Journal 8 - Adaptive Technology

Journal 8: Adaptive Technology

In considering the needs of all learners, you are going to investigate some high technology and low technology tools tools that will greatly assist students with special needs! As your assignment will also count as journal 8, you will receive credit twice for the same activity.


The focus of your research and blog page will be on two areas import to meet the needs of learners with special needs:  

Tools for Communication & Tools for Accessibility

Communication:  research one no/low tech tool and one high tech tool that assists special needs students in the communication process.

For your blog: Communication should be bold and large to distinguish it as the first section of your page.  Then:

• Define AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
• Define/explain your tool and discuss how it used in classrooms. (for each of the tools)
• Use Diigo to research, bookmark and tag your tool(s) with ed422 and two other appropriate tags  Here is a link to a Diigo group started by a past ed422 student on Technology for Special Education. Join the group so you can contribute your research to the group.
• Include a picture of the device or a relevant graphic for each tool.  Integrate the picture into the text.

Accessibility: research one hardware option and one software option

For your blog: Accessibility should be bold and large to distinguish it as the first section of your page.  Then: 

• Define  the term input device for students with special needs
• Define/explain your tool and discuss how it used in classrooms. (for each of the tools)
• Use Diigo to research, bookmark and tag your tool(s) with ed422 and two other appropriate tags Here is a link to a Diigo group started by a past ed422 student on Technology for Special Education. Join the group so you can contribute your research to the group.
• Include a picture of the device or a relevant graphic for each tool. Integrate the picture into the text.

Once you have finished, you will read and comment on at least two peers' blogs so you can learn about even more tools for special education.  You will leave the names of the peers on whose blog you left a comment in Cougar courses. . .you can also put links to their blog posts at the bottom of your page.

See a sample of the finished product:  Lindsey's Blog (note:  she is missing the section titles)
                                                              Justine's Blog (she didn't link to peers' blogs)

I would like you to seek out novel tools for your assignment.  As a minimum, use other tools than in the samples please.