Adaptive and Assistive Technologies

Technology Integration for Learning Difficulties

Students with cognitive difficulties: (issues with reading, writing, retention, math skills)

In Social Studies, students with cognitive difficulties often need options for comprehension and options for expression and communication. Here are two tools that may prove useful:

• Read, Write for Google: This is an extension that allows text to speech on any device which will allow students with cognitive difficulties to listen to text as they are reading it. Also it has image dictionaries and a speech to text function all of which can assist in research and written production both of which are common to all social studies classes.
• Speechnotes: This is a simple online speech to text tool for note taking. Again this can assist students taking notes in a Social Studies setting for those students who have difficulty writing.

Students with Physical Difficulties: (issues with mobility,fine motor skills)

• Smooth Keyboard Scroll: Some students with mobility issues have problems using a mouse or trackpad. This Google add-on helps users by making the keyboard a more efficient way to browse webpages which in turn, makes internet research in a social studies context easier for the student.
• Virtual Keyboard: This add-on will allow a touch screen Chromebook to be used as a large keyboard helping students with fine motor skill issues. In this way they can produce written work with more ease making creating assignments in social studies more tenable for students with special needs.

Students with Sensory Difficulties (issues with sight, hearing)

In Social Studies, students with sensory difficulties need options for accessing information. Depending on the physical difficulty and operating system being used, there are different ways to accomplish this. Here are a couple:

• Adjusting Print size for websites: Using this link, you can get the instructions on how to zoom in on a webpage and even set the font size for viewing webpages using a Chromebook. This can be useful for those students with vision problems and improve their access to web based information and making any web based task in social studies more successful.
• Substital- This is another add-on for Chrome that will allow the user to add subtitles to many video formats (Youtube, DailyMotion, etc). Now that watching a short informative video is common place in many Social classrooms, this is add-on can assist students with hearing impairments.

At-Risk Students (classroom engagement, organization, need for autonomy, goal setting and more)

There are many reasons why a student could be considered at risk but needless to say they have multiple barriers to being successful in school. Those reasons maybe a learning disability, disfunction in the home and in relationships, emotional problems and many more. Here are some technologies that can help these students stay on top of things and reach their potential:

• Remind: This is a great service that provides text reminders to students. It will remind students of due dates, what to bring to class, etc. Reminders can be scheduled to be read at specific times. I have used this for years and I know it helps some of those at risk students stay organized.
• Recap: Keep students engaged by having them leave short video responses to question prompts. For the at-risk student this provides them with some autonomy and has them create content in a less formal format. For the Social Studies student this allows them to express their valuable opinions in a format they are comfortable with, their spoken word.

Gifted and Talented Students: (Exhibit high achievement in a variety of scholastic environments, need services not usually provided in regular school programs)

Gifted Social Studies students are often looking to be challenged and require choice in the way the learn and present material. Here are some tools that can tap into that passion for learning and keep their interest level up:

• Explain Everything: This is an online collaborative and interactive whiteboard tool that encapsulates much of what gifted students desire. That is to say the ability to create and interact with fellow learners. Social students could discuss the relevancy of a primary source for example or even present multiple understandings of a particular social concept such as "who benefits most from global capitalism?".
• Touchcast: This is an interactive screencast tool that will allow users to annotate their own video creations and collaborate with other users. Again, two things that will engage gifted and talented students. Students could annotate a historical documentary by pointing out facts vs opinions for example.