VIDBE-Q Volume 69 Issue 4
of any age as a primary source of income or on days off. With both certifications, I
now have more options in what kind of services for which I contract myself.
Differences Between the Fields of O&M and AT
Although the variety of educational environments in teaching O&M can be
enjoyable for many COMS, teaching AT in a single room is one less thing for
which to plan. Furthermore, because AT is usually taught in one room, the teacher
is generally sitting more when compared to teaching O&M. If O&M specialists are
looking to transition from a more mobile field to a stationary one, AT could be
considered.
There is less risk to the physical body in AT. In O&M, the COMS must
teach certain things such as crossing an intersection, or the student may not have
the information they need to avoid getting seriously injured. Even during an O&M
lesson, the teacher cannot control traffic to avoid the small chance of, for example,
a car crash impacting the lesson. However, in AT if the teacher fails to cover some
aspect of a device or if a device malfunctions, there is less likelihood of physical
injury. Because of this lower physical risk in teaching AT, some COMS who
become trained as CATIS may find welcome relief.
In AT, sometimes educational staff hope that I am going to offer an amazing
technology recommendation and make the world much easier for them and their
student. Sometimes a single recommendation does this, but I do feel that pressure
