CONRAD WEISER AREA 18
Conrad Weiser Area School District Assistive Technology within ePortfolios Implementation Plan
Jason Kraft
Wilkes University
Dr. Theodore Mannino
Technology to Support Curriculum and Instruction
April 20, 2014
Abstract
The implementation and recommendation of assistive technology through Google Chrome within e Portfolios in the Conrad Weiser Area School District This will address the needs of students with physical, emotional, and learning disabilities, while continuing the ongoing assessment of student data..Why Google should be implemented and how they will be implemented. The benefits and advantages Google Chrome as a assistive technology of e Portfolios in our learning community. These points will be discussed along with the analysis of the data gathered throughout the year, which include student population characteristics. There will also be quantitative and qualitative data that comprises staff interviews with Administration, Regular and Special Ed Faculty, Clerical, Technology Staff. This data will be used to determine what types of assistive technologies and their assessments will best benefit our population of students. The data and information gathered will help achieve recommendations on the adoption of using Google Chrome as a means of assistive technology within ePortfolios. Obtaining student data to assist in monitoring student progress and potential intervention in the school district. A tentative time schedule of Google Chrome being implemented through ePortfolios, and the training resources needed to in order implement a successful initiative . .I think it is the evidence that we can collect that will show how Google Chrome being implemented into ePortfolios can help improve student with special needs success.
Conrad Weiser Area School District ePortfolio Implementation Plan
Introduction
Technology is expanding the modes through which students learn and can demonstrate their learning. No longer are they restricted solely to the printed word but can do so in multiple modes: video, audio, in-the-field community projects, and graphics, for example. These multi-modal approaches are the ways students will need to work in the future: They may need to construct a variety of graphical data displays that effectively communicate with a range of audiences, or capture work in videos, or work in groups using social networking.
The representations of learning in an e-portfolio reflect the individual student's view of the breadth of his or her education – including what was learned both inside and outside the classroom and as the learning was experienced by the student and not just as it was delivered or packaged by the school district or teacher. (Chen, June 3, 2010)
E-portfolios also require students to reflect on their learning, which is in itself a learning exercise. We learn to reflect as we learn to talk: in the company of others. To reflect, as to learn (since reflection is a kind of learning), we set a problem for ourselves, we try to conceptualize that problem from diverse perspectives – the scientific and the spontaneous. Reflection at strategic points in the development of the e-portfolio creates a venue for the iterative and formative examination and demonstration of learning and can play a summative role at key points in the assessment of student progress and achievement.
This brings us to the point of implementation of Google Chrome within ePortfolios. While there is an constant assessment of the student’s data and learning reflections. There are no tools of assessment when it comes to the student’s ultimate goal of a specified learning process. Within ePortfolios there are various tools a student can utilize in order to promote learning. There are many e-portfolio tools and systems available, none of which provides the perfect solution to all institutional assessment and student learning needs. Google Chrome has only recently been considered for portfolio development but offers promising solutions to effectively build learning, assessment, and showcase portfolios including artifact storage, privacy control, collaboration, reflection, and ownership. Although orientation, training, and ongoing support are strongly recommended, Google Sites is easy-to-use and provides built-in tools to insert evidence of extended learning from sources such as social media sites.
Student Population of Conrad Weiser Area School District:
Student Population Characteristics: / Percentages:Special Education/IEP Students / 27%
ELL (English Language Learners) / 3%
Migrant / 1%
Economically Disadvantaged / 31%
White (Non Hispanic) / 74%
Minority ( African Americans, Hispanics, Asian) / 16%
Table 1.
The analysis indicates that White (Non Hispanic) students and Economically Disadvantaged students make up the majority of our student population. Within that majority almost 27% of those students have IEP’s and have a label under Special Education. The implementation of ePortfolios will be conceived upon the above noted socio-economic and Special Education student population.
The data is indicative of learning and teaching approaches, such as behaviorism and constructivism which are intertwined into pedagogy, take into consideration cognitive and social development of learners. This development necessitates the need for using tools and methods that exceed the traditional paper-pencil tests for assessment and learning(Jones & Shelton, 2006). Notwithstanding the problems of the theoretical debate on learning styles, it would appear likely that learners will have preferences for different pedagogic approaches, in particular learning contexts. All educational software, implicitly or otherwise, either enhances or restrains certain pedagogic approaches to learning. There is no such thing as pedagogically neutral software. However, dependent on the design and process of use, an ePortfolio can allow learners to configure and develop a learning environment to suit and enable their own style of learning.
"As educators we believe that students with vision, hearing, physical, communication, and learning challenges have the same potential to learn as anyone else if the "mechanical" impediments to participation in the classroom are removed or lessened. Note-taking, spelling, organizing, reading, and mathematical constructions all require mechanical skills. Thinking, although reliant on these input and output constructions, is not tethered to anyone way of receiving or expressing. Often mechanical demands (visual tracking, decoding, handwriting, etc.) get in the way of these students developing critical thinking skills because of some old-fashioned perspective that regards the manner of learning as a strict path toward educational outcomes.
I have attempted to collect many of the available apps and extensions which I believe could foster alternative forms of access for real learning to occur, with the ultimate hope of extending the definition as to who can be a learner in any particular setting."
Vision:
To be truly effective, integration of assistive technology must be based on the student’s
IEP goals – specifically those goals that can be directly supported by technology. As the
plan is implemented, information or data must be gathered and recorded to ensure the
use of the technology continues to meet these goals and the student’s individual needs.
The more specific and systematic this data collection, the more effective ongoing
implementation decisions will be. Emphasize realistic integration of the technology in the student’s curriculum and daily activities. One of the more challenging aspects of effectively implementing assistive technology is planning for integration of that technology into the student’s daily educational program. The implementation should be specific for which initial tasks or activities will be supported by the technology and what methods will be used to integrate technology into those tasks.
Google Sites, Apps, and Assistive Technologies Implementation
Google is a seamless integration of wants and needs blended flawlessly with an educative toolbox of assistive tools and technologies. This is where both student and educators can locate all their ePortfolio needs from start to finish. It is a conglomeration of technology coexisting within the ePortfolio. Google Assistive Technology Apps will be integrated into the same technologies, but will be separated for individual detail, perspective, affirmation and critiques.
Eportfolios development is really a combination of process (a series of activities that produce digital documents or reflections) and product (a presentation as the end result of the ePortfolio process), supported by a variety of tools. Google’s suite of software tools has matured over the last few years into a rich environment for creating e Portfolios to meet most of these purposes. A portfolio actually incorporates several different elements and tools, depending on your purpose and audience, which becomes your first task to define. Begin with a working portfolio that could include a reflective journal, using a blog, such as Blogger, or the Announcements page type in Google Sites. The working portfolio process also begins with a collection of digital documents representing your best or typical work (sometimes called your digital archive). Google tools to build this digital archive include: Google Docs provides a great toolset for developing and storing word processing, presentation and spreadsheet documents; share with others for collaborative editing and feedback YouTube and Picasa can be used to store videos and collections of images. Attachments of other file types can be added to Google Sites. From this collection, select certain pieces, depending on the purpose and audience, to go into a presentation portfolio/website (using hyperlinks or EMBED codes). Google Sites is Google's version of a wiki, a tool that facilitates collaborative editing. It is an effective tool to organize both the reflective narrative, telling your story in your presentation portfolio, and linking to your supporting evidence (selected documents from your digital archive) to meet your intended purpose. This easy-to-build hyperlinked multi-page website can be easily shared electronically with your intended audience.
Assistive Technology Through Google Chrome
Chrome AT Toolbox: This collaborative space was created to celebrate the many Apps and Extensions made by developers which serve the accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities. Although Google already highlights accessibility features built into the Chrome browser or through add-ons, we have collected numerous other free tools that we feel further contribute to that mission.
To this end, we have developed this searchable resource to locate tools that serve the particular challenges anyone might face while working in Chrome. The following is a small list of Assistive Technology Extensions and Apps implemented through Google Chrome.
● ATBar - allows you to change the look and feel of webpages, have text read aloud and spell check forms. It is a simple tool which is available for most popular browsers.
● Cortexit - Select some text and CORTEXIT. A panel appears, displaying approximately one sentence at a time – enabling slow and focused reading.
● CruxLight is a Google Chrome extension that summarizes content in web based articles and that can eliminate distracting clutter. When CruxLight is installed, it automatically summarizes web pages by highlighting the most important information in an article.
● Google Dictionary - Double-click any word to view its definition in a small pop-up bubble. View the complete definition of any word or phrase using the toolbar dictionary. Foreign words are automatically translated to your language of choice.
● Grammar and Spell Checker by Ginger - contextual grammar and spell checker, correcting up to ten times more than regular proofreading software. Ginger spell checks and grammar checks within your popular websites such Gmail, Facebook, online forums, blogging platforms and many other websites. Install it and watch your typos, spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes disappear from Chrome in one simple click.
● OwebVoice Input - helps you to input texts by speaking in web apps and websites. Helps you to fill in all those little boxes.
● Read and Write for Google Docs - adds many of the popular support features of Read and Write GOLD to Google Docs documents including: - Text To Speech with Dual Synchronized Highlighting. - Talking Dictionary - Picture Dictionary - Vocabulary Tool - Study Skills tools to capture Google highlights.
● Select and Speak is a free extension for Google Chrome that provides high quality text to speech for any selected online text. Once installed, and text has been selected, there are three ways of having the text read aloud. You can click on an icon in the extensions toolbar, or right-click and use the context menu. Alternatively, you can use a customizable keyboard shortcut.
● Speechify - you can access many online services and use Speech Input to search and shop. Search Google, Hulu, Amazon, Youtube, and many more!
● Shortcuts for Google - Display all Google services as buttons in a space-saving popup next to your address bar. Reach services like Gmail, Google Reader, Google Maps, Google Calendar, and many more in just two clicks from your browser. The extension includes more than 160 Google services and websites.
● TalkTyper is not an add-in for Google Chrome, but it’s a web-based application that functions only in Chrome. It offers powerful voice recognition, enhanced by several helpful features. It works well with my laptop’s built in mic, even in environments that are far from noise-free.
● Popplet -Brainstorming and idea mapping with diagrams, journals, notes, lists, etc. can be created and shared through this app. The free version allows locally-stored “popplets,” while the paid version allows for popplets to online and shared for collaboration. Popplets can be exported to both jpg and pdf formats.
● Idea Sketch-Mind maps, concept maps, outlines, and flowcharts can all be easily created with this app. Outlines can quickly be converted to mind maps, and vice versa. Information from other applications can be imported into the app, then converted to the supported formats. Files can easily be shared via email or Box.com as well as photo apps and social media. The free app is fully functioning, and additional features can be accessed with an upgrade. A student who needs to map or outline, but does not like to fuss with their apps, this is the one.
● Evernote- It is simple, yet attractive in design, and there are a number of excellent formatting options for visual listers and notetakers (bullet points, font color, background color, etc.). Notes, images, tasks, etc. can be stored and accessed from multiple devices with Evernote. Even voice and audio notes can be created, stored, and shared. The basic version is free, and there are subscriptions available that provide additional features. The premium version includes the ability to make your notebook editable by others (team projects, anyone?) or lock your notebook with a PIN. Make sure you take a look at which features are listed under the subscription.
Recommendations and Implementations of Google Chrome within ePortfolios