Recent articles
6 ways edtech makes learning more accessible
01/17/2017
Topics: Assessment, Assistive and adaptive technologies, Literacies
After 40 years as a speech-language pathologist working with students with special needs, I've seen a lot of educational fads come and go. In fact, few tools get me excited anymore. But three years ago I stumbled across an app called…
It's not about helping the marginalized, but learning from them
01/01/2017
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies
Of all the titles Timothy P. Shriver holds – social leader, educator, author, film producer, entrepreneur – one gig always stands out, no matter the audience.
Shriver has been the chairman of Special Olympics since 1996, working with more than 5 million Special…
Personalized ed tech empowers students to change their stories
11/03/2016
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, Personalized Learning
Classroom teachers have long faced a serious conundrum: How can they help every student succeed when they have so many who learn at different paces and in different ways?
Katharine Hale, a tech coordinator for Gunston Middle School in Arlington, Virginia, knows this challenge well. When…
Jack Gallagher: Embrace every student's strengths
11/09/2015
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, Parent engagement, Personalized Learning
The concept of student-centered learning isn’t new. Parents of children who are not neurotypical have long been on the lookout for ways to accommodate individual learning styles and help their students relate…
4 AR tools to build executive function and engagement
07/23/2015
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, Augmented reality, Learning spaces, Mobile learning, Tools
Imagine your classroom filled with purposeful, motivated, strategic, goal-directed learners. What would students be able to do? What would your classroom look like? What could your learners accomplish? Envision your students showing initiative by quickly beginning assigned tasks, knowing what to…
Joke's on him: How technology gave Jack Gallagher his son back
06/30/2015
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, ISTE Conference & Expo
It’s easy for Jack Gallagher to joke about technology. The opening line in his ISTE 2015 keynote address was: “I’m the least technically savvy person in this room. I’m hoping I have enough skill to run the clicker for my slides." Later, he poked fun of his need for computers, declaring his…
Assistive tech is a hotbed of innovation
04/01/2015
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, Personalized Learning
Holly Palmer's 5-year-old son, Maceo, is a marvel to her; a bright light whose glow she believes could sweep him into adulthood capable of designing buildings, writing symphonies or falling in love. Granted, he has a few challenges due to cerebral palsy, such as the inability to sit up, speak…
Wegner's ed tech accomplishments get nod from Obama and peers
01/14/2015
Topics: Advocacy, Assistive and adaptive technologies, Augmented reality, Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Digital storytelling, Education leadership, Gamification, Gaming, Literacies, Makerspaces, Personalized Learning, professional learning, Project-based learning, Robotics, Standards, STEM & STEAM
There she was in the White House, along with 120 other school superintendents, and there was President Obama, at the podium. And then there was this:
" "And then you got Mary Wegner, superintendent of the Sitka, Alaska, School District. Where's Mary?" " Obama said. " "She came a long…
Connect English learners to science with online projects
07/21/2014
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, Augmented reality, Online learning, Project-based learning, Standards, STEM & STEAM, Tools
For many of us, learning science in school meant opening worn textbooks, watching projector slides in a stuffy classroom and dissecting rats once you got to eighth grade. Did you ever ask yourself, "How is this relevant? How can I take this knowledge, go out into the world and use…