New Literacy Studies

Abstract

Even as research continues to suggest the potential of assistive technology for improving student outcomes, it remains under-utilized in schools. Among numerous challenges to the effective utilization of assistive technology, research has suggested that educators are inadequately prepared to consider and implement the use of such technologies. In this article, we complement the effort to delineate the competencies needed by teachers for this purpose by suggesting that New Literacy Studies can serve as a generative frame to stimulate the dispositions necessary for a strong commitment to the use of assistive technology (AT) and to increase accessibility in the classroom. Specifically, we examine constructs within sociocultural approaches to literacy, multimodality, and critical literacy, thereby strengthening the interconnections between curriculum, pedagogy, and technology-based support for students with disabilities. We offer several implications of this approach for educators and teacher educators.