Kendra Wollert

After graduating from University of Alaska Anchorage with my bachelors in 2011, my husband and I moved down to Corvallis, Oregon. Oregon has master degree requirements for their educators, so I quickly picked that up. My master's education turned out to be a blessing by giving me the opportunity to really learn about students with learning exceptionalities and how assistive technology can help them prove to their teachers what they really know. In the summer of 2017, I left my sixth grade classroom due to medical issues but this negative also gave me the opportunity to start my own consulting business for pairing students with exceptionalities with assistive technology. I feel the bulk of my clients will be those students who were not able to receive an IEP but still need something to help them achieve and as a result raise their self esteem. I will be there to determine what assistive technology (AT) is best suited, train them along with their parents and teachers, and be there should the suggested AT not be the best fit. For students who are lucky enough to receive IEP services, I hope to be an advocate for parents and teachers during the IEP meetings so the AT discussion doesn't get glossed over. My experience leads me to believe that special educators do not put enough effort in filling the AT needs of the students. AT allows students to achieve on their own instead of relying on others. I would also enjoy providing professional development opportunities for schools/districts in this field and in the field of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).