Bannan-Ritland, B., (2002). Literacy Access Online: The Development of an Online Support Environment For Literacy Facilitators Working with Children with Disabilities. TechTtrends, 46, 3, 17-22.
The author of this article takes a look at the use of online literacy material in educational settings. There is an extensive amount of resources available online, but the issue is more the accessibility. How does one access it and how does one use it? These are questions that the article addresses. The material is there, however, educators and parents are ill-equipped to use it. Therefore, the concern becomes more about providing support and education for the educators. Through this, the LAO (Literacy Access Online) was developed to provide support and feedback for educators and parents. Many resources are made available. Giving the teachers the tools they need, so that they will not be afraid to access some effective alternatives to learning. Different systems have been designed to facilitate the learning of those with disabilities. “An electronic performance support system (EPSS) provides just-in-time instruction or training to an individual, at the time they need it, which is often the most teachable moment…” As more and more supports come in place, the accessibility and effectiveness will improve. This article is yet another example of how we are lagging behind when it comes to providing technology alternatives to special needs children and that part of the solution is in the training and support for educators and parents.
Bauer, A.M. & Ulrich, M. E. (2002). "I've Got a Palm in My Pocket": Using Handheld Computers in an Inclusive Classroom. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 35, 2; 18-22.
This article looks at the use of Palm Pilot’s or handheld devices in the classroom to help students succeed in their organization abilities. The study looks at a class of twenty eight students of which four were special needs. All of the students were given handheld devices to assist them in their scheduling and organization. The students demonstrated a great eagerness to use the devices and to also find a wide variety of other uses that were not originally demonstrated. All students were more likely to remember their homework. Many students used the device to enhance their reading as well as writing skills. Though this study does support the eagerness for students to use technology, it does not account for the more “extreme” special needs student and how they would benefit from such a device.
Beck, J. (2002). Emerging Literacy through Assistive Technology. Teaching Exceptional Children, 34, 2; 44-48.
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the effectiveness of both low and high-tech assistive technology of emerging literacy. “Both high- and low-tech assistive technology provide opportunities for literacy development in the classroom. With the use of assistive technology, pre-schooled aged children with disabilities are able to successfully participate in literacy activities.” This study took place in a pre-school class of ten children with developmental delays. There was a variety of methods used including the use of technology. All of the children demonstrated an eagerness to work on the computers. This eagerness had to be monitored, however, it enabled the use of some educational software to facilitate literacy. Programs like Intellipics and Bigmac were used to bring other dimensions to the books that were being read. “Children using the assistive technology were able to pursue the reading at their own speed and to choose computer based books if they wished.” These programs and technologies certainly made an impact on the literacy of these children. Though this was a study of pre-school children with “minor” disabilities, I believe the same successes would be experienced in other more “extreme” environments.
Blischak, D.M., & Schlosser, R.W. (2003). Use of Technology to Support Independent Spelling by Students with Autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 23, 4; 293-304.
The two researchers of this paper, reflect on the way that technology effects the ability for autistic youth to develop independent spelling. “However, for learners with little or no functional speech, the role of technology in promoting spelling has received little empirical attention, with only a few exceptions.” This paper explores several studies that have looked at the Speech-generating devices and talking word processing software and their effects on youth with severe communication disorders. All of the studies reflect at least an increase in interest when computer assisted instruction (CAI) or SGD’s are used. Though, there seems to be gains in letter and word recognition, there is still much to do in this area of research. I certainly appreciated the honesty of the authors in that this is a very underdeveloped area of research. There is much to do, but technology does seem to have a positive role in assisting the learning of autistic youth.
Candela, A.R., (2003). A Pilot Course in Teaching Skills for Assistive Technology Specialists. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 97, 10; 1-13.
In this article the author explores the needs of the assistive technology specialist. “The specific educational and vocational needs of visually impaired people can often be met by using assistive technology. Effective teaching techniques are critical in helping them to use the very devices that will facilitate their functioning in school and on the job.” The need is there, but the skills needed to utilize the technology is lacking. This article like many others addresses the need for training. With technology constantly evolving and better devices and software coming available, the AT specialists need to be equipped and trained. This article describes a pilot course which is trying to equip the AT specialist and is having success in doing so. The same issues arise in all special needs areas of education. There are great resources available, but not necessarily the expertise or the desire to use them. The article talks about the need for a marriage between technically minded people and educationally minded people. As educators are equipped to provide AT in their classrooms with confidence, all students will benefit greatly.
Erickson, K.A., & Koppenhaver, D.A. (2003). Natural Emergent Literacy Supports for Preschoolers with Autism and Severe Communication Impairments. Topics in Language Disorders, 23, 4; 283-292.
The two authors, from two different American universities, explore the effects of making available a variety of literacy tools as well as materials to three students with severe communication impairments. They entered into a pre-school environment which offered very little support and/or materials to promote emergent literacy. Their goal was to see the effect of making available a variety of tools including books, computers and writing materials along with allowing time for independent exploration, modeling alternatives and interact while engaging in reading and writing activities. The three pre-school children showed tremendous development during this five month trial. However, the use of technology was very limited and it would have been interesting to see more integration of technology, other than basic word processing. The time frame was rather short and it would have been helpful to be able to continue this exploration throughout a whole year.
Hegins, C. (2002). SNOW Project: A Web-based resource for educators of learners with special needs. In Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2002 (pp. 2487-2488). Norfolk, VA: AACE.
One of the greatest needs in special needs education is the support network. Even more so when it comes to assistive technology. The SNOW project offers this type of support, to educators. “Special Needs Opportunity Windows or SNOW Project, an initiative funded through the Ontario Ministry of Education that is hosted and administered through the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto.” With so many new opportunities arising in the area of assistive technology, it becomes imperative to have the appropriate support and training. Projects like SNOW help educators become aware of new technologies and helps them create the networks that they will need.
Kurubacak, G., & Basal, M. (2003). Preservice Teacher, Faculty and Online Instructional Designer Partnerships Through Technology Integration into Special Education Curriculum. In Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2003 (pp. 1064-1067).
The two authors of this article, one being a special needs educator, the other being a distance education professional, research the need for more partnerships in technology. “The main purpose of this paper is to provide real-life examples for the assistive technology, which are used to enhance pre-service teacher, faculty and online designer partnerships in the Special Education.” Technology has changed and continues to change at a very rapid rate. The issue becomes, how as educators do we create an atmosphere of change and a willingness to change? There are many forces to consider when considering the assistive technology to be implemented. Forces such as social, institutional and educational changes. Though this article touches on some real needs, it certainly lacks in it’s attempt to provide real-life examples it suggests.
McCann, W.S., (2002) Science Classrooms for Students with Special Needs. ERIC Digest. 4 p.
This paper reflects on the need for inclusion in the classroom. Because of the hands on component of the science curriculum, it lends itself well to an inclusive classroom. Unfortunately, many special needs students have stayed away from the field of Science. “Research and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and many of them indicated that some "critical incident...either encouraged or discouraged them from considering science as an area of interest or particular discipline they could reasonably pursue." Not surprisingly, teachers were often the catalyst of this critical incident-the most frequently-cited reason for the disabled interviewees choosing a career in science was teacher behavior (Weisgerber, 1990).” The use of assistive technology could help assist in the inclusion of the special needs student. This would require more training and support for the teacher.
Moore, D., Yufang, C., McGrath, P., & Powell, N. J., (2005) Collaborative Virtual Environment Technology for People With Autism. Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities, 20, 4; 231-244.
The authors of this paper explore the issue of using collaborative virtual technology to assist youth with autism in their learning. CVE technology is a type of computer assisted learning. “There has been an increase recently in research interest in the use of computer-based learning (CBL) approaches with people with autism. This has been motivated partly by a belief that education is central to improving the lives of people with autism (Aarons & Gittens, 1998) and partly by a belief in the benefits of CBL for people with autism.” Though there has not been a lot of advancement in the field of virtual technology, this does appear to be a very promising area. A major issue of autism is the isolation factor that often comes with it. CVE and networking type environments can increase the interaction capabilities of the youth and enhance their social environments. Though CVE’s demonstrated effectiveness in a variety of areas for the autistic youth, it is just the beginning. Once again, we see the great need to explore and develop assistive technology methods and supports. The quick response, constant feedback that technology gives, is beneficial to those with special needs.
Parette, P., & Wojcik, B. W., (2004). Creating a Technology Toolkit for Students with Mental Retardation: A Systematic Approach. REPORTS - Research/Technical] Journal of Special Education Technology, 19, 4; 23-32.
In this report the authors look at the use of assistive technology toolkits to help special needs students better access the curriculum. “Edyburn (2000) has described an AT toolkit as a collection of tools that (a) is targeted to meet the performance demands of a given population, (b) focuses on appropriate tools to enhance a user’s performance rather than on the cost of a piece of technology, (c) effectively allows educational professionals to make informed choices from a set of probable tool solutions rather than an overwhelming set of products available on the market, and (d) is portable and readily available for the use in the classroom.” The study used a survey format to determine which technologies are most effective as well as utilized. This list of technologies gives a good representation of technologies that could be used in a toolkit. The survey was done using “experienced” special needs educators. The limitations of the study pertain to the relatively small sample group as well as their limited scope of current technologies. The idea of an AT toolkit is tremendous due to the vast amount of technologies that are out there. An AT toolkit would give educators a smaller but effective technology resource base to work from. Training would be essential as well as ongoing support.
Prinz, A., & Boger-Mehall, S. (1999). Integrating Technology into the Special Needs Classroom: Are Teachers Prepared?. In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 1999 (pp. 1569-1572).
In this paper the authors look at the great need for teacher preparation when integrating technology into the special needs classroom. “Currently, the use of technology within the special education classroom is often limited to rote practice using games or tasks such as word processing or drawing. It is vital that as educators we integrate technology into a child's curriculum and understanding of the workings of society. As technology advances education, it is important that all persons involved with the education of special needs students strive to merge technology into their everyday activities.” There are many different types of technology available that could enhance the learning of special needs children. Basic programs like PowerPoint and HyperStudio can provide a more visual and oral presentation of educational material. Whether it be basic programs like these or more complex devices and programs that are available, the key is teacher preparation and training. As teachers become more aware of technology and it’s power, they can then explore things that can work for their particular situations and classrooms.
Puckett, K., Wishart, W., & Sivakumaran, T. (2004). Integrating an assistive technology toolkit with content literacy strategies: A model for teacher support and training. In Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2004 (pp. 3422-3425).
The authors here recognize as others have that there is a great need for assistive technology in the classroom. “Despite legislation in the United States that requires schools to consider assistive technology for students with disabilities, research indicates that many students who could benefit are not being given sufficient access to that technology.” Though that is an American quote, I am sure that the situation is similar in Canada. Assistive technologies are not being used as much as they could, because of the lack of support and the lack of ability to find resources that are relevant. By creating a technology toolkit, a number of needs are being met. The toolkit provides a more controlled set of technologies that enable the educator to focus on teaching, rather than exploration of potential solutions. Teachers, when given a toolkit, have more success in creating lesson plans and implementing the technology into their classrooms. This particular toolkit contained concept mapping software, text to speech word processors, multimedia programs and text to speech scan and read. With these programs available in a structured, organized fashion, teachers were more empowered and confident to utilize them in their curriculum planning. I really like this idea of a toolkit, because with the overall lack of technology experience with special needs teachers, it can enable the teachers to experiment more and feel supported in the process.
Weir, L., (2005). Raising the Awareness of Online Accessibility: The Importance of Developing and Investing in Online Course Materials that Enrich the Classroom Experience for Special-Needs Students. THE journal, 32, 10; 30-35.
The author explores the realm of online learning. More and more courses are being offered by distance education online. As more and more of these courses are offered the concern becomes whether or not these courses are designed to meet the needs of special needs students. The use of technology online has many advantages due to the fact that it can eliminate some of the social issues as well an enabling the student to work at their own pace. The ability to incorporate text-to-speech software and speech-text-software enhances the effectiveness of the courses. This article is intriguing, it would be very interesting to further explore the effectiveness of online learning for special needs children. It could certainly have the potential of opening up many doors which were previously closed.
Wepner, S.B., & Bowes, K.A., (2004). Using Assistive Technology for Literacy Development. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 20, 2; 219-223.
This paper is an overview of different types of assistive technology available for literacy development. It covers a variety of software packages that facilitate in reading and writing as well as a physical impairment. The paper does provide some resources but fails to provide the necessary research to support their usage. These technologies may be useful in a toolkit for the classroom, but once again, would have to be tried in order to determine their particular effectiveness.
