COLLABORATING ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY WITH LANGUAGE ARTS, WHILE ADDRESSING ALL STUDENTS NEEDS
Presenter(s)
Steve
Turner
Day
Phone: 805-654-6415
E-mail:
sturner@vcccd.net
Presenter
#2
Larry
Faxla
Day
Phone: 805-654-6300
Email:
lfaxla@aol.com
A
couple years ago, an experiment of blending writing classes with assistive
computer technology classes took place to find the best of both
worlds, bridging theory and practice. After several frustrating years of
trying to prepare students to compete in mainstream English classes, Larry Falxa, Learning Disability Specialist at
The
course design is very flexible, allowing instructors to meet a variety of
student needs. While all students discover how Inspiration 7.5 can transfer an
outline template to Microsoft Word, many students can benefit from
multi-sensory writing tools to work more efficiently. Specifically, Text Help
Read and Write Gold or Kurzweil 3000 not only allows
for word prediction and sentence structure, but also provides a valuable tool
for proofreading. Additionally, Dragon Naturally Speaking has been beneficial
in essay production, quality, and spelling improvement.
While
increasing success rates for individuals transferring to mainstream English
successfully is the main objective, there are tremendous other benefits that
come from this collaboration. Each student orally presents their essay and
becomes comfortable speaking in front of a group. The positive feedback from
peers as well as instructors allows for informal networking and friendships to
carry students throughout their educational and professional career. The use of
volunteer and paid student workers within the educational framework also allows
for many opportunities for individualized help as well as reinforcement of
language skills for students at multiple levels.
Collaborating
has taken hold in many aspects of
Overall,
student services have been enhanced greatly by the partnership of learning
skills theory and assistive computer technology. Developing new curriculum by
the integration of assistive computer technology is underscored in all of
campus development at
Length
of the session will be approximately 30 minutes, and the area of focus will be
Integrating and remediation of Post-secondary LD students with AT applications
into mainstream classrooms.
Panel
discussion will also include an overview of the VC program model. The intended
audience will be targeted toward Intermediate AT users. The major disability
group will be people with learning disabilities. However, this model serves all students with
disabilities. LCD projector and smart/screen will be the only equipment
required for this presentation. Alternative formats will be available upon
request.
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