Week 7

Students are all very different.  Chapter 15 outlines the different technologies that can be used in Special Education learning.  There are many types of special education.  There are many growing technologies that can assist students in their learning.  Special need students are entitled to learn no matter what their disability may be.  According to the text special educators use two types of technology: assistive technology and instructional technology. (Roblyer.D, Doering. A, pg 403. 2008) The text breaks down what each disability is and ways that technology can help students.  Today may computers, ipads, ipods, etc are equipped for special needs.  There are voice texts available, there are ways to enlarge fonts, there are apps available to help students understand a specific content area better.  There are many sites and software available to help gifted students build their own web page about research or an invention.  Chapter 15 lets us know that no matter what disability you may have there is a way to assist with learning.

Mild disabilities: Students with mild disabilities have either a learning or serious emotional disability.  Many students with mild disabilities need help more academically.  There are many gadgets available to assist students with mild disabilities.  There are an abundance amount of software available.  During reading time Text-to-speech is a wonderful software for students.  The Quicktionary Reading Pen is a great source.  Many ipads and Ipods are now equipped with a software that you can listen to information that cannot be read. There are a few websites that will help students with reading assistance, writing assistance, and math assistance.  Dragon Talk is a site that will help with writing and speaking. (www.dragontalk.com)

 

Moderate and severe disabilities: Students with moderate and severe disabilities need more help with day to day activities.  Many students with moderate and severe disabilities need help adjusting to daily living.  There are different apps that are available on that helps with counting and balancing money.  This app is available, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-money-fractions-on-track/id364361439?mt=8.

 There are magnification and reading board machines that are available to help.  Students may have trouble working the keys on a computer, there are alternative key boards such as Intellikey keyboard.  This will magnify the letters for the students.  Touch screens that voices out each letter to students would be of great help. 

Physical disabilities: Students with physical disabilities are often wheelchair bound.  There are joysticks available students and use to move the wheel chair.  There are cursors and lasers available the student can use.  The laser can be used with an interactive smart board.  There has to be a special app that will allow students to point and draw on the board while being in the wheelchair.  There are also adaptive keyboards available.  There is a helpful website www.intellitool.com that will give more information regarding the adaptive keyboard.    Voice recognition software can be very useful to these students. 

Sensory disabilities: Students with sensory disabilities have hearing or vision lost imparities.  Many students with vision lost often use braille.  There are now updated technology that will convert information into voice.  This software is the same as text to speech.  There are canes available with sensor technology that helps navigates.  Technology is constantly growing there are robocarts available that helps the blind navigates through different places.  There are open sources available for text readers at www.projectpossibilityorg.  Students who are deaf have accommodations as well.  There are software that are magnifiers.  One in particular I’ve used is the Supernova Screen /reading magnifier.  Many are turning to sign language.  Many people do not recognize sign language.  There is an app and software available at www.projectpossibility/signlanguage.com.

 

   

At-risk behaviors/situations: These students do not really have a disability.  They need a task that’s going to require them to think and work hard.  There are so many online quizzes available for these students.  For younger students the website www.brainpop.com is a great source.  These students normally struggle because of their behavior.  The students just need tutorial software and other sources to help increase where they are weaken.  Track star is a great site to engage students in instructional activities. 

Gifts and talents: Many students with gifts and talents have trouble pacing themselves.  These are the students who “think outside of the box” to get things done.  These students have a desire and passion for learning.  The students could use web design pages to discuss a research project he or she may work on.  There are wiki pages that can be available. Gifted students are able to think and do for themselves.  Alien Rescue is a challenging site that gives students environmental information that they can build on.   Students have the opportunities to experience distance learning as well. Destination Imagination is a site I’ve used before that allows access so many places and things without leaving the home.  This can be found at www.destinationimagination.org.

 

 

Special Needs Students and Technology: A Match Made in the Classroom http://t.co/7izZInEX2P via @EdNewsorg #edtech #specialeducation

— Dr. Bruce A. Johnson (@DrBruceJ) July 10, 2013