To effectively support learning needs, a school or district requires a dedicated staff familiar with options and features of available technologies, including assistive technology. Find out how to support your staff so they can in turn support all learners. To help assess your current technology use and chart a course toward increased technology implementation, consult the EdTech Locator.

Related Resources

Find free webinars, chats, and resources on implementing technology in various aspects of education through the Schools Moving Up website, an initiative of WestEd.

10 Smart Ideas for Using a Smartboard

Use this resource for a quick list of suggestions for using a Smartboard, which is essentially an interactive whiteboard.

techLEARNING.com

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21st Century Learning: What the National Education Technology Plan Means for You

The plan, released in January 2005, is a blueprint for how school leaders can create classrooms and schools where technology helps students thrive and prepares them for today’s technology-saturated workplace. This special report lays out a road map for following the plan’s recommendations in your schools.

American School Board Journal

4Teachers.org

This is an outstanding resource for rubrics, Project-Based Learning checklists, and a host of other tools to assist teachers in developing alternative assessments for their projects.

4teachers.org

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A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning (PDF)

Although many have shown enthusiasm for online courses and online learning, teachers, administrators, and other school and district staff oftentimes do not know what to do online or how to implement it. This primer provides helpful advice for educational professionals in developing and advancing online learning.

North American Council for Online Learning

Access, Adequacy, and Equity in Education Technology

This report examines the state of educational technology resources and support in public schools across the country, as reported by classroom teachers and instructional assistants.

Addressing Cyberbullying in Schools

Address the issue of cyberbullying with tools and workshops provided through this resource, and help students understand that bullying and cyberbullying are behaviors that will not be tolerated.

All Students Being Equal

This article presents an overview of available technologies for special education needs.  The article organizes software recommendations around several categories: literacy support, communication aids, mobility tools, vision support, and auditory assistance.  Access to Techlearning.com requires free registration.

Techlearning

Alternate Formats and Learning Materials

People with print disabilities may find the references in this resource helpful as they attempt to locate sources of digital content. This resource highlights accessible options for obtaining both digital electronic text and digital audio. Some resources focus specifically on serving individuals with print reading disabilities while others offer content more widely.

CAST

Arcademic Skill Builders

Arcademic Skill Builders is a nonprofit web site that features online educational games offering a new approach to learning basic math, language arts, vocabulary, and thinking skills. Inspired by arcade games and the intense engagement they foster between the game and player, the site's programs stem from experience, systematic observations, and research in understanding student learning in school and social situations.

Art Teachers: Experiment with Still Life

This feature at the National Gallery of Art makes it possible for students to use web tools to compose their own still life paintings, using images of fruits, flowers, and other size and spatial arrangements. They can even add textured brushstrokes. The program includes a slideshow of 38 still life paintings, and kids can identify common elements and try to guess the artists who painted them. The activity requires Adobe's Shockwave Player, which can be downloaded as a free browser plug-in (if you don't have it). The player is not yet available as native software for Intel-based Macs - you'll need to run it in emulation mode. Click on "manual install" to find out how.

ASL Browser

The ASL Browser was developed by the Michigan State University Communication Technology Lab. Online mini-videos create a free ASL glossary; a CD-ROM version is available for $19.95.

Assistive Technology for Children with Autism

This article provides strategies and examples for determining the best visual representation system for students with autism. Includes suggestions for low, mid and high tech tools.

Assistive Technology Implementation Model: CETT TEAM

The CASE Collaborative CETT Team provides guidance in the selection and use of appropriate Assistive Technology to support students with learning challenges access the curriculum and meet individual education goals. A model of ongoing consults, a lending library, and training workshops support classroom success.

Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE)

This website presents information on high-quality evaluations of educational programs, including "educator's summaries" of research on educational programs and full-text reviews on each topic.

Best WebQuests

This site provides a matrix of the best WebQuests arranged by content area and learners' age.

Bringing the K-12 Classroom Online: Part 2

This article discusses how one ambitious teacher from the Syracuse, NY area is using an online course management system to engage his students. The article provides a model for organizing lessons with online discussions.

techlearning.com

Choices, Choices

Choices, Choices uses real-world scenarios to help students learn problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Class Homepage Builder

Build class websites with this easy to use tool that allows you to communicate with students and parents in one setting.

Classroom 2.0 LIVE Conversations

Classroom 2.0 LIVE Conversations are community-scheduled opportunities to talk on specific topics with other members of the Classroom 2.0 using one of the online voice/video/sharing programs. Using this wiki page you can find discussions to participate in, or schedule to host additional ones.

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