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Technology in Elementary Special Education Articles:
CONTENT AREA: Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary (K-2)
URL: http://www.iste.org/LL
Kirsten Lee Howard, along with Cindy Anderson and Joan Thormann of ISTE’s Special Interest Group for Special Education Technology, explore the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Howard’s first-grade inclusion classroom and presented their findings in this article. She discusses the contributions for children on IEPs of the CASTeReader and Dreamweaver for making digitized copy that is accessible to the special needs students as means of enabling them to read independently.
CONTENT AREA: Choosing the Right Books for Struggling Readers
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://www.iste.org/LL
In an effort to find out what methodology could make a difference for special needs students in their attempts to acquire reading skills, Denise Johnson discusses in this article steps to take to increase these students’ success in learning to read. By using the Internet, teachers can find the resources to determine reading levels and the books that are written on these levels. To provide the variety of books necessary to meet the interests, reading capabilities, and needed skills, Johnson suggests online e-books that include graphics and audio components and provides a list of sources where they can be obtained.
CONTENT AREA: Teachers and Technology Equity
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://www.cec.sped.org
Because the use of technology in special education classes is recognized as being critical to appropriate instruction for these children, this article by Monica Brown, Kyle Higgins, and Kendall Hartley addresses the prime concern for educators who work with special needs children that equitable access to assistive technology be present to meet the needs of each child. The article lists practical suggestions for increasing the number of technology-rich classrooms and calls for teachers to be proactive in making sure that all children regardless of ability or disability have full and ready technologically supported learning environments.
CONTENT AREA: Lights, Camera, Action: Using Engaging Computer Cue Activity Schedules
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://journals.sped.org/EC/Archive_Articles/VOL.36NO.1SeptOct2003_TEC_Kimball36-1.pdf
Addressing instructional challenges for children with developmental delays, the authors of this article, Kimball, Kinney, Taylor, and Stromer, have found that visual supports such as PowerPoint are capable tools for putting multimedia to work as an instructional support for children unable to function in the traditional classroom verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical modes of instruction. The authors tie in technology to the IEPs of special needs children through cue sequences, as well as the presentation of pathways to the acquisition of social and communication skills.
CONTENT AREA: What Is Assistive Technology?
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://pediatrics.med.miami.edu/mailman/assist_tech.htm
Although originating from a medical source rather than one identifiable solely as an educational source, the Mailman Center at the University of Miami article contains articles noted for the overlap of medical and educational attention to the special needs child for building learning skills through the use of assistive technology. In this article, assistive technology is described as an integral part of the classroom approach to increasing these children’s developmental capacities. The article explicates the functions performed by assistive technology that are indispensable to maximizing the learning success of the disabled child.
CONTENT AREA: Braille Bug
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary (grades 3-6)
URL: http://www.afb.org/braillebug
Visually impaired children in grades three through six will find games and activities presented in tactile code on this site. Information is also given about Braille and its inventor, as well as special software and hardware available in this format.
CONTENT AREA: Speech Teach
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://www.intellitools.com/home.htm
Tools found on this web site are especially helpful for those who work with children who have disabilities. The site also presents an extensive list of linkages to general educational resources in this area, along with reviews of the resources listed—Clip art, worksheets, a chatroom, and a discussion group.
CONTENT AREA: 1st Grade Technology Integration
GRADE LEVEL: First grade
URL: http://www.scsite.com
A substantial list of technology resources that can be adapted for the special needs child makes this site a great place to find ways to enrich instruction for the special needs child in the first grade. It includes activities and games for all the content areas. The site was created by the Mountain Brook City Schools.
Related Technology Integration Websites:
CONTENT AREA: Braille Bug
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary (grades 3-6)
URL: http://www.afb.org/braillebug
Visually impaired children in grades three through six will find games and activities presented in tactile code on this site. Information is also given about Braille and its inventor, as well as special software and hardware available in this format.
CONTENT AREA: Speech Teach
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://www.scsite.com
The speech therapy games found on this web site are especially helpful for those who work with children who have speaking disabilities. The site also presents an extensive list of linkages to general educational resources in this area, along with reviews of the resources listed—Clip art, worksheets, a chatroom, and a discussion group.
CONTENT AREA: 1st Grade Technology Integration
GRADE LEVEL: First grade
URL: http://www.scsite.com
A substantial list of technology resources that can be adapted for the special needs child makes this site a great place to find ways to enrich instruction for the special needs child in the first grade. It includes activities and games for all the content areas. The site was created by the Mountain Brook City Schools.
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