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For this task, I considered a child with sequencing difficulties, which impacts both literacy and numeracy. Using the SETT framework (Student, Environment, Tasks, Tools), I first looked at the student’s needs: challenges in remembering and organising steps, difficulty retelling stories, and problems following multi-step maths problems. In terms of environment, the child is working in a mainstream classroom where technology is available, including laptops and tablets. The task is to support the child’s ability to structure ideas in literacy (such as sequencing events in a story) and to follow logical steps in numeracy (like solving word problems or completing operations in order).
The tools I would use include Microsoft OneNote with Immersive Reader, which allows text to be read aloud and broken into manageable chunks, helping with story sequencing. For writing, Book Creator or PowerPoint can let the student create visual storyboards with images and audio, reinforcing story order. In numeracy, Khan Academy Kids offers interactive activities that allow the child to practise ordering numbers and following step-by-step problem-solving in a scaffolded way. Alongside these high-tech supports, low/no-tech strategies are equally valuable. These include story sequencing cards, number lines, coloured overlays, and step-by-step visual instruction boards. By combining both digital and non-digital approaches, the child can strengthen sequencing skills across contexts, ensuring flexibility, independence, and greater access to the curriculum.
Part 1:
For this activity, I designed a PowerPoint “podcast” for a student to share their summer holiday experiences. The student has specific learning needs, including difficulties with expressive language and written communication, which can make traditional oral presentations or written assignments challenging and sometimes overwhelming. Using a PowerPoint podcast allows the student to combine visual, auditory, and textual elements, providing multiple ways to express ideas and demonstrate learning, which aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
The visual slides support memory and sequencing by providing prompts for each part of the story, while the audio narration allows the student to record their own voice, reducing the pressure of live speaking and building confidence. Adding images or symbols reinforces comprehension and gives the student a tangible way to connect ideas. The digital format also allows for repeated practice and editing, giving the student control over their learning and encouraging independence.
This approach is effective because it caters to the student’s strengths while providing scaffolds for areas of difficulty, supporting engagement, motivation, and self-expression. It also creates a multimodal learning experience that develops literacy, communication, and digital skills simultaneously. By using a familiar and creative tool like PowerPoint, the student can participate meaningfully, feel successful, and share their experiences in an accessible and enjoyable way.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1j0jn-4ZAxeuKSJtTangJE84b4pDgRTU2ftUKWb-iTrI/edit?usp=sharing
Part 2:
I strongly agree with the principles of COSÁN, the National Framework for Teachers’ Learning, which emphasises that teachers are lifelong learners and should continually develop their professional knowledge and skills. COSÁN recognises that teaching is a dynamic profession, requiring educators to adapt to evolving curricula, diverse student needs, and new technologies. By engaging in ongoing professional development (CPD), teachers can enhance their practice, implement innovative teaching strategies, and respond effectively to the changing educational landscape.
I believe that CPD is essential because it ensures teachers remain informed, reflective, and responsive practitioners. Lifelong learning allows teachers to refine their pedagogy, explore evidence-based approaches, and support student outcomes more effectively. For example, engaging with CPD on assistive technology and inclusive practices has shown me how even small adjustments can make learning more accessible for all students.
Part One:
I will answer part one of this question by drawing on a hypothetical support plan I created for a student named Molly, using the SETT framework to show how assistive technology can be matched to her specific needs. In the Student section of the plan, Molly is a 6-year-old in First Class who is sociable, enjoys sports, and learns best through hands-on activities. Her main challenge is segmenting, blending, and reading consonant digraphs in multi-syllabic nouns, so any supports must target this specific skill.
In the Environment section, her classroom is organised in mixed-ability groups with access to a range of no-tech to high-tech tools, including iPads, an interactive whiteboard, and headphones. Knowing this, I would ensure Molly is seated where she can see the teacher’s instruction clearly and has easy access to her iPad with preloaded apps, reducing transition time.
In the Task section, her goal is to learn and recognise consonant digraphs such as “wh”, “ch” and “th” and to blend and segment these in words like “chap”, “chat”, “whine” and “bath.” The supports in the Tools section are selected to match these tasks. For example, Star Fall on the iPad provides interactive phonics practice with visual and audio prompts to strengthen blending skills, while Immersive Reader allows her to access the same reading material as her peers but with customisable text-to-speech and highlighting to support decoding.
To monitor progress, I would use baseline phonics checks at the start, followed by regular running records and observations to see how independently and confidently Molly uses the tools. I would also keep samples of her work and check in with her regularly to gauge her comfort and engagement with the supports.
By aligning Molly’s School Support File with the SETT plan, I can ensure her learning targets are supported by the right tools in the right environment, with ongoing review to ensure her needs are consistently met.
Part 2:
Reflecting on Molly’s SETT plan has really helped me see how assistive technology can be used in a practical and meaningful way to support a child’s learning. At first, I automatically thought of AT as only high-tech tools, but planning for Molly has shown me how important it is to consider the environment, tasks, and how the tools are used. Using apps like Star Fall and Immersive Reader could make learning consonant digraphs more engaging for her, while still allowing her to access the same content as her classmates. Thinking about seating, noise levels, and how she interacts with her iPad also reminded me that small adjustments can make a big difference. Linking the SETT plan to her School Support File makes it clear how her strengths, challenges, and previous supports guide the choices I make. Overall, this plan has helped me understand how to use AT to create more purposeful and inclusive learning.
Through my own experience in college, I regularly used Immersive Reader to go through my assignments before submitting them. Listening to my work read aloud helped me identify awkward phrasing, spot errors, and improve the overall flow of my sentences. Having used it first hand, I have seen how powerful it can be, not just for proofreading but also for supporting reading comprehension, vocabulary development and fluency. For students in the SET classroom, Immersive Reader can offer the same benefits by breaking text into manageable chunks, providing visual tracking and allowing them to hear the text read aloud at their own pace, which can be especially valuable for pupils with dyslexia or other literacy challenges.
In almost every school I have subbed in, I have noticed that iPads are available, yet I had not fully appreciated how certain apps could be used to their full potential until completing this module. One example is Office Lens, which I now recognise as a tool that can greatly benefit both teachers and students. For teachers it can reduce workload by quickly capturing and digitising classroom materials. For students it can turn printed text into a digital format that can then be used with Immersive Reader. This means a pupil can access the same reading activity as the rest of the class but with the text differentiated to meet their needs, whether that is through text to speech, line focus or changing background colours to improve readability.
By combining these tools, technology becomes more than just a resource; it becomes a way to adapt learning so that every pupil can engage meaningfully with literacy supports built directly into the materials they use.
This module has deepened my understanding of how assistive technology (AT) can contribute to a more equitable classroom—one in which every child is enabled to reach their potential in their own unique way. The SETT framework has been particularly valuable in showing me how to apply AT in a way that is truly responsive to a child’s needs, starting with the student rather than the tool.
A key shift in my thinking has been realising that AT is not limited to high-tech solutions. Before this module, I associated AT almost exclusively with advanced devices or specialised tools. Now I understand that AT exists on a spectrum from no-tech to low-tech to high-tech, and that even the simplest adjustments, such as altering the classroom layout, or using visual supports, can remove barriers to participation and engagement. These supports, when chosen through a needs-focused process like SETT, can be just as impactful as more advanced tools.
This broadened understanding has direct implications for the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process. By recognising the value of no/low-tech AT, schools can set improvement targets that focus on raising teacher awareness of the full range of AT options, embedding simple solutions into everyday classroom practice, and gathering evidence on how these approaches improve pupil engagement and learning outcomes. In the context of the Digital Learning Framework Standard 2.1, Pupils engage purposefully in meaningful learning activities, the word purposefully is critical to me, as it implies that learning experiences are intentional, relevant, and tailored to each learner. Using AT in the classroom, whether it is high tech or low tech, means pupils aren’t just sitting in the room but are truly involved in learning in ways that suit their abilities and interests. When this approach is built into the SSE process, schools can see and record how engagement improves, making fairness and inclusion a regular part of how the school plans and grows.