The Final Post

In ending this semester, I've learned a tremendous amount of invaluable information about Assistive Technology and how this knowledge will make me a better teacher. 

Here are just a few things I learned this semester that I didn't know before:

• AT can change a person's life! With the right device/tool specific to an individual's needs, AT can make a student's academic and personal life much more easier. 
• The teacher needs to learn how to use it too! If I have a student with an AT device or tool, I better know how to use it and how to help that student! 
• UDL is great! Although it can be somewhat overwhelming, this is a great tool to ensure that I, as the teacher, am reaching all my students! 
• IEPs will be my future friend! As a teacher, I am working towards my special education certification. I know there will be a time I am faced with challenges in regards to IEPs and using AT.  Therefore, it's important for me to be knowledgeable about the IEP process and how AT can be beneficial to a student.  

With looking back at previous posts, I have learned so much and have grown immensely with this class. The invaluable knowledge I've gained about AT will help strengthen my instruction for students who are in need and I can't wait to have my own classroom one day trying out all the great resources that I've come to love and become curious about using!

I hope everyone has enjoyed my blog posts, as I have enjoyed reading others! 

Low-Tech & Mid-Tech Adaptions for Students with Disabilities in Math

The AT continuum is relevant to the teaching of math, just as it is to the teaching of writing and reading. There are different adaptions for students with disabilities in math that can be utilized such as:

Low-tech:

1. Manipulatives
2. Rubber Stamps
3. Manipulative Number Line
4. Laminated Addition and Multiplication Tables
5. Rulers with multiple transparent overlays for units of measure
6. Large Calculators with oversized buttons
7. Graphic Organizers

Mid-tech:

1. Coin Abacus/ Coin-u-lator 
2. Talking calculators 
3. Talking watches/clocks
4. Calculator with print out 

These are all great tools to consider for a student with a disability in math.  It's always important to remember the student's needs and goals when considering a device. 

Sources:

Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom . (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Education.

http://at4schools.wikifoundry.com/page/Assistive+Technology+For+Math

Educational Apps to Teach Math Concepts, Skills and Problem Solving

Educational applications can be used to teach math concepts, math skills and problem solving and are available to assist with the development of skills and concepts needed to succeed in mathematics. Web-based activities offer teachers and parents options that are free and teachers with laminated budgets can find multiple sites to meet the needs of students with varied abilities. 

The following list of resources can provide opportunities for additional support in teaching math concepts, math skills and problem solving:

1. National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Users can navigate the site by category —Number & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, or Data Analysis & Probability—and/or by grade levels preK–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8, or Grades 9–12. 
2.  Illuminations - a Web site maintained by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Students who need extended practice, visual representations of concepts, and/or interactive activities can benefit from this site which offers numerous online activities that support the development of math concepts for students in Grades K–12. 
3. Computing Technology for Math Excellence -  This free Web portal is designed to assist anyone who wants to find high-quality, free Internet resources to use in classroom instruction and to reinforce specific subject matter areas at home. 
4. Math Playground - provides a wealth of resources to support learning math concepts, skills, and problem solving. Free, online math activities are provided in the categories of Math Games, Word Problems, and Logic Puzzles. 
5. Conceptua Math - focuses on fractions and offers a variety of tools for teachers to use to enhance their whole class instruction. It provides visual models that are accompanied by spoken text to facilitate independent use by students who are struggling readers. It also includes formative assessments and captures student data, enabling teachers to monitor students’ progress and make appropriate instructional decisions. 
6. Destination Math - targets the development of skills in math reasoning, conceptual understanding, and problem solving for students in Grades K–12. The use of animation and audio output helps keep students engaged. Student success is supported with explicit step-by-step instructions and opportunities to practice problem-solving skills. 

To benefit students, educational applications, including virtual manipulatives, must be connected clearly to the concepts being developed and must be matched to students’ developmental levels. In addition, the match between concepts and developmental level must be kept in mind as teachers select educational applications for students with disabilities. 

Sources:

Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom . (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Education.

Apps for Handheld Devices to Provide Visual Supports for Students with Severe Disabilities

Computer technology has easily transferred to handheld devices. With the inexpensive, easy-to-use mobile technology such as smart phones, the iPod Touch, and the iPad, visual supports are increasingly being provided by handheld devices that utilize touch screen technology. 

Some examples of apps:

• iPrompts, which runs on Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices, presents picture-based prompts that have been configured by teachers and parents to help students stay on task and transition between activities. The app provides hundreds of stock photos and allows users to add digital pictures from their iPhone’s built-in camera. 
• iCommunication and First-Then also use digital photos to create picture schedules and provide the option to record messages linked to each picture. The messages can be an audio version of the visual prompt or it can provide audio reinforcement. 
• Picture Planner is designed so that students with cognitive disabilities can construct personalized picture schedules for themselves on a computer and then use the schedules either in a printed version or on mobile devices. The program provides line drawing symbols (students can also import photos of familiar people and objects) and text-to-speech feedback. 

Sources:
Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom . (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Education.

AT and College Students with Disabilities

The next blogs will discuss the implementation of AT in Transition Planning. 

AT offers solutions to college students with disabilities. With the right hardware, software, and assistive device, computers can help college students complete academic tasks in a timely fashion; decrease the anxiety and frustration associated with reading, writing, and communicating; gain access to and participate in the full range of learning opportunities; and maximize their independence. 

AT can be used to help college students during classes and testing situations and in completing assignments. AT tools may be helpful to college students with disabilities if the tools meet the following criteria: 

• Must be easy to use and easy to customize
• Must be age appropriate  
• Must be the student's own choice
• Must carefully match the specific task that needs to be accomplished and the environment in which it will take place
• Must be installed in a place that the student can easily access
• Training and ongoing technical support must be provided to students and staff. 

The next blog will discuss how apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch and other handheld devices can be used to provide visual supports for students with severe disabilities. 

Sources:
Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom . (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Education.

How Augmentative Communication can be Integrated into the IEP

The teaching of communication skills is guided by the IEP and augmentative communication evaluations should be a component of the program and must be carefully considered for all nonspeaking students.  Once determined to be necessary for a student, the components of the system should be outlined within the IEP and should also include the use of the augmentative communication system within the student's educational program.  This will ensure that fundamental opportunities are provided for the student to practice communication skills within the context of his or her overall program. It's important to remember that every student must have goals and objectives that reflect the use and continued development of the system. 

When constructing an IEP for a student who uses augmentative communication, it's important that the student's use of the system is integrated within and across the school day, including both instructional and non instructional periods.  To ensure that the plan is aligned to all the student's instructional program components and expected outcomes requires collaboration among IEP team members. The IEP must include clear statements reflecting the student’s communication needs across environments and descriptions of how the specific features of the system will be used by the student. 

When developing goals, it's important to remember that the augmentative communication device is not an IEP goal in itself, but rather a means to accomplishing a goal. There are three goal areas to be considered for augmentative communication users: communication; instruction/academic; and social interactions. The IEP team must determine goals for developing more effective and efficient communication using the augmentative communication device, and also how the use of augmentative communication will enhance the student’s participation in the instructional process and in social interactions. 

Two additional components that must be included in an IEP for a student using augmentative communication are a list of the augmentative communication services to be provided by related service personnel (such as the speech/language pathologist and occupational therapist) and identification of the party responsible for device maintenance and operations. 

The next blog post will discuss the importance of support of augmentative communication systems at home and in the community. 

Sources:
Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom . (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Education.

Useful Resource to Implement AT in Schools

Another useful resource to implement AT in Schools is Assistive Technology Implementation: Working Together to Make a Measurable Difference, which offers a complete instructional module on AT implementation from the Texas Assistive Technology Network that includes an implementation form. 

The implementation module is intended for people who are or will be involved in AT decision making and/or implementation. The contents focus on planning for the use of AT devices and services that the IEP team has determined to be needed for students with disabilities to participate in educational activities, work toward mastery of the IEP goals, and progress within the general education curriculum. 

The next blog will discuss the implementation of AT in Transition Planning. 

Sources:

http://www.texasat.net/default.aspx?name=trainmod.implem