Haugen’s Tech Tips Blog

Chauncey Rucker’s ConnSense Bulletin has long been a favorite of mine for news, reviews and updates related to assistive technology. It’s quality stuff, and he taps into key issues. In addition to online articles and an e-mail bulletin, ConnSense also has begun providing podcasts. Maybe I’m a luddite, but I’ve never quite figured out how or when to listen to podcasts. Still, I began browsing the ConnSense podcasts on iTunes, and quickly decided I wanted to see what they were talking about. After a quick google, I had onscreen references to what the podcast was discussing, each informing the other. For some reason, this really worked for me, and takes me a step beyond listening to podcasts as I drive.

ATSTART is an online curriculum for educators to learn more about Assistive Technology: Strategies, Tools, Accommodations and Resources, made with the help of many of the good people I know through QIAT.

ATSTAR is an online curriculum designed to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities by helping teachers learn to use assistive technology in the classroom. Our core program is a series of online teacher training modules with supporting expert videos.

This is a subscription service, with outstanding content and quality.

I have been a list serve fan for several years now, thanks to Joy Zabala and her good work at QIAT.  I feel like I’ve got a whole world of experts at the click of an email send button.  But often all that good insight and discussion gets lost in the archives, and I’ve longed for a ‘better way.’  I keep thinking a wiki or two might do it — a collaboratively written site all about assistive technology.  But somehow people have to want to come and then know what’s new or what to add and so on.  It’s a bit overwhelming, and I think some people hold back because their query may feel too insignificant or unformulated, etc.  So how to bridge the gap? 
Well, whether Ning is it or not, it definitely has me intrigued! Karen Janowski keyed me into Ning via the social networking site she and Brian Wojcik created at http://assistivetech.ning.com/
What I’ve ‘grocked’ so far is that Ning lets you create social networks with blogs, discussions, groups, tags, photos, videos and more, so you can pop your question or idea wherever it may fit.  I’ve got lots more to learn, but it’s exciting stuff… Can’t wait to see where this goes!

Karen Janowski does it again… an extensive blog post on free technology tools for universal design in the classroom. Karen is one of the most down-to-earth and get-it-done people I know and she has a great way of communicating. Bookmark her post and keep coming back for updates.
Now, what I’d really like to see is a wiki on the same topic, so we could all add in our two bits. Maybe a QIAT wiki…

Joy Zabala, wise leader of QIAT and key developer of the SETT framework, recently described the distinction between modifications and accommodations this way: 

An ACCOMMODATION does not change the essential outcome of the task (for example, an essay or some sort of written product).  It is essentially completing the same task in a different way…the accommodation is HOW the task is accomplished… an essay is an essay whether it is dictated, written by hand, written on a portable word processor, written on a computer, etc.  … A MODIFICATION, however, is a change in the essential elements of the outcome.  For example, most students are writing an essay and, since James cannot produce written work at the same rate or ligibility as the other students, he is only required to write a topic sentences and include two details under each.  The thing about a modification is that the opportunity to learn is impacted – usually not in a positive way.  With an accommodation, the student is still expected to reach the same outcomes as the other students and the level to which those outcomes are achieved is, at least in part, a level to which the accommodation is effective.Thus… whenever possible, we should make strong attempts to accommodate the special learning needs of students BEFORE we modify the tasks that they are expected to do and the outcomes they are expected to achieve.

Understanding how our efforts to serve students might impact their learning is KEY.  In my own son’s case, the one thing that often is highly charged (and often overlooked) is the impact on his sense of self as a learner whenever his assignments are modified due to his learning challenges.  Joy’s words, above, will go with me to the next IEP meeting, to help others understand this.