Helping Today’s

Children Succeed:

Emerging Perspectives on

Learning

Agenda

• Introduction

• Overview about working with students who have special needs

• Resources that can enhance students’ educational experiences

– No-Tech Assistive Technology• Note Taking

• Lesson Development

– Low Tech/Full Tech Assistive Technology• Current Times

Jamie Taylor

• Grade Level: Middle Grades

• Subject: History

• ISTE Standard

– NETS-T 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity• Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate

experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual

environments. Teachers:

– Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual

understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

– Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues,

and others in face to face and virtual environments.

Working with Special Needs students

What is it?

• Students with special needs can range anywhere from Mild learning

disabilities to severe autism.

What can you as a teacher, do to help these students?

• Organize your classroom

– For example, students with auditory disabilities should be seated at the front.

• Tailor your lesson (to the best of your ability) to the entire class

– Modify, modify, modify

• Embrace their differences

– These students can offer a whole new perspective on life and on learning. Embrace their

differences and help your other students do the same.

No-Tech Assistive Technology

• Note Taking:

– Give all students an outline of the lesson that gives them a chance to focus and follow along

while you are teaching.

• Who it helps?

– Students with ADHD, learning disabilities and mild auditory disabilities

• How does it help?

– Students with ADHD

» This can give students the opportunity to “focus” on finding the correct

answers to fill in the blanks while you are teaching the lesson.

– Students with Learning Disabilities

» This can give students a guide to help them pick out important parts of a

lesson.

– Students with Auditory Disabilities

» This can hold the teacher accountable for going at a slower pace so that all

students can grasp the point of the lesson.

No-Tech Assistive Technology• Lesson Development:

– Develop a lesson based off of clues hidden in the room. Give students a worksheet with

blanks. Have the students go around the room finding clues to put a story together.

• Who it helps?

– Students with ADHD, learning disabilities, auditory disabilities

• How does it help?

– Students with ADHD

» This can give students the opportunity to “focus” on finding the correct

answers to fill in the blanks while you are teaching the lesson. Allows these

students to get up and move.

– Students with Learning Disabilities

» This can give students a guide to help them pick out important parts of a

lesson. It can also let them see the story come together. Almost as if they

are teaching the lesson to themselves.

– Students with Auditory Disabilities

» Have this be a silent activity where students aren’t allowed to discuss

anything until they are all finished.

Low Tech/Full Tech Assistive Technology

• Current Times:

– Give students a chapter in the book to look over for homework. Have them create bitstrips

describing the lesson and what they have learned from it.

• Who it helps?

– Students with ADHD, learning disabilities, auditory disabilities

• How does it help?

– Students with ADHD

» This will give students a chance to use the technology that is current with

today’s generation to describe what they have learned. This will keep

students focused on the activity.

– Students with Learning Disabilities

» This will give students a chance to work at their own pace. Also it will allow

them the opportunity to use other web based tools to help them understand

the lesson.

– Students with Auditory Disabilities

» This can be an opportunity where they can utilize working with a computer

and transferring the information learned.

Low Tech/Full Tech Assistive Technology

• Text to Speech:

– Give students a chapter in the book to look over for homework. Have them utilize text to

speech software to write a paragraph on the lesson.

• Who it helps?

– Students with ADHD, learning disabilities, auditory disabilities

• How does it help?

– Students with ADHD

» This will keep students actively involved in the lesson because they have to

talk about it in order to get their assignment done.

– Students with Learning Disabilities

» This will give students a chance to talk through the material. If they need

assistance they can come talk to the teacher about it.

– Students with Auditory Disabilities

» This can be an opportunity where they can utilize working with a computer

and transferring the information learned.

Resources

• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm

• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-

disorder-adhd/index.shtml

• http://www.guide2digitallearning.com/tools_technologies/web_20_tools_soci

al_studies_classrooms

• http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/assistive.htm

• http://www.fctd.info/factsheets

Thank you!