Web Accessibility and Adaptive Technologies

Steve Sullivan came to the class and talked about the ways disabled people can access the internet. There are many different uses for people who might be blind for instance. He is legally blind himself and helps others who are blind as well. There are things that the disabled can use to magnify the computer screen. Also there are different hand held devices that can be used. He passed a couple of these items around the class.

Week 6

http://e3eclat.blogspot.com/ Is a 5th grade teacher's blog for her classroom. The school is located in Tauranga, New Zealand. The blog has pictures and video of the things the kids do and also information on many different things that goes on in class.



This blog is of a 1st grade class. Miss Owen's is the teacher and they are located in B.C., Canada. The blog is really for the parents they can go online and see what their kids are doing in the classroom. There are different pictures of all the activities they have done. Not many people post things on the blog but it is a great way for parents to keep up with the activities the kids are doind.http://missowensblog.blogspot.com/

Week 5

Technology is improving every single day inside the classroom. Many teachers are using blogs throughout the United States to keep up with the children. I found many different blog sites that teachers have put up and had kids report back.

One blog that I found was of a 9th grade science class. The teacher had information about herself and what she teaches. Also each class hour has its own link to go to. On the home page of the blog there was information on what was done that day in class and what is due for that day. Students do not post blogs but they do each have a place to post things. This blog is mainly used for students to be able to see what is going on in class. If the student is absent one day they can go to the blog and see what they missed. Mr. Collin, the teacher, also has links so the kids can find more help in the class. The link to the blog is http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=676161&blogger_id=187221

The other blog I found is of a fourth grade class. The teacher has posted different things about what has been going on in the class. There are also pictures of her on vacation so the kids can keep up in the summer time also. I like the idea that she keeps the kids involved in the blog for things other than school. It is important to stay intouch with students in other ways than just the classroom. Also in this blog she has different things that went on in the year with her students. The bolg can be seen by future students and parent so they know what to expect in the class. Mrs. Elliott's class blog aslo gives students links to help with homework and to improve things such as spelling. The link for this blog is http://elliottsbeachparty.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

It is very important for students to stay intouch with teachers other than in the classroom.

Week 4

This blog is about the short movie, "Shift Happens." I enjoyed watching the video because it gave information that I had no idea about. The entire movie is about the change in technology throughout the world. Things are changing so very rapidly now that in the years to come the computer will exceed the human brain. The World Wide Web has helped bring alot of the technology. People are now connected to each other that are in completly different parts of the world. The technology for the future will even be greater than it is now and we can't even predict how great it will be in the comming years.



The changes in technology are going effect the children that are being born now. We all need to be prepared for the changes. The movie puts out facts that let people know the many different things that are changing. "Shift" means the change or shift in the world going on today. The movie was originally made for a small group of people. Through technology now many millions of people have seen the video. This one video has raised many questions about the children of the future. More questions are being ask about wether people will be prepared for the "Shift" that is going on.

The movie can be found here. http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-you-know-20.html

Week 3

ACCESS Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide are a great program for the improvement of education in Alabama. The program allows students to have a greater advantage to AP classes. Classes are all over the internet and students can access them anywhere. This program lets students broaden their learning experience. Classes can be taken even if the high school does not offer it.
There are 6 objectives to the ACCESS program. The objectives are to provide access to advanced diploma courses, additional course offerings, advanced placement or dual enrollment courses, remediation and supplemental resources. Also to Leverage existing resources and distance learning offerings, and provide teachers with additional multimedia and technology tools to enhance instruction.
This program was brought into action in November of 2004 and had $10.3 million. The program was created by Bob Riley’s Task Force on Distance Learning. The plan is suppose to be completed by 2010 with all the objectives complete. The overall goal is to provide quality instruction to students to improve their education experience.
There are many different courses offered on this online program. It is a great program for students and it will benefit many different students. This program enhances the students opportunity to further their education while still in high school. The state of Alabama has gained a great program and I am sure the program will continue to improve.