Tech Expert
The following are questions and answers from Dr. Tracy Gray on this topic.
How can I prepare parents for our new online curriculum?
This school year we will be implementing a web-based mathematics program for our elementary school students. I'm putting together a technology workshop for parents to help prepare them for what their children will be doing. The workshop will include all elementary school parents, including those of children with special needs and English Language Learners. What are some recommendations for the workshop that might help these parents be better prepared for their children's online learning experiences?
If the parents in your school district are not familiar with online learning, and the platform you will be using, it might be helpful to start out with a discussion of why you chose to use technology to teach mathematics, and how the tool you're using might benefit your students. It's possible that parents will be skeptical about using online technology tools such as virtual manipulatives or math games, so highlight benefits for students, particularly those with disabilities or who are non-English speakers. In particular, parents should hear about how technology usage can help teachers differentiate instruction and meet the needs of a variety of learners.
An excellent way of preparing parents and helping them to understand the online system you are using is to make the workshop engaging and interactive. If teachers will be using interactive whiteboards during classroom instruction, ask parents to come up and manipulate objects on screen, or solve word problems. Parents should also have an opportunity to experiment with the various features of the online system and should be given access to the same things their students will see. If there is a parent section of your online program, be sure that parents understand how to use it. Be sure to also provide resources for parents to engage in mathematics activities at home with their children. If students will be using the online system outside of school, parents can participate in completion of activities or modules. You may also opt to provide parents with suggestions for math games they can play with their children to help solidify skills.
Possible sites to include on a parent resource list:
(September 2009)
Does technology affect learning in young children?
I see preschool children playing with video games in doctors' offices, at the supermarket and other places. Recently I heard that young children should not be using these games or computers, even when the programs are age-appropriate. Do you think this technology affects learning in any way?
Technology definitely can affect learning in young children, and as with most things there are advantages and disadvantages of its use. Ultimately, the decision rests with the parent or caregiver, how often and under what circumstances their children should use video games, computers, and other types of technology tools. One point is consistently made by researchers and child development experts: young children's play with technology should be rich in conversation with peers and adults to help them make sense of the technology and the experiences. Adults who are playing and talking with children can help them make connections between the technology-based experience and other learning experiences. To help you make an informed decision you can find information on the pros and cons of technology for young children at Technology in Early Education: Finding the Balance.
(September 2008)
What resources can help parents find technology tools for children with disabilities?
My ten-year-old child has lots of learning disabilities that I can’t explain in this letter because it would take too long. My husband and I think technology can help him -- at least it helps us on our jobs. But what kind of technology can help him? We don’t know where to start. Is there a person who we could just tell everything to and have them let us know what to buy? Or a place like a store for people with learning disabilities? Or anywhere we can go just to learn what’s available? Please help.
Without knowing more details about your son’s specific needs, I can’t make a particular technology recommendation. However, there are a variety of resources and professionals available to help you make that choice. Many schools have an assistive technology coordinator in the building, or someone who provides assistive technology support for the district. You might check with your school’s special education coordinator to find out if someone is available for a technology consultation.
If your school district does not have an assistive technology specialist, you can also contact your local children’s hospital. They will often be able to conduct assistive technology assessments and make recommendations about technology tools that might be helpful for your son.
There are also a variety of websites that sell software programs that may help your son build key academic skills. Tom Snyder Productions, Riverdeep and EnableMart all have excellent selections of software programs for improving core skills, supporting content area (math, science, social studies, and language arts) learning or engaging students in independent learning.
A great resource for evaluating software programs and finding the right one for your child is the TechMatrix – using this tool you can search for products by feature, subject area and learning support, as well as finding out information about where to purchase the tool. You might also check out some of the resources and articles on this website and the website for the Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd). CITEd has a series of articles about using multimedia tools in the content areas. These tools (many of them free) might be helpful to try out with your son as a way of getting extra practice or helping him understand new information.
(August 2008)
How can a parent choose a good speech to text tool that will help their dysgraphic child ?
My 11-year-old son was recently diagnosed with dysgraphia. We were given recommended accommodations to request for his school work, but it was also recommended that we buy a "speech-to-text" program to assist him with his school work. I'm drowning in a sea of software options and don't know what would be best for him. Any suggestions?
Choosing a software program for your child can be a challenge. There are many programs available and it can be difficult to sift through the options and make the right decision. Unfortunately, every technology tool won't work the same way for every child, so without knowing more details about your son's needs for schoolwork, it is difficult to make a specific product recommendation.
Depending on your son's needs, a word prediction program with simple voice recognition, such as WordQ and SpeakQ might be appropriate. Or he might need a more robust program specifically designed for voice recognition only, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, which would allow him to use voice recognition to send email, write documents, surf the internet and complete other computer tasks.
You can also find a variety of tools on the TechMatrix and compare features to find something that might best fit your son's needs. This article on choosing voice recognition software may also be helpful in identifying the different features available and determining which would be most helpful.
One of the best options for beginning your search is to talk to other users of voice recognition tools for dysgraphia. You should start with the assistive technology coordinator for your school or district. They can discuss your son's specific academic needs and help you find an appropriate tool. Richard Wanderman, who has several learning disabilities including dysgraphia, wrote an article, How Computers Change the Writing Process for People with Learning Disabilities, for his website about how he uses technology to help him write that you may find helpful.
Thanks to the Internet, you can also connect easily with parents of children with learning disabilities to discuss the available options. Yahoo! Groups has a dysgraphia message board where you can post questions and discuss options with other parents. Though selecting an appropriate tool can be time consuming, learning about other people's experiences with voice recognition software can help ensure that you find a program that will work for your son.
(May 2008)
What technology helps math, handwriting, and spelling?
I have been trying to find a list of assistive technology for my son who doesn't know his sounds, his handwriting is labored, and he doesn't know his multiplication facts. He has his math reading problems read to him, thank goodness. He remembers his spelling words long enough for the test, but come Monday, he can only remember a couple of them.
My son has had perfect conduct and perfect attendance. He's teachable, just not being taught. My main question is what should he be getting as to assistive technology? Thanks for your time and allowing me to ask you questions.
You mention several different concerns that you have with your son's performance in school. Based on your descriptions, it sounds like memory may be an area of significant difficulty for your son. This may be what is preventing him from learning his multiplication facts and remembering spelling words.
A low-tech solution is to provide your son with a multiplication grid to use while completing math assignments. Some teachers opt to provide these grids for all students, while others give them only to students who are having particular difficulties. Similarly, a list of spelling words added to a personal dictionary to use in the weeks after the spelling test may help him build confidence to use the words in his writing. These types of reference tools can be great resources for students who struggle with memory and accessing information quickly.
Without knowing more about your son’s handwriting and spelling issues, it is difficult to recommend a specific tool. Is there a physical issue that interferes with your son's ability to write legibly? Does he have difficulty holding a pencil? A student with these issues may require different technological solutions than a student who has difficulty placing letters correctly on the page, or who switches letters (b for d, or p for b, etc.).
However, for many students with difficulty writing, word prediction software, (see From Illegible to Understandable) can be helpful. Other writing tools (see Tech Tools for Students with LD) such as talking word processors and portable note-taking devices may also be helpful. With any of these tools, it is best to discuss them with your son's special education teachers, and the school's assistive technology coordinator to ensure you find the best fit.
Finally, another good resource for locating assistive technology tools for different student needs is the Tech Matrix. As with any of the other technology tools mentioned, it is best to look at the different options with your son's teachers and the school technology coordinator to ensure that tools selected will be appropriate.
(January 2008)
What technology can help a ten-year-old child with learning disabilities?
My ten-year-old child has learning disabilities that I can't explain in this letter because it would take too long. My husband and I think technology can help him. At least it helps us on our jobs. But what kind of technology can help him? We don't know where to start. Is there a person who we could just tell everything to and have them let us know what to buy? Or a place like a store for people with learning disabilities? Or anywhere we can go just to learn what's available? Please help.
Without knowing more details about your son's specific needs, I can't make a particular technology recommendation. However, there are a variety of resources and professionals available to help you make that choice. Many schools have an assistive technology coordinator in the building, or someone who provides assistive technology support for the district. You might check with your school's special education coordinator to find out if someone is available for a technology consultation. If your school district does not have an assistive technology specialist, you can also contact your local children's hospital. They will often be able to conduct assistive technology assessments and make recommendations about technology tools that might be helpful for your son. While you are online here at LD OnLine, check out the products in our store, LearningStore, to see if some of them address the issues you have identified.
There are also a variety of websites that sell software programs that may help your son build key academic skills. Tom Snyder Productions, Riverdeep, and EnableMart all have excellent selections of software programs for improving core skills, supporting content area (math, science, social studies, and language arts) learning or engaging students in independent learning. A great resource for evaluating software programs to find the right one for your child is the TechMatrix — using this tool you can search for products by feature, subject area and learning support, as well as finding out information about where to purchase the tool.
(December 2007)
For more information on this topic, please visit the Parenting & Family section in LD InDepth.
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