Skip to main content

Reflections of Assisitive Technology

Assistive technologies can open up many doors for students and individuals with special needs.  It can allow them to communicate their needs, have social interactions with peers and family members, and even give them the opportunity to be able to work.  These are things that a lot of us take for granted, but for individuals that cannot speak or walk this helps them lead a somewhat normal life.  Assistive technologies have a tremendous impact on these individuals and their families.  

The videos had three individuals that all needed some type of assistive technology.  Jared was born with cerebral palsy and has to use a sip and puff to communicate and control his computer. The sip and puff is a device that he uses to access his computer and communicate with not only family but also people around the world. It uses a software program called Switch XS, which allows him to do anything on his computer. With this device, Jared is able to run his own business. The next person was Mason, a six-year-old boy, that is visually impaired.  He uses a Mountbatten for writing activities.  It tells him what he types and produces his work in braille.  This allows him to read and do regular activities in the classroom.  He also uses the Smartboard because it makes things large enough so that he can see them.  The last person in the video was Elle, she was born with cerebral palsy and is unable to speak.  She uses a Dynavox to help her communicate with her teachers, peers, and family.  It uses eye gazes when she looks at a picture using a head mouse it speaks for her.  This helps her to maintain communication with her peers, so she does not feel left out. 

Assistive technology tools do not have to necessarily be a Dynavox or Mountbatten, they can also be something as simple as an iPad or Smartboard.  Mason uses both the Smartboard and iPad to learn. Alexis is another student that uses a program called Imagine Learn to help her with her disability.  The teacher can pull up charts and it tells her exactly what the student needs help with. There are many different types of assistive technologies that can be used to help students or individuals with everyday tasks such as reading, writing, and communicating. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VGo in Education

VGo is a robot replicates a student that is homebound due to illness or other circumstances that keep them from being in the classroom.  It is operated in real time by the student and allows them to keep their independence "in school" even though they are not able to be there. VGo is teaming up with Verizon so that you do not have to depend on Wi-Fi, you can use their 4G LTE network.  Other versions of VGo you must connect to the wi-fi to use the robot.  The six-hour model VGo robot can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000.  There is also an annual service contract that costs about $100 a month.  You can purchase an additional charging pad for around $500, and you can even upgrade to a twelve-hour model for an extra $200. A maintenance plan for school costs around $5,000 for the year.  There are other versions of the VGo robot, Double Robotics Double 2 Telepresence Robot, that are cheaper and cost around $2,500. The VGo robot is a great idea to use for homebound students, bu
Post a Comment
Read more

Horizon Report pg 12-13

These are five educational blogs for teachers to follow and keep up with trends in education: 1.  TeachThought 2.   The Innovative Educator 3.  Ditch That Textbook 4. Shake Up Learning 5.   Edutopia What is "Gamingspace?" A Gamingspace is a place where parents, students, and teachers can all intermingle and discover what skills are needed for 21st-century learners.  A Gamingspace has gaming consoles such as an Xbox, Wii kinect, and Playstation for parents and students to use and explore before and after school.  Gamingspace is used to help students with skill-building and collaborative skills. It is also designed to get parents and teachers involved with their students.   What should be your point of emphasis when designing discussion forums? According to Michael Gorman, your point of emphasis should be aimed at the content standards and 21st-century skills while moving up Bloom's higher levels (Gorman, 2014).   Gorman, M., (2014, July 1).  Ten ways to
Post a Comment
Read more

Prezi

Personally, I am not a big fan of Prezi, but some of my kids like it.  It is probably because that is not what I am used to using.  I prefer to use Microsoft office, PowerPoint.  I think Prezi is not as popular as it used to be because a lot of people use Google Slides now.  It is not very user-friendly and it also does not have that many options in my opinion.  I like to have the slides separate and not have to make a path.  One positive about Prezi is that it is easy to add music, videos, and pictures to the presentation.  I do think it is a good alternative for students that do not have Google accounts or access to Microsoft PowerPoint.   https://prezi.com/zgdaqeztbcmm/edit/#0_232699476    
Post a Comment
Read more