"I dream of creating a community where every student is valued and plays an active role with their peers. I work to teach students and staff how to implement the assistive technology (AT) tools necessary for our students to have a voice in their community. I really like being able to help kids all over Washtenaw County meet their educational goals using technology. I worked at Michigan Medicine before coming to WISD, and I continue to work with the University in my current role. To be able to bring those two worlds together and have communication between them really makes a difference. It's helpful for families and students to be able to say, "Hey, this worked in the hospital. Can we apply it at school?" and vice versa. We are all members of the student’s team and can work towards the shared goal of the student’s success in their community.
My work designing and building switch-adapted toys for students who are switch learners provides benefits to many students in Washtenaw County. This year, I'm mentoring high school students who are working with my switch-adapted toy program, which modifies toys so children with disabilities can play with them. General education high school students created some toys under the direction of AT professionals to get the hang of it. We talked about what makes a good toy, how you pick out a toy, and then they found their own toys and modified them. They figured out which wires they needed to cut and solder, and how they can make the toys accessible to a student with a disability. This program empowers students with disabilities to give gen ed students the opportunity to learn valuable STEM skills and build a more accessible community for their peers.
Sometimes this work is challenging. Technology is complicated, the world of education is complicated and human bodies are complicated. I try to appreciate all the small wins for each student, because they will eventually add up to big wins. Our students and families are always working through unique and complicated challenges. I hope I can help them move towards solutions that will make life a little easier. I tell people to keep their eyes on the wins and keep going for the next win so you don’t get buried in all the complications.
Our students should come into our classrooms to get experience with great technology so they know what they need for the next classroom they're going to go into. If they choose to go back to their local district or if they move on to college or get a job, they will be prepared because of the experience we gave them. Whatever their next step is, we want to help them learn what accommodations they need to be successful in those environments and to be able to advocate for themselves."
Inspired by (and with special permission from!) the original "Humans of New York," the "Humans of WISD" storytelling project is uncovering what drives our WISD team and why they're passionate about their work in the district and in our community.