Technology In The Classroom

A lot of teachers state that they use technology in the classroom, the majority of these teachers think that using Microsoft Powerpoint makes them technologically proficient in the classroom. I'm not saying that this isn't true, rather I would like to point out that technology is a very, very broad concept. In essence, a chair with wheels is a form of technology, rolly chairs didn't exist in the days of the cavemen, but what else can fall into this category of overlooked forms of technology that teachers must become efficient with? I feel that there is a whole category of technological tools that the majority of teachers in classrooms today either overlook or unfamiliar with, and this category of technological devices is called Assistive Technology. Assistive Technology includes any form of technology that assists an individual in completing a task that would otherwise have been difficult if not impossible without its presense. Some would like to believe that assistive technology is limited to individuals with disabilities, I would like to disagree. Take for example, the multiplication of the numbers 1895473.385747 and 2222222.8973463948372827494, then divide that product by pi. Good luck, without the assistance of a calculator. Granted that the calculator you may use may be some generic computing device, or it may be modified with a bigger screen to incorporate larger numbers that may be easier to read with my poor vision. Assistive technology is a huge domain of technology that is metamorphic and often overlooked.