Tobii Dynavox

Technology has helped so many people with special needs. One of the most amazing products (in my opinion) is the Tobii Dynavox.  This device makes communication possible for those with ALS, cerebral palsy, or any other disability that prevents someone from speaking.  This device looks like an iPad at first glance, but does so much more.  With this device, the user can load various phrases they would like to select to speak, or use the more generic phrases (like bathroom).  The computer speaks what the user would like it to say, which is pretty amazing.  Unlike an iPad, to select various apps or phrases, one can just blink at screen or dwell their eyes on the screen.  The Tobii Dynavox has sensors at the bottom which scan for eye movement.  That way, the device can detect where the user's eyes are going and, therefore, have them navigate using their eyes only.

This device has made it possible to understand the cognitive capabilities of many children who have difficulty speaking.  It has opened up many doors for the disabled.  Many children grow frustrated when they can't tell someone what they want, need, or any ideas they may have.  This device is one of the most incredible pieces of technology I have ever seen.  To learn more, watch the video below!

Smart Pens

The Livescribe Smart Pen can be extremely helpful for students who have difficulty taking notes.  With the pen, a student can record a teacher's lesson.  If a student misses some part of the note taking, he/she can listen back to the notes and record at a later time.  The pen also comes with a special notebook, where the notes recorded are also recorded digitally and sent to a computer. From the computer, the student can listen to notes and also review the notes that they recorded.

The pen is a bit larger than a regular pen, so the new grip may take some getting used to.  You can transfer recordings through the cloud, or using a USB cord. You can even download the Livescribe app and have the notes delivered directly to your phone!  You need to be careful with this device, because it looks like a pen but can break if dropped.  This pen can benefit many students with disabilities because of the ability to record class lectures and the ability to access written notes on the computer.

Another awesome "Smart Pen" is the Whiteboard Ink Recorder.  With this device, a teacher can load a regular dry erase marker into the special holder.  They place the receiver on the other end of the whiteboard, and the receiver records all notes made on the whiteboard.  It makes any whiteboard act like almost like a SmartBoard.  Take a look at the video below!

Newsela

Newsela is a great website for students of all ages.  It is a website that makes news accessible to all students.  News stories are re-written to correspond to different levels of complexity. Each news article is broken down into 5 reading levels ranging from 3rd grade to adult readers.  Teachers can encourage students to read their way up the levels.  For example, many students may begin to read at the 750L level (the lowest) and once they get comfortable reading that text, increase to 800L and so on.  The website also assess students as they read, so that the website can filter articles that are just right for the students.  This is a really awesome site because struggling, average, and advanced readers can all access and understand the same article and have an equal opportunity to contribute in classroom discussions.

Another perk to this website are the quizzes.  The quizzes offer comprehension questions reflecting the material read in the article.  There is also the possibility for a teacher to make annotations.  A teacher can select a piece of the text, leave an annotation, and have the students respond to the annotation.  This way, the teacher can have a better gauge of how the students are doing and make the assignment more personal.  Students can also annotate the text, which helps with comprehension as well.

For more information about Newsela, watch the video below!

iPads in the K Classroom

iPads have become extremely popular in many classrooms.  They are relatively inexpensive, easy to access, and offer a wide variety of apps.  Apple also overs many speech to text and text to speech options, which assist those who have difficulty reading or difficulty writing.  The iPad can also assist those who are visually impaired with their wide variety of audio and visual accommodations.

I began using iPads in my classroom when I realized many of my students were still having difficulty developing their fine motor skills.  I downloaded the Handwriting Without Tears app, which is the program that we use in my classroom.  Instead of students dreading handwriting time, they were excited to get on the iPad and practice their lettering.  I began to notice a huge improvement in their fine motor skills once incorporating iPads daily.  So then I began researching more apps.  The number of academic apps out there is unlimited!

I found many apps for sight word recognition, math skills, and letter sound correspondence games.  Students would choose to play on the iPad for a choice center, and spend their "free time" engaged and learning.  All students can benefits from the many different apps that the app store has to offer.  I think that using iPads in all classrooms could help every student out there!

Natural Reader

Natural Reader is a great text to speech software that is especially useful for those with dyslexia.  It is a software that offers natural sounding voices.  Sometimes, the typical computer sounding voice is difficult to understand and can get annoying to listen to after a while.  With the natural sounding voices, it makes text easier to listen to.  Natural Reader can read Microsoft Word documents, websites, and even PDF files.  There is even an OCR feature that can convert printed characters into written text (like when trying to translate from a PDF).

There are different price ranges for this app.  The free app offers "Microsoft voices", which are more computer-like.  It offers the "floating bar" option, which is a tool bar that consistently shows up on your screen.  That way, you do not have to keep opening the app every time you want to access it.  When upgrading to the "Personal" software ($69.50) you receive the 2 "natural voice" options, plus an mp3 converter options.  There are two other app options, "Professional" and "Ultimate" that offer more functions.  Regardless of the one you may choose to download, Natural Reader can be extremely helpful for any struggling reader, but especially helpful for those with dyslexia.

Go Noodle

I teach in a Kindergarten classroom, and I had noticed that many of the children would get antsy after short periods of time.  After doing some research, I came upon the website gonoodle.com.  On this website, a teacher can choose a funny cartoon character to represent the class.  Then, the teacher can pick from various videos for the students to participate in.  The students are able to get up and get moving and “level up” along the way. On this site, there are so many videos to choose from with varying lengths of time.  If you want a short break for your students, you can choose a 1-minute video.  If you have some more time, you can choose a 3-5 minute video.  Once your class earns 10 points, the character grows to be more fit.  I have found these videos to be a great way to get my class moving, which is very important at every age.  It also helps to relax the children for the next lesson. 

I have noticed a huge improvement in my class after introducing them to GoNoodle.  They ask for these brain breaks constantly.  They especially love the Koo Koo Kangaroo videos, and ask for them by name!  The videos are very funny and interactive, but also show the children how to get active.  The only downfall is that I have to remember to set it up in the morning; otherwise it takes about 3-5 minutes just to get going.  On the other hand, those 3-5 minutes are earned back because after the brain break, the students are much more attentive.  These videos can be used with any group of students.  The special education population could benefit from using this app because it gives the children a way to de-stress in the classroom.  Research suggests that physical activity increases oxygen to the brain, which may help enhance the ability to learn. Incorporating physical activity may help to improve memory and concentration. I highly recommend for all teachers to begin doing this with their students.

Here is one of our favorite videos!