Assistive Technology Paper

Cassidy Culligan

ED 505

Assistive Technology Paper

            Assistive technology is a way for students with mild disabilities to students who are gifted and talented to perform in school. These students are able to communicate better, perform academic tasks, participate in social and extracurricular activities, move or travel around the school, use proper seating and positioning, and access materials. With these assistive technology websites and software, the students are able to go to school normal and participate in class with all of their peers.

            Mild disabilities are the most prevalent disabilities that a person can have. These include learning disabilities, serious emotional disabilities, and mental retardation. They have trouble with reading, writing, and retaining information. For reading, they can use reading skill software, text-to-speech products, and interactive storybooks. These activities are to help develop higher level thinking skills that are more creative. Cast eReader, Fast Forward, and Simon Sounds it out are some websites that help students with mild disabilities. There are also apps on the iPad such as Speak It! All of this software helps students listen to information that they cannot read.

            Students with moderate to severe disabilities are looked after to ensure that they have acquired the necessary daily living skills. There is software and websites that will help them learn functional skills such as time management and how to manage money. There is an iPad application called Time, Money, and Functions on-Track that will really be beneficial for these students. They can also use alternative keyboards that will enlarge the keys and make more space for students to press a key like Intellikeys. The website Ablenet, Inc also helps assist teachers in integrating the assistive technology into instruction.

            A student with physical disabilities affects their mobility and agility. Their difficulties involve gross or fine-motor movements. To help power their wheelchairs, they can use a device called a joystick, which is a handle that moves in all directions. Switches can be used as an alternative to a typical keyboard and are commonly used for controlling and getting input to the computer. ORCCA Technology, Intellitools, and Adaptivation, Inc  are all websites that can be used to help with a student that has physical disabilities. Teachers should make sure that they are provided with the best placement of adaptive technologies so they can operate them on their own.

            Students with sensory disabilities can be hearing impaired or deaf and visually impaired or blind. If a student is blind they can use text-to-braile converters such as Scan and read Software. They can also have screen readers like yourdolphin.com and Visioncue. There is also an app called TextGrabber. For the visually impaired, closed-circuit television magnification systems are perfect to help them read. These systems are mounted on a frame with a television monitor. Built in computer screen magnification panels to magnify everything can also be used. Students that are hearing impaired or deaf can be given fm amplification systems like Autoenhancemet or Telesensory. Teacher can wear a microphone and the student wears the earpiece so the teachers voice is magnified.

            At-risk students for failing are not technically considered disabled by the federal definition. These students need to have websites that provide powerful and motivating opportunities to engage in learning activities such as brainpop and donjohnston.com. At-risk students have trouble remembering and can use software called JOBCoach and they also have the inability to read and comprehend at their grade level and can use software called ReadPlease. These students need to make sure they are motivated often and always engaged in interesting activities.

            Students who are considered gifted and talented are students who give high evidence of achievement who need services not usually provided by school. They need programs that give them challenges and that also provide them with tools that engage in self-directed research. Programs like the Duke TIP program and the Hoagies Gifted Education Page are perfect for students that are gifted. These students do not need to get bored with their studies and teachers need to make sure they are always challenging them to peek to their highest performance. 

Social Bookmarks

This was a really interesting assignment. I enjoyed being able to find a lot of educational websites and bookmark them all together. I had never used delicious before but I'm glad I got to. This will be a quick way to find all my websites. I have enjoyed writing on my blog this semester and I have also enjoyed reading my classmates!
Here is my delicious website https://delicious.com/casscully 

Web 2.0 resources

I really liked using Glogster. This was a fun way to tell students about the lesson we are doing for the week. This is a site that they can go to and read all about and watch a video. Its something different than just telling them about it.
http://cculligan.edu.glogster.com/footballlesson


Animoto is also a fun way to display pictures of different parts of our lesson. The students can see what all we are learning that week and pictures of what it should look like. Students will enjoy different videos explaining our lessons.
http://animoto.com/play/HTHsY3n0QV4IZsLVPIqG1w


For my free choice, I used blabberize. It was a lot of fun and I used different football positions and explained what was important about each one. The students will really think this is funny and love listening to the characters talk.
http://blabberize.com/mystuff

For my concept map, I just put different ways to use the football. We always use these 5 things in football stations when we are doing a football lesson. This way the student can see what each station is about and what they are doing at it.
https://bubbl.us/?h=163b08/2cafef/14az5KYqi3wuM

All of four of these are great tools to help teach our students. I had a lot of fun using them and I can't wait to practice some of these with my students. This will make class a lot more interesting!

GoogleReader

My experience with GoogleReader has been extremely rewarding. I have enjoyed learning all about new ways to teach technology in classrooms and also new lessons to help teach my classes. Being a physical education teacher, it is hard form me to find ways to use technology. I like the way they explain how to use the items and what they are used for. My students love for me to bring ideas to class. They are always looking for something new. 

My first blog I read was the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. http://www.aahperd.com This blog partnered with Michelle Obama's Let's Move! active schools to help bring physical activity back to schools. It hopes to teach all physical education teachers and coaches the importance of staying active. They believe students should get at least 60 minutes a day including before, during, and after school. There are plenty of tools and resources on their blog to help pe teachers with their lessons.

The second blog I read was Summer Meals Kickoff. http://www.ed.gov/blog/ 
This was presented by Michelle Obama to promote healthier eating for students. This blog has really helped me with my health classes. I have to teach health once a week and I am always looking for new lessons to teach. I teach 7th grade girls and at this age is when they really begin to worry about weight. I like the ideas the blog has given me to help teach healthy eating habits. I give my students ideas of how it must start at home and it also has to be followed by exercise. This has been my favorite blog so far to read. I have found helpful information that will last me for a lifetime. I plan to continue to read it and get more healthy habits.

http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/04/hey-kids-lets-get-cooking
This blog post was my favorite this semester. It talked about challenging youth to whip up lunchtime recipes that are healthy, affordable, and tasty. This helps kids to decide what they would like for lunch and to prepare it in a way that they would enjoy. They must include a food to represent each food group including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy foods. The students will submit their entries by May 12th and then they will be judged. I know that students at my school complain all the time about the food and this gives them the opportunity to have a voice. Students might enjoy healthier food if they have a say in what they are eating. 

PE Apps!

There are a lot of fun and exciting educational games you can play with mobile apps. Here are a few that will be beneficial in my Physical Education and Health classes.

• PE Games- contains over a 100 games in a variety of gategories and is easy to add to lesson plans and is considered a premier app.
• VSB Physical Education- explains the importance of staying in shape and having a fit and healthy body and discusses fun athletic sports and gives historical background on them.
• Human Kinetics NOW- keeps teachers and students up to date on the latest trends in sports and physical activity and experts give news and advice to help apply it to your body.
• The PE Geek- gives teachers emerging technologies, gives conference materials and handouts, and has a blog for teachers to help them with technology.

Each one of these apps is beneficial and I really believe the students would enjoy working with them.
Also a shout out to http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/ for always having the latest trends and tools to teaching students. She always comes with new ways to keep them interested. About a week ago, she blogged about 89 cool and interesting apps to teach the children. Each app was beneficial and will help all types of teachers.

There are different types of software that can be used in the classroom. Each program is a different way to help students with their schoolwork. They all help to engage the students and to make learning more fun and interesting. 

Drill and practice- students receive feedback immediately for correct or incorrect. It can be as simple as right or wrong or it can go into more detail. Each website is different and flash cards are a great example of drill and practice. 

Www.studystack.com/flash card-135360

Great website that helps students learn physical education terms and lets them know if they get them right or wrong.

Tutorial- explains the entire objective or material on a topic. This example is usually to only contain information on that one area instead of other instruction. 

Www.pefriends.com/down-south-shuffle-dance

This website gives students a full tutorial on how to the dance. It gives students step by step.

Simulation- is an example on the computer of a real or made up system to teach how the system works. This can be used in my health classes to show them how the different systems work. 

Www.learn4good.com/games/simulation.htm

This website offers different educational games that simulate different activities.

Instructional games- these games add rules and competition to help the student learn certain activities. This allows students to be competitive but still be able to learn and have fun. 

Www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games

This has different fun and educational games about health and the skeletal and muscle systems. 

Problem solving- helps to students to solve problems either by working in groups or working individually. This helps keeps the students involved and learning at the same time. 

Www.boyscouttrail.com/activity_search.asp

This is a website with team building activities that are fun and physical and are problem solving games.

Integrated learning systems- students login to computer based instruction and the software tracks the students progress and the teacher can see the report and see how the student is doing.

Www.waterford.org/products/rusty-and-rosy/

This website gives free learning to read instructions and helps keep track of how the student is progressing.

Coolcatteacherblog

This blog always offers great information to help you improve your classroom. The latest blog was about 7 key ingredients for a successful 21st century classroom. This helps you to add new stuff to your classroom and to make it more fun and exciting for students. They enjoy when the teacher has new things for them to try and experiment. 

Cool Technology Uses

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: 89 cool apps, sites, and tools for teaching: Whether using tablets, droids, or devices, take time to experiment and use something new. It might just be the mood boost you need. She talks about the importance of using apps and sites to keep the students engaged. It helps from handing them a boring worksheet. The student gets more excited about school work and they are more willing to learn.

In my physical education classes, I use the iPod touch for numerous reasons. The first reason is for my dance unit I have every year. The unit lasts for about three weeks where I teach them a new dance each day and then we review from the days before. I put all the songs on the iPod and play it through our sound system. On Fridays, I give my students free play if they have been good throughout the week and they love when I play music for them. The iPod touch is also used for our school dances and for our pride breaks that each grade gets every other week. I know that they can also be used in the classroom to help students play different learning games. You can hook them up to a computer or a tv and everyone can enjoy. Teachers might use them in centers to do activities.

In this video, it shows the importance of the iPod touch and the different ways to use them. It talks about reading and math scores and how they have shown improvement. It shows you how to use it.

  As a physical education teacher, I do not use technology much in my classes. The only time I use technology is when I am teaching a dance unit and I have to play music on my ipod for the students. We would really like to get another ipod because right now we only have one between all four of us pe teachers. I also teach Health once a week and I need more technology in our Health classroom for the students. We are supposed to be getting a smartboard so I can play more interactive Health games and show them more Health videos. The girls that I teach would love to be able to interact during Health and now have to listen to me talk the whole time. I hope by next year we can receive our smartboard and one more ipod to help out in the pe department.
   As I was reading through my googlereader, I found a cool website that was posted by http://www.freetech4teachers.com. He was talking about a free website called www.classcharts.com that allows an easier way for the teacher to document their students behavior along with their seating charts. With one click on the chart, the teacher can move the students around and can record their behavior for the day. I think this is an awesome way to keep up with their behavior instead of having to keep it on paper and pencil all the time. Here is a video that shows how the website works. The best part about the program is it is free and if you don't like you have lost nothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pD8OkYRf_S4

Class seating charts & behavior management

Easter 2013

Zoey and Daisy announcing they are going to be BIG sisters!