What aspects of this course did you find most beneficial? How the information that I learned was directly linked to education and it was easy to link it to the classroom
What aspects of this course did you find did not meet your needs? This course meet my needs by addressing how technology is being used in the classroom. PLE and Web 2.0 are some ideas and tools that made an impact in my learning.
What topics in this course were most interesting to you? How technology is available to everybody and how PLEs make the students learning self directed.
What topics in this course were least helpful/interesting? "Diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness" was the most interseting to me. It is crazy that the whole world and be connected and learn from eachother. "Adaptive and assistive technologies" was tough for me to connect too, to me it was too much medical talk and not educational.
How did your knowledge of issues in educational technology evolve over the semester? Did you have any "Aha" moments? PLEs really gave the me Aha momnet. I love the idea and how the student is in charge of the learning.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Cyberbullying Workshop
Please click on the attached link to view my professional development workshop on Cyberbullying.
https://sites.google.com/site/professionaldevelopmentwkshp/
https://sites.google.com/site/professionaldevelopmentwkshp/
Module 13 Adaptive and assistive technologies, Part II
Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on Disability
Childhood disabilities are on the rise, and Wise mentioned that technological improvements in the physical environment need to be done to lessen childhood disabilities and injury. Focusing on better housing, poison preventing packaging, and safer roads can help make the child's life experiences safer. "This article investigate several specific facets of this transformation: the influence of technological change on the definition of disability, and the ability of the current delivery system to afford access to emerging technologies designed to prevent and reduce the impact of disabling conditions in children." (Wise 2) Technology is defined as scientific knowledge that is directed and applied to help improve life and well being. Disability is summarized as a health-related limitation that is desired by society. Technology when first introduced can be dramatically good and bad for a persons life. An example is the cell phone, we are able to text and call on it anywhere we want but it creates a large burden on the blind individuals. It also prevents an individual from using it who has a physical disability,that will be unable to touch the buttons on the cell phone. Preventative technologies have helped vaccine individual to reduce and eliminate diseases that were causing disabilities. There is also genetic screening of the fetus to identify if the fetus has a genetic disability, this is very controversial in society because many ethical and moral questions arise. Therapeutic technologies are greatly influenced by "technical interventions, including medications, specialized medical and educational services and a variety of assisting devices." (5) 9 to 15 percent of children in the United States require prescribed medication for on going health issues. 36% of children require glasses, 5% require a mobility service, and 7% hearing care. Technical advances are reshaping children's life with disabilities. With these technological advances, children are able to life a more independent and enjoyable life. There are therapeutic and preventative technologies that are being offered to children that enables these children the chance to live a successful life, where in the past it would have been difficult.
Reflection
When I read about the ethical and moral issues of terminating a pregnancy, it kind of made me upset a bit. With new technologies out there and the ability to diagnose genetic disease such as trisomy 21 and cystic fibrosis, but to my delight there are ways that this could be corrected by fetus surgeries. It is also great to hear that technology advancements is happening all over the world and not just in the United States. For example, in Finland 77% of families benefit from assistive devices for feeding, dressing and hygiene. While I was reading, I caught myself a couple of times, wondering why we are reading this article because it seemed that the audience would that of the medical background but the more I read the more I understood. When the disability is addressed and the correction is made to their everyday life, there learning will be enhanced because the student will not be worried about the obstacles that life is giving them. They will be able to focus more on their learning and not the disability.
Childhood disabilities are on the rise, and Wise mentioned that technological improvements in the physical environment need to be done to lessen childhood disabilities and injury. Focusing on better housing, poison preventing packaging, and safer roads can help make the child's life experiences safer. "This article investigate several specific facets of this transformation: the influence of technological change on the definition of disability, and the ability of the current delivery system to afford access to emerging technologies designed to prevent and reduce the impact of disabling conditions in children." (Wise 2) Technology is defined as scientific knowledge that is directed and applied to help improve life and well being. Disability is summarized as a health-related limitation that is desired by society. Technology when first introduced can be dramatically good and bad for a persons life. An example is the cell phone, we are able to text and call on it anywhere we want but it creates a large burden on the blind individuals. It also prevents an individual from using it who has a physical disability,that will be unable to touch the buttons on the cell phone. Preventative technologies have helped vaccine individual to reduce and eliminate diseases that were causing disabilities. There is also genetic screening of the fetus to identify if the fetus has a genetic disability, this is very controversial in society because many ethical and moral questions arise. Therapeutic technologies are greatly influenced by "technical interventions, including medications, specialized medical and educational services and a variety of assisting devices." (5) 9 to 15 percent of children in the United States require prescribed medication for on going health issues. 36% of children require glasses, 5% require a mobility service, and 7% hearing care. Technical advances are reshaping children's life with disabilities. With these technological advances, children are able to life a more independent and enjoyable life. There are therapeutic and preventative technologies that are being offered to children that enables these children the chance to live a successful life, where in the past it would have been difficult.
Reflection
When I read about the ethical and moral issues of terminating a pregnancy, it kind of made me upset a bit. With new technologies out there and the ability to diagnose genetic disease such as trisomy 21 and cystic fibrosis, but to my delight there are ways that this could be corrected by fetus surgeries. It is also great to hear that technology advancements is happening all over the world and not just in the United States. For example, in Finland 77% of families benefit from assistive devices for feeding, dressing and hygiene. While I was reading, I caught myself a couple of times, wondering why we are reading this article because it seemed that the audience would that of the medical background but the more I read the more I understood. When the disability is addressed and the correction is made to their everyday life, there learning will be enhanced because the student will not be worried about the obstacles that life is giving them. They will be able to focus more on their learning and not the disability.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
WebAnywhere
At first I had no idea what the computer was saying. The language seemed of a different language, but then I watched the YouTube video and it all seemed to make sense. Using key commands did work effectively but it would be difficult to memorize these commands. Figuring how to use Web Anywhere was pretty simple. Next to the word location you type where you want to go, and then use the control commands. A blind person would be able to use WebAnywhere in a very simple manner. A few problems that would come up, would be if the individual did not have head phones to use while on a public computer, or the operating system would be different then the individual expected. Other wise this program positively benefits the blind person, in enabling them to use the Internet and learning software. I feel lucky that I do not have a disability that will limit my technology use, but by using WebAnywhere it made me appreciate my abilities.
Module 12 Adaptive and assistive technologies, Part I
Adaptive Technology
Computers are able to be adapted for people who have disabilities. These disabilities could be low vision, blindness, speech and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, mobility, or health impairments. Individuals that have a disability, benefit greatly from using computers. They benefit by being able to access a computer for enjoyment and by working with electronic resources, such as word processors or spread sheets. Adaptive software can be a very simple installment on a computer or it can be very dynamic. Either way, they are used to help the people with disabilities easy access computers. The following are the disabilities followed by the tactics that make the computers adaptive.
Blindness - The keyboards are standard while braille and specialized voice programs are used.
Reflective
Computers are able to be adapted for people who have disabilities. These disabilities could be low vision, blindness, speech and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, mobility, or health impairments. Individuals that have a disability, benefit greatly from using computers. They benefit by being able to access a computer for enjoyment and by working with electronic resources, such as word processors or spread sheets. Adaptive software can be a very simple installment on a computer or it can be very dynamic. Either way, they are used to help the people with disabilities easy access computers. The following are the disabilities followed by the tactics that make the computers adaptive.
Blindness - The keyboards are standard while braille and specialized voice programs are used.
- Input- dots on the key board are used
- output- speech out and braille
- documentation - scanners that can read and store material
- Input- large keys
- output- large monitor and text enlarger
- documentation - scanners that can read and enlarged printer abilities
- Input- word processors with the capabilities to spell check, highlight, grammar check and predict.
- output- enlarged screen, color contrasts. Reading and speech systems.
- documentation - speech output and speech output.
- Input- flexible mouse, keyboard, easy on/off switch, word prediction software
- output-assistant may be needed to print materials, speech output
- documentation - generally do not have difficulty.
Assistive Technology
With so many adaptive technologies there are bound to be some negativity that follow. Individuals with mobility disabilities may have troubles fitting their wheel chair beneath the computer. For this problem to be fixed, there are flexible keyboards, monitors, mouses, and documentation. There are devices that let the individual make selections without using there fingers. These devices could be accessed by using their mouth, head-stick or some other pointing device. There are also left and right hand keyboards that are designed for people with impairments. For the more severe disabilities input could be done by using Morse Code or voluntary controls using the knee, finger or mouth. Screen output is not a problem but assistance could be needed. Low vision and blindness is made adaptive for computer use by having enlarged output, braille, color changing, and voice output devices. Technological accommodations for people have a LD (learning disabled) are to be done by a "trial by error method." The person who is LD is able to give advice on what basic tools helps the individual demonstrate knowledge and intelligence. Word processors, reading systems, concept mappings, and talking calculators are only a few of the accommodations that are able to help an individual with a LD. Bathrooms, aisle ways, door ways and building entrances must be designed to allow wheel chairs access, if not what is the point of have accessible computers. Positions of keyboards, table and monitors need to be able to move to accommodate the person. StickeyKeys and FliterKeys makes the standard keyboard more accessible. Alternative key boards and keyguards are also used to correctly push the correct keys. Word prediction, alternative pointing systems, and speech recognition are all used to accommodate the individual. Visual, and hearing impairments, along with limited sensitivity can be corrected by using a variety of methods even thou hearing impairments has few adaptions. Screen enlargement, and programs titled, ZoomText Xtra MAGic are free to download are very helpful accommodation. People with limited sensory impairment can benefit by using Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Voice Xpress to control the computer.
It is great to see that technology is able to serve anybody with any disabilities. I was really impressed with the abilities of the computer to serve the the blind. Having Braille key boards is a wonderful invention that helps. Society has made technology available for anybody to use. I noticed that the adaptation can be used by anybody with different disabilities. Screen enlargements, and voice recognition is able to serve people with visual, mobility and learning disabilities. It is also great to think that the program Dragon can be used by any individuals, disability or not. Many people can talk better than they type, so Dragon would be helpful in this scenario. While reading these articles, I kept think about Stephan Hawking and his disabilities. I believe he uses a head stick to communicate and he communicates entirely through a computer. Technology is helping him continue successful life. I wounder if there centers or libraries that are technology catered for people who have disabilities mentioned in the readings for this module?
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