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Find more Kappan articles in the WEB WATCH: Technology for Individuals With Special Needs TODAY, technology in our schools is rapidly changing, and educators need to stay aware of the different types of technology available for use with individuals with special needs. The websites described below provide information about assistive technology and are recommended not only for educators but also for individuals with mild to severe disabilities and their families. http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics.php AT Basics provides a wide variety of information regarding assistive technology for students with disabilities. The modules provide information on the foundations of assistive technology, curriculum using assistive technology, adapting computers, and technology for special populations. From something as seemingly simple as finding options for a mouse and keyboard to guidelines for writing district-level policies, this site will help you get started. www.washington.edu/accessit/index.php AccessIT provides individuals with disabilities, their families, and educators with helpful information to make technology more easily accessible for individuals with disabilities. Among other resources, AccessIT provides a searchable database of questions and answers about electronic and information technologies for individuals with disabilities. There are also case studies and best practices. www.accessibletech4all.org/index.cfm The Accessible Technologies for All Students Project is a new initiative of the Consortium for School Networking. The project will create a “new conversation” to build strong and positive relationships between K-12 school district technology leaders and special education leaders. The site lays out the goals of the project, explains why it is so important for schools to comply, and shares information on best practices. www2.edc.org/NCIP/tour/toc.htm This site offers a guided tour of two special education classrooms that use technology to achieve four key elements: engineering the classroom environment, modifying instruction and materials to meet student needs, integrating the curriculum through theme-based learning, and embedding assessment in all activities. As with all sites that feature video clips, a fast connection enhances the experience. www.sedl.org/rural/seeds/assistivetech/welcome.html This site from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory focuses on rural schools and their students with disabilities. It defines assistive technology and discusses legal issues, the process of funding, and what administrators should do to help. And it doesn’t shy away from hard questions, such as the choice between “best” and “appropriate” practice. Sponsored by Special Education Technology, British Columbia, the Learning Center provides classroom resources and training modules on assistive technologies. Links are provided to special events, student stories, and the Technology Access Project, a one-year pilot project that provides assistive technology to British Columbia students with Down’s syndrome. www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/inclusion/teaching/sax.htm This site shares the story of Joey — a student with cerebral palsy who is “deaf-blind with cognitive disabilities” — and the role that assistive technology played in his education. There are three key points to to be derived from Joey’s story: involve the student with the disability in the process, target a specific activity, and look for people with “technical expertise” beyond the realm of education. http://smarterkids.org/aboutus/index.asp Encouragement for children, recognition for teachers, and support for schools are the principles that guide the SMARTer Kids Foundation. Since 1997, the foundation has been bringing educational technology to classrooms around the world by initiating and sponsoring programs and research that support students, teachers, and schools. SMART Boards, when used in combination with counseling, development of social skills, and other strategies, are one tool that can help teach special education students successfully. http://learngen.org/cohorts/spedclass Learning Generation is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the University of Kansas. This link provides a report on a project using different types of technology in two special education classrooms. Each type of technology used is listed, along with examples of how it was implemented. http://letsplay.buffalo.edu/toys/computer-play/complay-contents.htm A table of contents allows the user to navigate through an introduction, links on software, and “Computer Peripherals for Young Children.” Examples are also given of learning devices and technology that could be used in a special education setting. GINA PATRONE is a special education teacher at CHC Learning Center in Williams-ville, N.Y., and ROBIN PETTAPIECE is a health teacher in the Lockport ( N.Y.) School District. Both are pursuing master’s degrees in educational computing at the State University of New York College at Buffalo, where they were students in John Thompson’s class “The Microcomputer in the Instructional Program” and were assigned to complete Web Watch columns. |
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