ITEC 7530 Assistive Learning Powerpoint.

1. Module 6 Assistive Technology A Webquest Activity By: John Brittian ITEC 7530 Fall 2011

2. INTRODUCTION As 3rd grade teachers, we know that each year brings new students with new personalities and new experiences. Every students learning abilities are different and it is our job as teachers to understand that we will have some students whose learning ability is in a standard range, but we also will have gifted or advanced students as well. What resources do I have in order to help me meet my students' needs? What can we do as teachers to ensure that ALL students in our classes are successful in learning and completing our objectives?

3. What is Universal Design For Learning (UDL) Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is: Aset of principles for curriculum development that gives all individuals equal opportunities to learn. Ablueprint for creating Instructional goals, methods and materials Assessments that work for everyone

4. Why Universal Design For Learning (UDL) Individuals bring a huge variety of skills, needs, and interests to learning. Three primary brain networks come into play for UDL: Recognition Networks The "what" of learning How we gather facts and categorize what we see, hear, and read. Identifying letters, words, or an author's style are recognition tasks. Presenting information and content in different ways Strategic Networks The "how" of learning Planning and performing tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks. Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know Affective Networks The "why" of learning How learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited, or interested. These are affective dimensions. Stimulate interest and motivation for learning

5. What is The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.)? A United States Federal Law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. Addresses the educational needs of children with disabilities from birth to age 18 or 21[1/2] in cases that involve 14 specified categories of disability. Under IDEA, every state educational agency (SEA) and local educational agency (LEA) is responsible for offering a free, appropriate public education

6. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.) The guidelines for service delivery of assistive technology (AT) are found in the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). IDEA defines AT in terms of "devices" and "services." An Assistive Technology Device is defined as “any item, piece of equipment or product system, that is used to increase, maintain ,or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” Also described in IDEA, is an Assistive Technology Service. This is defined as "...any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device"

7. 6 Steps On How To Choose Assistive Technology (AT) Step 1: Collect child and family information. Begin the discussion about the child’s strengths, abilities, preferences and needs. What strategies have been found to work best? Step 2: Identify activities for participation. Discuss the various activities within the environments that a child encounters throughout the day. What is preventing him/her from participating more? Step 3: What can be observed that indicates the intervention is successful? What is his/her current level of participation and what observable behaviors will reflect an increase in independent interactions? Step 4: Brainstorm AT solutions: Do the child’s needs include supports for movement, communication and/or use of materials? Start with what is available in the environment (what other children use) and consider adaptations to those materials. A range of options that address specific support areas should be considered. Step 5:Determine when the AT intervention will begin and create an observation plan to record how the child participates with the AT supports. Step 6: Identify what worked. Selecting AT interventions is a continuous learning opportunity. Reflect on your plan and discuss what worked. What didn’t work? What should be done differently? Make modifications as needed and try again.

8. Nervous About AT Needs of Students? Resources Are Below… Technology In Action (TAM) Technology Fan - A new resource focused on AT for young children and will help with brainstorming. The Fan is intended for families, teachers, service providers and other caregivers who are considering technology tools for young children. Technology tools and solutions are listed by daily home and school routines as well as by general support categories. Journal of Special Education Technology (JSET) – The fields professional journal that presents up-to-date information and opinions about Issues, research, policy, and practice related to the use of technology in the field of special education. Kids Included Through Technology (KITE) - training curriculum for parents and teachers of young children with disabilities. Project KITE goal is to promote inclusion for children with disabilities through the use of technology. KITE provides the opportunity for extensive training to integrate technology in early childhood classrooms and homes.

9. AT Resources: Students with ADHD Using tape recorders help by allowing the recorded audio to be played back at a later time and repeatedly if necessary. FM Listening Systems allows the teacher to wear a microphone and the listener wears a headset. This helps students with mild or moderate hearing loss to better understand Electronic Math Worksheets is for students that have difficulty copying down math problems with a pencil and paper, or aligning these problems on the page, the Math Pad can be used. Math Pad requires a teacher or Para-educator to enter the problem into the tool. Talking Calculators allows a student to press on a talking calculator and a built in speech synthesizer lets the user know what was pressed. This helps users to verify that they have selected the correct buttons. Talking calculators are very affordable and many offer adjustable volume, clock, and alarm features as well.

10. Non-Technological Strategies For:Students With ADHD Establish class rules Establish short, simple classroom rules. State them in positive terms that convey what you want students to do. Establish class routines This will help students with ADHD stay on task Reduce potential distractions Always seat students who have problems with focusing, near the source of instruction and/or stand near student when giving instructions in order to help the student by reducing barriers and distractions. Allow for movement Allow the student to move around or fidget, preferably by creating reasons for the movement. Ask questions rather than reprimand. If the student misbehaves in class, ask, "Is that a good choice or a bad choice?" The student will get the message that his behavior is inappropriate.

11. AT Resources: Students with Auditory Disabilities FM Listening Systems Allows the teacher to wear a microphone and the listener wears a headset. This helps students with mild or moderate hearing loss to better understand. Hearing Induction Loop Wireless sound system for hearing aids. This allows the hearing aid user to hear the speaker without any interference from background noise or reverberation.

12. Non-Technological Strategies For:Students With Auditory Disabilities Consider Inclusion so that students can more efficiently learn how to communicate with their hearing peers and will feel less physically or socially isolated from other children. Look directly at the student and face him or her when communicating or teaching. Use hands-on experiences when possible. Say the student’s name or signal their attention in some way before speaking. Assign the student a desk near the front of the classroom, or where you plan to deliver most of your lectures. Speak naturally and clearly. Repeat questions or key points.

13. AT Resources: Students with Mild Disabilities Writing AT Resources: Optical Character Recognition (OCR) - The electronic identification and digital encoding of printed or handwritten characters by means of an optical scanner and specialized software. Word Prediction Software – Helps students recall or spell words. Reading AT Resources Use screen reading applications such as window eyes which is used for persons with visual impairment who need everything on screen read. Use text to speech software such as Word Q writing with symbols.

14. Non-Technological Strategies For:Students With Mild Disabilities Pencil Grips – The Pencil Grip works with the body’s natural physiology to gently place fingers in the proper position for gripping Provide copies of structured outlines where students can fill in information. Consider teaching specific social skills such as joining in to games or conversation, maintaining conversations, and staying on topic.

15. QUESTIONS???

16. RESOURCES http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl http://www.specialeducationlawyers.info/provisions.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individuals_with_Disabilities_Education_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088 http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~wilbur/access/assistive.html http://www.tamcec.org/jset/ http://www.pacer.org/stc/kite/ http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/76087.aspx http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/42913.aspx http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/4039-2.html http://hearinginductionloops.com/LearnMore.aspx http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/optical%20character%20recognition http://thepencilgrip.com/dyn_category.php?k=25774