Instruction with Technology for Secondary Students with Exceptionalities

Inclusion Rates

Improving Academic Performance Conversational language promotes engagement in the instructional process Use music, video, graphic representations, drama to assess student learning Connect via technology Direct Instruction to teach organization and study skills Immediate corrective feedback Find the latest research on instruction herehere

Some strategies to try: Advanced organizers Provide prerequisite knowledge Clearly state objectives Provide rationale for learning the concept Modeling (I do) Step by step instructions using multiple modalities Verbalize your thinking as you solve the problem Ask students to contribute Guided Practice (We do) Students complete the task with assistance from teacher and peers. Independent Practice (You do) Should align closely with modeling Set high mastery criteria (e.g., 90%)

Coaching & Person - centered Planning o Start by listening… o Establish goals, dreams, wants o Formulate a plan with specific measurable benchmarks o Positive reinforcement and encouragement o “I believe in you” o Be genuine… “I hate teachers who tell us they care when they don’t” (Hayley, 10 th grade) o Provide explicit corrective feedback when necessary (model & practice)

What is Assistive Technology “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability” (IDEA, 2004) IEP teams must consider whether the student needs assistive technology to be successful. Your advocacy is crucial for helping these students be successful

AT Examples Hearing aids FM systems Communication devices Slant boards Portable keyboards Speech-to-text Spell checkers Talking word processor Non skid chairs Large button calculator Interactive TV Adaptive scissors Musical blocks AT Quickwheel

What AT is Appropriate? Step 1: Collect baseline data on the student’s current functional capabilities. Include: Communication skills Academic abilities Cognitive abilities Vocational skills Social/emotional level UKAT toolkit can be downloaded free of charge at

AT Questions for the IEP Team What are the student’s needs and abilities? What materials are available to support the student? Is the the learning environment conducive to student success? How will the environment need to change to ensure success? What activities must the student complete? How do these activities relate to the curricular goals? Would AT improve the student’s ability to participate in the general education curriculum? What types of technology should be considered?

The AT Process Collect baseline data Make an informed decision about the viability of AT (IEP team) Purchase, train, implement with fidelity Collect and analyze data (document) Establish efficacy

Why Documentation Matters It provides longitudinal data regarding the viability and efficacy of the AT It can be used to inform future decisions and transition plans It provides evidence regarding the reliability and customer support associated with the AT

Technology Provides  Information on demand (McKenna, Reinking, Labbo, & Keiffer, 1999)  Tools that support cognitive processes (e.g., databases, question prompts, graphic organizers, & illustrations) (Lajoie, 1993)  Built-in accommodations that allow teachers to modify task difficulty and select appropriate readability levels (Edyburn, 2000; Behrmann & Jerome, 2002; Pucket, 2004)

Tech-based Differentiation Text modification (font style, size, & color) Text-to-speech Readability level Scaffolds (e.g., question prompts, outlines, supplemental explanations) Personal data organizers (e.g., tool use, notebook, assessments)

Implications Students need systematic, explicit, scaffolded instruction to utilize cognitive tools (Gersten & Baker, 1998) Opportunities for students to reflect on and have immediate feedback regarding tool use (Swanson & Hoskyn, 1998) Inclusion of tools that support cognitive overload and out- of-reach activities (Land, 2000; Liu, 2004; Williams & Peterson, 2004) Increased collaboration between special education and regular education teachers (Moore & Keefe, 2001) Improved instructional strategies for general education teachers (Washburn-Moses, 2005)

Multimodal Information Illustrations Graphic organizers Pictures Video Supplemental text Sound Simulations Databases Notebook option Expert modeling tools

Repeated Reading & Practice Question prompts Sequenced reviews Immediate corrective feedback Information on demand Bookmarks Dialogue with teachers and peers Let’s see what it looks like…