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Assistive Technology

For many of us, we need not think about how we will adapt to a world that is not made for us. We walk out the front door each morning with two working legs, two perfectly good eyes and ears and the knowledge that society caters to us. This is not the case for everyone though. Some people must go above and beyond the norm to experience all the parts of life some of us take for granted.
Able-bodies people rely heavily on eyesight for everyday life. Those who are blind or visually impaired have to find ways to overcome this obstacle. A brailler is a type of technology that helps them do so. This machine is similar to a typewriter except it types in brail and then speaks what is spelled out loud. In the case of Mason, an elementary school student, it allows him to keep up in class during writing assignments. Mason also utilizes an iPad and a SMART board that use sound and big lettering with contrasting colors, which his vision still allows him to slightly see, to participate in class with the other students.
Another example of adaptation is a 14 year old girl named Elle who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She uses a Dynavox device to speak as she is no longer capable. With this technology she can keep up with conversations in real-time. She selects words or phrases from a screen that sits in front of her with a sensor located on her forehead. Then by gazing for a certain amount of time at what she wants to choose an automated voice speaks it for her. This technology makes it possible for Elle to communicate with her family, peers and teachers.
Lukas is a disabled student musician in Spokane, Washington and because of technology he is able to perform in his school's jazz and marching band. Due to his perseverance and the innovation of a local instrument repair shop Lukas can play his instrument despite having limited use of his limbs. This situation just goes to show that with human passion and technological power this world can cater to more than only the privileged majority.

Creative Technologies

Keeping yourself current in technological advances is important in the classroom. Not only can it keep your students more engaged, it can increase creativity and efficiency. For example, if I were conducting a class that was learning about a historical landmark in Germany, such as the Brandenburg Gate, I could use an augmented reality tool to create a 3-D image that can be manipulated by the students with their iPads. Below is a picture that explains the idea.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/viewar-augmented-reality/id629689579?mt=8

By using certain apps, students could create scenes of how this iconic landmark looked throughout history or how they think it might appear in the future. This would be a more interactive and meaningful learning experience.
Staying with the theme of 3-D learning tools, a possibility when taking my students on foreign exchange trips is using mobile augmented reality apps. When standing at a historic site, mobile phones can be used like a time machine. An awesome example is shown in the video below.

Socrative

Recently, I tried out the data-collecting website called Socrative. With this site a teacher can create quizzes, questionnaires, surveys, etc. for their students to answer online. The progress can be tracked in real-time and then data is automatically collected. The teacher then has the option to download data for whole class, for individuals or question-specific. It can be sent via email, downloaded to the computer or saved to Google Drive.
I would use this technology in my classroom to assess the progress of each student relating to specific topics. I would collect the data throughout a school year to track progress. These easy to access quizzes could be done as a warmup activity in the beginning of a class depending on the students access to technology. If my students did have access to computers, laptops or smartphones I could use Socrative to "go green" and save paper.

Jigsaw Approach

Computers can greatly aid teaching and learning but they are not always available. What can an educator do to work around a lack of this resource? One proposed method is called "Jigsaw". With this approach, split students into diverse groups of 5 or six and then assign each group a leader. Continue by breaking down the lesson and having each student research a certain part. Once they have gotten their information form temporary "expert groups" by gathering the students together that researched the same part so they can discuss amongst themselves. Next, reform the groups and have each student present their part. Finish by observing the groups and prompting the group leader to solve any problems that may come up. Finally, give a quiz or somehow use the material to solidify what was learned.
In my own classroom, I would use this approach to work in teams to research and plan a backpacking trip in German speaking countries. Students would decide on a certain area then individually research things such as local food establishments, events, historical sites, seasonal activities ect. In the end each group would give a mini presentation on the backpacking trip they planned. It would produce a stonger response from the students because they would bond with each other through the excitement they share while dreaming of future travel. Instead of students only participating half-heartedly, they would feed off of each other's energy and ideas to make a more impactful experience.
A possible disadvantage could be seen in trying to manage the interacts between different personalities. Shy or difficult students, who are not accustomed to working in groups, might act out or shut down. The faster learning students might get bored and tune out. The key is in the group leaders and expert groups. These keep order and make sure everyone is getting the information they need. It is also important to alternate roles when using this approach on different occasions.

Back to the Future

At the dawn of the computer age people had many different ideas about what role this new technology would play. But what was agreed upon is the fact that computers would revolutionize the future, in education particularly.

Some correctly believed computers would permeate the school/home boundary, making it possible to keep up with class, even when sick at home, by instantly sending information via the internet. There was the idea of widespread use of data bases for research. This is very true for most students when it comes to writing a research paper today. Also, it was predicted people could operate technology hands-free with voice commands with an artificial voice response.

Some other predictions weren't quite as accurate, such as directly linking absent students into a class with a video conference and chatting. And while we do have things such as Siri, I wouldn't take it as far as to say she is "artificial intelligence" like some believed would be used.

It is interesting to see what predictions were correct and which weren't. With the future holding so many variables, what predictions could we make these days about the use of technology in the classrooms of tomorrow?





http://itechfuture.com/future-technology-devices-computers/





http://itechfuture.com/bracelet-is-a-personal-life-manager/

Voki

Becoming familiar with  new technology as a teacher is really important! It's a fun way to keep the students interested while still teaching necessary content!
This week I learned about Voki. You create your own avatar (there are lots of cool options to choose from) and then use your own voice recordings or use their animated voice options to make your character speak. Very easy to make. Es ist Spaß!

Here is the Voki I created just now: