Assistive technology for reading and writing, and coping with anxiety

Abstract

It seems that in the 21st century digital technology has evolved to help, assist, and support students with their learning. I wanted to research about anxiety in students and coping with their struggles in reading and writing because it connects with me on a personal level. I did not have the luxury to use the assistive technologies that are out there today. I wanted to find out the benefits and disadvantages of using assistive technologies with students that have anxiety. I believe researching this topic will help me in my future teaching practice because I will have gained more knowledge about my topic. To obtain some background knowledge about my topic, I had to do some research about anxiety in students and students who have difficulties in reading and writing. Through this background research I now have a better understanding about assistive technology and how it can help students. From my research findings, I learned that yes assistive technology can help students with anxiety and problems with reading and writing, but to not let the students become too dependent on the technology. I also found out to make sure the technology matches with the student because if not then the student will avoid using the technology and anxiety can increase. Another key take away from my findings was that I need to be knowledgeable about the assistive technologies I plan on using with students. If I do not have the knowledge it is not going to help a student who has certain learning needs.