Software, Accessibilityand Portfolios

Linda WallinWinter 2014

First Things First

• Is it compatible?

• Is it affordable?

• Does it have documentation?

• What does it mean to license it?

Compatibility

• OS• CPU• RAM• Monitor• Storage

Affordability

• Commercial– Don’t be fooled– Will it integrate?

• Open Source• Web-based

License

• Commercial– Single use – Multiple users – Site– Open Source

• Web-based

• O’Bannon, Puckett course materials

Types

• – Operating system software • – Application software • – Internet software • – Instructional/educational software • – Integrated learning systems (ILS) • – Teacher utility software tools

O’Bannon, Puckett course materials

OS

• Linux• Windows• Apple Mac OS• Unix

Operating systems control the hardware and manage input and output.

Applications Software

• Word processing• Spreadsheet• Data base• Graphics• Multimedia• Web page composers

O’Bannon, Puckett course materials

Internet Software

• Browser• Email• Plug-ins, media• File sharing• Web 2.0

O’Bannon, Puckett course materials

• Drill and Kill• Simulations• Tutorials• Instructional Game• Problem Solving• Reference

Instructional

O’Bannon, Puckett course materials

Teacher Utilities

• Grading• Generators

– Test– Puzzle– Rubric– Worksheet– IEP

O’Bannon, Puckett course materials

Evaluating Software

• Always try it with your students!!!!!!!• When in doubt, look for Open Source Software (OSS).• Talk to other educators about what they’ve used.• Teach the same thing with technology, then make a

slight change.• Learn one new thing a year.

Open Source Software

• List is on our Wiki• Upside

– Yes, free, no licenses– Help is available for free– Platform neutral

• Downside– Learning curve– Not exactly the same

Operating System Adaptations

• Ease of Access Folder in Windows• Accessibility in System Preferences in Apple• Access Software

– Text-to-Speech– Word Prediction– Scan and Read– Speech Recognition– Magnification– Screen Reading

Portfolios

• What do we mean? – “A goal-driven, organized collection of artifacts that

demonstrate a person’s expansion of knowledge and skills over time.”

• Working Portfolio– Collections of work over time

• Assessment Portfolio– Specific artifacts that must be included

• Showcase Portfolio– Present the best work, artifacts are chosen carefully.

Digital Portfolios

• Advantages– Portability, reproduction, differentiated products

• Disadvantages– Time-consuming, often not portable from one platform to

another, little tech support, expensive software• Components

– Documentation– Artifacts– Educational philosophy– Reflection

Nine Commandments

• When in doubt, don’t throw it out.• Do it digitally.• Be organized, not frustrated.• Log it or lose it.• If it is nice, save it thrice.• Be careful, not sorry!• Give credit where credit is due.• Protect the privacy of your students and colleagues.• Create and stick to a timeline.

Alternative Assessment

• Students with significant disabilities– Three-ring binder– Question and answers are read to them– They choose answer given at bottom of page– If incorrect, question is reread to them– They choose from bottom of page– If incorrect, question and correct answer are read to them.

• Screen Readers– JAWS

• Some material was taken from O’Bannon, Blanche and Puckett, Kathleen, Preparing to Use Technology, 2E, 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA 02116.