Students with Cognitive Difficulties
Cognitive difficulties can be categorized in a number of different ways. For the purposes of this assignment, I will be looking primarily at mild cognitive disabilities. For students with mild cognitive disabilities, the primary issue really isn't access to technology, but rather the student's reading, writing, comprehension, and retention (Roblyer, 2016). For this reason, I have concentrated on websites and iPad apps that help students with these particular skills.
Kidspiration is a software resource (with both a web-based and app-based component) that provides students with the tools to create graphic organizers to represent their thinking and understanding. The tools are designed to be used independently by students and are very image-heavy. Students can create mind-maps, utilize graphic organizers, and even work with various manipulatives. In the context of the elementary science classroom, students could use the tool to generate an organizer of content in a given lesson or to solidify new vocabulary by pairing visuals with definitions and sentences.
ACT Spell is a very clean and simplistic iPad application designed to allow teachers, parents, or students to create customized spelling or vocabulary lists. Students work with letter tiles to practice spelling the words and they can hear audio prompts as well. There are several customizations available to make the app useful for a wide population of students including the option to make the tiles larger so they're easy to manipulate or to adjust the font, color, and size for students who may need it. This app could be used for students to practice learning, recognizing, and spelling domain-specific vocabulary in the science classroom. Alternatively, it could also be used for weekly spelling lists.
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One of the biggest challenges in the science and social studies content areas is the amount of text students encounter. Typically, this text is a bit denser and includes more domain-specific vocabulary than students are used to seeing in their general reading. Rewordify is a free web-tool that allows both teachers and students to paste a passage or piece of text into the page and it will generate a lower level passage that addresses the same concept by clarifiying complex vocbaulary words and phrases. This could be used to generate reading passages that are a bit closer to a student's independent reading level.
Dragon Dictation is an iPad application that can be used as a speech to text converter. They also have a web-based tool and can be accessed on phones or Android devices. Many students with cognitive disabilities struggle with the process of writing. A speech-to-text converter allows students to get their ideas into text a bit faster. It's especially helpful for students who may have some processing disorders, learning disabilities, or dysgraphia. In the context of a science classroom, the tool could be used to generate summaries of a lesson for later use or as a replacement for any activity that requires extensive typing or drafting.
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Students with Sensory Difficulties
Sensory difficulties can be thought of disabilities or impairments specific to vision or hearing. The tools available to support students sensory difficulties vary according to the students' individual needs. While there are many specific tools available to supplement or extend the utility of devices in the classroom, teachers can also utilize the accessibility settings on their devices to support students.
Modified keyboards come in many different flavors. These can be ergonomically changed, the size and color of the keys can be modified, or the key configuration can be simplified. This example is one that would be appropriate for low vision learners. As far as instruction goes, there really wouldn't be any difference, but the keyboard would enable students to create products on laptops more efficiently. The North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology put together a blogpost on different types of keyboards that can be used. You can find the post here.
BigBrowser is a mobile browser specifically designed for people with sensory difficulties - particularly low vision. The browser is similar to any other browser in function, but provides a much larger keyboard and toolbar so that it is easier for students to see what they're typing in or navigate on a mobile device. Again, as far as instructional strategies go, there wouldn't be anything different, but it would certainly come in handy for students as they are conducting research within the context of a given unit or if they are navigating to any web content in a science lesson. This browser simply enhances students' access.
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FM Listening systems are amplification devices used in the classroom to support students who may have hearing loss or other hearing impairments. Typically, the teacher wears a microphone while teaching and it is routed through a small speaker in the room. Many even come with a handheld microphone. In my experience, this is a resource that benefits ALL students in the class because it increases focus, gives a voice to quiet students, and even supports classroom management. For a student with hearing difficulties, this would enable them to engage more fully with the lessons and activities in the classroom.
HearingAmp Lite is an iPhone and iPad application designed to amplify and filter sounds. This is particularly helpful for students with hearing loss as it allows for customization dependent upon the environment the student is working within. If the student is accessing the content on an iPad during center time, it's likely to be a bit noisier than if they are accessing it during testing time or when the students are working independently. The app has many free features but also includes the option for an in-app upgrade. This app would be particularly helpful when students are completing any of the game-based lessons in this particular unit as they require students to access devices independently and use headphones.
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Students with Physical Difficulties
Physical disabilities typically impact a student's mobility or access to the world around them. Physical disabilities can impair fine or gross motor skills and impact vision or sight. There are many different tools available to students with physical disabilities and the people who support them. As with any tool or resource, it's important to determine the specific areas of needs to craft a helpful solution.
There are a number of input devices available to enhance the utility or function of computers for students with physical disabilities. This big trackball mouse can provide an alternative input system for a laptop or other device. In this case, the device would simply provide an avenue of access for the student. The overall instructional strategies of the science classroom would remain the same, but the way that the student accesses the material changes. The large size of the track ball makes it easier for students with limited fine motor skills to navigate the computer.
Dexteria is an application that utilizes the touchscreen interface of an iPad as a therapy tool. In the elementary classroom, particularly in primary, many students are still working to build fine motor skills to improve writing and functions like typing or cutting. Dexteria is a series of tasks and activities for students to complete and is specifically designed to build fine motor skills. This is not a resource that would be used with every student, but it is definitely an excellent application for students who are struggling with fine motor skill development. It doesn't necessarily translate into a science unit, but is applicable in the primary classroom generally. I would keep it on a shortlist of resources to share with parents during conferences if fine motor, handwriting, etc. is an issue.
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Dragon Dictation, a tool mentioned above, is just a subset of the Dragon software suite. In addition to providing a speech-to-text converter, Dragon provides a full-scale speech-to-text system in which students can control their computer using voice recognition software. So, beyond simply text-input, this software allows students to access their devices and manage programs exclusively using their voices. Much like the trackball, this simply provides another access point to the device. The instructional strategy likely wouldn't change, but the way that the student accesses their device certainly would.
Dragon Search is a voice dictation search tool for iOS devices. Students can simply speak their search request into the phone and Dragon Search will pull up the results. This is especially handy for students with limited mobility or fine motor skills. It makes the tools accessible without having to use their hands to navigate. One might have to be vigilant to check the appropriateness of the search results because I am not certain what the safety filters look like. Alternatively, students could use Siri on Apple devices to achieve this same goal. Either way, this is beneficial when students are searching for content on the internet using a mobile device.
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At-Risk Students
Anecdotally, one of the biggest challenges of working with at-risk students is creating engaging and motivating learning experiences. Many of these children are often disengaged or simply hesitant to engage in the classroom learning experiences. For this reason, technology can be an enormous asset to these learners. The following tools and resources are designed to increase engagement and motivate reluctant learners while providing them with the background knowledge and differentiation that they often need.
ABCYa - and other online games - can be used to provide engaging drill and practice for struggling or at-risk learners. Often times, we rely too heavily on worksheets or flashcards to reinforce the retention of a new skill or concept when a game might meet the same need. This particular site is bright, engaging, and includes a wide range of content areas. In the classroom, it would be easy to provide a direct link to an identified gap - such as basic addition or subtraction facts - so students wouldn't necessarily know that they are practicing a first or second grade skill.
Bitsboard is an iPad application that enables teachers to create custom learning materials to match a given unit. The application is comprised of mini-games, flashcards, and mini-lessons. The advantage to Bitsboard is that there is an option to customize content, so a teacher can create flashcard sets or games that address a given skill or content area. In this case, a teacher could create a resource pack of flashcards or mini-games around the topics covered in the weather unit. This is particularly handy for at-risk students as it is more motivating than a stack of flashcards and it provides students with an opportunity to build important background knowledge and vocabulary.
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MobyMax is a comprehensive web-based tool that provides a K-8 curriculum in both reading and math. Students complete a pre-test and they work at their own level and pace on a differentiated curriculum. The teacher receives reports and information about student progress. The application includes a mix of instruction, tutorials, drills, and practice. Students enjoy some of the jokes, comics, and badges that they earn. Perhaps slightly less engaging than some of the more "game-like" tools out there, this is one that meets the specific needs of students and differentiates without the teacher needing to control anything.
In a recent report on technology integration for at-risk students, Darling-Hammond, Zielezinski, and Goldman (2014) reported the need for teachers to help students see how technology can be used to create their own content. This focus on content creation helped to motivate and engage at-risk students. While this research was conducted at the high school level, it seems that the principles may generalize. For that reason, I've included EduCreation as an app for at-risk students. The application is a simple content-creation application available for iPads that enables students to create presentations, images, or short videos to represent their learning. In the context of this science unit, students could use this app to create recorded summaries or even models of cycles and weather patterns to share with friends.
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Gifted and Talented Students
According to the text, technology can be used most effectively in the context of the gifted classroom in a few different ways. Citing the research of Chen, Dai, and Zhou (2013), Roblyer (2016) outlines the three areas of integration including enabling strategies, enhancing strategies, and transforming strategies. Basically, technology in the gifted classroom is most effective when it is used to effectively differentiate instruction and when it provides students with new and novel ways to demonstrate their understanding of a concept.
To the end of providing effective differentiation in the classroom, DreamBox Learning is a powerful adaptive mathematics tool that can be used to assess a student's current level of learning and drive them forward. While this is not explicitly connected to the science content in the classroom, mathematics is definitely a connected content area and provides them with new tools and ways of solving problems. It could be used as an extension for gifted students, a replacement for homework, or even as an option for students who complete a compacted unit.
In addition to an increased emphasis on problem-solving skills and design thinking, much has been said about the integration of computer science into the classroom. Swift Playgrounds is a new Apple app that uses a game-based context to engage students in Swift (Apple) programming. Other such resources exist such as Hopscotch or Scratch, but this application actually teaches a specific coding language that is easily generalizable. While it does not necessarily connect to weather, it could be used as an extension for gifted students or as a recommendation for parents who would like to do additional work at home. It's certainly not just for gifted students, but there may be more time in a gifted block to integrate an app like this.
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The Next Generation Science Standards put a greater emphasis on technology, engineering, and problem solving than any other standards we've ever had. That being said, sites like Design Squad Nation provide students with a community platform to engage in problem solving. This is a great connection to the science content while pushing students' thinking and engaging them in the use of digital tools. Also, it is a great way to address the "transforming strategies" outlined in the text because it gives students a new and unique way to apply and demonstrate their learning in a global context.
iMovie is an application that comes standard on most iPad devices. If not, it's available in the app store for a nominal fee. While not directly connected to science content, iMovie allows students to create unique and dynamic products to reflect their learning on a subject. In the text, Roblyer (2016) highlights the need for gifted students to utilize technology to transform classroom experiences. Instead of using a PowerPoint or another presentation tool, students can create movies to share their thinking. Greenscreen tools could be used to create weather forecasts or students could also string together images they've created or diagrams in the context of a movie trailer to represent their thinking. Regardless of how it's used, it provides students with another option for creating meaningful representations of their learning.
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References:
Darling-Hammond, L., Zielezinski, M. B., & Goldman, S. (2014). Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students’ Learning. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.
Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (7th ed.). Massachusetts: Pearson.
Darling-Hammond, L., Zielezinski, M. B., & Goldman, S. (2014). Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students’ Learning. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.
Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (7th ed.). Massachusetts: Pearson.