April 22, 2023

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web2gether

Rogério dePaula & Anja KintschCamille Dodson, Dan Mayer & Mike Chavez

Center for LifeLong Learning and DesignUniversity of Colorado Boulder

:::supporting special educator professional development::: :::building communities of practice:::

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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How it began

∙ Need for inexpensive educational software for uniquely different students.

∙ Potential adaptations of shareware and freeware.

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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A CDROM was created

127 inexpensive programs

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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New Problems

∙ Time consuming∙ Explore∙ Find∙ Integrate

∙ Lack of support∙ Technical∙ Professional

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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Our Approach

∙ observing and talking with teachers to learn about the complexity of the issues

∙ workshops that allowed teachers to learn about web2gether and collaborate in its development

∙ Creating and strengthening the relationship

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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on the use of assistive technology

∙ challenges ∙ few research studies on the use of

technology by special educator to facilitate learning activities

∙ “gift-wrapping” approach to the use of technology

∙ there has been great technological progress, but little impact in the actual special education (Edyburn et al., 1999)

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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on the use of assistive technology

∙ challenge: ∙ lack of appropriate support inhibits

the use of assistive technologies∙ approach:

∙ support for teacher professional development

∙ adult education (pre-services & in-services)

∙ communities of practice

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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support for communities of practice

∙ challenge: ∙ long-term and self-sustaining

communities of practice (C of P)

∙ this research approach: ∙ design of a collaborative and

evolving technology, web2gether, to foster the creation and development of C of P informed by field-study research

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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web2gether

∙ help caregivers∙ find and share software applications and

lesson plans∙ exchange stories and life-experiences ∙ create and development groups of like

interests, problems, etc.∙ identify other with similar experiences and

problems

∙ focus on creating a sustainable community of practice

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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web2gether

∙ demo∙ http://web2gether.cs.colorado.edu:7001/

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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next steps∙ new interface∙ social network interface∙ deployment at schools in the next

school-year∙ field-study of the use and adoption of

web2gether at schools

∙ future: parents…

April 22, 2023 Rogerio DePaula Presentation

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web2gether – questions?

∙ acknowledgments:∙ CLever project group∙ Coleman Initiative∙ students: Camille, Dan and Mike