1. By Brandi Moody
Assistive Technology and Your
Classroom!

2. All of our students are exceptional!
 Some of our students are special, but some of
them need special accommodations
 We can help these students shine with assistive
technology!

3. What is Assistive Technology?
 Assistive technology can be a wide variety of
things:
 Hearing aids
 Wheelchairs
 Personal Emergency Response Systems
 Etc.
 Assistive technology is technology that helps a
student overcome disabilities and thrive in the
classroom.

4. For the Hearing-Impaired Student
 Try using speech-to-text software to record your
lectures and send these to the student
 Or let the student have a PC and do this
themselves!
 FM Systems- These are like 1 on 1 radio stations
where a microphone worn by the instructor is fed
directly into the student’s hearing aid.
 Induction Loop systems work much in the same
way, as do One-to-One Communicators
 Try to reduce extraneous noise in the classroom
like air conditioners, music, etc.

5. Visual Learners
 Some students learn best by seeing things done!
 For them, try video taping lessons for them to
watch later
 Bubbl.us is a site that allows students to create
“Mind Maps” of concepts and even save them to
their computer
 This format, of course
 Touch screens allow students to see immediate
connections between action and idea

6. Students with ADHD
 Keep them in a minimally distracting place: few
loud decorations and a low-traffic area
 Create and share a Google Calendar with them
that they and the teacher can edit to use as a
planner
 Ebooks allow them to instantly look up the
definition and use of a word so that they don’t
have to go find a dictionary as well as Google
unfamiliar words or phrases

7. For Visually Impaired Students
 Voice recordings of lectures
 Optical character recognizing (OCR) software
 Ebooks on devices that will read to them
 These will also allow them to adjust font size
 Allow them to create videos in place of some
written assignments (Audioboo, for example)
 Preferential seating in the front of the classroom

8. For Homebound or Frequently
Absent Students
 Use Google Docs to create and share
presentations, tests, notes, and calendars
 Use skype or create Google+ groups for your
class and use Google Hangout
 Create podcasts of lessons

9. To Conclude
 Now more than ever we have an amazing array
of technology at our fingertips
 Assistive technology can be beneficial to all
students, not just those in the most profound
need