Final Project Focus

Research Question: What types of adaptive technologies are available in schools to help aid students in need? And, possibly including what adaptive technologies should be available in schools? (schools ranging from elementary through college)
Information Gathering: I have already contacted Adaptive Education Services at IUPUI. I plan to have John Ault show me around the Adaptive Learning Center in University Library. I will have him show me the different technologies IUPUI offers, as well as take pictures of those technologies and gather information on what and how the technologies aid students with different disabilities. From there I will focus on adaptive technologies offered at middle schools and high schools, mainly focusing on the Indianapolis area. I have contacts at schools such as, Franklin Twp., Perry Twp., and Roncalli (Ryan from class). Finally, I will also take a look at adaptive technologies and elementary schools, Warren Twp. (Pleasant Run Elementary). I will take pictures of all the different technologies, learn about their capabilities, and do further research on their uses (books/scholarly sources).

Steps/Timeline: Next week, I’ll plan to visit the Adaptive Learning Center, and as soon as I can get to the other schools, I will. This week is their spring breaks, so next week and the week after, I’ll start contacting and visiting the schools hard. By the final two weeks before the project is due, I’ll be working on the extra research of the technologies, possibly even using interviews from the teachers/people who are in chare of using the technologies. And, then I’ll begin writing up what these technologies do, their uses, how they benefit students, and I’ll probably even include some their shortcomings.

Obstacles: I can see some schools may be busy or may not want me to take pictures of the technologies, but hopefully that’s hurdle I can overcome. I have enough contacts and helpful friends that I think even if one school turns me down I should be able to get enough information from another school or just by doing research on the internet. Gathering and organizing all the data and pictures will take the most work, but I’m already off to a good start, I think, so it shouldn’t be too bad.

Questions: I don’t have any questions at this point. However, if you have any information on good sites/articles that talk about adaptive technologies in schools, I’d love to hear about them. Also, if you know of any schools that really do a great job of integrating these technologies, and they’re located in the area, that also would be helpful information.

Genre: I’ve definitely ruled out power point. I want to get my information on the web for public access. I was originally considering creating a website; however, I’ve been playing around with the features of Blogger, where you can add pictures and a new thing they have now is to add video/slide shows, so I think a blog (or a series of approx. 10 or more blogs about each of the different technologies) will be what I do. Each page will contain a picture of the adaptive technology, its name, other information about it, its uses, how it benefits students, and its shortcomings.
-AAK