Integrating Handheld Computers in the General Education Curriculum for Students With Special Needs
By Cox, Christy; Fahey, Ronald; Closing the Gap, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 1, 14-15Publication Date: April/May 2006
Article focuses on the use of handheld computers in general education classrooms in teaching students with disabilities. Students can use handheld computers to animate new concepts, and their spelling and vocabulary words from all of their subjects. Animation programs can also be used to modify assignments. For example, students with severe cognitive disabilities can illustrate a short series of images or pictures about a specific historical event instead of completing a research assignment. Handheld computers can also be used for word processing for students who have difficulty with written language. Applications such as word prediction, spell checking, and text-to-speech can provide a valuable complement to the composition process. A number of education software programs that can be used with handheld computers are discussed, including: (1) PiCoMap from GoKnow, Incorporated, which is concept-mapping software that allows users to create, edit, and share concept maps on their handheld computers; (2) Sketchy from GoKnow, Incorporated, which is a drawing and animation tool; (3) Quizzler from Pocket Mobility, Incorporated, which allows students and teachers to create and take quizzes; (4) FlingIt from GoKnow, Incorporated, which allows students and teachers to send web pages from a desktop to a handheld computer; (5) BooksLog from Alex Polonsky, which allows students to keep a reading journal; (6) eReader from Palm Digital Media, which allows students to read electronic books; (7) Math Card from Summer Associates, which is a basic math facts review tool; (8) Documents to Go from Datavis Company, which is the handheld version of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and (9) iKWL from GoKnow, Incorporated, which is a charting program that can be used for any educational topic.
Published by: Closing the Gap, Inc. (Website:http://www.closingthegap.com)
