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EDUC 477/698O
Assistive Technology/Universal Design for the General Classroom Setting

Student Project: Communication Board

 Example of AT devices that we investigate
Staff
Instructor:
Davina Pruitt-Mentle
Course Meeting Times
One session/week
Primarily Delivered Online
Level
Undergraduate / Graduate
Discipline
All disciplines encouraged

Catalog Description

This course is designed to be an introductory survey course for educators in the application of assistive technology and Universal Design in the general classroom setting. Students will be introduced to various assistive technologies and strategies

Course Description:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as reauthorized, promotes and serves to insure that all students with disabilities will be provided access to an appropriate curriculum in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This mandate necessitates that regular and special educators become familiar with multiple solutions necessary for educating students regardless of disability. The state of technology as we enter the new millennium allows for "easy access" in a "user-friendly" environment. This course is specifically designed to support the goal of preparing thoughtful and responsive educators who can take on the unique challenges inherent in the diversity of today's classrooms. To ensure a free and appropriate education for all students, teachers must enter the classroom equipped with the content knowledge, diverse instructional strategies, technology integration skills, and knowledge of assessment and evaluation protocols. This course will help amplify a teacher's skills in these areas by adding the additional knowledge of AT devices, Universal Design, curriculum adaptation and integration strategies, and assessment and evaluation protocols for ALL students in the general classroom setting.

Previous Student Comments

The resources/readings were easy to read and understand, and they made me aware of all the possibilities that AT devices had to offer. As an ESL teacher I benefited a lot from this course because I learned about Universal Design principles which can be used to help students from diverse backgrounds and different learning skills function with greater independence. I also learned that assistive technology is not necessarily expensive. There are so many low tech or no-tech solutions that can be used to improve the quality of the lives of the people with disabilities.

The online/hybrid course was well designed. Assignments were meaningful and helped me to address multiple Maryland Teacher Technology Standards and ISTE/NETS standards.

Overall, the Assistive Technology in the General Classroom course was an exemplary learning experience for me. I can only hope that my classmates and the instructor have learned as much from me as I have learned from them.

I especially enjoyed the discussions and chat session with the classmates. Their knowledge, assistance, and explanations help me understand the challenges they face in the classroom. Also this form of learning engaged me in more interaction and collaboration with the other students than a face to face classroom setting would.

I am definitely conscious now of universal design principles - and see this awareness affecting my work. All of the devices we have learned about this semester will inform my views on the functionality of the ICDL.

I gained a lot in terms of knowledge of different opportunities. I never had any idea the types of resources that are available to those who could benefit from AT. On top of that, I had no idea how AT could benefit the general public in terms of efficiency.

  • How this course meets standards [Word ... PDF]
  • 2006 Syllabus [Word ... PDF]
  • 2002/2003 Syllabus [PDF]
  • 2004-05 Syllabus [Word ... PDF]
  • Examples of Student Work
  • Examples of Final Projects
    • E-Portfolio 1
    • E-Portfolio 2
    • Paper - Learning Never Ends: A Reflection of Learning to Shape the Future [RTF ... PDF]
    • AT for Informal Summer Camps - Adena Raub [Word ... PDF]
    • Assistive Technology for Preschoolers with Disabilities - Julie Gaster [Word ... PDF]
    • ESL Students with Assistive Technology - Yan Zhu [Word ... PDF]
    • Enhancing Lives with Assistive Technology - Yolanda Brooks [Word ... PDF]
    • MICCA 2005 Presentations
      • English Language Learners’ (ELLs) Attitudes toward Computers - Sei-Hwa Jung [PPT ... PDF]
      • Evaluating the quality of a graduate educational technology course: How can we increase the instructional quality of a course using technology-based data-driven instructional decision-making tools? - Yesim Yilmazel-Sahin [Word ... PDF]
      • Assistive Technology on the Everyday Desktop - Rori Scherr [PPT ... PDF]
      • Enhancing Education and Technology at The Africa Center for Strategic Studies - Liza E.A. Briggs [PPT ... PDF]
      • Functional Communication Training to Reduce Problem Behaviors of Students with Severe Disabilities Adikie Jean, University of Maryland - Video [WMV - 2MB]
         
      • Transform Lectures and Presentations into Powerful, Two-way Experiences with Blackboard and TurningPoint™.


Educational Technology Policy,
Research, & Outreach
http://www.edtechpolicy.org//
dpruitt@umd.edu
   Copyright © 2009 ETPRO