It was wonderful to read that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that in 2005 100% of American public schools had Internet access (Schrum and Levin, 2009, p.82). Despite the disparity in the quantity and quality of technology in public schools, this statistic is still impressive and proves that it is imperative to incorporate technology into lesson plans. As a special education teacher I plan to use technology as often as possible because it can improve students' quality of life while expanding on several important skills, including social interaction, organization, self-help, and independent functioning skills. Assistive technology is an effective approach to teach many students with learning disabilities, as it provides an interactive, user-friendly mean to attain knowledge. ISTE (2011) even perpetuates assistive technology and hosts a group (SETSIG: Special Education Technology Special Interest Group) to "advance knowledge concerning specialized technology products and effective practices for enhancing opportunities for children, youth, and adults with disabilities and for students who are gifted."
Technology is therefore a strategic tool to assist students with disabilities. For example, Daisy Talking Books is a great way to accomodate a student who has low vision. Daisy Talking Books are found in libraries worldwide and are multimedia resources with both large-text and image. Students can access specific points in the story whenever and wherever they want. These books are more than just audiobooks since they include navigation. Therefore, the low vision student can stay on track in class as he/she has the resource to do so.
Schrum and Levin (2009) write about virtual field trips, which would be a perfect tool to teach a student with a hearing impairment. A teacher would only have to locate and design a trip on a website such as Tramline and the student would be able to explore that area in visual depth. For instance, if the teacher were doing a unit on the United States government then the student would be able to go inside the capitol instantly. Virtual field trips truly give student the opportunity to see any part of the world.
A student with a broken arm would benefit from TeacherTube or SchoolTube. He/she may be absent from school quite frequently and so having access to these shared instructional videos from teachers and peers would help the student stay on track in regards to the workload. Watching these interesting, versatile, and dynamic videos are a fun, safe, and interactive mean for students to grasp concepts in different ways.
Finally, different modes of technology can be advantageous to a student with autism, as it can improve attention skills. Brainpop is an excellent resource for students and, as Schrum and Levin (2009) define it, it is a collection of cartoon videos that covers a broad range of topics, including English, math, science, arts, music, and health. Brainpop will therefore keep the student's attention while being an educational guide to curriculum. Technology therefore provides support to students of all ages and abilities. Now that most public schools in the country have access to the Internet they should be using the plethora of resources on the web as effective teaching tools.
ISTE. (2011). "SETSIG." Retrieved 21 June, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups/sig-directory/setsig.aspx.
Schrum, L. & Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools. California: Corwin.
Superb job this week! I like your intro quote about Internet access at schools! However, even though schools do have Internet access... that doesn't mean it is being used for instructional purposes. Great job customizing your blog and integrating hyperlinks into your response.
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