Name and describe three hardware and three software assistive technologies for students with disabilities

Name and describe three hardware and three software assistive technologies for students with disabilities.

Hardware's

1. Alternative Keyboards -Often standard keyboards are not aaccessible to everyone, especially those with special needs. Alternative keyboards are keyboards that are adjusted to suit peoples different abilities and mobility examples of these would be the split or one handed keyboards.


2. Touch Screens - these can be used as an alternative to keyboards all together. Touch screens are sometimes used when the user has limited mobility in their hands (Fingers) By using a touch screen and a on-screen keyboard they are able to use a computer and all of its programmes.


3. Alternative Mice - Like with keyboards some people find mice difficult to use. For these people there are alternatives.The picture shows a mouse that can operate the whole computer with just 5 switches. These switchers are connected to the computer and to a device on a persons wheelchair, all the person needs to do is move their joystick like they would to move their chair and they can work away on the computer. As you can image this type of Mouse would be for a person with a server lack of mobility there are mice for people at every level of mobility.

Software's

1. Screen readers - this is a type of software that reads out given text for you, it works either by highlighting a line of text on a document or by scanning in a page onto your computer. Once you have selected what you want read the screen reader will read aloud the given text. This type of software is used both by people with vision impairments and by people with learning difficulties like dyslexia.


2. Screen Magnifiers - Screen magnifiers are used again for people with visual impairments. It is a software that is available on most new computers. It enlarges the display on the monitor therefore making all texts and images larger. Although this can be to some advantage it also necessitates the continuous scrolling around to see the whole page. It is possible to purchase and external or hardware version of a screen magnifier.
   
3. Speech to text recognition software - This is software that will convert what you say to text . It can also be used to make commands and on a computer. All that is needed for this software to work is a computer that is compatible and a microphone.One of the most popular speech to text software is the "dragon natural speaking Software."

How can we use video in the classroom

Increase students interests
Different Methods of teaching
Connecting with the outside world.
For instruction and research.
Suits different learning styles
Learning from others
Not expensive to set up
Real world examples
Students with disabilities
Important to prepare
Supports theory
Distance learning Classes
Teach any subjects from any location

How could you use technology & the internet in the classroom?

How could you use technology and the internet in the classroom?
Technology is fast becoming a regular fixture in many classrooms, I have just complete a teaching placement in a school which had data projectors in every classroom along with having a well equipped computer room. In this school i was able to use technology to my advantage. I could have a powerpoint presentation read for classes if i wanted to get a certain topic covered and felt that i would not have the time to be writing notes on the board. I was able to have account templates ready that i could project onto the board and then fill out information either by use of computer or just with whiteboard marker.
I also managed to complete an interactive lesson with the students at the end of a topic which acted as a great revision/consolidation tool.
Students had access to computers during the day and boarders after school so i was able to give students research projects to work on during the week and revisit the project later to see how students were getting on.

Althought these sound like some great advances in the use of technology there are still many more resourses that could be used if we were to spend so more time advancing our technology systems and teaching students how to use different technologies.
Technology could allow students to study at their own pace and in a form that best suits their learning style.
Students could use podcasts to help them revise different topics or teachers could provide students with pre-recorded podcasts that can be used to help consolidate or revise a given topic.
With students using gaming computers more and more this would suggest that learning resources for Xboxes and Nintento DS lites could become a part of the learning environment not to mention the new technologies involved in the NInentendo WII.
Stdents could become involved in teleconferencing with or schools in other parts of the world this type of learning can be invaluable for students in their cultural and religious studies as it can provide students with real life examples of other peoples religious experiences.
This type of technology could also be used in the sense the teachers could record their classes and then make them available to students online or through an intranet system.
Other resources that could be developed would be the use of phones and text messages for teachers and students to interact.