Everybody Learns:

Applications of Assistive Technology to Standards-Based Instruction

and Alternate Assessment for Students with Significant Disabilities

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Participants will learn how to employ Assistive Technology (AT) to facilitate standards-based instruction of students with moderate, severe and profound disabilities. Participants will explore application programs with specially designed activities, teacher tools for creating customized learning activities, and resources for free or low cost teacher-created materials appropriate for their students and content being addressed.  Specific attention will also be given to creating assessment activities that will be appropriate for inclusion in alternate assessment portfolios. By engaging in hands-on practice using selected software, participants will gain a practical understanding of the each tool and its capabilities. A project applying these elements to a standards-based lesson plan will be used for mastery verification.

OBJECTIVES:

 Participants will:

• Explore AT resources and tools that assist in addressing standards-based instruction of students with moderate, severe and profound disabilities, including Georgia and national resources.
• Identify the major AT tools available in participant’s particular school system.
• Identify instructional strategies for integrating Assistive Technology into the classroom.
• Use the identified tools to create or adapt instructional materials for a standards-based classroom activity.
• Employ one AT tool for assessment of student progress appropriate for inclusion in a GAA portfolio.

SAMPLE AGENDA:

Agenda    Day 1

8:00  AM – 9:00 AM              Introductions/ Self-assessment

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM             Review of AT for Students with Moderate, Severe & Profound Disabilities

10:30 AM-12:00 Noon           Ready-to-use Resources for Activities

12:00 Noon- 1:00 PM             Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM                 Review of Planning Process: addressing standards, IEP goals

2:45 PM – 3:25 PM                 Shared Teacher-made Activities

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM                 Summary and Discussion of Final Project

Agenda    Day 2

8:00  AM –12:00 Noon          Addressing Vocabulary & Content in Activities with BoardMaker         

12:00 Noon- 1:00 PM             Lunch

1:00 PM – 3:30 PM                Addressing Vocabulary & Content in Activities with PowerPoint

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM                 Summary and Discussion of Final Project

Agenda    Day 3

8:00  AM – 12:00 Noon         Addressing Vocabulary & Content in Activities with IntelliTools Classroom Suite

12:00 Noon- 1:00 PM             Lunch

1:00 PM – 3:15 PM                 Hands-on with AT Tools for Creating Assessments

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM                 Summary and Discussion of Final Project

Note: Some sites will employ a distance hybrid version of this course requiring some work online and less face-to-face time.

MASTERY VERIFICATION

Participants will be assessed based upon the completion of an activity developed for use in the local setting. The activity should be part of a thematic unit and employ one or more of the tools explored during the course. The activity must be completed and turned in to the instructor with 20 days of the end of the face-to-face portion of the course. The criteria used for evaluating the activity include:

• Effective use of step-wise process for design of classroom activity.
• Appropriate integration of AT in lesson plan design.
• Appropriate use of AT in design of assessment for student learning.

Total contact hours: 20

PLUs: 2.0

Cost: $140

For more information contact CREATE:  404-271-8839