Final Post

As per Dr. Farmer's request, I am posting about some of the readings I enjoyed the most. Though I found the reading within the texts interesting, I must admit that I enjoyed the interactive readings (i.e. 23 Things) far more useful.

The first text that I enjoyed related to Creative Commons. Since a librarian is responsible for spreading the word regarding copyright. I found it quite appropriate to discuss copyright and the internet. I loved the idea that people, mostly teachers, are openly posting ideas so that people like me can use their great ideas and tweak them to suit my needs. The goal of a library is not to make money, it is to share information. Creative Commons follows that philosophy. The point is to share information not to make money, but to enrich others' learning experience.

The other reading that I found most was the thing that I chose to do my presentation on...delicious.com. I use this website ALL the time. I wish I had known about it so much longer ago. I thought the 23 Things did a great job of introducing me to the ease of the site. From there, it provided me with a list of other websites that provided me with more research. I chose to read those additional readings and feel that I am now a Delicious.com expert. In fact, I am giving an extended inservice presentation to my colleagues next month to introduce them to the website. So all in all, it was a success. The point was to learn, and whether I wanted to or not...I did :0)

Module #5

What one thing did you learn, and what will you do differently as a result?

I don't think I could narrow it to just one thing that I learned. I felt that the knowledge that I acquired over these past weeks researching assistive technology has given me a new found energy when working with students with disabilities. I think the most valuable aspect of this training was the exposure to the devices that are available and where to find them. Prior to this training, I was relying solely upon the recommendations of my administrators. I no longer feel helpless in the sea of information. I have already begun my budgeting for the 2010/2011 school year. On that budget I will be adding some assistive technology such as a microphone and possibly some more software to utilize with my SMARTBoard.

Do you plan to recommend this tutorial? If so, please elaborate.

I have already recommended this tutorial. About halfway through the 23 things, my administrator began an informal technology session on blogging. I shared the 23 Things as a means for her to be exposed to more options. After further meeting, I introduced her to the assistive technology modules. She was quite enthused, as she was chair of learning support prior to her move to administration. Her and I are hoping to work together to present an after school inservice raising teacher's awareness.

Do you plan to read or recommend some of the Recommended Reading books or add them to your collection? Will you link our LibraryThing list to your blog? If you have a book recommendation or have read one of the books that does not include a review, please send us your own review so we can share it.

I have already read a number of books from the list including, Flowers for Algernon, A Child Called "It," and The Giver, all of which were memorable books from the past. I would like to read more books on the list, as I thoroughly enjoyed the books I have already read. In addition, I feel that this list would be quite useful to the library staff in my school district, and I plan on sharing it with all of the librarians.

The link to the LibraryThing blog is:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/CSLA2Team

Netiquette and Digital Citizenship

I enjoyed reading the articles regarding netiquette. I never even considered that it would be rude to cc rather than bcc. I always figured that I have nothing to hide....now I know :0) The information seemed pretty straight-forward. It seemed mostly appropriate for adults rather than students; however, I don't think it ever hurts to teach kids etiquette. Our computer facilitator does indeed have a netiquette poster posted. In addition, my school district has strict rules regarding email.

The next portion of our assignment regarding digital citizenship was something I am quite familiar with. The district in which I currently work utilizes the Olweus Anti-Bullying program. We are well-versed in plans of action against bullying, whether it in the classroom, on the bus, or online. Cyber-bullying is growing at terrifying speeds. Even in my childhood I can recall the use of multiple email addresses and screen names. They were used as a tool to intimidate and bully others, including myself. I know these possibilities are a greater problem now with the social networking and use of cell phones. I think it is of paramount importance that the students know that when these instances occur, they have to get somebody involved, be it a teacher or parent.

Module #4 Etiquette

1. Invite someone with a disability to your school and speak with the kids about their experiences.

Though I was not able to invite a person to come speak with my students due to the nature of my position, I was able to be a member of an audience of a speaker with a disability. He did not have use of one of his hands. He spoke of how most of his teachers treated him like a baby and did not challenge him solely because of his PHYSICAL disability. By fourth grade, he had one teacher who made him feel like a million bucks. She challenged him and essentially ignored his disability. Thirty years later, this gentleman was still speaking of the profound impact she had on him by not allowing him to take the easy way out. By challenging him to achieve what everyone else could, regardless of his apparent struggles. His speech left me feeling energized and reminded me that a person cannot be measured by what they can't do, but what they can or should be challenged to do.

2. Take this quiz if you’re not sure if your knowledge and attitude relating to a person with disability is adequate and discover what areas of etiquette may still need some improving. Good luck! Write about your results and your reaction to those results.

I feel fairly comfortable with my interraction as well as my awareness of people with disabilities. I can't say I was shocked by any of the findings; however, I was shocked that this information is not common knowledge for the public. Watching the role reversal video enlightened me to how it must feel when the ignorant treat those with disabilities improperly. I am hoping to share the content of this step with my administrator as a possible exercise or inservice for my building.

3. Check out your local Independent Living Center (ILC) and Assistive Technology Centers and find out what services are offered. Post your observations to your blog or journal. tell about the positive and negative aspects of what you observed at the sites.

The Independent Living Center that I researched was the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I spoke with an employee over the phone as well as a thorough investigation of their website. I was pleased by the core services that they provide: skills training, information and referral, advocacy, and peer support. In addition, there were a number of other services available that include housing, transitioning, and personal services. The website provided both an overview of assistive technology available as well as the equipment that the TRCIL has. What struck me as most profound was the mission statement for the organization. As a teacher, I believe we often lose sight of what happens to a child once they graduate from our particular building. This service provider makes it clear that the goal is to continue a person's development to his or her potential. I am copying the statement only because a paraphrase would not give it justice:
A Center for Independent Living (CIL) is a non-residential, non-profit, community-based human service agency. Its purpose is to enable people with disabilities to lead self-directed and productive lives within the community.
CILs believe that each person with a disability should be empowered to function at their highest achievable level of independence. This is accomplished through a combination of systems change, individual advocacy and provision of direct services. CILs believe in the principles of consumer control, consumer choice, equal access, and equal opportunity for all people with disabilities, regardless of diagnosis or age.
A CIL is unique in that it serves individuals of all ages with any type of disability and, according to its by-laws, a majority of its staff and board members must be people with disabilities.
I hope to continue to use my increased awareness in the classroom by having a more global view of disabilities. I hope that I am able to now look at the bigger picture when I want to complain about IEPs or putting in some extra work. Every human being deserves to thrive and grow throughout his/her lifetime. My goal is to be a contributor to that very dream for of my students, with or without disabilities.

4. Increase your knowledge and do a web search on “Assistive Technology.” Annotate five (5) websites that proved useful.

Three Rivers Center for Independent Living
http://www.trcil.org/asstivetech.htm
Assistive Technology Store
http://www.enablemart.com/
Wikipedia Article on Assistive Technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology
YouTube Video Created by a Special Education Teacher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT2pJrArbWs
Able Data, a Great Source for Assistive Technology Information, minus the marketing
http://www.abledata.com/

Module #3

1.Develop or download a rubric to use to evaluate software for assistive technology.

I chose to customize a rubric that I found to evaluate Dragon Naturally-Speaking and e-Speaking, both are speech recognition software. I chose to evaluate the products by product and overview, features and hardware, and support options available. I felt that by including all of these elements the intended audience would get the full picture of its capabilities, not simply the product.

2.Download a 30 day trial of Inspiration. Create a sample lesson for your classroom or library OR design a project for your workplace.

I thoroughly enjoyed the offerings of Inspiration. While I was exploring, I created the basic outline for a five paragraph essay. In addition, I created a page with the bubbles that could be a place for students to brainstorm ideas. My intent was to use this program as a tool for teaching students an effective way to write a five paragraph essay. First they would pick a topic, then brainstorm, complete the outline, and finally, compose the essay. All stages could be handed in and graded.

I also plan on using this software tomorrow as I embark on my own research paper for my classes. I am a strong advocate in outlining and this program saves me time and formatting headaches :0)

Finally, I consulted another website for reviews of this product that I felt was quite helpful:
http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/writing/1/inspirat/merge.shtml


3.Download a 30 day trial of the read out loud software program, Kurzweil 3000. Experiment with it.

I was overwhelmed with ideas for use of the Kurzweil 3000. Though I enjoyed experimenting on my own, to fully appreciate its offerings, I suggest visiting http://www.kurzweiledu.com/v11overviewvideos.aspx. These videos provided a true representation of just how useful this program can be. I thought immediately that the Reading Specialist at my school would particularly enjoy this site. I liked that it could be used as assistive software for students with specials needs or simply assistive software to be utilized in the everyday classroom. My one critique, which cannot really be helped, would be the pronunciation of proper nouns. This may confuse some children as the voice did not always pronounce them correctly; however, overall, I was thrilled with this program.

4.Look at the accessibility features already built into your computer's operating system. Choose your operating system and watch the demonstrations.

I have Windows 7, so unfortunately, I was not overwhelmed by the accessibility features available. One feature that did surprise me was the magnifying glass. Very often, I just need a minute detail of something enlarged. The magnifying glass, now that I know it is there, will be quite helpful. In addition, the text enlarger was also key. I remember being a part of the TappedIn session and felt frustrated that I could barely read the text. Like Windows 7, the program had an easy feature to enlarge the text to a more comfortable size. Other features, such as personalization and adjusting the volume were not new to me.


5.Check out InfoEyes, a library service for persons with visual impairments.

InfoEyes seems like a practical application for those with visual impairments. Instead of having to type questions, a person can schedule a live appointment with a librarian. Seems like a very direct approach to overcoming this need.

6.In your journal or blog, write about how you can implement assistive technology at your school or library. In California, a good place to start is the California State Library website.

Regarding my personal situation, I plan or already do use a number of assistive technology devices. I would like to purchase a microphone that has multiple channels. This microphone is worn by the teacher. All students can hear the amplification; however, students with hearing impairment can wear headphones and screen any sound other than the teacher's amplified voice. I am considering budgetting for such a device both as a voice saver for me and for those with special needs. A useful device that I already have is a wall-mounted SMARTBoard. This board allows for students to use a giant touch screen while working with music reading. The board can be used as a projector as well. I use the SMARTBoard daily by creating programs through SMARTBoard Notebook software. This technological device saves me time from having to print numerous copies or make posterboard visuals.

7.Using the rubric you created or downloaded, write a review on each of the software packages.
I chose to review two speech recognition packages that are available. The rubric for comparison of Dragon Naturally-Speaking and e-Speaking is posted on Blackboard. I did provide the needs assement and justificiation for reference.

Software Selection-Needs Assessment

It is our goal to have students learn in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities can bridge the gap with the use of assistive technology. Assistive technologies allow for meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning to occur without changing the learning object. Cerebral palsy is the term used to describe the lack of control of the muscles or joints due to an injury during brain development, which results in disrupted coordinated movement. Seizures, mental disabilities, auditory problems, visual problems, communication problems, and possible impairments of other senses are sometime parallel with this disability. Our student who has cerebral palsy may need support walking, talking, and eating. In addition, she has difficulty working with the computer for long periods of time due to her poor fine motor skills.

While less intensive use of the computer can be remedied with the hardware selections, the addition of speech recognition software could help her easily navigate on the computer or “type” a paper. Speech Recognition is a technology that allows the computer to identify and understand words spoken by a person using a microphone or telephone. The ultimate goal of the technology is to be able to produce a system that can recognize with 100% accuracy all words that are spoken by any person. The following software is a recommendation in order to increase her independence and productivity during the school day and specifically while using a computer during her time in the library: Dragon Naturally-Speaking and e-Speaking.

Though the difference in price is extreme between Dragon Naturally-Speaking and e-Speaking, I do find Dragon Naturally-Speaking to be the most effective choice. The major advantages to the Dragon Naturally-Speaking versus e-Speaking is that it provides the necessary hardware, has a high accuracy rating, has telephone support, and works on all operating systems other than a MAC. The district’s intent is to upgrade to Windows Vista within the next two years. e-Speaking would no longer work on this operating system. In addition, Dragon Naturally-Speaking provides its users with a manual as well as tutorials for support. This software program could help the student with cerebral palsy significantly by allowing her to independently work on the computer without the use of her fine motor skills. In addition, this product can be used by others as a tool for dictation. The Dragon Naturally-Speaking software is a small investment that would result in large success. Wilson Elementary should purchase this software immediately.

For more information about the software:

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/
http://www.e-speaking.com/
http://voice-recognition-software-review.toptenreviews.com/index.html

Assistive Technology Module #2

As I have been working on my assistive technology plan, I have struggled to find quality sites that provide both the equipment plus a detailed explanation of its use. I was quite pleased with the wide spectrum of both hardware and software available as assistive technology. As I browsed a multitude of websites I was bombarded with thoughts of students that would benefit from these devices. I think that the purchase of a keyboard that can be both one-handed and two-handed would be useful for a student with only one functional hand as well as students who are able to use two hands. In addition, I appreciated the voice recognition software for those students who do not have the fine motor skills needed to use a mouse. I know a particular student in my school who uses his aid rather than assistive technology. I imagine he would appreciate very much to be independent. The final device that I found would be useful in my situation would be a microphone that has multiple channels. This microphone is worn by the teacher. All students can hear the amplification; however, students with hearing impairment can wear headphones and screen any sound other than the teacher's amplified voice. I am considering budgetting for such a device both as a voice saver for me and for those with special needs.

Hardware Selection-Needs Assessment

It is our goal to have students learn in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities can bridge the gap with the use of assistive technology. Assistive technologies allow for meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning to occur without changing the learning object. Cerebral palsy is the term used to describe the lack of control of the muscles or joints due to an injury during brain development, which results in disrupted coordinated movement. Seizures, mental disabilities, auditory problems, visual problems, communication problems, and possible impairments of other senses are sometime parallel with this disability. Our student who has cerebral palsy may need support walking, talking, and eating. The following hardware is a recommendation in order to increase her independence and productivity during the school day and specifically while using a computer during her time in the library:


Hardware Device #1: Half-Qwerty Keyboard

The Half-Qwerty Keyboard provides the flexibility of using one or two hands on the keyboard. Because the student with cerebral palsy does not have functional use of both hands, this keyboard would be a realistic choice for her needs. In addition, the keyboard can be used to meet the needs of future students who may only have use of one hand or arm because you can use it right or left-handed. Finally, With two Half Keyboards embedded into a standard keyboard, a student can use one hand or two, providing ultimate flexibility and use.
http://www.enablemart.com/Catalog/One-Handed-Keyboards/Half-Qwerty-Keyboard-Win-Mac


Hardware Device #2: Mouse Button Box

The Mouse Button Box is a USB connected mouse that minimizes fine motor movement to button presses as opposed to the sliding of the mouse. This device would allow a student to keep the hand fairly stationary to perform the tasks accomplished by the traditional mouse. This device is easy to plug (via a USB cable) and is cost effective.
http://www.enablemart.com/Catalog/Ergonomic-Mice/Mouse-Button-Box


My hardware selection was made within enablemart.com because I was so pleased with the information presented. The website provided photo images, specs, and information regarding what need the product would address. I felt that the prices were reasonable considering the obvious benefit of the technology to be acquired.

Overall, I was quite interested in all of the information presented both in Discovering Assistive Technology as well as the Jurkowski text. I was so touched by the fact that the goal was not to alter the learning objective but rather to alter the way in which a student is able to accomplish something. I think too often we, as teachers, forget that many disabilities such as cerbral palsy or hearing impairment, do not affect a students' ability to learn unless we let it. I have had no training in assistive technology and feel flooded with ideas on how to make the learning experience better for those students in need.

Assistive Technology, Introduction & Module #1

The videos that we viewed via YouTube were outstandingly powerful. It is not everyday that my homework brings me to tears (unless it is cataloging.) I know so little about assistive technology and was eager to learn what I could. I dove right into all of the literature and was overwhelmed with my findings.

Discovery exercise #1 sent me sifting through link after link of information for students with blindness. I found that the best approach to teaching sighted children about braille with a blind student in the classroom would be to treat the blind student as the resident expert. That can make anyone feel proud! I would encourage that student to tell us all about the system. Following that discussion, I would encourage the sighted students in the class to learn braille through flashcards, books, writing, etc. To increase their awareness of blindness I would choose books and movies to expose the students to that have someone in it who is blind. Throughout these activities I would continually invite the student who is blind to assist others in understanding.

Discovery exercise #2 led me to a number of fascinating articles. The most profound of these was, "Common Sense in Education and Research." This article presented a bulleted list of common sense statements that sometimes get shadowed by our best of intentions. The article essentially leveled the playing field for all students saying the goal is effective instruction for everyone...period. No situation is perfect. Not every child is going to meet "our" criteria. A teacher can't teach every student in the same manner. One approach is not always going to work. The article, though perhaps a bit brutal at times, poignantly expressed that we must continue to strive for the best opportunities for everyone and not get bogged down by all of the little stuff. Education is a lifelong journey. We don't and never will have all the answers; however, we should use our common sense and teaching ability to make it the best possible scenario.