Bringing Supportive Technology into the

ClassroomEve El-Semaani

Julia Weber

Outline• Uses

o Supportive Technologyo Assistive Technology

• Types of Classroom Technologyo Tabletop, Mobile, Consoles, Laptop

• Cognitive Processes and Model• Is Classroom Technology a Viable

Solution?• Advantages and Disadvantages• Article Discussion • Activity

Mobile SurveyingDuring this presentation we hope that

you participate in the discussion, so we have actually incorporated technology in the classroom.

Follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/a88gvc6

And whenever you see this symbol:at the top right corner you can

participate in a survey.

UsesSupportive TechnologyNew technologies have changed teaching and

learning in a number of ways—from graphing calculators to online lesson and simulated dissections, educational technologies can help students access content in new and often exciting ways.

Assistive TechnologyTechnology in school not only help the teachers,

but it also offers help to students with disabilities, helping them to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish or had great difficulty accomplishing.

Supportive TechnologyInteractive technology engages children and gives

them exciting opportunity to learn.

Children often get distracted easily, a new way of learning such as using tablets in classes can help them get more motivated and pay attention in classes.

“Learning has become multidimensional with music, sound, visuals and can and does happen 24/7 at any time and any place. The expectation of today’s student is that learning will be more relevant, authentic, timely and real.”

-Elizabeth Bauer, Michigan Board of Education Member

Example of Supportive Technology

• Word Processors

• Applicationso Mobile/iOS, NintendoDS, PC, SketchUp

• Lego Robotso Engineering, math, technology, critical

thinking

• Multi-Touch Surfaceso Interaction

Supportive Technology:Discussion

What defines supportive technology in the classroom for you?Necessary?Useful?Etc.

Assistive Technology• Assistive Technology refers to hardware or

software that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

• Making any school prepared for disabilities is essential.

• Technology is created for those with both mental and physical disabilities for the development of learning skills.

• One main source of assistive technology is "Accessible Computing".

Accessible ComputingAccessible computing refers to the accessibility of

a computer system of all people, regardless of disability. An example of this approach would be the a smart card. This smart card has configuration information to adjust the computer speed, text size, colors of the screen etc to the user particular needs.

However, methods for accessible computing still have a limited success due to the lack of interest from the public.

Example of Assistive Technology

• Applications for tablets, mobile, and ipodso First Then Visual Schedule, Sign 4 Me

• Alternative keyboards

• Word Processorso Co:Writer and Kurzweil

• Screen readers

Assistive Technology: DiscussionDo you believe that assistive technology

is used to its full potential in the classroom?Yes?No?Why?

Technology Types• There are many types of machines that

could be used in classrooms, such as mobiles, tablets, netbooks and so on.

• Issues like:o "My students hate to write!"o "The ideas are there, but jumbled."o "I can't get students to interact in discussions or understand

the material"o "If I could only read their handwriting, I might be able to

understand what they are trying to say."

Would easily be resolved with the inclusion

of technology in the classroom.

Technology Type: Mobile• Mobiles offer more than making calls.

o They can take notes, connect to the Internet, and take pictures

o Applicationso Collaborative learning activities

• Pros: Increasingly popular, communication and access information, engaging

• Cons: Can be extremely distracting, must buy a class set of devices

Technology Type: Tabletop • Tabletops are an example of touch-

screen technologyo Easy to use and very interactive. o Support explorationo Group collaboration

• Pros: Interactive classrooms, flexibility of teacher activities and student activities

• Cons: Expensive, technology and software capabilities limitation

Technology Type: Laptop• Computers, have become standard

equipment in higher education: o Take notes, record lectureso Software for word processing, coding, etc.o Textbooks have turned to e-books

• Pros: Easy to use, easy to do research, substitute for books etc.

• Cons: Can distract students from learning.

Technology Type: Console• Consoles used for applications and

games:o Xbox Kinect: Has created apps for learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrqc8W5VsTY&list=PL40439F84AEEF2CC4&index=2

o Games for consoles and computers

• Pros: interactive, support collaborative teamwork, problem solving, decision making

• Cons: gaming is still debated as a useful resource in learning

Technology Type: Discussion

After learning about some types of technology (mobile, tabletop, laptop, and console) do you believe these technologies have a place in the classroom?Yes?No?Why?

Cognitive Processes• Communication channels

o Delivering through the classroomo Sender: Teacher -- Receiver: Studentso Channel is the technology

• Learningo People prefer to learn through hands-on

action. o Technology is interactive and therefore

learning becomes easier for students

• Problem-solving, decision-makingo Reflective cognition needed in gaming

Cognitive Model • Don Norman's

Model of Interaction

• Interaction with a technology system in the classroomo Feedback from the

technology

Advantages• Learning becomes more interactive

and involving between students and the topic

• Students with learning disabilities are supported in classrooms with technology

• Support collaboration with groups of students and in interaction of the teacher

• Information is more accessible with technology and is more retrievable

• Provide lesson plans and activities that provide understanding

Disadvantages• Money

o Technology implementation is expensive, no matter the type

• Lack of resourceso Hardware, software, support

• Requires training• Some teachers are not ready to use

such methodso Beliefs, attitudes, and familiarity with

technology

• Technology can be a distraction instead of a solution to learning

Viable Solution• So far research and activities proved

that using technology in the classroom improves the learning. o Study by Robert M. Maninger has shown a

successful technology integration where test scores have increased with better comprehension and reading skills. Reading test went from 87-90% pass rate to 96% pass rate. (Maninger, 39)

• Some countries as Korea already uses tablets in classes and the results have been positive

Viable Solution: Discussion

In your opinion do you think that technology is a distraction or is a solution to classroom?

Article Discussion• Implementing collaborative learning

activities in the classroom supported by one-to-one mobile computing: A design-based processo Thoughts?

Activity • Take out your mobile devices (that

connects to the internet) and put in the link below to follow the instructions to complete a mini quiz on this presentation. o http://tinyurl.com/am7rls8

• Afterwards whoever has the highest points will win chocolates.

Answers (1)1. We have just learned about supportive technology, based on the

following options which of the following is considered as supportive technology?All of the above

2. Which device can be used for assistive technology?http://www.chestercreek.com/media/keyboardMasthead.jpg

3. According to the required reading what is it that makes mobile technologies (phones, ipods, etc.) to support learning no matter the context?

Portability

Answers (2)4. Tabletops are a great technology to use for lesson plans

and group collaboration, why don't we see more implementation in learning environments?Beliefs, Attitudes, Familiarity

5. Gaming supports learning skills in school. Of the following skills which does gaming provide? Collaborative teamwork, Problem making, Decision making

6. One barrier to the inclusion of technology is teachers/professors. Which of the following options does not describe the teachers barrier?Money

Answers (3)7. All technology types allow students to become more ________

in a classroom.Interactive

8. Research has shown supportive technology in the classroom is a viable solution.True

9. Technology requires just hardware.False

10. Some technologies are banned from the classroom (laptop, phones, etc.) because of one of the main cons it offers in all technology types, what is it?Distraction

References (1)Claudio Alvarez, Rosa Alarcon, and Miguel Nussbaum (2011). Implementing collaborative

learning activities in the classroom supported by one-to-one mobile computing: A design-based process, Mobile Applications: Status and Trends, 84, 1961-1976. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/10.1016/j.jss.2011.07.011

Álvaro Fernández-López, María José Rodríguez-Fórtiz, María Luisa Rodríguez-Almendros, andMaría José Martínez-Segura (2013). Mobile learning technology based on iOS devices to support students with special education needs, Computers and Technology, 61, 77-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.09.014

CITEd Research Center. Technology Implementation in Schools: Key factors to Consider.Retrieved February 1, 2012, from http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=187.

Chambers, D. J. (2011). Assistive technology: Effects of training on education assistants'perceptions of themselves as users and facilitators of assistive technology and consequent transfer of skills to the classroom environment(Doctoral Dissertation). University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA. http://researchonline.nd.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1065&context=theses

Cramer, M., Hirano, S.h, Tentori, M., Yeganyan, M.T., Hayes, G.T. (2011).Classroom-basedAssistive Technology: Collective Use of Interactive Visual Schedules by Students with Autism. In Proc. of Proceedings of the 2011 annual conference on Human factors in computing systems (CHI 2011), Vancouver, BC, 1-10.

References (2)AlAgha, I., Hatch, A., Ma, L., Burd, L. (2010). Towards a Teacher-Centric Approach for

Multi-Touch Surfaces in Classrooms. In Proc. Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces 2010, Saabrcken, Germany, 187-196.

Robert M. Maninger, (2006). Successful technology Integration: Student Test Scores Improved in

an English Literature Course through the Use of Supportive Devices. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 50(5), 37-45. http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/593/art%253A10.1007%252Fs11528-006-0045-x.pdf?auth66=1360635060_5705d3f77353ffad0c5f65cc04af674a&ext=.pdf

The Digital Librarian. Barriers to Integrating Technology. Retrieved February 1, 2013, from

https://sites.google.com/site/thedigitallibrarian/barriers-to-integrating-technology.

Ann C. Jones, Eileen Scanlon and Gill Clough (2013). Mobile learning: Two case studies of

supporting inquiry learning in informal and semiformal settings, Computers and Technology, 61, 21-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.08.008

Maja Pivec and Paul Pivec (2008). Games in Schools.http://www.paulpivec.com/Games_in_Schools.pdf