INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Tools to Support Self-Directedness
DreamBox is a tool that allows students to take learning into their own hands. It focuses on math skills but does have some early-literacy and reading work as well. There are different themed areas that offer a progression system using skill practice and tests to reach the next level. Teachers can assign it as homework for students or allow them to access it freely whenever they like. It allows students to work at their own pace and learn new content when they want.
Renaissance is a program that allows students to take on reading themselves. All students can take quizzes on a large selection of books in the database. Younger students also have a large selection of books to read on the app and even have the option to have the computer read to them. At the end of each of these books is an AR test to determine if they understood the book. This progress can be monitored by the teacher and the student can set a goal for themselves to meet each week. This allows students to read at a pace of their choosing and set a goal they wish to reach. The AR testing is all on the app and means they do not have to wait for a teacher to assign them work.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS
Tools For Students With Exceptions
Dragon Naturally Speaking helps students with dyslexia by allowing them to dictate anything they wish to write on a device. This helps students where they might normally encounter issues processing words on screens. They can simply speak their ideas or what they want to write and have it appear on the screen while they dictate. Certain types of text will be formatted automatically such as dates or time.
TactPlus has created a portable braille printer to help the blind. This printer can help visually impaired students by printing text to braille quickly. It can also be used to print 3D images and picture books to help educate students using pictures. This could be used to help a student do their homework by giving them a way to read the assignment on their own if they forget.