The Expert Model DOES NOT WORK!
I have done extensive work with state agencies and other organizations providing training to promote team capacity building training.
AT Journey Symposium (MI)
The AT Journey was developed collaboratively with Alt+Shift. The AT Journey helps intermediate school districts support their local districts and programs to create sustainable, capacity-building systems that strengthen the delivery of AT services to students. Through both in-person and remote learning, participants go on a “journey” to demystify the complexity surrounding AT consideration, selection, and implementation. This course aims to shift the mindset of viewing AT as an expert model to seeing it as a collaborative, integrated process. The course also builds the capacity and confidence of staff members through the sharing of information with colleagues.
Want to see the areas of focus for the AT Journey? Check out the self guided AT Journey Web Modules
New Hampshire Assistive Technology in Education
Through a two year grant with the New Hampshire Department of Education, this capacity building project aimed to increase district capacity to provide quality, effective assistive technology services for all learners.
Goals of the New Hampshire Assistive Technology in Education: Implementation for Students with Significant Disabilities (NHATE-SSD) Project:
- Provide a systematic infrastructure in order to build state and local capacity to improve educational results for students with significant disabilities throughout New Hampshire.
- Provide technical assistance of a specialized nature to the Department so that districts may effectively and efficiently identify, clarify and address responsibilities under State and federal special education laws.
- Expose New Hampshire educators to a hybrid learning experience (New Hampshire Assistive Technology in Education: Implementation for Students with Significant Disabilities (NHATE-SSD) Project) that utilizes a research based system of quality indicators to promote effective, efficient Assistive Technology services for students with significant disabilities. (Quality Indicators for AT Consideration; Assessment; Inclusion in IEP; Implementation; Evaluation of Effectiveness; Transition; Professional Development and Training; and, Administrative Support).
- Promote infrastructure development, compliance and implementation with fidelity of evidence based practices, through the five phases of implementation science (Exploration, Preparation, Integration, Scale and Optimization) in order to improve results for all students, including students with significant disabilities, who need Assistive Technology devices and services in order to be successful.
- Understand State and Federal laws pertaining to Assistive Technology, including considering and evaluating the need for AT devices and services, legal obligations for ensuring access to the general curriculum, and providing accessible educational materials as defined by IDEA, Sections 504 and 508; Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2, Level AA (WCAG2.0AA) and both the National Education Technology Plan of 2010 and the 2017 update (released January 2017); Education Technology Developer’s Guide of 2015
- For educators, demonstrate a practical understanding of AT, UDL and their respective Frameworks, Guidelines and Resources including: SETT Framework, QIAT Indicators, AT in the IEP, UDL Lesson-Builder, including Tools & Strategies for evaluation of the needs of students with significant disabilities.
- Demonstrate ability to access, create and use the Accessible Educational Materials services provided privately and through state and federal funding for students with print-based disabilities including: NIMAS, Library, Bookshare, Learning Ally, Open Education Resources (OER), Accessible Book Collection, AEM Center, captioning tools, image descriptions, document formatting, audio files etc.
- Develop plans for next steps in the implementation of Assistive Technology in the classroom/school/district, including Student Assessment, Technology Implementation, Identification of available resources, plans for Professional Development and ongoing Dissemination of Information.
Let’s collaborate to facilitate success for all learners
These areas of focus can be adjusted / modified to meet the specific needs of your group. Do you have a specific focus of your training needs? Let’s talk – this training can be adjusted to focus on any area of AT service delivery (education, employment, community living).
Does this sound like the path to assistive technology success for your group? Contact me to discuss the details.
