Technology Integration
JAWS and the Smartboard
JAWS is a screen reader that will read out loud what is on a computer screen. In the activity pictured students listened to JAWS read information from websites with the information they were looking for for projects. A wireless keyboard was used and passed around for students to take turns using. When students heard something important they raised their hand and said stop or if it was the person with the keyboard, they would hit control to pause JAWS. Whoever was controlling the keyboard at that time stopped JAWS and we discussed what was heard. If needed JAWS was used to reread a section. Then students wrote down their notes. As we were using JAWS I asked students how to open a website and other commands so that they know what to push and do when it is their turn to try researching on the internet with JAWS. This process continues until students get all the information on that website. The plan was to do this as a group that they could then use individually for researching on their own.
Computer Lab - individual practice
After practicing as a class students try to do it themselves with guidance. I worked with the assistive technology specialist to give students the opportunity to have more one on one assistance as they learned how to open and close documents and research on the computer.
Victor Streams
Students use their victors to record homework journals talking about what they did and learned in class that day. Then they play back the recording for homework grades the next day. These are also used for students to answer their bell ringer questions everyday. These are quick questions that get the students focused and ready to learn for class. Notes for classes in word documents can also be uploaded to the device so that students can listen and review information.
Braille Notes
Students can use braille notes to create recordings and word documents. Documents can be printed out and turned in for easier grading. These devices are very portable and are great to use for note taking and as a field notebook since there is a strap for students to put around their necks for ease of transporting and typing while out in the field.
Digital Microscopes
Digital microscopes hook up to the computer and then the image can be projected. I like to use it with the smartboard. When the image is projected it is big enough for low vision students to see as well as being able to write and circle important information from what they are seeing. The software for the device has the ability to make movies and you can take pictures of what is seen on the slides. I have used this to talk about particulate matter and air quality. Students learned how to apply their knowledge of population counting to figuring out how many particles were caught on the slides that were placed around campus. here is a picture of one of the slides. I have also used this microscope to look at cells, small animals, lichen, and much more. If you have blind students, having a tactile image is ideal, you can even use hot glue or clay or even wikki sticks to be budget friends and still make an image accessible.
CCTV
CCTV's enlarge text for low vision students to read. It has been used for reading print which is its original purpose, but I have found that it can also be used as a microscope. One time my ecology class was identifying trees, but at that time it was winter. Because there aren't any leaves for easy identification they have to go by other characteristics. One characteristic is leaf scaring. The leaf scar is extremely hard to see, even with a magnifying glass. We tried placing it under the CCTV and the scaring became very obvious. This ignited the students curiosity and they started to put other items under the CCTV to get a better look and have started asking more in-depth questions because they could see things that even I had a hard time seeing before.