Nirvi Shah
iPads Become Learning Tools For Students with DisabilitiesEducation Week
Published: March 2, 2011
Complete URL: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/03/02/22ipad.h30.html?qs=Special+Ed.+Ipad
iPads are proving to be useful in numerous educational capacities. Let me just ramble off some interesting examples: helping children with autism communicate, allowing down syndrome children the freedom to speak through the iPad, making math accessible to children who would normally be overwhelmed by worksheet or textbook presentations of the same material, assisting students working on life skills – such as ordering food from a restaurant or buying things at a grocery store, and providing deaf students new avenues to understanding texts – they can connect the dots between English idioms and the sign-language equivalent in a unique way. I found some of those examples amazing – particularly the connection deaf students are able to make between sign-language and English idioms with the assistance of an iPad. The author also pointed out some specific features that make the iPad more user friendly then a laptop computer. The only draw back mentioned in the article was the obvious – cost. They are expensive. The intended audience would be parents and teachers of students with special needs. The relevance however is far broader. There seems to be a move towards inclusive classrooms and we may have students in our rooms where an iPad could provide the necessary assistance to differentiate our lessons for them. Maybe iPads will be a new accommodation made on an IEP.
On a side note - I work with a hearing impaired student – and find that trying to communicate beyond the literal is difficult. I was thrilled by the possibility of using a tool such as an iPad to help connect the dots for this student. His interpreter is fabulous but it would also be helpful to communicate directly with this student.
Funny - I actually went back to see which two articles you posted to be sure I was not repeating:) I knew they both had to do with technology and thought they both sounded neat. Maybe thats why I ended up wanting to include this one.
ReplyDeleteI kept thinking about many of the points you made as I was writing this. There are those old school people who scoff or discount the use of this technology but honestly had this technology been around earlier I think it would have been utilized. I am all for that which helps students learn and even better enjoy learning.
Ok - I have been so excited about iPads and this idea of using them with deaf students that I went to the MAC Store this weekend to look at the demo. SO COOL! I want one. I played with the Proloquo2Go app - mentioned in the article - amazing. I am trying to work our budget so I can get one.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about all the differnt ways this technology is going to be used in the future and my pea sized mind will be blown away I am sure as new uses continually come forth.
Ok - well I was so jazzed by this I just wanted to add that. If you don't have an iPad but are curious it is worth a trip to the MAC Store.