Integrating Technology for Special Needs
In the article One Size Never Fits All by Jennifer Courduff, Courduff reveals the positive outcomes in technology integration for special needs students. Courduff reveals that schools train teachers to integrate technology in the curriculum, however within the program there was no training that focused on special needs students. The Ettwanda School District in California took action and designed a program this approach consists of tree tiers.
Tier 1:
Teachers learn the use of assistant technology(AT), fusion writers, and microphones to enhance learning and meet individualized education program (IEP).
Tier 2:
Teachers are introduced to e-portfolios and given equipment to integrate technology and influence student-led conferences. Therefore, teachers learn through face to face interactions and the importance of the online environment.
Tier 3:
Technology will emerge into place and replace face-to-face collaboration and into online collaboration with some face to face support. Both teachers and students will learn skills through e-portfolios, digital story etc.
Courduff discloses that it will be a long process however it will benefit the child in the long run. In the article we learn about students already improving writing and reading skills through technology. For example Adriana a second grade student was an unmotivated student, therefore her teacher introduced her to speech-to-text feature on MS Word. This tool intrigued Adriana and engaged her in learning by "speaking her thoughts into the computer". After being introduced to speech-to-text Adriana esclaims "I Love to talk my writing into the computer. I can make stories. It's fun!" Thereafter Adriana was introduced to new tools to improve her writing skills.
"What teachers really need is to learn to match specific curricular tasks with technology resources that engages students, increase understanding, and enhance learning."
That is exactly what I acquired from this reading, students have different styles of learning and as educators we must select what is effective for our students. Teachers are not trained on how to integrate technology into the curriculum for special needs students. However the program that Ettwanda School District created of tiers is of great value and benefits both educators and students. These feature tools engage special needs students and enhance their reading and writing skills without them realizing it. This article prompts educators that one must be inclusive with all their students, and find tools to support their learning.
References:
Courduff, J. Technology Integration for Special Needs. Learning & Leading with Technology. June/July 2011.
Hey Sonia,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post and learning about some of the technologies available for students to make the education process easier. The speech to text feature on any digital device can be a great tool to facilitate learning for many students who struggle with reading or writing. Does the article include other examples of specific special needs that can be targeted with technologies?
Sonia, great job! I enjoyed reading your posting. It was very informative.
ReplyDeleteHi Sonia!
ReplyDeleteWow I love the layout of your blog! It looks so clean and greatly written. The tool that I liked most about your article was the Text-to-Speech. This is such an interesting tool because now students with special needs can type into their little computers and it can help the education process go along easier by talking to others. I think teachers can agree that this would be and is a nice asset to have in the classroom. I'm interested in learning more about some of the tools that can be used for special needs students. Great post!
-Kimberly Gomez
Hi Sonia,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the flow of your blog!! I love the way you made each tier a title and went from there. The article I read also talked about the Microsoft Word application that gives the text-to-speech option. I find it very fascinating. One thing that scares me about the article you read is tier 3. I do not believe that technology should replace ace-to-face collaboration. Being face-to-face provides the social environment people need.
Hey Sonia,
ReplyDeleteGood blog post!
The use of colors and images made your blog really intriguing. I really like the speech to text tool because students can speak into their computers and the text shows up. This is really a step for to making classrooms more inclusive.
Trey
Hi sonia, i love the structure of your post! I do think that the speech to text tool is an important tool for the classroom. I enjoyed reading your blog!
ReplyDelete