Colleagues, the following reminder is from Mariann Fedele, Moderator of
the Technology Discussion List.  To sign up for this discussion, go to:
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology
 
One of the first questions to be posed so far concerns specific
assistive technology assessment -- i.e. a protocol to investigate an
individual's needs and to find the best hardware/software to address
those needs.  I encourage you to check out this discussion.
 
Marie Cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator
 
 
**************************************
 
 
Dear Tech list colleagues, 

Just a reminder that beginning Tuesday, September 19th through Friday,
September 22nd, there will be a guest discussion on the Technology list
on "Assistive 
Technology, Instructional Technology, and Universal Design Strategies
for Adult Literacy" with guest facilitator Dr. Dave Edyburn of the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 

More information about the content of the discussion and our guest
facilitator follows. As with past discussions your questions,
contributions and professional wisdom will make this a great learning
experience for everyone on the list. 

What questions do you have that you would specifically like to see
addressed? What general questions do you have about this topic that can
help inform what Dr. Edyburn presents? Send any questions that will help
shape the discussion to the Tech list as a whole or to me off list and I
will forward them to Dr. Edyburn. 

Here are a few of the questions that have been sent to date:
 
1. Does anyone in an adult education setting use a specific assistive
technology assessment -- i.e. a protocol to investigate an individual's
needs and to find the best hardware/software to address those needs?

2. I'm not familiar with the meaning of assistive technology. If it
means 
helping the learning/physically disabled, I'd like to know anything 
there is about assessment/diagnosis tools/instruments/programs when 
their first language isn't English.
 
3. If a program was going to become a "Universal Design" program, what
are 
the essential UD elements/features that should be in place at each stage

of the program: recruitment, orientation, intake, instruction, testing, 
transition, etc.?
 
4. What is available either as separate entities from the computer or on
the computer itself, that will promote universal design principles?
Being libraries, our computers often have a lot of security on them and
it is not practical to take it on and off so specific patrons can gain
access. What can we do to make it more accommodating for the patron with
disabilities (learning or otherwise) and for the library staff which is
often few in number?
 
5. What research has been done with assistive technology and
reading/adult literacy which shows the efficacy of AT as a learning
tool:  retention, achievement, etc. 
 
6. We are creating curricula for developmental students (pre-college
skill levels), to prepare them for college-level reading and writing.  I
was just asked "what guidelines can we give our designing faculty so
that they can incorporate Universal Design Principles into this?"  A
primary concern is, in fact, our students with labeled and unlabeled
LDs.  (So, really, she was asking "how can we make sure they break
things down enough, and give directions for stuff that teachers tend to
assume students know; how do we prevent "write a 2 page paper that
responds to a political cartoon?" ) So... my question would be:  how can
we make "basic level" college assignments more accessible to students
with LDs?  
 
 

All the best, 

Mariann 



**************************** 

Title: Assistive Technology, Instructional Technology, and Universal 
Design Strategies for Adult Literacy 



Overview 



Adult literacy professionals and volunteers are well aware of the 
effects of school failure and the lifelong impact of failing to acquire 
functional reading skills. In this online event, Dr. Dave Edyburn a 
professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will engage 
participants in a discussion about three forms of technology and their 
application for adult literacy learners and programs. 



On day one, participants will be introduced to the concept of assistive 
technology and learn about products that have been designed to support 
struggling readers. 



On day two, conversations will focus on instructional technology. That 
is, how can technology be used to teach and assess critical literacy 
skills. 



On day three, participants will learn about universal design for 
learning and the promise of this approach to address the needs of 
diverse learners in ways that combine the best attributes of assistive 
and instructional technology. 



Participants in this online event will have the opportunity to learn 
about practical applications of technology in adult literacy programs, 
ask questions, and obtain information about software and web resources. 



Bio 

Dave L. Edyburn, Ph.D. 



Dave L. Edyburn, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Exceptional 
Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Edyburn's 
teaching and research interests focus on the use of technology to 
enhance teaching, learning, and performance. 



He has authored over 100 articles and book chapters on assistive and 
instructional technology. He is a co-editor of the recently published 
book, Handbook of Special Education Technology Research and Practice. 



He is a past president of the Special Education Technology Special 
Interest Group (SETSIG) in the International Society for Technology in 
Education (ISTE) as well as a past president of the Technology and Media

(TAM) Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). He is a 
frequent conference presenter and national workshop leader. 



Mariann Fedele
Associate Director,
NYC Regional Adult Education Network
Literacy Assistance Center
Moderator,
NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List
32 Broadway 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
212-803-3325
mariannf at lacnyc.org
www.lacnyc.org
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/assessment/attachments/20060914/4b4f0d35/attachment.html