Teaching with TechnologySpecial Needs Students

By: Bethany Root

Useful Websites:

www.setbc.org

www.brighthub.com/education/special.aspx

www.iste.org/setsig

Teaching Technology

MenuDesigning By Special Needs Students

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Resources

Designing by Special Needs Students

Teachers

• Have students design their own game with instructions

• Have them produce their games to sell at school lunch

• Keep all receipts to record and total the information

Objectives

• Have students critically analyze thoughts and ideas

• Make sure every child has a voice & idea

• Teamwork

• Use computers to record and organize information

• Allow them to work through the process with their own ideas to have real world connections

Designing by Special Needs Students

Keeping special need’s students interest -

directly relates to how hard they work

Project - A Class GameDesigning, planning, producing a new product

Design Process:Verbalize all ideas

Write down ideas

Question all ideas presented

Creating the game in teams

Decide as a group which ideas are best for each group’s game

Planning:

Set goals

Decisions: price, materials involved

Enter group information in the computer

Production:Discuss safety issues for producing game

materials

Create positions for production process

Use real life lessons

Ex. Fire complainers

Play!

Designing by Special Needs Students

This article in the “Technology

Teacher” journal by Ronald D. Yuiil

was a great example of

project learning.

If I were to use this in my classroom I would:

Include power points to

create a visual of the games

Have students record

themselves playing their

games to post on YouTube

Teach their games to younger students

Using technology will help them

develop networking skills

and will give them feedback from observers

Good Life Skills

Virtual Environments Supporting Learning and Communication in Special Needs Education

Education Uses:

Representation of objects and environments

Reality and super-reality

understanding operations

Different viewpoints

explore environments and machines

Potential Application:

Improving accessibility

Mobility Learning

Rehabilitation Assessment

Educational use three-dimensional

(3D) simulated digital or “virtual”

environments behavioral

Characteristics replicating some aspect of real-world

Ex. doors opening, door chime

Given a joystick to navigate

Virtual Environments Supporting Learning and Communication in Special Needs Education

• Teaching science relating to physics & chemistry

• VE world produces better results than standard teaching strategy

• Provides a safe place for learning

-Practicing being in a

courtroom

-Kitchen skills

• Brings outside world into the classroom

Press to play

Virtual Environments Supporting Learning and Communication in Special Needs Education

Can be used to create tasks

ex. grocery shopping

riding the bus

VE technology will be a great asset for special needs students and will focus on real world skills in a comfortable environment

Control and interaction shift from teacher-initiated to student – initiated

Technology education

Equal access to technology programs must be given to Special Needs Students

Provides

functional

hands on learning

Successful Approaches

authentic

direct engagement

real life situations

Preparing technology educationBeing aware of legal

requirements is important when

working with special needs students

Get Involved

Help students to achieve classroom

goals

Acknowledge the benefit of using technology to

develop cirriculum

Keep Informed of New Technology

Teaching With TechnologySpecial Needs Students

Resources-articles

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ef6c940eaf9b034aff6a976c0043e9c82f79efb7297605581dac0f5687d8b99bb&fmt=C

Yuill, R. D. Designing by Special Needs Students. Technology Teacher v. 67 no. 8 (May-June 2008) p. 16-18

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ef6c940eaf9b034aff6a976c0043e9c82266e5b452ec04b1e59bce19161b3e4ba&fmt=C

Cobb, S. V. G. Virtual Environments Supporting Learning and Communication in Special Needs Education. Topics in Language Disorders v. 27 no. 3 (July-September 2007) p. 211

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ef6c940eaf9b034af7dc9a0bf0e6a59b5e171292c5bd381775838dfbb1eb6a44c&fmt=H

Evanciew, C. E. P. Preparing Technology Education Teachers to Work with Special Needs Students. The Technology Teacher v. 62 no. 7 (April 2003) p. 7-9