About+Marcia+O

media type="custom" key="7555669" Marcia Obukowicz has worked with assistive technology (AT) for the past 17 years. She currently supports AT projects at school or district levels in CESA 9 and CESA 8. She was an original member of WATI, a nationally known project that generated the ASNAT assessment process that started in Wisconsin as an AT initiative designed to support teacher acquistion and effective use of assistive technology. While serving as a WATI member, she worked with over 39 school districts in an AT support role. She has worked primarily in a number of schools in north, north central and northeastern Wisconsin. She coordinated a state grant known as PALSS, which focused on the use of AT tools with struggling students in regular as well as special education. That project's focus merges well with the current mission of Response to Intervention (RTI) where technology and assistive technology tools may work well for differentiating the lesson for level two or level three students. Marcia's educational background is in Occupational Therapy, with a BS from UW Milwaukee. Prior to her work with WATI she was a school OT using the inclusion model in several districts. Why a fish picture? (After tagging, the fish lived!)

In my first life, I was going to be a land use manager, but time and tides changed course and I went back to school, became an OT, moved to northern WI., started working in the school system. I fell in love with a quote from a famous scientist, Robert Ballard, that says "Everyone is an explorer... How could you possibly live your life looking at a door and not open it?" Many doors have been in front of me, including this opportunity to tag a long with some DNR guys as they tagged sturgeon on Lake Superior. There was a combination of high and low tech in the assignment and a lot of really physical work. The kind of "real" experiences that draw kids into learning more. Besides it's also the biggest fish I have ever held and I was relieved that I didn't drop her. Once the prodding was done.she seemed very happy to slide back into the lake but with some tech wizardry she will give scientists a clearer view of her needs and preferences thus helping to build a bigger, better, stronger fishery. One of the greatest doors I've opened has been technology. I started looking at technology as a tool for supporting poor handwriters and for teaching eye tracking but it has become so much bigger, better than any tool I could have imagined. Access to the world for so many through the internet, delivered a plethora of free interactive learning activities for the hands on learner, generated etext that can be formated as talking books on an mp3 or converted to large print or braille or read by a computer based text reader, ACCESS to the written word for those who struggle with print, writing tools that help organize ideas and spell words, alternate writing formats that let you use voice, a mouth stick or a "funny looking" keyboard. Alternate media that brings those words to life. Networking with other students through wikis, blogs and other social networks. Talking with real students with internet phones. And who knows what more will come. The question for me is how can we help students open their "Ballard's" door? Technology offers some intriguing opportunities that can prepare our students for their 21st century lives. Our school based systems may not do all that we wish they could. We may find sites blocked or that our servers do not carry videos well. We need to learn a lot more about how to integrate technology into our lessons to meet the needs of our digital natives in the desks before us. Computers and interactive whiteboards do not replace GOOD teaching. but we may need to change how we do our lessons given this new form of access and interactivity. Let's face it. The technology is going to be apart of our lives! If you haven't opened this door it is time! I firmly believe that many tasks that feel impossible can be done. It often takes a team with vision and determination. The team must be willing to build their skills and resources, they need the right equipment for the job, some incentive for doing it and a plan to follow. My hope is the resources on these pages will help you improve your tech savy! Good luck and stay in touch.