assistive technology
Technology-Enhanced Strategies
The following is a description of ways to include all students, especially those with disabilities, in learning. The assistive tools found below can be used to enhance learning with a variety of special needs students and is divided into sections based on student needs.
1. Students with Cognitive DifficultiesStudents with cognitive disabilities often struggle to read and/or write. Social Studies is like many other subjects in school and requires a good amount of reading. This assistive technology provides students who possess basic or no reading abilities an easier option to experience digital text, whether on a website, in a document or in an eTextbook. By offering students an option to hear instead of read the text, they can get valuable information regarding a diversity of Social Studies topics.
These are just two of many dictation apps that could be used by students who struggle with writing skills. Dictation software makes it possible for an emerging writer to compose written assignments in the social studies classroom.
2. Students with Physical Difficulties
3. Students with Sensory Difficulties
Maps and Directions
4. At-Risk Students
The following sites can be used to develop students’ understanding of maps and cardinal directions. Each of these sites is interactive and will, in addition the benefits above, engage at-risk students.
Eye of Rom
See You See Me
Map Match
Reading a Map
5. Gifted and Talented StudentsThis tool can enrich the learning experience for the gifted student by allowing them to create a description of an event or person by placing items in a virtual box. The box can then be shared with and viewed by others. One example of how it could be especially helpful in the social studies classroom is during a unit on the Oregon Trail a museum box could be created by a student pretending to be a traveler on the Oregon Trail.Dipity is a timeline creation tool that will allow users to incorporate text, images and videos into each entry on their timeline. Dipity has a collaboration option and has multiple avenues for sharing timelines publicly or privately. I envision this tool being used in the social studies classroom during the unit on Idaho immigrants with an extension activity for a gifted student.
References
Scope
Darling-Hammond, L., & Zielezinski, M. B. (2014). Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students' Learning (Rep.). SCOPE.
The following is a description of ways to include all students, especially those with disabilities, in learning. The assistive tools found below can be used to enhance learning with a variety of special needs students and is divided into sections based on student needs.
1. Students with Cognitive DifficultiesStudents with cognitive disabilities often struggle to read and/or write. Social Studies is like many other subjects in school and requires a good amount of reading. This assistive technology provides students who possess basic or no reading abilities an easier option to experience digital text, whether on a website, in a document or in an eTextbook. By offering students an option to hear instead of read the text, they can get valuable information regarding a diversity of Social Studies topics.
- Voice Recognition Software
These are just two of many dictation apps that could be used by students who struggle with writing skills. Dictation software makes it possible for an emerging writer to compose written assignments in the social studies classroom.
2. Students with Physical Difficulties
- Switch
- On Screen Keyboard
3. Students with Sensory Difficulties
- Subtitles
Maps and Directions
- Voice Over
4. At-Risk Students
- Interactive Technology
The following sites can be used to develop students’ understanding of maps and cardinal directions. Each of these sites is interactive and will, in addition the benefits above, engage at-risk students.
Eye of Rom
See You See Me
Map Match
Reading a Map
- Word-Processing
5. Gifted and Talented StudentsThis tool can enrich the learning experience for the gifted student by allowing them to create a description of an event or person by placing items in a virtual box. The box can then be shared with and viewed by others. One example of how it could be especially helpful in the social studies classroom is during a unit on the Oregon Trail a museum box could be created by a student pretending to be a traveler on the Oregon Trail.Dipity is a timeline creation tool that will allow users to incorporate text, images and videos into each entry on their timeline. Dipity has a collaboration option and has multiple avenues for sharing timelines publicly or privately. I envision this tool being used in the social studies classroom during the unit on Idaho immigrants with an extension activity for a gifted student.
References
Scope
Darling-Hammond, L., & Zielezinski, M. B. (2014). Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students' Learning (Rep.). SCOPE.