Blog Post #16

Reflection on Blog Post # 1 and EDM 310

The first blog post that I did in August titled "My Future School/Classroom" was actually my favorite one despite the fact that I had just started blogging at that point. I talked about how I would teach my students and what I wanted them to learn.
My thoughts from August until now about how I want to run my classroom really have not changed. I said that I want my students to know that fun and learning really do go together. Visual learning is still going to be my primary way of teaching. The only thing I would change is to maybe incorporate more technology into what I already have. We could do presentations and class blogs to add to the curriculum.
I am so excited to start a classroom of my own and EDM 310 has really helped me to visualize what it will be like. Thank you EDM 310 staff for all of your hard work and dedication to this course!

REFLECTION VIDEO

Blog Post # 15

“Assistive Technology for the Blind” by: Malary Booker

In the video titled “Teaching Math to the Blind” by Art Karshmer, he tells us how to help blind children learn Math. He invented blocks that allow students to do Math more easily. The computer has a touch pad and a scanner. If you scan the block it tells you what the number is and then you just line the numbers up on the touch pad in the order that the problem should be in. This will allow blind students to learn Math at a much younger age than they are currently learning it.
In the video titled “iPad Usage For the Bind” by: Wesley Majerus, he gives us some helpful hints about the iPad that blind people can use. He tells us that an iPad is equipped with a program called “Voice Over.” What this program does is talk to blind people and let them know what they are touching on the iPad. The most interesting app for blind people on the iPad is iBook. The voice reads the book to you and lets you know exactly what page and chapter you are on. It also describes the images which is really cool.
On the National Federation For the Blind website we found an assistive technological tool that we thought was great. It was an Audio Newspaper Service for the blind. All they have to do is call a number and it goes to a free telephone service that provides access to newspapers from all over the world. This could be very helpful in a Current Events class or something of that nature. For more information on being visually impaired or blind visit NFB’s website. Here is the link:NFB Website

“The Mountbatten” by: Sarah Barnett

The Mountbatten is an assistive type tool for the deaf and blind. It is a great tool because it allows for audio and tactile feedback for these students. The way it works, when the student uses the machine it starts to Braille, as it does this it uses audio so that student knows what they are doing. The Mountbatten is like a computer, it can do a lot a computer can do. It can send, receive, and share files from/to a computer. It is a pretty advanced gadget and so useful for the deaf and blind. It is also a wonderful tool for those students who do not know Braille. It is a great teaching tool so students can learn Braille and be successful. Overall, we thought this video was awesome! This device has helped many blind and deaf students be successful in learning.

“Assistive Technology for the Vision and Hearing impaired” by: Sarah Barnett

This type of technology enhances learning, removes the barriers, push boundaries, give hope, and challenge they way we think. 1 in 2500 Australian children have a vision impairment and on a avg. One Australian child is identified with a hearing impairment everyday. The question is “Are we doing enough for these children with these impairment?”. We as teachers should help teach these children to overcome these barriers and get over the hump and help them learn to the best they can be! All these children who have an impairment should have the same opportunity to learn, explore, discover, and engage just like a child who does not have an impairment. With technology we can help these children and if we learn how they learn we can help them to discover and interact in the world.

“iPad Usage for the Blind.” & “Teaching Mom What Her Deaf/Blind Child Is Learning On the iPad.” by: Lauren Bradley

Before we watched this video we had no idea that Apple Products even have this capability! In fact, when we saw the title in the video we thought how in the world could an iPad be useful for a blind person. It turns out, iPads are way more useful than I ever imagined, and a lot less difficult than I perceived them to be. They guide you step by step through whatever process you want to carry out by a voice that reads off what you are touching. For example, when your iPad settings are set for a blind persons use, simply slide your finger over the glass and when your finger grazes over an app, a voice tells you what you are touching. So, if you slide your finger over notes, it will read off notes; to open, tap twice anywhere on the page.
So far this is the most innovative technology we have come across for students with disabilities. The iPad can seamlessly guides a blind person to complete whatever action is desired. Once you have it down, working an iPad is painless! This technology really enhances and broadens what people who possess this disability are capable of.