The Final Post

This experience has been great for developing my teaching strategies.I have completed four modules discussing assistive technology for students with special needs. This blog is to reach out to other teachers to help assist their teaching journey and educate on new topics. I know as a teacher I will be using many of these ideas and strategies in my future. I was unaware of many of the tools and devices that I have researched. I am more comfortable now that I have been educated on many of these topics. Therefore, I can reach out to all of my students and help them learn to their fullest potential.  I have learned many different types and options about AT devices then I would ever expect before this class. I understood what differentiation in a lesson was, but I did not know what the term Universal Design Learning meant. This has opened my eyes to so many options in my classroom. I am now aware that every student learns differently and how to reach them. I researched different toolkits and tutorials that helped me gain the full understanding of UDL. I am now comfortable to use these ideas to better my lessons and add more variety to my classroom. In addition, I learned a tremendous amount about special needs and the devices to help benefit the students learning experiences. I now have this resource to relate back to and help guide me through my teaching career. I will always be learning to educate  my students and myself for life

Importance of Transition Planning in High School

As discussed in the previous post, most people are concerned with students p-12 with special needs. However, there are many students who have special needs further their learning to higher education. The previous post discussed the difference of laws once a student is in higher education. The IDEA Act does not cover students in the higher education programs, they need to be under the ADA. The barrier and protection barriers between IDEA and ADA have a huge gap and do not offer the same technology access for the students. Therefore, these differences make transition planning in high school especially important for students in special education who want to attend college. To help students prepare for this transition, IDEA provides transition planning starting at age 16. The students will have two to three years to develop the skills to succeed in college. They will need to gain the skills in assistive technology skills for independence and self-advocacy skills.

Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

IDEA vs. ADA

There are a few differences separating IDEA from ADA. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act was developed to protect the rights and needs of students with disabilities. However, the act only covers students from preschool to 12th grade.  Therefore, when students with disabilities attend colleges and universities they do not follow under the same rules. The higher level schools are not required by law to accommodate for students with special needs.

Therefore, when students with disabilities are attending college they will follow under ADA or a Section 504. The ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA covers all colleges and students. unlike Section 504 depends on if the higher education school has enough funds for the students requirements.
Therefore, students can be covered by an ACT and law to receive what they need to succeed and any level of education.

Source:
Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

UKAT Toolkit

The UKAT toolkit is another great resource for teachers and planning to help a student achieve an AT device in the classroom and at home. The toolkit allows the teacher to start the assessment process and planning for what is best for the students. This allows you to plan make almost a check list of what one needs to achieve the AT device. The planner can see how much funds they can afford and what is available for the student. At the same time the device needs to fit the student's needs. There are also options to track the student's progress. Once the student receives the AT devices, it is very important to monitor and track the student's progress to see if it is helping them and beneficial to their school work.


Source: http://edsrc.coe.uky.edu/www/ukatii/toolkit/AT_Implementation.pdf

Assistive Technology Model Operating Guidelines

Implementing assistive technology in the classroom is very important for students with special needs. Students need to have access to everything to help them have success in the classroom. Therefore, as a teacher we need to do research and inform ourselves of as much information as possible. The first site I researched was Assistive Technology Model Operating Guidelines. This a great source for teacher or family members that will be encountering AT devices. The guidelines walk you through all training and process of achieving an AT device for a student. The students also can see what the device will be like and can download the complete workbook.


Source:http://www.otap-oregon.org/Pages/Default.aspx

Devices Designed for the Home

The previous post discusses why it is important to allow the augmentative communication devices to be used at home and in the community. The students need to get use to the consistence and become comfortable with their device. Therefore, the communication devices needs to be compatible for the use in school and at home.  When the student wants to communicate the device needs to have the appropriate responses for the student. Therefore, the devices need to be designed for the activities and needs of the home life and living in the community. The student needs to be comfortable and allowed enough options for communication. If the student is not offered this it can be very frustrating for the student and they might have the urge to stop trying to communicate. This is why it is very important to make sure the devices have the options for the students to properly communicate.


Source:
Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Augmentative Communication At Home and In The Community

The previous post discussed how a student receives an augmentative communication device. Now I will discuss why it is so important to link the training and use of the devices with school, home and the community. The students practice their devices in school, but need to get use to them and how they work at home and in their community. The development of a working relationship between school and home is critical to the success of augmentative communication. These environments both demand communication and demands from the students; however, they ask for different responses and needs. The teachers are trained how to use these devices in their classrooms. Therefore, these students are expected use the devices at home as well. Training for augmentative communication devices should be offered for the family members in the house.

Source:
Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Infusing Communication Development Within the IEP

In previous post I discussed the process of an IEP and what it entails. Each IEP is required to look to see if any child being evaluated for an IEP is in the need of Assistive Technology. The IEP guides the teaching of communication skills. Augmentative communication devices should be closely looked at and evaluated for nonverbal students. After the student is carefully looked at and the IEP team decides on what device to use for the student, the process starts. The device needs to fit the students needs and be compatible for their lifestyle. The components of the system should be outlined in the IEP. The student's use for the augmentative device in the educational system should be placed in the IEP. Everything extra the student uses to help succeed in the classroom needs to be documented in the IEP.


Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Tips for Overcoming Learned Helplessness

Being a teacher is sometimes very hard to motivate the students to want to do their work. Our job is to engage the students to be interested have the constant want to learn. However, it is not always as easy as said. Some tips Newton offered are great ways to help overcome learned helplessness. The first tip would be to build a daily expectation. This allows the students to know what they need to achieve and what the teachers expects for the day. Another tip would to provide a daily report to the parents. However, have the students communicate to their parents how they did that day. This connects school and home barriers. The teacher should provide consequences for the students actions. The teacher should provide more positive reinforcement instead of all negative reinforcement. Another great idea would to allow the students choices. This helps the students to be engaged and interested in what they are learning. Finally provide power phrases on the device for students to reject or protect something.

Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

I spoke about the importance of manipulatives in a previous post. Therefore, I researched more about manipulatives offered online. The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives is a great site to help students do hands on math. Manipulatives can be expensive and hard to get enough for the entire class. Therefore, this website allows you access unit and base ten blocks without a cost. The students will be able to use the blocks at their own rate and there is enough for each student. I think students learn better when they have a manipulative to help understand the math concept. They can relate back to when they performed the math problem, instead of just writing it on the paper. The students will understand why they regroup, rather just doing it because that's what they were told to do. This tool is a great resource and I will be using it in my classroom. They offer different concepts for every age level.



Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Applications or Apps for the iPad

The previous post talk about different applications to help assist students. In our generation many people are using iPads, iPods and tablets to access resources. Therefore I am going to discuss A+ Math. This is a great app that allows you to have 30 day free trial. It is also a low costing app. As an elementary teacher this is great for students in my classroom. This app helps the students build their math fluency. They practice each day and gain success while playing this game. The app focuses on many different math concepts. The students can track how they are doing and how much they improved. It is a fun app and very engaging for the students.



Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Low-tech and Mid-Tech Adaptions That Assist Students

In my previous post I discussed adaptions that can be used to develop math skills, problem solving and concepts. However, those adaptions can cost money and be expensive. Therefore, I am going to discuss some low-tech and mid-tech adaptions to assist students with disabilities to complete their assignments. The students can use number lines to help assist them with addition and subtraction in math. These can be placed on their name tags or around the classroom for low cost. Also, laminated addition, subtraction, multiplication and number 1-100 charts can be used to help assist students.





 Mid-tech adaptions that can be used are calculators. There are so many types of calculators to meet the needs of all students. Students with visual impairments or motor skills would be able to use an oversized calculator with large buttons. This could help the students complete their assignments.

Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Applications That Address Math Concepts, Skills and Problem Solving

In the previous post I discussed different types of math applications that help assist students with visual and motor control difficulties. Now I will be showing some applications that help math fluency and skill development. The students will be able to learn new skills and problem solving techniques. One concept that is very beneficial to elementary students is virtual manipulatives. This allows the students to have hands on assessment during their learning. They can move different unit blocks to help assist their learning and understanding. This is helps the students to be engaged and interested in developing their skills. The students will have a better understanding of place value and how to regroup. They will enjoy learning the new skills. As an elementary teacher I use manipulatives all the time to help the students learn. This is a great way to have the students learn and be hands on. In addition, using this website can be great if you do not have enough manipulatives for each student in the classroom and they can work at their own pace.

Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Applications for Students With Visual-Spatial or Motor Control Difficulties

In the previous post I introduced some educational applications that can be used to help develop math skills. Therefore, some students with disabilities will benefit from these programs. Students experience disabilities with writing numbers, aligning digits in problems and creating visual representation. Also, these students often have difficulties with fine motor control. They may not be able to interpret their own written work. When the student is asked to copy down an problem they may not be able to read their own work.

Therefore, a math application I thought would be very useful was MathPad. The application has a regrouping feature to help the students. As a second grade teacher, the students need to master regrouping and this tool could be very useful. Students with fine motor disabilities can use this program with the use of a keyboard or mouse to do their work.



Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Applications Used to Address Automaticity and Math Fluency

In my previous post I discussed different questions to ask and discuss with your team. Now I will be talking about how to develop math skills and fluency. Automaticity is defined as the fast, accurate, and effortless processing of content information.

The first program is FASTT (Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching with Technology) is a math intervention program that helps students acquire math fact fluency. The program is customized to fit the needs of each student and help strengthen their skills. This can help their memorization of facts. In addition, the teacher can monitor their progress.

Another program is Timez Attack which focuses on multiplication facts. As an elementary education teacher, multiplication facts are extremely important to learn and know at this age level. Therefore, the students are able to play different games and interactions to help develop their skills.


Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Key Questions That Should be Considered When Selecting Educational Applications

As teachers we should understand the implications of various features in educational applications as our first step. Therefore, we then can select features that are best suited to the students' needs. There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing an educational application. However, the two main concerns should be that the learning activities fit into the instructional goals or objectives while meeting the interest of the student. Educational applications should not be forced to fit a student.

There are many key questions that are asked before an application is picked. "What is the intended outcome of the use of the educational application? For example, is it meant to strengthen math skills in problem solving or is it meant to build speed and accuracy with basic math facts(Newton, 2012)?" The second question, " Is the educational applications likely to fulfill its stated purpose? For example, if the stated purpose of the activity is to build problem-solving skills, does it provide the explanatory feedback needed to do so or simply assess whether or not problems are solved correctly(Newton, 2012)" The third question, " Can the educational applications be used as an alternative to traditional classroom activities to enhance students' participation? For example, will students learn as effectively using online math manipulatives as they would using traditional manipulatives."(Newton, 2012)

These are questions to be brought to the IEP team when choosing specific math AT devices and educational applications for a student.

Source:Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

AT Devices for Math

In my previous posts I discussed many different types of AT devices that can be used to help students succeed and reach their success. I discussed how many different AT devices can help students with reading skills and writing skills. I talked about students with learning and visual disabilities and how devices can assist them with their writing skills. Now I am starting my fourth module. The next posts will be focusing on math and AT devices. There are many sources and options to help assist student succeed in math. I will be talking about different devices, resources and games to help students develop their math skills while using these devices. I will also discuss what AT devices are great tool for different disabilities.