On 10/11/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, instructional design,
by Daniel Christian
What is user experience design? Overview, tools and resources — from SmashingMagazine.com
Websites and Web applications have become progressively more complex as our industry’s technologies and methodologies advance. What used to be a one-way static medium has evolved into a very rich and interactive experience.
But regardless of how much has changed in the production process, a website’s success still hinges on just one thing: how users perceive it. “Does this website give me value? Is it easy to use? Is it pleasant to use?” These are the questions that run through the minds of visitors as they interact with our products, and they form the basis of their decisions on whether to become regular users.
User experience design is all about striving to make them answer “Yes” to all of those questions. This guide aims to familiarize you with the professional discipline of UX design in the context of Web-based systems such as websites and applications.
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On 09/02/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, computer science,
by Daniel Christian
New book on role of technologies in assisting disabled students — from Computing Education Blog
I’ve always thought that computing educators should be at the cutting edge of the use of technology for all forms of education, including adaptations for students with disabled. We have the most flexible medium for teaching and for teaching about — we teach about computation using computation. Richard Ladner is a world-leader in making CS accessible to disabled students, and his NSF BPC Alliance on AccessComputing provides resources to help with that adaptation. I’d love to see more computer scientists building technologies to help us teach computing to more people and better.
On 08/23/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks,
by Daniel Christian
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With its color screen and ability to run multiple applications, Apple’s iPad holds great promise for creating multimedia work that can redefine the nature of a book.
One new attempt to do so is “Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy,” an iPad version of the well-received children’s book that brings to it what the publisher, iStoryTime, says is a first: an iPad book complete with sign language for deaf children.
The $3 app offers three versions of this charmingly illustrated work: one that children can read themselves, one that would be read to them and one signed by a woman who stands off to the side of the screen, with the reduced-size book running next to her.
On 08/23/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, education technology, Microsoft, personalized/customized learning, teachers, tools,
by Daniel Christian
On 08/18/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies, education technology, student-related, tools,
by Daniel Christian
Using the Livescribe Smartpen with students — from Assistive Technology
In the past couple of weeks I have worked with a number of students with learning disabilities who all have difficulty taking notes and I have introduced them to the Livescribe
Smartpens. It was truly amazing to watch them use this device and the potential it has to open up all kinds of opportunities for them. For students with dyspgraphia, learning disabilities, auditory processing difficulties the Livescribe Smartpen is a godsend. Once I demonstrate the technique of just writing keywords on the dotted paper the student get the “aha” moment when I showed them the Paper Replay feature. For students who have difficulty listening and recording notes in real time this is truly a powerful tool and one I would put on my Back to School list of gadgets.
Assistive technologies for online learning — from E-Learning Queen
For many — not just those with special needs — participating in an online course is very difficult without assistive technologies. Augmentive and alternative communication products can help students with disabilities. It is useful, however, to look at some assistive technologies as effective for learners who have specific learning preferences and who may benefit from being able to access content in more than one format.
Take a look at the different assistive technologies that are available. You may be surprised how affordable they are, and how helpful they might be for you, especially with respect to keyboards, touchscreens, screen-readers (and “talking books”), and speech recognition.
Think College is an initiative of the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. ICI has been a leader in the area of postsecondary education for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities for over ten years. As interest in postsecondary education for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities has expanded, so has the need for research and training in this area. ICI currently has three federal grants designed to conduct research, training, and technical assistance for professionals, families, and students related to postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Think College focuses on three primary areas in postsecondary education for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities…
On 06/30/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, digital textbooks, e-readers, education technology, emerging technologies, textbooks,
by Daniel Christian
Driving home the point on accessibility — InsideHigherEd.com
The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice on Tuesday released an open letter to colleges expressing concern that some institutions might be “using electronic book readers that are not accessible to students who are blind or have low vision” and warning them that the government will crack down on any institutions that are “requiring” disabled students to use emerging technology that does not comply with federal accessibility laws.
On 06/29/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, K-12 related, pedagogy, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
CFTL releases Ready to Succeed in the Classroom and Grappling with the Gaps
The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning today released two reports: Grappling with the Gaps and Ready to Succeed in the Classroom. The Center’s work in this area is part of the broader Ready to Succeed Initiative funded by the Stuart Foundation, which focuses on improving educational outcomes for children and youth in the foster care system (emphasis DSC).
Grappling with the Gaps identifies current gaps in the research on the education of children and youth in foster care based on interviews with twelve experts in education and child welfare from across the nation.
Ready to Succeed in the Classroom includes a suite of documents that brings forward the voices of classroom teachers. Through a series of discussion groups held by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, experienced teachers shared their ideas, advice, strategies, and recommendations for how to improve the educational outcomes for these students. The publications provide practical advice and ideas for classroom teachers, school and district administrators, and community members.
For example, experienced teachers, who have had children and youth in their classrooms who are in the foster care system, share their beliefs that it is important to keep expectations high and make them absolutely clear and consistent, whether they are about learning, respect, classroom behaviors, effort, or anything else. Although teachers expressed a great deal of compassion and sympathy for their students in the foster care system, they also felt that lowering or altering expectations for these students constituted a profound disservice to them. “I tell them the past doesn’t have to shape the future,” one teacher explained.
Ready to Succeed in the Classroom and Grappling with the Gaps are now available for free download at our Website: http://www.cftl.org/whatsnew.php
On 06/23/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, web design and production,
by Daniel Christian
20+ Online Tools for Website Validation and Testing — 1stwebdesigner.com
On 05/15/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, Apple,
by Daniel Christian
On 05/05/2010,
in accessibility / UDL, assistive technologies,
by Daniel Christian
On 03/26/2010,
in 24x7x365 access, accessibility / UDL, engagement / engaging students, K-12 related,
by Daniel Christian
[Recorded webinar] A teacher in your pocket: Learn how to build a 24/7 classroom that drives student engagement and achievement— from eSchoolNews.com and livescribe
“Today’s classroom is filled with students who have unique learning styles and needs. Districts across the county are implementing educational technology to attempt to address this diversity and transform the educational experience, but what is the real ROI of all of this technology? How do you implement a single technology that addresses the differentiated instructional needs for your students? What is the impact of this technology on your own effectiveness and efficiency in the classroom or district office?”
