Technology in the Inclusive Environment
July 28
One of my goals as chairman
of the subcommittee is to help ensure that all children can read by the end
of the third grade. I might add at this point that I think one of the reasons
for the excessive amount of dropouts in high school is because there is a lack
of ability to read. It is a disgrace in the United States that 32 percent on
average nationwide do not finish high school.
-House Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations
Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula, during debate on the FY 2006 Labor, Health
and Human Services (HHS), and Education appropriations bill
In the News
Google tests Web search for blind: http://tinyurl.com/ooyv5
Google has begun testing a new search engine which ranks results based on their
level of accessibility to users with visual impairments. Unlike Google's more
accessible standard Web search, which determines a page's rank based on how
many other sites link to it, the new search will return results based on the
usability of a page's design, the simplicity of the layout, and how well information
is organized and labeled. Even with assistive tools like screen readers or screen
magnifiers, many Web sites with complex graphic interfaces and extraneous page
content are difficult for visually impaired persons to read. T.V. Raman, a research
scientist at Google who is blind, notes that this tool would save users time
in finding relevant, accessible search results. The American Foundation for
the Blind estimates that approximately 10 million children and adults have some
visual impairment.
Outlaw Educators - Creative teachers mix unconventional methods into their lesson plans: http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=art_1576&issue=jul_06
Podcasting from a cell phone: http://ghtestpodcast.blogspot.com/
You can put a test podcast on this site from your phone!
Graphic Organizers
Concept Mapping: http://www.graphic.org/concept.html
Mind mapping techniques will surely build useful foundations for student work
and research in the upper grades. This site offers demonstrations and guidelines
to help them understand and master these skills.
FreeMind: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
This is an open source graphic organizer.
Graphic Organizer Makers: http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org/
Graphic Organizers: http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm
Here is a whole selection of various graphic organizers. Find an Interaction
Outline, and Anticipation/Reaction Guide, Chain of Events, Compare and Contrast,
and the usual Venn diagrams, amongst other choices.
Graphic Organizers: http://www.educ.state.ak.us/tls/frameworks/mathsci/MS5_2AS1.HTM#graphicorganizers
Alaska's Department of Education & Early Development offers organizers for
Webbing, Content/Concept Maps, What We Know/Want to Know/Learned (KWL) Charts,
Hypercard, Outlines, Timelines, Flow Charts, and Venn Diagrams.
Graphic Organizers that Support Specific Thinking
Skills: http://www.somers.k12.ny.us/intranet/skills/thinkmaps.html
This site offers simple descriptions of graphic organizers like bubble maps,
Venn diagrams, and flow charts.
Graphic Organizers for Content Instruction:
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/graphic_organizers.php
Visit this site for associated .pdf activities to graphic organizers.
Grids to Organize Thinking: http://www.fno.org/oct97/grids.html
Critical thinking skills rely upon organization to help them develop. These
grid selections will help students to classify their thinking processes along
several topics. If they are not familiar with the material, have them do a brief
online search for information first.
IHMC CmapTools: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Index.html
This is a graphic tool that's not Inspiration based, and it's free courtesy
of the University of West Florida.
Index of Graphic Organizers: http://www.graphic.org/goindex.html
A Taxonomy of Information Patterns:
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss98/patterns-taxonomy.html
The Textmapping Project: http://www.textmapping.org/index.html
"Textmapping is a graphic organizer technique that can be used to teach
reading comprehension and writing skills, study skills, and course content."
Kidspiration/Inspiration
Inspiration/Kidspiration: http://www.inspiration.com/home.cfm
There is a free 30 day download available at this site.
You can create checklists with Inspiration. Create a map on how to solve a problem or steps to completing a rubric and then go to Tools and choose "Show Checklist" It will add checkboxes. You can have students sign off that they completed each step. In that way they are held accountable up front for the work.
50 Uses for Inspiration® and KidspirationTM: http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/conceptmap/50uses.html
Examples and Templates - Kidspired Tales: http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~ptk1nc/kidspired2002/samples.html
Flashes Newsletter: http://www.inspiration.com/newsletter/index.cfm
This is a link on the Inspiration web site to subscribe to Flashes, a newsletter.
It is available in electronic version and has curriculum ideas.
Inspiration and Kidspiration Software: Tools to Increase Reading Comprehension: http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/conceptmap/
Learning to use Inspiration in your classroom: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/inspiration_use.htm
Our Nations Symbols: http://www.msad54.k12.me.us/MSAD54Pages/Mercer/Winship/index.htm
Rubric for Graphic Organizers - Inspiration Diagrams: http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/inspirationrubric.html
Teacher-Created Inspiration® and KidspirationTM Projects: http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/inspirationprojects.shtml
Informational Sites
Caine Learning Institute: http://www.cainelearning.com/
REACH: The Association for Children with hand or arm deficiency: http://www.reach.org.uk/
Searching the Net With Kids: Free Newsletter: http://www.surfnetkids.com/emailedition.htm
Assignment for July 29:
Locate the New York State content standards for curriculum.
* English Language Arts Core Curriculum: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/pub/ccela.pdf
* Math, Science, Technology Core Curriculum: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst.html
* Social Studies Core Curriculum: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/ssrg.html
1. Take one core standard and provide one example of how an environment or a
product has been designed for universal access in this area, making the standard
barrier-free for use by as many individuals as possible.
2. Discuss one or two examples of how a curriculum can be designed
for barrier-free access, choosing another content area.
This site began in March 1998 and was created by Janet Luch.
It was last updated on
July 28, 2006
Email to studyplans@yahoo.com.