Assistive Technologyt

ED 505 Technology and Education

 

Assistive Technology

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the (Public Law 05-17) mandates that every individualized education program team consider assistive technology (AT) to provide individuals with mild disabilities, moderate and severe disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, at-risk behaviors/situations and students gifted and talents opportunities be educated/learning, productivity, and be independence that otherwise would not be available http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module_outlines/ .

First, and for most, in order to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities as a teacher I must be educated and trained on how to implement and evaluate AT. One resource of assistive technology used to enhance a teacher’s knowledge is the STAR Legacy Modules Web-based instructional materials (https://bb.uwa.edu/webapps/portal/) that will provide knowledge on how to work with students with disabilities.

Second, the authors of Integrated Education Technology into Teaching provides information in meeting the needs of students with mild to severe cognitive disabilities teachers can use a strategy call reading skill software, such as text-to-speech products, and interactive story books, in the area of reading for student with mild disabilities (405). A resource can be the WizCom’s Quicktionary Reading Pen, http://www.wizcomthech.com.  On the other hand, using software to help teach reinforce functional skill like money management, daily living employ ability for student with severe cognitive disabilities.

Another educational device is the Equals a Pre K-12 curriculum that provides mathematics instruction for educators work with students in special education or in alternative education program. It encompasses pre-readiness math skills that includes: attending, cause and effect, fundamental math skills which includes numbers and operations, measurement, and estimation, and higher order math skills that includes data analysis, probability, spatial sense, geometry, algebra, and problem solving. Each lesson provides three levels of instruction for students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities.

Third, resources and strategies to help students with physical disabilities educational need provide alternative methods of accessing keyboard, mouse, and monitors and determine the best placement of adaptive technologies, and provide training to ensure the student is able to operate in independently. The AbleNet’s (http://www.ablenetinc.com) Connect offers a wonderful device the iPad a mobile device for users with significant physical disabilities. Connect provides cutting edge accessibility, brilliant sound, and exceptional design to create a one of a kind solution for the iPad.

Fourth, resources and strategies to help meet the educational needs of student with sensory (students who have the loss of their hearing over vision and other learning disorders) an educator may consider using devices from the Enablemart a world leader in assistive technology such as: devices as large key and large print keyboards, Braille displays, alternative input devices, switches and amplified phones.  They also carry the Dragon Naturally Speaking, Edmark Reading and the Claro and Livescribe pens. Teachers can use resources such as the VoiceCue (http://www.visioncue.com) and the TeleSensory (http://www.telesensory.com) to aide in the educational need. A helpful strategy may be to use a computer that has a screen magnification control panel or close-circuit television magnification systems for the visually impaired. For the hearing impaired teachers may consider using a FM amplification system a listening device.

Fifth, At-risk behaviors/situations students who may lack of motivation to engage in school work will benefit from the strategies TrackStar (http://trackstar.a4teachears.org) or using Equals a PreK-12 curriculum that provides the best in mathematics instruction for educators who work with students in special education or students in an alternative education programs. Teachers should search for and locate software on websites that provide powerful and motivating opportunities to engage students in learning activities such as Brain Pop (http://.brainpop.com) online free an education resource for the classroom. It is an animated, curricular content that engages student in learning.

Six and last, how to meet the educational needs of gifted and talented student’s need through assistive technology. Teacher may want to use resources such as the Creativity Web, the center for Creative learning (http://www.creativelearning.com) or numerous distance-learning opportunities, such as Destination Imagination (http://www.destinationimagination.org). Geo Thentic (http://It.umn.edu/geothentic) and Alien Resource (http://aliencrescue.edb.utexas.edu
) student use technology to show off their knowledge through products such as using podcasts, the multimedia projects to documenting dramatization with technology.

 

Chapter 15

In studying and reading chapter fifteen about assistive technology it has been revealed, that individuals with mild disabilities, moderate and severe disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, at-risk behaviors/situations and students with gifts and talents have been provided through assistive technology the opportunities for education/learning, productivity, and be independent that otherwise would not be available. In order for students with disabilities to be successful in their education teacher must be educated and trained on how to implement and evaluate assistive technology. Furthermore, in studying chapter fifteen read that one way for teachers to understand or know their ability to implement technology in their classroom is to do an assessment known as the Tech-PACK a self-assessment of their knowledge to know where they are deficient and how they can improve their strengths. The authors, Roblyer & Doering (2012), writes of Integrating educational technology into teaching 6^th edition, wrote, “To integrate technologies effectively, teachers must have a combination of physical education and health education content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge. Strategies for improving your Tech-Pack in physical education and health education are recommended.” (p.392)

 

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Tech. tools transformed teaching/learning for students w/disabilities http://t.co/Yj4CcypA0Fhttp://t.co/Yj4CcypA0F">http://t.co/Yj4CcypA0F

> #ED505UWARAY&mdash">https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ED505UWARAY&src=hash">#ED505UWARAY— Mary Ann Turner (@LadyturMary) July">https://twitter.com/LadyturMary/statuses/356998777829195778">July 16, 2013

 

 

 

Resource

 

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching  

        6th edition. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.