Internet Addiction Workshop

My workshop on internet addiction can be found Here.

Module #13

Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on Disability Summary:

                In this article, Paul H. Wise looks at the impact technological innovation has had on the way we define disability and the treatment for children with disabilities.  Wise begins by defining disability and assistive technology as we use them today and shows the relationship they have between one another. Wise then looks at the impact therapeutic and preventive technologies has had on child disabilities like new vaccines, genetic screening, etc.  With all of these new technologies catered to helping children with disabilities, we see a social shift between the haves and the have-nots, along with added pressure on schools and the health care delivery system.   Schools and health care delivery systems are not able to provide all the latest technical and technological advancements to children with disabilities from lack of funding, lack of resource, etc. and the disparity between children with disabilities has widened because of it.  To conclude, we are left with the challenge of providing equitable technical innovations to children with disabilities as the technological advancements continue, to close the disparity gap.

Reflection:

                Working in a school system, it is easy for me to relate to this article.  I can see where children with disabilities can have disparity even among a single school, so it is no shock that this is happening on a global scale with the new innovations and advancements that are coming out.  One thing I do think is happening too is the overuse of assistive technologies to help not only students with disabilities but also students without.  Looking at a program like WebAnywhere, we can see the positives and the benefits of utilizing this in the classroom; however, at the same time students who don’t necessarily have a disability will also have access to this program.  This, in turn, creates a new problem to where students without disabilities become lazy, resulting from technological innovations that might not be necessary for that student.  There are numerous programs like this in the school system, so it creates even more havoc for the school to provide equitable access for students with disabilities, but at the same time limit the use of these assistive technologies for students without disabilities.

WebAnywhere

Apparently this didn't post last week, so I'm posting it now...

WebAnywhere was fairly easy to use, after a bit of reading and a few demo videos.  The program starts right after using the link and at first it starts talking about headings, links, etc. that it finds on the page.  This was a bit confusing before I realized that it was going through the webpage before it starts reading.  After reading through the "shortcut" keys, I realized how to use WebAnywhere and navigate to different pages, sections, etc.  The keys made it much easier to utilize the program and "control" where it is reading.

This program can open up many doors for people with disabilities.  With some practice and memorization the program can be very useful for someone who has impaired vision.  It is a free program, so it is accessible to everyone and it helps them navigate the web, and "see" what is written on a page.  My blog page would be easily accessible to them as long as they know the web address.  There are some minor drawbacks to the program, like learning all the shortcut keys and navigating using only web addresses, but overall, it is a good start to helping visually impaired users on the web.  There are some better programs out there, but for its price, this will get the job done.

Module 12 Reflective Post

Adaptive Technology Overview Summary:

                Computers can enhance the learning environment for all users, including users with disabilities.  While people with disabilities can use a computer there are limiting factors that can be seen like: access to electronic resources (spreadsheets, processors, etc.) and access to computer themselves (using a keyboard, mouse, etc.).  Adaptive technology can help assist these users to make navigating, using, and accessing computers a more beneficial experience.  There are a variety of hardware and software tools available to help assist users with disabilities.  The website gives us several examples and also shares instances of each in action.  People who are blind, for instance, can get locator dots on the keyboard for commonly used keys, Braille embossers, and even speech output.  Modifications similar to these can be made for all users with disabilities to help facilitate access to computers.

Assistive Technology Overview Summary:

                At the University of Washington, they have an organization “DO-IT” to help provide accommodations for students with disabilities when using technology.  The organization focuses on involving incoming students with disabilities, educators, and future employers in a common area to make technology more accessible and available to students with disabilities.  The website has several articles to share the importance of assistive technology, what it is, who it benefits, and how people can help.  There are also several examples of the ways assistive technology is currently being used by students, educators, and employers.  The videos available on the site show even more examples of the technology being used on campus, off-campus, or for work.  The DO-IT organization has developed a huge online resource bank for anyone to check out to learn more about assistive technology and the impact it has on students with disabilities.

Reflection:

                After reading the articles and watching some videos, it is apparent that assistive/adaptive technology is a great way to enhance the learning of students with disabilities.  It makes the technology more user friendly or provides a way for the student to access technology that wouldn’t be readily available without the assistance.  Currently, we use a program in my district to read any worksheet, article, book, etc. out loud for the student.  The high school uses it a lot and the elementary has had several students in the past who have used it as well.  I have given several math tests through this program, and it is great because it will read through the problem (story problems) and the student has time to focus on the math rather than spending 5 minutes reading and deciphering what the problem says.  The only negative about this program is that there is only one scanner that works for it and it does take a while to scan all the worksheets through, if it is in use, you have to check back at a later time, so it can be quite time consuming as an educator.  Although it does have some time commitment drawbacks overall it is a great tool that is available to us.