Technology Tools for Special Learners

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Technology Tools for Special Learners

• Tammi Gearhart
• EdTech 541, Spring 11

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Tools for Students with Cognitive Disabilities
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Boardmaker

• http//www.mayer-johnson.com/category/boardmaker-f
  amily-1
• Boardmaker and Boardmaker Plus! are software
  programs that are intended to be used for
  non-verbal students and students who are learning
  English as another language. It allows the user
  to create communication boards, sequencing
  charts, reading and writing activities,
  worksheets, and schedules. Boardmaker Plus!
  allows you to create onscreen activities with
  sound and animation. Because Boardmaker Plus! Can
  be accessed through a variety of input devices,
  it allows the program to be used by students with
  a wide-range of disabilities.

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Benefits

• Images can be helpful for children who respond
  better to visual prompts during transition times.
• Images can be used for ELL students to work on
  literacy skills.
• Images can be used to help students express how
  they are feeling or choose appropriate behavior.

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Whizkids

• http//www.whizkidgames.com/ or
  http//www.autismgames.com.au/
• Whizkids is a collection of social stories that
  were developed for mild to severely autistic
  children. The interactive stories are narrated by
  a gentle and positive voice, demonstrating
  examples of how to greet people, how to wait
  patiently in line, how to cope with change, and
  many other daily activities.

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Benefits

• Children can practice daily situations virtually
  without it being frightening or intimidating, and
  they can see behavior in routine situations
  modeled appropriately.

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Tools for Students with Physical Disabilities
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Intellikeys

• http//www.intellitools.com/demo/control.asp?site
  itc
• Intellikeys is an alternative keyboard that has
  overlays that can be used for various purposes
  (word processing, math, etc.) Overlays can also
  be created and customized for students or for
  specific pieces of software. In addition to
  having key guards that can be used to prevent
  accidental key strokes, it has larger keys, and
  the ability to put letters in alphabetical order
  and with fewer options on the keyboard than on a
  standard keyboard.

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Benefits

• According to the web site, Intellikeys is useful
  for students with motion issues, problems with
  fine motor skills, low vision, or learning
  disabilities.

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etype

• http//www.etype.com/
• etype is a word completion software package. As
  students begin words, a list of potential matches
  appears. Rather than having the student finish
  typing the word, the student is able to click on
  the correct words.

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Benefits

• This program would be helpful for students with
  motor control (such as muscular sclerosis), fine
  motor problems, and literacy disabilities by
  reducing the amount of keyboarding necessary,
  allowing document production to be easier and
  with a higher level of accuracy.

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Tools for Students with Sensory Disabilities
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Bookshare

• http//www.bookshare.org/
• Bookshare is a web site that has over 90,000
  books, magazines, and periodicals that are
  available for downloading to a computer, reader,
  or iPad. Membership for students with IEPs is
  free. Once downloaded, the book can be read aloud
  through various tools software that can be
  downloaded from the Bookshare site or by using
  the text reader found on a Mac. Books can also be
  printed in Braille if an embosser is available.

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Benefits

• This site would be helpful to a wide range of
  students, but by offering downloads that can be
  printed in Braille, it is especially useful for
  producing materials for students who are visually
  impaired.

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Accessibar

• http//accessibar.mozdev.org/
• An issue that faces many people who are visually
  impaired is using the Internet. The Accessibar is
  a toolbar extension for Firefox that provides a
  number of accessibility of options. When
  installed, Firefox has a new toolbar that allows
  full-page zoom, the ability to change fonts, the
  ability to hide graphics, change line spacing,
  define shortcut keys, and use text-to-speech
  options.

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Benefits

• Accessibar provides ease in navigating the
  Internet for visually impaired students.
• There is a wide range of modifications to the
  screen so that it can be customized to the
  students needs.

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Tools for At-Risk Student
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Boysread

• http//www.schoolinfo.ca/boysreading/
• Boysread.com is a web site that promotes reading
  for boys grades 7 12, but who have low reading
  levels (as low as 2nd grade). All books have
  been evaluated and chosen by reluctant male
  readers. In addition to having recommendations
  for books for males who are reluctant to read,
  they have tips for parents, links to other web
  sites that promote reading, and the ability to
  listen to podcasts of first chapters of many
  books.

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Benefits

• Boysread helps by introducing students to books
  that may be potentially interesting by providing
  first chapters in podcast form, and reviews of
  different books in podcast format.
• The podcast format can help reduce the cognitive
  load for students who struggle with reading.

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Gamedesk

• http//www.gamedesk.org/
• GameDesk is an organization that matches core
  curriculum with software that allows students to
  create and use games. Their target population is
  low-income and minority students in some of the
  low-performing schools in Los Angeles.

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Gamedesk continued

• According to the web site, it embeds STEM
  content into game-centered projects with a strong
  focus on creating purpose, ownership, and
  personal/professional value to STEM related
  fields of study.
• The success of the program has led to the Los
  Angeles School District receiving a grant from
  the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to open a
  game and media-based charter school.

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Benefits

• Gamedesk approaches learning from a different
  perspective, using todays technology tools to
  engage and motivate at-risk students while they
  are learning core subject matter.

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Tools for Gifted and Talented Students
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The Why Files

• http//whyfiles.org/
• The Why Files is a web site that covers the
  science, math, and technology that can help
  students understand current events. Students can
  experiment with science through virtual
  exercises.

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Benefits

• This web site engages students through questions
  for debate, offering opportunities for
  hypothesizing, and providing information that
  will challenge students higher-level thinking
  skills.

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Kids Tate

• http//kids.tate.org.uk
• Tate Kids is sponsored by the Tate Art Collection
  in Great Britain. This web site has videos of
  interactive videos, students creating art, games,
  and opportunities to create, all using
  higher-level thinking skills.

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Benefits

• This site challenges artistically talented
  children to analyze, interpret, compare, and use
  information that may not be encountered in the
  every day classroom. This also provides an
  opportunity to experience art that otherwise
  wouldnt be able to be experienced by many
  children that are not geographically close to the
  Tate Collections.