Rachel+Aspinall

All classrooms have students who are different shapes and sizes and as teachers we know that not all children learn the same. It is up to teachers to provide each one of his/her students an optimal learning environment. This may mean we have to make small changes or it could mean that we need to make significant changes in the curriculum to accommodate a student. Regardless of how big or small the change is we need to evaluate our students and his/her needs as a learner and as a person.

The SETT Framework encompasses four major areas of evaluation regarding a student and specific assistive technology options. First, we have to assess the student, then the student’s environment, next we need to determine what tasks the student is or will be responsible for, and last we then can decide what assistive tool will be best for our student. After all these areas a considered we can make an educated decision as to how the student can benefit from assistive technology.

The regular education students’ objectives include researching weather information involving hurricanes, the ability to use the internet and science textbook as a resource tool, and to write a research paper. Ellie’s objectives are to attain life skills, to learn to predict, decision making, learn how to locate information using the internet and newspaper, and she will also learn how to use Kidspiration.

I feel that the low (newspaper) and high tech (computer, internet, Kidspiration) accommodation will be a great fit with the weather unit in science class. It will teach Ellie important life skills and it also gives Ellie the opportunity to be apart of the class by using the internet as the regular education students use the internet and her end product will be composing a research paper. The lesson is completely modified to accommodate Ellie’s cognitive ability and it is a valuable lesson for Ellie as a student and person in society.

I have attached PowerPoint Presentation. Enjoy!

Software Evaluation
We did the [|Odyssey] website. This is a program for K-12 students across the curriculum.

[|INFINITEC Website]

=Website Evaluation Summary=

There are many websites and programs that benefit people with disabilities. One website we came across was Infinitec.org. Infinitec is an organization that promotes independence and it helps people create an easier and more efficient way of life for children and adults with disabilities through technology. Through their website and programs, they initiate assistive technology to all types of disabilities within the Chicagoland area. As stated in the website, Infinitec is a joint effort of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago and United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc., Washington D.C. It stands for infinite potential through assistive technology. Infinitec.org is a wonderful website that can be used to gain access to information, technology, training, assistive technology and specialists to help better the lives of people with disabilities.

The purpose of Infinitec.org is to act as a complete resource guide to provide information about assistive technology to anyone with any type of disability. The homepage is separated into four main topics: Live, Learn, Play and Work. The Live link is designed to help bring in different ideas to make the every day living situation adaptive. For instance, the “home alone safety” link provides helpful reminders and ideas for any person living with a disability. The Learn link focuses on “learning how to learn” using assistive technology devices. Here, we are introduced to a variety of A.T. devices along with information of who and what their purposes are for. The Play link assists by giving many alternatives to participating in activities we all love and the Work link provides all different information including AT in the workplace, finding a job and careers in AT. Along with these four links, we also have quick resource guides that are targeted to blindness or visual impairment and deafness or hearing loss. These links are able to give information to that specific population of people. There is an abundance of information on Infinitec.org, but the navigational aspect of the website if fairly simple. With that said, even though the website is simple, it doesn’t offer enough opportunity for users to make changes regarding font, color, and text to speech. The text to speech option is difficult because of the lack of the printer friendly option. The text would need to be copied and pasted onto a word document in order for a program to read the text aloud.

By Rachel Aspinall & Ashley Mandell