Web 2.0 Applications for Education
by: Marcus Godfrey
The first web 2.0 tool I looked at was Read and Write for Google Chrome.
Having a Text to speech program is essential to any special needs course. Many students in a UDL enviorment may have reading difficulties, vision problems, or may be simply audio based learners. using programs like this can aid these students and generate novel interest in other students.
The program can be found here at: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readwrite-for-google/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajkcphgd
The program verbalizes higlighted text in a choice of voices and or translations, basically reading it alloud to you.
Students can use it on websites or written files to read what has been written there. Making Surfing the web easier for students with reading or visual difficulties.or ESL students who are still learning to read and speak english.
This tool removes barriers for students who may be intimidated by reading a large piece of text due to reading or comprehension issues. Audio based learners will also benefit form hearing text spoken aloud in aorder to better process it. Its presentation of information in a different style will aid in the engagement of a wide variety of students as well making it an excellent tool in a Universal Design for Learning Classroom.
An Exploration of Learning Tools for use in a Junior High Special Needs Calssroom
National Library of Virtual Manipultives offers a fantastic variety of manipulative activities in an electronic format. Being able to move and manipulate images and shapes in order to understand them and create with them is a valuble skill. However resources can be limited in a classroom and handed out material cna become lost or misplaced when a student has organizational issues. Having a library of virtual minipulatives in place can supplement many classroom activies and encourage visual learners to expand their knowledge.
The site can be found at: nlvm.usu.edu
The tool has manipulatives in virtual form for a wide variety of subjects, including:
Number and operations
Geometry
Measurement
...and more
Students can acces these manipulatives and use them to expand their knowledge in the mentioned fields mentioned or other creative uses for other subject material.
This tool has greatest impact on learners who need to manipulate and visualize content in order to fully understand it. however students with organizational issues may benefit having an online resource they cannot loose. Students with motor difficulties who have trouble manipulating objects or putting pen to paper will get a great deal out of using these programs to express ideas and concepts as well.
The selection of subjects and applicable grade levels is very useful when adapting to different skill levels and needs in different areas. Making it a tool the whole class can use regardless of their readiness level.
The last tool I choose to highlight is DIAL2DO. Its site promotes it as a handsfree assistant for drivers who do not wish to be distracted. However this program has applications fro the classroom as well. By allowing students to speak instructions and verbalize emails and reminders we can extend accessiblity of electronic media to students who may have movement issues, dyslexia, or other writting issues. this also allows teachers to send information and have it recived effectively by students who have reading or ESL difficulties. content and communication can be come clearer removing many barriers to learning.
The site this program can be found on is: www.dial2do.com
this program can be use for students to recvice or send information in a verbalized and hands-free way. This can be used by students with severe vision issues, movement impairments, reading difficultiies, or ESL students. Application in the classroom would be students using using simple voice commands to create and read emails and or reminders for themselves regarding upcoming assignments (in this way we can help organization.) Students could keep up weather and other current events as well by listening to them and telling the computer what they want to hear about.
There is a cost associated with the program and students would have to be made familar with the terms of use, and intellectual copyright allowances.
Students could put this program on amoble device which they can take to schhol and home to increase its use and availibilty. dependance may be an issue for some students if you are using this tool as a temporary measure. However in the long run I feel there can be many benefits from introducing this tool into a UDL program.
