assistive and instructional technologies are used as effectively as possible to meet the needs of students with disabilities. These partnerships and a proactive approach to technological advancements are key to supporting the success of students with disabilities in an ever-changing educational environment.

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