TechForAll

Resources/Information for using technology to teach all students:
 * [|Special Needs]
 * [|ELL]

Special Needs:
Jukes and McCain--see pp 100, 141, 162

[|Assistive technology: You can take it with you] --Portability, universality among the latest trends in AT solutions

[|Internet Resource for Special Children]

http://www.accessibletech4all.org/

[|National Center on Disability & Access to Education]

[|Students with Special Needs] by New Horizons, which has retired and been moved to the Digital Learning Commons. See their section on [|Special Education Alignment]

[|Resources for Teachers and Parents of Blind Kids]

[|Wayfinding]

The following question was raised in [|Technology Counts]: "**Question from** : Dennis DiBona, consultant, speaker and a retired Tech Specialist Broward County School System . First of all, education in the U.S. is very decentralized. So, I suspect that the 16,000 school districts, plus private/charter/indpendent schools, will have lots of differing visions. What I really think you are asking is: How can technology be used to enable children with special needs to succeed? My sense is that assistive technologies are making a difference for many children. It is certainly not perfect, but tools like voice recognition software certainly makes it possible for blind students to not be left behind. One of the areas that CoSN has been working is: How do we get our school networks to provide accessible technologies for ALL students? Our sense is that in most school districts, we are not very far along in thinking about accessibility for all students. For example, I just mentioned the use of voice recognition software. As I have already said, it is critical if you are blind. But, that software is also very useful for kids with English as a second language. In fact, it is useful for those of us who learn better by hearing. Yet, in most districts, the folks responsible for general IT defer this topic to their special education department. I believe accessibility is a critical element and most of our school networks are much too narrowly niche-ing technologies that could benefit all kids. And, it is VERY expensive to deploy assistive technologies to one kid at a time on one work station at a time. We have a great resource on this topic which is at http://www.accessibletech4all.org/ We really need a new conversation in most school districts over accessibility" (p. 12).
 * My Question:** Please share your vision of what public schools will look like in the next decade, or 2, especially for the visually impaired, blind students from early elementarty through university work..what is on the drawing board for usage of talking equipment that reads through written/visual entire contents, graphic descriptions etc for the blind so equal access is accomplished. Right now it is spotty at best.
 * Keith R. Krueger:**

ELL:
Rosetta Stone language course [|Hispanic education--Not lost in translation]

[|Technology helps boost ELL instruction]