Using Assistive Technology for Learning & Revision Alan O Donnell

What is Assistive Technology (A T)? Assistive Technology refers to any device or system that helps to improve the functional capacity of people with disabilities.Assistive Technology In education, this increasingly refers to computer-related applications. A T can now make it possible for people with disabilities to do more for themselves, to perform some of the functions that were previously difficult or impossible because of impairment. A pupil who cannot speak, for example, may now communicate through a portable device that will produce electronic speech and a pupil who does not have hand function can now write with the aid of a computer and accessories. These simple examples demonstrate the enormous potential of available technologies, many of which are neither complicated nor expensive.

Input Options Keyboard Mouse Switch and Scanner Voice Recognition Optical pointing devices Pointing aids Scanners and optical character recognition (OCR) Touch Monitor Command Options Mouse-click Switch Touch-Monitor Voice Target Options On-screen Keyboard Screen-scan or grids Touch Monitor Output Options Braille Some examples of Assistive technology

Assistive Technology is for everyone If assistive technology helps to achieve any of the following, it may be considered an appropriate provision: enables the pupil to overcome some of the limitations set by his or her disability enables the pupil to reach a higher standard, fluency or achievement than could be achieved through non-technical means provides a means of social interaction and access to information allows access to learning that could not otherwise be achieved increases and allows concentration on the task rather than on the mechanics of doing it. supports participation by helping to create a least restrictive educational environment. » These are the reasons for when Assistive Technology is appropriate, but it sounds about right for every student who wants to sample an alternative learning style. If the principal of universal design is used,universal design then the software is suitable for everyone to explore and sample the learning.

An Alternative learning style? We all learn in different ways, but I am going to look at listening. Auditory learning is a learning style in which a person learns through listening. style If you prefer listening to notes or text as opposed to reading it, then download some software to read it to you. I tried the Read&Write 10 GOLD demo from 10 GOLD

Come HERE and try this! What is Learning? Learning has been defined as the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge. For learning to take place, it is no longer considered sufficient that knowledge be broken down into small chunks for students to digest mentally. Learning is now considered to occur through active engagement with material in a meaningful and authentic context and involves the linking of new knowledge with previous understanding. We learn best not by passively absorbing knowledge, but by making sense of the world and building our own connections. This type of learning gives students a deeper understanding of what is learned and helps them to remember it and to take ownership of it. We can read the text above or we can listen to it. Click on the link HERE to listen to the audioHERE

How did I do that? Click on screen to play

Save the Powerpoint slides too! To save the text off lecture slides; just Save AS Insert file name and save file type as Outline/RTF Open the.RTF word document and save the text to audio file. Try it out on these slides. It will unlock the Word cloud!

The software Much of the A T software interacts in a very useable way so if you prefer listening to the notes or slides, just have a browse on the internet for text to speech, and download a package that suits you. There are lots to choose from and many of them are free or offer a trial period.text to speech

Revise and learn So if you hate reading notes on the bus, save them on your music player, and listen to revise. Or just simply try it out. You might find this will reinforce your learning and help you achieve a greater understanding.

Some links to explore! =gohttp://texthelp.com/page.asp?pres=Downloadable+Demo&fstr=&pg_id=1368&submit 1=go