Blog Post #7

Assistive technology is technology used for students with certain disabilities in the classroom. There are a lot of different assistive technology tools that are available for teachers. For example, if a student that has limited mobility in using their hands may use a keyboard with larger keys on it. In the video, The Mountbatten, it talks abut a device called the Mountbatten Braille Writer which gives the student audio and tactile feedback for a student who is blind. After researching about assistive technology tools, I found out that teachers can use applications on iPads as a tool in the classroom for the students. One tool that I found is called Proloquo2Go which is an application on the iPad that provides a voice for students who do not have a voice or have trouble speaking. According to Apple, this application is rated a four in a half star out of five, so it would be a great investment and teachers would have great results.

As a PE teacher, all the students will be included in the activities we do, no matter what type of disability they have. I can adjust the activity of the day for those students that are physical disabled. For example, if a student is in a wheelchair, I can instruct an activity that involves all the students being on scooters or anything that has at least two wheels on it. By doing this, it makes sure that everyone is included and no one is left out. Plus its a great chance for everyone to have FUN!!!

Corey Waldon

Assistive  Technology

As a teacher teaching in the 21st century there are numerous assistive technologies that could be used in a classroom. First off, what is assistive technology? It is any kind of technology that can be used to enhance the functional independence of a person with a disability. For example on a computer there is speech-generating technology in which computer software translates what a person types on a keyboard. Some computer software also has auto-correct where if a person type in a few letter it recognize the entire word. Some technology used for visual aid; are screen magnification software which enlarges the portion of the text that is highlighted with the mouse. One Physical assistive technology I thought should be very useful was the use of audiobooks. An audiobook can be used for students who do not have the ability to physically handle books.

After watching the video Teaching mom what her Blind/deaf child is learning on the IPad, I saw how helpful the assistive tools added to the ipad can help a blind or deaf child. In the video you see how a mother takes a tour of an ipad by using the assistive techniques already available. The mother learns how her child is learning and how if you use an ipad properly it can still benefit students with disabilities. The video basically explains how the assistive technology in an ipad can be used to help students with typing. What I thought was cool and creative was how the ipad did a lot of talking, letting the mother know what she was doing and what letters she was on while typing.

Assistive technologies can be used to enhance students learning with disabilities. Teachers can use many different technologies already available. There are technologies for students with visual, speaking, hearing and physical disabilities. As a teacher it is our job to provide a safe and enriched learning environment for all students.

Chris May

While the video iPad usage for the blind I learned about software available on an iPad that can be very beneficial to the blind. Basically this software has a response to every time the screen is touched. The program verbally responds to each touch. The programs responds to the user and explains to them what they are doing and what they need to do open, close, and doing other things with apps. I found this pretty interesting! I never knew that any type of software like this existed. This software makes for blind people to be able to listen to books as well as use other apps that are available on the iPad. But, I see a potential problem with this program. In the video the voice that responds responds extremely fast and is somewhat hard to understand. I feel that the users of this program could become frustrated with this program because it repeats itself so many times and speaks fast and hard to understand.

I watched a video called Meet sam. This video is about a boy who suffers from cerebral palsy and uses assistive technology to help him go to school and blog. I thought this video was pretty cool because Sam is a blogger and that is what our EDM class consists of. Sam uses his iPad, computer, and his voice recorder to help him out throughout the day. He uses all of these to help him take his notes during school. Before Sam gained these technologies he had an aid to help him with these things. Now that Sam has assistive technologies he can do these things on his own without the help of someone else. Sam uses the app Audionote. This app helps him record the teachers lectures as well as take his own notes. Sam also uses the kindle app to read his class books and other books. Sam would not be able to do any of these things without the assistive technology on his iPad.