Assistive Technology in Education

What is assistive technology?
Basicly it is technology that allows someone who a disabality who is unable to do something, to do that task. It allows thoes who cannot walk to move, wheel chair. Someone who is hard of hearing to hear, hearing aid, or TTY for deaf people. It does not do any task for them but it provides the means for it to be done.

Take a student who has a reading difficulty. Now of course it is important for the student to learn how to read, maybe on an IEP but it is not always the point to read. In cases like that there are audio versions of many different assigenments, books and instructions that allow the student to understand what is going on an how they can best complete the assignment. Audio books also allow thoes who are blind to stay on task when there is not always brail avalible.

There is a fine line between when assistive technology is helpful and too helpful. As teachers we want our students to work hard but not be over burdend with something they have no control over.

http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?109

http://www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/assistive/

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/education/at.html

educational website + Tech Help

http://www.kidsknowit.com/
I checked out kidsknowit. It had a lot of information that related went from the human body, to space, to math, or spelling. It was interactive and engaging. The format took a minute to get use to. It was very strong in the science areas with a lot of dinosaurs and similar related objects.

I sent my wife the HTTP vs. HTTPS common craft video and she liked how it was simple and easy to understand. Because it can be a hard to understand topic at times.

Wrap it up!

There are two trends I notice from my readings. Those who use the blogs for education and those who use it for technology. Both are valid and I think we will see both thoughts tie in and form joining thoughts.

Can copyright be copyrighted?

What is a copyright?
. The U.S. Patent offices defines copyrights as "Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works." it differs from a patent in that patent covers inventions.
One gets a copyright by being the original author of a work. But if you wish to seek legal actions against it is best to get your work registered.
Fair use is the thought that something being used not for profit in a public setting. There are limitations, if what you are showing has value then it is not covered. Say if you legally got a DVD of the new Transformers 3 and you set up a projector in the Student Union and showed it for free. You just broke copyright laws because that 50 people who wont go see it in the theater. At the same time you would probably be ok doing the same thing for "Gone with the Wind" because the studio has no exception of making profit off of the movie now.
The Teach Act is designed to give educators the ability to give materials that would normally be covered by copyright. The copyright still needs to be visible on this given media though.
I learned the difference between copyright and patent. There was a bigger difference then I thought.
Info came from http://www.copyright.gov

The Bloggs I'm blogging about

The blogs I looked at are here:
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
http://artichoke.typepad.com/artichoke/
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
http://www.bethknittle.net/WP_Blog/

Cool cat teach is going to be the blog I am going to follow. She is a good writer and she writes about topics that are going on today.