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

Useful Resource to implement AT in Schools

The next blog posts will be discuss resources to implement AT in schools. One resource is Making It Work: Effective Implementation of Assistive Technology Guide through the Special Education Technology British Columbia (link). 

This resource is designed to provide educators with a guide for successfully implementing a wide variety of assistive technologies with students with special needs.  A comprehensive implementation plan and samples of specific tools are included in this resource. Effective implementation of assistive technology can be a very complex process that may take place over the student's entire school career and on into adulthood.  The implementation process is actually independent of the specific technologies being put into place.  Truly successful implementation of the technology into a student's educational program does not depend on what software and hardware is introduced but, instead, depends on the careful and thoughtful attention to the various implementation steps.  This resource offers downloadable sections devoted to specific steps in the AT implementation process. 

The next blog post will discuss another resource for implementing AT in schools. 

Sources:
http://www.setbc.org/setbc/topics/effective_implementation_of_assistive_technology.html

Meeting the Communication Demands of Home and the Community with Augmentative Communication Systems

It is strongly recommended that patterns of family functioning and cultural diversity be actively considered at the initial stages of development and throughout the implementation process. Family members, including siblings, grandparents, and extended family, must be included in the evaluation and implementation processes. Parents are familiar with the need to have conversations with their children and to facilitate their appropriate interaction with others. They do this with ease and consistency when at home or in other settings. However, this parenting skill is more challenging when a system of augmentative communication is introduced into the process. 

Because some augmentative communication systems can be quite complicated to operate, consideration should be given to the current level of the family members’ familiarity with computers and technology and their willingness to learn, prior to deciding on the most appropriate system. This will enable the school staff to plan the most appropriate home supports and expectations. It is important for the family to feel comfortable with the system and to understand the impact that communication practice will have on future success. 

The next blog posts will discuss resources to help implement Assistive Technology in schools. 

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

Augmentative Communication Systems at Home and in the Community

It's important to support the use of augmentative communication systems at home and in the community. Although students receive direct instruction and guidance in developing augmentative communication skills in school, they must practice and use their system at home and within their communities. Using their systems in these other places reinforces the communication skills learned in school and helps generalize them to other settings. Teachers must be actively involved in ensuring that there is appropriate carryover and use within the home, among the family members, and across community sites. 

The development of a working relationship between school and home is critical to the success of augmentative communication. Both environments reflect different and varied communication demands, and coordinated efforts can significantly increase the likelihood of effective communication. Training in the use of augmentative communication systems should be provided to families. This may include strategies for expanded use of the system and providing new vocabulary for the unique communication demands of home and community. School personnel must provide direct instruction to parents, who in turn can teach other family and community members to interact with their child. 

In contrast, the community at-large is less familiar with the augmentative communication user and may be less willing to accept the unfamiliar approach to communication. Communicating with unfamiliar partners is extremely challenging for most users. Unfamiliar partners are people who have no shared knowledge with the user, no understanding of the system, and no understanding of the rules of communicating with an augmentative communication user.

Tips for Guiding Parents to Promote the Use of Augmentative Communication:

• Provide direct instruction on the use of the system 
• Identify Vocabulary that is relevant to the home
• Teach family members to provide opportunities for communication and to wait
• Provide simple data and evaluation sheets for home and community use
• Give parents permission to expand the child’s communication

The next blog post will discuss how a student's augmentative communication system can be designed to meet the communication demands of home and the community. 

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

Overcoming "Learned Helplessness"

In the previous blog posts, I've discussed resources and tools to teaching mathematics. The next blog posts will discuss how to integrate augmentative communication in the classroom, home and community. 

Teachers need to recognize that some students may have developed a pattern of learned helplessness through years of disempowerment. Providing students with a voice can be very powerful; however, many initial augmentative communication users do not know what to do with their newfound power. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify learned helplessness and provide support to overcome the passive responses of students who have yet to learn that they can exert control over their environments. 

Strategies teachers can use to overcoming learned helplessness:

• Build a daily expectation of communication through specific activities such as choosing the activity during recess, picking a book to read, or identifying where to eat lunch.
• Construct a brief daily report to parents that is communicated by the student.
• Allow natural consequences to occur and provide avenues for repair. This includes setups that alter the environment to provide less support or sabotage.
• Provide for choice making whenever possible that requires the student to use his or her augmentative communication system.
• Provide powerful phrases on the device for students to reject or protest something

The next blog post will discuss how augmentative communication can be integrated into the IEP. 

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

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

One suggested activity in Assistive Technology in the Classroom, for teaching math to special education students was utilizing The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, which is a digital library that contains apps and activities for K-12 mathematics. When you first visit the website, you can click on a topic (Number & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, or Data Analysis & Probability) and a list of virtual manipulatives will be generated for each grade range (Pre-K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12).  There are many manipulatives that appear in more than one grade range. 

One manipulative that appears in more than one grade range is Bar charts. Bar charts can be created to show quantities or percentages by labeling columns and clicking values. The manipulative is intended to introduce users to the idea of visual representation of data by mans of a bar chart. The manipulative is flexible that it can conveniently record different kinds of data. This manipulative is a useful class activity that can be integrated into a classroom to enhance students' learning. 

The PA state standards for K-2 that would support this virtual manipulative includes:

2.6.C: Answer questions based on data shown on graphs or charts.

2.6.D: Answer comparative questions based on representations of data.

2.6.E: Draw conclusions about information shown on a graph or chart.

The next blog posts will discuss how to integrate augmentative communication in the classroom, home, and community. 

Sources:

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

Computers and the Internet to Teach Math

One suggested activity in Assistive Technology in the Classroom, for teaching math to special education students was utilizing the internet to find educational resources, online math activities and applications that can be utilized on an iPad to help teach students math. The following are great educational resources that I hope to utilize in my future elementary classroom: 

Educational Resources for Teaching Math:

1. The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics - The NCTM supports teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students. Click Here!
2. PBS LearningMedia - This resources offers numerous links to other math resources to be utilized in a classroom.    Click Here!
3. Math.com - This website offers teachers lesson plans, classroom resources, standards and free stuff too!   Click Here!

Online Math Activities:

1. Math Playground - This website offers math games, logic puzzles, step-by-step instructional videos, math practice and problem solving activities. Students can practice math skills with fun and exciting games. Click Here!
2. Math-Play - This website offers a wide variety of fun games suitable for elementary and middle grades. Games are organized by grade level, content and game type. Click Here!
3. Math Blaster - This website offers engaging and exciting math games for elementary and middle grades. Games are organized by grade level, content and game type. Click Here!

iPad apps for Learning Math:

1. Math Drills - This app helps master basic math facts in the four operations; allows students to practice and monitor their growth and continue to build a solid foundation, and automatically records ll data when on Test Mode. 
2. Operation Math Code Squad - This app is a multiplayer game for keeping kids current on all four math operations, and requires teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. This app gets kids engaged and working together. 
3. Math Evolve -  This app introduces "video-like" gaming for practicing math facts and providing a solid foundation in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

The internet and iPads can offer a variety of educational resources for children learning math. Online math games and iPad apps are useful resources and an effective teaching aid that provide fun with learning. I'm excited to incorporating the internet and iPad apps into the math curriculum because it will help kids enjoy the process of learning and keep them motivated. 

The next blog post will discuss another suggested activity in Assistive Technology in the Classroom. 

Sources:

http://www.nctm.org/resources/

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/search/?q=*&selected_facets=supplemental_curriculum_hierarchy_nodes_exact:5148577a-b1b8-43b7-bd9d-ff9bd0ea8de4&display=Mathematics

http://www.math.com/teachers.html

http://www.mathplayground.com/games.html

http://www.math-play.com/

http://www.mathblaster.com/parents/math-games

http://www.teachthought.com/apps-2/12-of-the-best-math-ipad-apps-of-2012/

Technology Tools to address Visual-Spatial or Motor Control Difficulties

Students with visual-spatial or motor control difficulties may experience trouble with writing numbers, aligning digits in computation problems, and creating visual representations.  Because of these difficulties, they have trouble demonstrating their level of achievement or mastery of concepts, and may not understand and interpret their own written work.  These types of  struggles can present huge obstacles to being successful in math.  There are educational applications that address visual-spatial or motor control difficulties that minimize the handwriting demands of math work and are especially helpful for students with visual-spatial difficulties. The following list are educational applications that address visual-spatial and motor control difficulties:

1. MathPad is a talking math worksheet program that enables students to perform arithmetic computations on the computer.  Students can demonstrate their skill simply by using the keyboard or clicking the mouse, and students with severe disabilities can utilize a scanning feature. Customizable speech output can help students with visual impairments and students who have reading problems; it may also increase the attention of students who are easily distracted. Teacher-generated problem sets can be solved directly on the computer and students can receive immediate feedback.  MathPad is beneficial for students who have poor fine motor skills, need speech output, difficulty aligning problems properly, require immediate feedback, and who are more motivated and engaged in academic tasks when using the computer. 
2. MathPad Plus extends all of the features of MathPad to arithmetic computations with fractions and decimals and provides several additional features to support student success. 
3. Virtual Pencil (VP) Arithmetic is an educational application designed for students who are “pencil impaired” (i.e., unable to operate a pencil effectively). This tool allows students to solve problems in much the same way they would using pencil and paper, including performing and showing intermediate steps.  It offers speech feedback in a manner that makes it functional for students who are blind by reading problems and providing enough information so students who cannot see the problem can understand the position of digits and can navigate to where they need to be. 
4. Virtual Pencil (VP) Algebra extends most of the features of VP Arithmetic so students with disabilities can solve algebraic equations. It reads equations using correct math terminology and contains speech feedback. 
5. Number Navigator is a simple math processor, an application for creating mathematical expressions or equations, that allows users to enter and solve basic math problems on the computer. This is a free program that can be customized by colors, fonts, and font sizes. 
6. Microsoft Equation Editor, an object available in Microsft Word and other Office applications, enables students who have difficulty with handwriting but have good mouse control to create simple or advanced equations in correct mathematical notation. Numerous symbols are provided and are entered via a mouse click. 

For more advanced math classes, the following tools are useful: 

1. MathType
2. Scientific Notebook 
3. Meander's Annotator

The next blog post will discuss educational applications that can help teach math concept, math skills and problem solving. 

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