ATSTAR - helping teachers use tech for kids with disabilities

Sharron Rush — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:58:52 -0400

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

Knowbility

URL

www.atstar.org

Location

Texas, Colorado, Montana

Project Description

Assistive technology (AT) can be a lifeline for students with disabilities. As more students with learning differences, physical impairments, and cognitive and emotional disorders are educated in general education classrooms, teachers are challenged to meet the needs of those students. Kids with disabilities do better in school when they have access to the right technology supports.

ATSTAR brings AT expertise directly into the classroom. Using a series of online training modules, an online community of AT experts to mentor teachers, and fully accessible captioned video case studies to guide teachers through the process of AT assessment and implementation, ATSTAR pilots have demonstrated that teachers gain expertise and kids benefit.

A teacher in a rural Montana school house, teaching grades K-8 in one classroom, used the ATSTAR program to find a technology solution for a second grader with cerebral palsy. The student is bright and because of mobility and speech impairments needs alternative input and output devices for communication of lessons. The ATSTAR method guided the teacher and parents to the right solution so that the student has the support she needs to succeed in school.

Recent technology improvements have made the ATSTAR program ready for national dissemination. Contact Kathy carmain for more information: kathy at knowbility dot org .

NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoup.org - teachers

ATSTAR - helping teachers use tech for kids with disabilities

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

URL

Location

Project Description