Assistive Technology

What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology is a technology tools or resources that were used for helping those who are disability or needed more than just regular lesson so they can learn and access technology.

I decided to look at an article by Raskind and Stanberry on assistive technology for kids with Learning Disabilities (LD).

According to Raskind and Stanberry (2011), AT is a technology which available for help all types of disability problem. There article focus on learning disability using AT and how AT can be a helpful tools for people with developmental delay.

Their article introduce parents in helping their children's in learning AT. They defined AT for kids with learning disability as a system or equipment that provide learning base and a tools of developing delay skill.
They also provide additional AT tools that is helpful in helping kids with problems in learning disability. Some tools that they included in their article that is supportive and helpful are:
• Abbreviation expanders
• Alternative keyboards
• Audio books and publications
• Electronic math work sheets
• Freeform database software
• Graphic organizers and outlining
• Information/data managers
• Optical character recognition
• Personal FM listening systems
• Portable word processors
• Proofreading programs
• Speech-recognition programs
• Speech synthesizers/screen readers
• Talking calculators
• Talking spell checkers and electronic dictionaries
• Variable-speed tape recorders
• Word-prediction programs
I have look at a couple of these helpful tools and I think it's really helpful for not just children with learning disability but it supports and help learning in just about anyone.

After learning from this article, I know that I can easily incorporate AT along with supportive tools that was provide in this article in my class. One reason why I think supportive tools in this article is helpful because we live in a very diversity country with more children diagnosed with learning disability. As a teacher, we need to be aware of this situation and be prepare to encourage and education them in our best of knowledge.

Reference:
Web: N/A, (2002). Access IT: What is assistive technology. University of Washington. Retrieved from: http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?109

Web: Marshall, R. and Stanberry, K., (2011), Assistive technology for kids with LD: An overview. Great school: CA. Retrieved from: http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/702-assistive-technology-for-kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-overview.gs?page=1

Tech Tools

I found two tech tools that I am really familiar with, which are PBS and Scratch. I found PBS to be educated sometime for kids and even adult. Same for Scratch, it kind of like a communication tool at the same time you can play game and learn from game that was created by others. I found PBS to be similar with starfall because kids can play learning game and have fun learning math, reading, and writing.

One other tech tool that I think is really interesting is second life. You can created your own world and move your avatar anywhere to others place and experience others ideas or even take class or build your own dream house.

Video Sharing

I shared the common craft video and the link http://www.teachparentstech.org with one professor, my brother, and one friend. I found that my professor think it was very informative and useful since she is not very good at technology in protecting her own computer. She likes it and wanted to share the link with some of her friends and fellow students. My brother think it was cool and interesting but too basic because he is a computer major so he just think it was cool and fun to watch. With my friend, she thinks that it was very educated and informative. She thanks me for sharing the video and the link with her because she can now know how to protect her lap top.

This week I shared the common craft video and the link http://www.teachparetstech.org with three of my sister. One said that she likes it and it helps her a lot with computer and is very encouragement and educated. The other two sister said that they do not like it but it is very informative and think that is fun to watch.

Blog Following:

I choose to read May, Sarah, Brianna, and Teresa's blogs this week. I noticed that all of them also read copyright article 101 for Educators. All of them choose to answer almost the same five questions in week three assignment like I did. After reading their blogs, I found that Brianna and May follow the same format compare to Teresa and Sarah.

Here is a little story written in response to the blog readings:
Last week in class, the instructor passed out three different articles about copyright at the end of class: The Purpose of Copyright by Linda Pallas Loren, Copyright 101 For Educators: Winter 2003, and Copyright for Educators. The purpose of these three article is for us to pick between which one we wanted to learn and get a good understand about copyrights laws and policy. Then write about the article that we choose for next week class meeting. There were a total of six students in the class: me, Teresa, Sarah, Brianna, May, and JJ. No one know what article other class mates are choosing. This week class, we were to share our writing about the article we read. At the end of class, I found out that Brianna, May, Teresa, Sarah, and me choose the same article compare to JJ.

Copyright Article

Which selection did your choose to read or watch?
I choose to read copyright 101 for educators by Winter 2003. This article is for educators who want to have better understanding about copyright laws and responsibility.

What is copyright?
According to the article, copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. It’s a form of protection to protect both published and unpublished works.
How do you get a copyright?
According to U. S. Copyright Office, you can get a copyright by submit a completed application form, a nonrefundable filing fee, which is $35 if you register online or $50 if you register using Form CO; and a nonreturnable copy or copies of work to be registered. Online registration through electronic is also available in the Copyright Office at a reduced fee of $35.

What is Fair Use?
According to Copyright Act, factors that are to be considered in terms of copyright guidelines for Teachers and Students when determining fair use are:
1) The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2) The nature of the copyrighted work;
3) The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4) The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

What is the Teach Act?
According to the article, Teach Act is a law that was signed into law by President George Bush on November 2, 2002, and it provides specific educational use copyright exemptions, largely applicable to distance education contexts. It also limits the liability of educational institutions for instances of copyright infringement by academic instructors under certain circumstances. It imposes requirements on educational organizations, however, which must be followed for these authorized uses and liability limitations to be in effect.

What is something new that you learned?
This article is something new that I just have read and learned something from it. I’ve learned that as a in the future it is my responsibility and the legal obligation to model appropriate respect for copyright law and educate students about how they can do the same. I never knew that copyright can be such law with responsibility and model. I know that it is very confused and can sometime hard to get something copyright but never knew that it is a law for proper academic modeled and taught. This is very surprising for me and new experience to model in the future as a teacher.