Leveraging Technology to Remove Barriers and Fill in Gaps
One example of a technology tool that I am honored to have helped create is the Interpretation Request Form owned and managed by Orange County Schools of Orange County, North Carolina.
As many already know, technology is an immensely powerful tool in education. It can make people and resources immediately accessible on a global scale in a matter of seconds. Teachers, students, and families can see, hear, and do much more than at any previous era of human history. It is precisely because technology is so powerful that, unfortunately, it can also be a huge means of division. Those who have high digital literacy, have the means to purchase technology tools, and have language skills to utilize them are at a disproportionate advantage compared to those who are missing one or more of those critical components.
While working with Limited English Proficient families in Orange County, my co-workers and I realized that having an online interpretation request form was only serving a portion of our LEP population - those who were literate in English or Spanish. In order to broaden the accessibility of our district’s interpretation services, I used Google Forms and Youtube videos to create an interpretation form that was not just written in a variety of languages, but that would also read aloud instructions for its use. It is currently in use and available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Karen, and Burmese. I am tremendously grateful to have had the support of my department, who provided me with work hours to complete the project and funding to have it translated and read aloud.
While this remains an imperfect solution to the problem, the implementation of this form, combined with publicly accessible computers in the school district’s Welcome Center, has improved community support and resource access. Additionally, other school districts have requested copies of this form to better support their communities, creating a ripple effect of amplified support as far away as Yakima, Washington.
The live form is accessible here: OCS Interpretation Request Form
Images that show some examples of the form's questions and video read aloud segments are shown in the image carousel above.