Teaching and Learning with Technology Chapter 4 Technology

Teaching and Learning with Technology Chapter 4 Technology for Diverse Learners This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. • any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; • preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; • any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Students are diverse in many ways: culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, learning styles, and multiple intelligences Students’ abilities may call for additional attention and creativity to meet their needs Students with special needs and students with exceptionalities: includes both students with disabilities that interfere with learning and gifted students who are gifted and may need special instructional strategies to reach their potential Disabilities may be obvious or not Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 3

Technology Can: Play a special and effective role to support student needs Increase independence and participation in classroom activities Provide access to standard curriculum Enable students with disabilities that interfere with learning skills to demonstrate their understanding of subject matter Provide a voice for students who cannot speak Enable mobility for those who cannot move or have difficulty moving Provide input modalities for those who cannot see or hear Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 4

Augmentive Communication Word processing software has very powerful capabilities to support the needs of students with exceptionalities Gives students with poor motor skills (can’t hold a pencil or type easily) the ability to create clear, legible documents A wide variety of built-in options and features give students a wide range of control to create and revise documents Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5

Augmentive Communication Concept Mapping Software: Used during brainstorming to capture ideas and allow students to manipulate them Provides structure and organization for the writing process Lets students see how abstract ideas are interconnected Supports students with disabilities by letting them brainstorm in diagram or outline mode Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 6

Augmentive Communication Word Prediction Software: Makes an educated guess about the next word student wants to type based on 1 st several letters Less typing required by reducing number of required keystrokes Enables creation of custom dictionaries Helps predict vocabulary for writing activity or subject Can speak words when students point at them Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 7

Augmentive Communication Text-to-Speech Software: Offers options to hear: word-by-word, sentence-bysentence, or entire paragraphs or documents Makes it easier to review and proof one’s work Talking Spell-Checker Software: Reads aloud misspelled words and suggested correct words Students can make choices based on sound of words Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 8

Augmentive Communication Recorded Books Appropriate for students who can understand material at their grade level but struggle when they have to read it High-Interest, Low-Level Books Alternatives that offer age/grade-appropriate content presented at an easier reading level Some books may highlight text as it’s read Narration is natural, since it’s digitized (recorded) rather than synthesized (text-to-speech) Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 9

Technology Tools Scan/Read Systems Combine computer, scanner, optical character recognition software, and speech output As text is read aloud, display of it provided on monitor Time-consuming to scan, and files can be very large Many sites offer text that has been converted to electronic format or “e-text” Most literature in the public domain (e. g. , Shakespeare) is available for free download Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 10

Augmentive Communication Active Listening Devices (ALDs) Students with difficulty hearing lectures and class discussions often need support Two main types: Personal amplification systems – student wears small receiver and sound output device (focuses on individual student(s)) Sound-field amplification systems – teacher’s voice is amplified by classroom loudspeakers (focuses on a group of students) Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 11

Augmentive Communication Devices that give a voice to those who cannot speak Can be very inexpensive (homemade picture boards) to costing thousands (digitized text-to-speech technology) Teachers need to know how they work to assist and support their students who use them Teachers must make adjustments in their lessons for students who may need more time or preparation before the class lecture, etc. Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 12

Augmentive Communication Input Devices Sticky. Keys – press keys sequentially to execute commands, rather than simultaneously Mouse. Keys – direct the mouse pointer and execute mouse functions using the numeric keypad Keyboard labels – labels that can make letters larger, add contrast, cover nonessential keys, etc. Keyguards – covers with holes that increase accuracy by allowing pressing only one key at a time Expanded keyboards – offer larger surface area and larger keys Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 13

Augmentive Communication Input Devices (cont. ) Mini keyboards – smaller and fewer keys, aid students with restricted range of motion Customizable keyboards – configurable to individual students Pointing devices/systems – can range from a dowel with a rubber tip held in a fist or mouth or attached to a headband to a more sophisticated system that engages an onscreen keyboard Single switch – enables students who can control a single movement to control a computer Touch screens – touch-sensitive computer screens that are quick and easy to use but have limitations when entering large amounts of data or many selection options required Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 14

Issues in Implementing Technology 1. Determine which technology solution will be the most effective with input from professionals (teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, and technical personnel), family members, and the student 2. Training on the technology for all involved parties (student, teacher, and involved adults) 3. Need for collaboration between assistive technology (AT) and information technology (IT) personnel Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 15

Solutions for Gifted Students Computer technology can help keep gifted students engaged even after they’ve mastered course content Internet-based activities can provide access to innovative resources to broaden and deepen learning Gifted students need differentiated instruction to address unique needs for challenge and engagement Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 16

Solutions for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students English language learning (ELL) students are one of the most rapidly growing student populations in K 12 schools Most are from Spanish-speaking backgrounds; many other international heritages are represented. That’s why CLD is the most appropriate name Educational technology often underutilized for providing comprehensible input to CLD students Scaffolding defined as supporting learners by moving them beyond their individual baseline Technology can give the one-on-one support they need Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 17

Solutions for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students Planned targeted use of technology can monitor students’ comprehension and intervene when needed Teacher awareness and preparation are critical Many useful resources to help teachers meet the needs of CLD students Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 18

Issues in Implementing Technology for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students Teachers must move beyond using technology as a remedial tool Creative infusion of the many ways technology can be used will help meet the unique needs of CLD students Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 19

Technology Solutions for All Learners Student diversity is a reality that all teachers must address Awareness of the many ways students differ is the first step to effectively meet their needs Respect for and dedication to meeting diverse needs combined with careful planning are key Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides parameters to educators for designing learning that considers all students’ needs CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) has developed a framework for using technology to maximize learning opportunities for every student Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4 e © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 20