For this week’s class, we were honoured to have Tracy Humphreys, guest speaker, lead our class lecture. Tracy taught us all about technology and inclusion in classrooms, which I found very beneficial. Tracy works for BCEdAccess Society, which is a volunteer-run program that serves families of students with disabilities throughout B.C. This program helps families of complex students relate together by highlighting challenges that they possibly may face while receiving education in B.C. Schools.

The BCEd Access Society helps provide education to families by promoting equality and inclusion for all students. In our lecture, Tracy touched on the fact that some parents deny the use of technology and are against its use in the classroom. However, especially in our COVID-19 times where face-to-face gatherings should be limited, the use of technology in classrooms is more vital than ever. Technology is growing and expanding everyday, and can be a rather useful tool to implement into classes to enhance students learning. In the lecture, we engaged in a discussion regarding how students with learning disabilities can strive and learn better with the use of technology. Personally, I shared a moment from when I used to work in after school care. There was a child who had troubles speaking until she/he was the age of 4-5, and until then she/he could only say particular sounds. However, with the use of an iPad and pictures, she/he was able to communicate better with the teachers and eventually learned to read the words of what she/he wanted to say. I am sure that they are several more various stories that individuals can share relating to a moment where they believe that technology can help students with complex needs to strive in a classroom. With proper support and access to these resources, education systems can help students succeed in all aspects of their lives, as well as continue to progress these types of learning methods.

I included the link to Tracy’s website, as I would like to possibly use it in the future as a reference.