Using Assistive Technology toSupport Literacy:Supporting the Learning ofSupporting the Learning ofStudents with Disabilities andLearning Difficulties

Greg O’ConnorEducation Services Manager, Spectronics

www.wordle.com

30%

Mapping the territory 2000

http://tinyurl.com/25qkf8s

46-47%

The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) wasundertaken in Australia in 1996

Barriers to Learning & Opportunity

“impaired access,participationand progress throughoutand progress throughoutthe curriculum”

Barriers to Learning & Opportunity

“prepare for anenvironment where theywill spend more timereading and usinginformation on theinformation on theinternet than they willreading from a printedbook”

Using technology to remediate orcompensate for difficulties

It Can’t Teach

Remediation vs Compensation

Edyburn (2006) http://www.uwm.edu/~edyburn/L%26L2006.pdf

One size fits all?One size fits all?

Differentiation

"Ball point pens will be theruin of education in our

country. Students use thesedevices and then throw

them away. The virtues ofthem away. The virtues ofthrift and frugality are being

discarded. Business andbanks will never allow such

expensive luxuries.”

Project Tomorrow &The Horizon Report

• use social based learning for learningand personal lives

access to untethered learning• access to untethered learning

• digitally rich learning using relevancy-based digital tools, content &resources that allow for self directedlearning

The road ahead:

Enabling

EngagingEngaging

Empowering

The New 3 E’s of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered

How Today’s Students Are Leveraging Emerging Technologiesfor Learning (2011)

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of

• Representation

• Action andExpression

• Engagement

Universal Design for Learning

CAST - Center for Applied Special Technology

http://www.cast.orghttp://www.cast.org

National Center on Universal Design for Learning

http://www.udlcenter.org

SOS

Assessment

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of

Representation

Student - How we gatherfacts and categorizewhat we see, hear, andread.

Teacher - Presentinformation and contentin different ways

Reading Tools

textHELP Read & Write Gold

Accessibility Features

• VoiceOver

• Zoom Magnification

• White on Black Display• White on Black Display

• Large text

• Speak Selection

iPad Reading Apps

http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/article/apps-for-literacy-support

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of

Action & Expression

Student - Planning andperforming tasks. How weorganize and express ourideas.

Teacher - Differentiate theways that students canexpress what they know

Writing Tools

textHELP Read & Write Gold

iPad Writing Apps

http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/article/apps-for-literacy-support

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of

Engagement

Student - How we getStudent - How we getengaged and staymotivated. How we arechallenged, excited, orinterested.

Teacher - Stimulateinterest and motivation forlearning

“Every new literacy changes theway we think about the world. Thealphabet did this to oral cultures.Cheap books did it after Gutenberg.Mobile, interactive multimediaMobile, interactive multimediatechnologies are doing it in our time.As educators are we up to thechallenge?”

Pat Clifford, Galileo Educational Network

Assessment

Student

Environment

Tasks

Tools

www.joyzabala.com

Rubrics

• http://treetops.org.au/groups/ipadagogy/• http://treetops.org.au/groups/ipadagogy/

SAMR Model (Ruben Puentedura)

4-level approach to selecting,using, and evaluatingusing, and evaluatingtechnology in education

Technology allows for significant task redesignModification

Technology allows for the creation of new tasks, previouslyinconceivableRedefinition

Technology acts as direct tool substitute, with no functionalimprovement

Substitution

Technology acts as direct tool substitute, with functionalimprovement

Augmentation

Transformational

• Differentiation / UDL

• Portability

• Convergence• Convergence

Gray & Silver-Pacuilla (2011) BreakthroughTeaching and Learning

Implications

Disruptive Innovation

Thanks.

http://gregoconnor.wikispaces.com

http://twitter.com/gregoconnor

http://delicious.com/ocgreghttp://delicious.com/ocgreg

Email: grego@spectronicsinoz.com