Welcome back.
Let's wrap this course up, k? Here goes:
Social Bookmarking:
I chose to use Diigo as my social bookmark site. I actually enjoyed this activity because I feel certain it is something I will continue to add to and use in my own library someday. You can check out my Diigo Library bookmarks here.
Assistive Technology suggestions for:
1.mild disabilities: iPad Speak It (communication), Vlingo (writing) Simon Sounds It Out, Coin-U-Later, calculators, Math Racer helps with retention
2. moderate and severe disabilities: Time, Money, and Fractions On Track (iPad) basic needs skills, Intellikeys (alternative keyboard)
3. physical disabilities: joystick instead of keys on computer, Dragon Talk's Speaking (voice recognition software
4. Sensory disabilities: Text Grabber (blind), closed circuit TV (deaf), optical character recognition software converts printed info to audio
5. At risk behaviors: Co: Writer predictive word processor, Web Math online calculator, Read Please reading difficulties
6. Gifts and Talents: Creativity Web, Destination Imagination, Alien Rescue website to conduct research, creativity, and problem solving
Below is my entire paper on Assistive Technology:
There are many tools of
technology that can be used to assist students in special education. Six special needs will be discussed along
with helpful technology for the following:
(1) mild disabilities, (2) moderate and severe disabilities, (3)
physical disabilities, (4) sensory disabilities, (5) at-risk behaviors, and (6)
gifts and talents.
Mild disabilities is described as a learning disability,
serious emotional disabilities, and/ or mental retardation. Important issues to focus on with these
students include reading, writing, memory, and retention of information. Software to assist these needs helps with
productivity, low performance, and remediation.
A software example such as Simon
Sounds It Out helps with communication disabilities as well as the iPad app
Speak It. For students who struggle with writing, the
voice recognition mobile app called Vlingo
has been found to be helpful. The
website Juba offers real photographs
for students to categorize while calculators and the money app Coin-U-Later help with the concept of counting
money. The app Math Racer provides additional help in math.
The second disability to be considered is called moderate
and severe disabilities. Students in
this category are need to be taught daily living skills including personal
hygiene, shopping, and public transportation.
Software to aid these students include Time, Money, and Fractions and the iPad app called On-Track. Alternative keyboards such as Intellikeys allow for larger keys or
the ability to remove unnecessary keys on the keyboard for students with
moderate and severe disabilities.
The third disability is called physical disability. A physical disability affects a person’s
mobility including gross and fine motor skills.
Students with physical disabilities sometimes use joysticks instead of
keys on the computer. Voice recognition
software such as Dragon Talk’s Dragon
Naturally Speaking can be helpful. SmartNav4 allows the user to move his
head slightly to manipulate the mouse.
The fourth disability to be discussed is called a sensory
disability. A sensory disability is an
impairment associated with the loss of hearing and vision. Assistive technology tools such as canes with
sensory technology help students with mobility and orientation to
maneuver. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software converts print
information to audio while Closed Circuit
Television (CCTV) magnifies print by using video cameras. Mobile apps such as Text Grabber are helpful for persons who are blind.
The fifth disability is called at-risk behavior. Although these students are not technically
considered “disabled,” they lack success in school similar to low performing
students who do have disabilities.
Technology that helps students with organization and reminders such as iPing.com can be helpful. Predictive word processors like Co: Writer help students with low
reading abilities. Online calculators
and WebMath are helpful math technology
tools. For reading difficulties Read Please can be used to assist
at-risk students.
The sixth special education group is called gifts and
talents. Gifts and talent students are
described as having higher academic achievements in intellectual, creative,
artistic, or other specific academic fields.
In 1972 these students were recognized in the Marland Report to
Congress. Some websites that encourage
problem solving and conducting research include GeoThentic and Alien Rescue. Destination
Imagination is a website that fosters creativity among the gifts and
talents students.
Resources:
N.A. (2011, March 9). Assistive
technology in education/physically handicapped:
Wikibooks Discussions.
Retrieved April 29, 2013 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Physically_Handicapped
Robyler, M.D. &
Doering, A. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper
Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education, Incorporated.
Google Reader:
I have followed several blogs during this course. Some of these include:
Technology Tailgate,
Matt B. Gomez,
Raki's Rad Resources,
Van Meter Library Voice,
Watch. Connect. Read.,
The Centered School Library, and
Mrs. Lodge's Library.
You can find any of these blogs in my blog roll in the right hand column. I'm naturally curious and I'm a reader so the blog/ Google Reader assignment was my favorite part of this technology course by far. If you would like to read about my favorite blog and favorite post, click here.
In conclusion: At the beginning of this term I felt like this:
 |
| (source) |
an-eager-beaver-ready-to-learn-some-new-tricks.
But right now I feel like this:
 |
| (source) A-really-tired-face-full-of-wrinkles-brain-dead-old-dog. To see some of my earlier and more creative posts, check these out: Sesame Street and Across the Big Pond The Whopper |
Have a great day!
Dana :)
