Assistive Technology and Learning Guide for Parents and Teachers Assistive Technology (AT) Learning Disabilities (LD)- Middle School Divergent Learning Styles Current or Future Need Academic Areas Barriers Learning Sciences and Technology (LST) Copyright 2005. James Vincent Puglia [Key Source: Driscoll, 2003]

Guide for Parents and Teachers

Assistive Technology (AT)

Learning Disabilities (LD)- Middle School

Divergent Learning Styles

Current or Future Need

Academic Areas

Barriers

Learning Sciences and Technology (LST)

Assistive Technology for LD Students Not just computer software Can be simple adjustment Definition: Any item, equipment to improve the functional capabilities of children with learning disabilities. (IDEA and Section 508) Assists in completing academic tasks

Not just computer software

Can be simple adjustment

Definition:

Any item, equipment to improve the functional capabilities of children with learning disabilities.

(IDEA and Section 508)

Assists in completing academic tasks

A verage to above average intelligence D iscrepancy- intellectual and academic achievement A ssistive technology is not intended to “fix” disability Adjust and compensate for weaknesses Example: problem solving math Learning Disabilities

A verage to above average intelligence

D iscrepancy- intellectual and academic achievement

A ssistive technology is not intended to “fix” disability

Adjust and compensate for weaknesses

Example: problem solving math

A udtiory/listening L anguage P erceptual D ivergent learning styles R etrieval I nformation processing load (LST) V isual E xternal and internal attention problems (LST) Learning Differences Different Learning Styles (ALP DRIVE)

A udtiory/listening

L anguage

P erceptual

D ivergent learning styles

R etrieval

I nformation processing load (LST)

V isual

E xternal and internal attention problems (LST)

Different Learning Modalities Learning Disabled Students Differentiated Learning Engaging, hands-on learning Sequenced and Structured Learning Knowledge- Construct Multiple Intelligences Assessments- varied forms Situated Cognition Kinesthetic

Differentiated Learning

Engaging, hands-on learning

Sequenced and Structured Learning

Knowledge- Construct

Multiple Intelligences

Assessments- varied forms

Situated Cognition

Kinesthetic

Learning Styles Survey Help with spelling, reading problem Where and how often will AT be used? Past benefit/poor experience SETT Framework Learning environments evolve There are Low and high technology options Large selection, try it, ease of use, support Current/Future Need for AT

Learning Styles Survey

Help with spelling, reading problem

Where and how often will AT be used?

Past benefit/poor experience

SETT Framework

Learning environments evolve

There are Low and high technology options

Large selection, try it, ease of use, support

High Tech Free Trials Software Reading Software Hardware Tablet PCs, Laptops Digital Recorders Camcorders PDAs MP3 Players Scanners SmartBoards Types of Technology- Low Versus High Low Tech Calculator Flash cards Graph paper Reading guide This is .. Class Notes Key Ideas

High Tech

Free Trials

Software

Reading Software

Hardware

Tablet PCs, Laptops

Digital Recorders

Camcorders

PDAs

MP3 Players

Scanners

SmartBoards

Low Tech

Calculator

Flash cards

Graph paper

Reading guide

W ord Prediction- WordQ, Kurzweil, TextAloud R ecorder- Digital--voice to text— I Movie for writing --analyze movies T ext- Have your voice make text-Dragon Preferred I nspiration , Draftbuilder- Graphic Organizers N ew, constructivist activity- Unitedstreaming G rammar highlighter--punctuation, or capital letters-MS Word, Spellcheckers Academic Areas- Writing AT for Learning

W ord Prediction- WordQ, Kurzweil, TextAloud

R ecorder- Digital--voice to text—

I Movie for writing --analyze movies

T ext- Have your voice make text-Dragon Preferred

I nspiration , Draftbuilder- Graphic Organizers

N ew, constructivist activity- Unitedstreaming

G rammar highlighter--punctuation, or capital letters-MS Word, Spellcheckers

Academic Areas- Writing AT for Learning Dragon Naturally Speaking Kurzweil

R eading from the Web (TextAloud, Readplease) Digital Text, Bookshare.org—LD Eligible Students E nable Text to Speech : (Kurzweil, TextAloud) Text aloud converts to a MP3 player Reading, dictionary definitions, highlighted words A udio- -digital tapes/auditoapes D ifferentiated reading to improve comprehension O bservation- less risk- Unitedstreaming N ew information, PowerPoint for comprehension Academic Areas- Reading AT for Learning

R eading from the Web (TextAloud, Readplease)

Digital Text, Bookshare.org—LD Eligible Students

E nable Text to Speech : (Kurzweil, TextAloud)

Text aloud converts to a MP3 player

Reading, dictionary definitions, highlighted words

A udio- -digital tapes/auditoapes

D ifferentiated reading to improve comprehension

O bservation- less risk- Unitedstreaming

N ew information, PowerPoint for comprehension

M ath- electronic worksheets to line up problems- Intellitools.com A aamath.com, onlineconverisons.com T ables, graphs paper, talking calculators H ope for new software and Internet resources Virtual Library of Math Manipulatives Academic Areas- Math AT for Learning 6 7 5 2 7 x 8 6 3

M ath- electronic worksheets to line up problems- Intellitools.com

A aamath.com, onlineconverisons.com

T ables, graphs paper, talking calculators

H ope for new software and Internet resources

Virtual Library of Math Manipulatives

Academic Areas- Math AT for Learning Intellitools.com

S tudy with Inspiration-use for studying for test T ext to speech program for test- TextAloud, Kurzweil Modify text Sticky pads and notes Extract highlighted notes Read tests and fill in the blanks U nitedstreaming: Online Tests View movie answer questions. D ifferentiate Learning Y our own personal organizers, Danas, Alphasmarts Academic Areas- Study Skills/Test-taking

S tudy with Inspiration-use for studying for test

T ext to speech program for test- TextAloud, Kurzweil

Modify text

Sticky pads and notes

Extract highlighted notes

Read tests and fill in the blanks

U nitedstreaming: Online Tests

View movie answer questions.

D ifferentiate Learning

Y our own personal organizers, Danas, Alphasmarts

Academic Areas- Study Skills/Test-taking Link Kurzweil for Taking Tests

R esistance to it Students, parents and teachers O ther students use for same work Teacher's role to differentiate instruciton. M ight be given when not E xcuses- some use it for wrong reason “ Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Possible Barriers- ROME

R esistance to it

Students, parents and teachers

O ther students use for same work

Teacher's role to differentiate instruciton.

M ight be given when not

E xcuses- some use it for wrong reason

“ Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Divergent Learning Styles Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, attention Learners Differentiated Instruction Multimedia- verbal assessment, auditory, video Develop Appropriate Learning Meet Learners’ Needs Students Learn in Different Ways AT meet current and future needs LST- Learning Sciences and Technology

Divergent Learning Styles

Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, attention

Learners Differentiated Instruction

Multimedia- verbal assessment, auditory, video

Develop Appropriate Learning

Meet Learners’ Needs

Students Learn in Different Ways

AT meet current and future needs

Metacognition Are students aware? Teacher guides students Personal ownership (e.g.) Use TextAloud Transmission Audiotape listening Listening to MP3 text file Tests in Kurzweil LST- Learning Sciences and Technology

Metacognition

Are students aware?

Teacher guides students

Personal ownership (e.g.) Use TextAloud

Transmission

Audiotape listening

Listening to MP3 text file

Tests in Kurzweil

Guided Discovery Support group work Learn through scaffolding Situated Cognition Community of Learners Real life learning LST- Learning Sciences and Technology

Guided Discovery

Support group work

Learn through scaffolding

Situated Cognition

Community of Learners

Real life learning

Learners As Experts Child Labor- Ecuador Meaningful, realistic and relevant Meet All Learners Needs Hurricane—Different student roles Vocabulary search, PowerPoint Attention Technology slows cognitive overload. Arrange environment need of leaner traits. LST- Constructivism in Practice

Learners As Experts

Child Labor- Ecuador

Meaningful, realistic and relevant

Meet All Learners Needs

Hurricane—Different student roles

Vocabulary search, PowerPoint

Attention

Technology slows cognitive overload.

Arrange environment need of leaner traits.

Project Based Learning Parents/Teachers Partners Different Assessment Ownership—respect between peers Transfer of Information Creation of New Products Redo Movie Ending– New ending to script Using TextAloud to learn in new way LST- Constructivism in Practice

Project Based Learning

Parents/Teachers Partners

Different Assessment

Ownership—respect between peers

Transfer of Information

Creation of New Products

Redo Movie Ending– New ending to script

Using TextAloud to learn in new way

T imeless E nvironment A ssessment C ollaborative H umor M ultifaceted E veryone Can Learn LST- TEACH ME- My LST Philosophy

T imeless

E nvironment

A ssessment

C ollaborative

H umor

M ultifaceted

E veryone Can Learn

Links and References