Group items tagged

Technology should not be used as simply a digital worksheet.

Technology has opened many educational doors to children, particularly to children with disabilities

Technology is providing more powerful and efficient tools to teachers who work with children with disabilities. These tools enable teachers to offer new and more effective means of learning while individualizing instruction to the broad range of student learning needs.

Text can be read electronically by a digitized voice synthesizer for a person who is blind. For persons with hearing impairments, amplification devices can filter extraneous noise from the background or pick up an FM signal from a microphone on a teacher's lapel.

And, although they sound space-aged and technical, most of the technologies that students are using are the same as those in most homes; the main difference is that, in schools, their educational potential is being explored.

Children in kindergarten

log on to the worldwide web via a Connected Classroom program.

technology doesn't work in every scenario

Technology inspires creativity like little else and it’s time to take a close look at what technology really means for your classroom.

Students are aware of its facility and its creative potential. Technology is nothing new to them; almost every aspect of their life requires its use and given any gadget they become most imaginative.

Teachers can still hold onto the teaching values you hold dear while embracing technology and promoting creativity in the classroom.

Login Welcome, {{name}} Logout Rankings &amp; Advice Education Health Money Travel Cars Law Firms News U.S. News Home education Facebook Twitter Education Rankings &amp; Advice Home Colleges Grad Schools High Schools National Rankings State Rankings High School Notes Blog (function ($) { "use strict"; $(function () { var $metaCurrentState = $('meta[name=current_state_abbreviation]'), $headerSearch = $('#headerSearch-highSchools'), $headerState = $('select[name=bhs-school-state]', $headerSearch), $headerStates = $('option', $headerStates), currentStateAbbreviation = ''; if ($metaCurrentState.length > 0) { currentStateAbbreviation = $metaCurrentState.attr('content'); $headerStates.each(function () { var $state = $(this), text = $state.text(), value = $state.val(); if (text === currentStateAbbreviation) { $headerState.val(value); } }); } }); }(jQuery)); in AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC<

can't just hand out iPads just for professional development or training for the teachers

"Kevin can be far more involved in group activities. He can converse with his peers, participate in class discussions, and do his homework, no matter where he is. This has increased his ability to be an independent member of the school and the community."

traditional assistive technologies have converged with consumer technologies

today's smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices come equipped with universal access functionality, making it possible for users to deploy built-in or easily downloaded assistive technologies.

73% of AP and NWP teachers say that they and/or their students use their mobile phones in the classroom or to complete assignments 45% report they or their students use e-readers and 43% use tablet computers in the classroom or to complete assignments

76% of AP and NWP teachers “strongly agree that “search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to find information quickly and easily” 83% agree that “the amount of information available online today is overwhelming for most students” 71% agree that “today’s digital technologies discourage students from finding and using a wide range of sources for their research” 60% agree with the notion that “today’s digital technologies make it harder for students to find and use credible sources of information”

70% of teachers working in the highest income areas say their school does a “good job” providing teachers the resources and support they need to incorporate digital tools in the classroom, compared with 50% of teachers working in the lowest income areas 73% of teachers of high income students receive formal training in this area, compared with 60% of teachers of low income students 56% of teachers of students from higher income households say they or their students use tablet computers in the learning process, compared with 37% of teachers of the lowest income students 55% of teachers of higher income students say they or their students use e-readers in the classroom, compared with 41%&nbsp; teaching in low income areas 52% of teachers of upper and upper-middle income students say their students use cell phones to look up information in class, compared with 35% of teachers of the lowest income students 39% of AP and NWP teachers of low income students say their school is “behind the curve” when it comes to effectively using digital tools in the learning process; just 15% of teachers of higher income students rate their schools poorly in this area 56% of teachers of the lowest income students say that a lack of resources among students to access digital technologies is a “major challenge” to incorporating more digital tools into their teaching; 21% of teachers of the highest income students report that problem 49% of teachers of students living in low income households say their school’s use of internet filters has a major impact on their teaching, compared with 24% of those who teach better off students who say that 33% of teachers of lower income students say their school’s rules about classroom cell phone use by students have a major impact on their teaching, compared with 15% of those who teach students from the highest income households

The absolute wrong way to deal with educational technology is to look at a tool and try to build a lesson around it.

The right way to deal with educational technology is to not worry about it until after the lesson is planned.

echnology does not belong in every lesson just because there is a tool sitting there. I still have my students

When planning a lesson – even when you’re planning on incorporating technology – what is the first question you should ask yourself? What does Sheryl argue is the power of technology? How will that aid in students' retention of material and their engagement? What is the impact of technology on this lesson?

A number of trends are combining to create new opportunities for students and the field of technology. As more and more content is available online, sometimes exclusively, it is important to ensure that the information is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities; assistive and learning technology offers great promise in helping these students. Special education delivery now happens more often in the general education classroom, not in segregated special needs classrooms. Also, the stunning innovation of technology; has made it easier to use and customize. It has become more powerful and available at lower costs, therefore making it attractive as part of a school wide solution. Tremendous advances in technology in the past decade have led to the development of speech synthesis and recognition technology, interactive software, and miniaturization and portability that help these students achieve and thrive (National Center on Technology Innovation.(2006). Moving Towards Solutions: Assistive Learning Technology for all Students. Washington, DC: Author)

Question 1: How can social media tools such as Facebook, wikis, and blogs be used in high schools as learning tools? Question 2: Can you provide concrete examples in how schools and districts are using learning and assistive technologies to help students with disabilities succeed on the high school level? Question 3: What funding is now available for high schools in regards to technology with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 2009?

One tool to help students with disabilities even in the face of a special education teacher shortage is assistive technology. Today, assistive technology can help students with certain disabilities learn more effectively. Ranging in sophistication from “low” technologies such as a graphic organizer worksheet to “high” technologies including cutting-edge software and smartphone apps, assistive technology is a growing and dynamic field.

Text-To-Speech Assistive Tools

Intel Reader

1) Video Streaming

2) Play Games

3) Social Media

1. Get Some Training. You don't have to become a computer expert, but you need to have some basic understanding of how computers operate and what to do when they do not operate properly. You should also become familiar with a web browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer and websites that provide tech-integration resources and tutorials. Your school or college likely has an instructional technology specialist to help you in this regard. 2. Don't Re-invent the Wheel. There are plenty of credible and experienced educational technology organizations, administrators and teachers out there who can lead you to quality materials, lesson plans and activities for use in your classroom. You don't have to spend hours using search engines to locate appropriate sites and materials. Some of the best educational Web sites for integrating technology in the classroom are: Center for History and New Media Classroom 2.0Edutopia Discovery Education: Kathy Schrock "Guide for Educators"PBS Teachers: Media InfusionThinkfinity 3. Establish a Partnership with Your Students. Many of your students will be excited about computer use, but you and they may be apprehensive about how technology will change your learning environment. Tell your students that computer use in your classroom is new and exciting for you as well, and that you are all part of an experiment whose ultimate success will largely depend on your combined efforts and cooperation. Stress how special this educational opportunity is and how much you need their input. Remember, it's about the students, not you. Your students will probably appreciate you asking for their help, and it may spur them to take ownership of the program. It also may soften some frustrations when technical problems occur. 4. Have a Plan B Ready. You are going to run into some technical difficulties in class and how you handle them will go a long way in determining how successful and enjoyable your technology experience is. You can minimize unwanted surprises by getting some training from an instructional technology specialist and by minimizing your reliance on live web connections. However, you will invariably run into technical problems during class that you are not able to solve immediately. In such instances, if you appear overly perturbed and frustrated you will send a signal to your students that they too can moan about technical problems and perhaps use them as excuses to forego completing computer-based work. Even worse, you may inadvertently cause them to question the ultimate merit of computer-based learning. Instead, try to make a smooth transition to a backup lesson plan, thereby sending a signal that technical glitches are just part of your educational adventure.