Beginning Practical Uses of Technology in the Special

Education ClassroomBy: Jean Fischer, Holly Mansfield, Autumn

Mickelson, Mim Wendlandt, Sara Holmgren

In the elementary special education setting technology is being used in a variety of ways. 

The key for us has been to find components of technology that will teach the important tools that need to be taught to students with Specific Learning Disabilities, Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities, Other Health Disabilities, Autism, and students that are cognitively delayed. 

iPads Interactive Whiteboards and/or Projectors

Technology We Are Using

RewardsPre-Teach/Re-Teach Core subjects

Drill and PracticeFriendship building skillsStudent observations/data collection

Ways We Are Currently Using Technology In Our Classrooms

20+ Apps that Teachers Can’t Live Without

Live Without -Inspiration & News (

http://www.ted.com) -Creating Lessons/Teaching (

http://www.educreations.com/) -Research (www.google.com/mobile/) -Basic Math/Math Quizzer (

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-quizzer/id293618952?mt=8)

-Social Studies-Today in History Lite (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/today-in-history-lite/id312028719?mt=8)

-Social Studies History Pen (http://www.historypin.com/)

-Brainstorming Lino (http://en.linoit.com/

http://en.linoit.com/en/tour/iphone-and-ipad/

-Science Nasa App (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/iphone/index.html

Storytelling Puppet Pals (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-hd/id342076546?mt=8)

-Projects Project Noah (http://www.projectnoah.org/)

-Projects-Red Stamp (http://www.redstamp.com/)

-Science-Science360 (http://science360.gov/)

-Storytelling-Toontastic (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toontastic/id404693282)

-Virtuoso Piano (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtuoso-piano-free-3/id391994966?mt=8)

-English-free books (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free-books-23-469-classics/id364612911?mt=8)

-English-Kindle (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id302584613?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

Continued: -General-flashcardlet (

http://quizlet.com/mobile/) -General-How Stuff Works

HSW HD (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/howstuffworks/id401986544?mt=8)

-Elementary-Era of Dino Lite (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/era-of-dino-lite/id443903033?mt=8)

-Organization-Wunderlist (http://wunderlist.com/)

-ESL/Other-Dragon Dictation (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dragon-dictation/id341446764?mt=8)

~Sock Puppets ~Haiku Desk ~Popplet Lite-graphic

organizers/outlines-you can insert pics, text, draw

~Trading Cards-fiction/non fiction people, vocab cards, add pics, story cards

~Dropbox-free file saving docs, photos, files

~Daisy the Dino-program for young kids

~Evernote-notebook-notes, pics-

Seminar Website: All 100+ web resources listed here with links.http://tinyurl.com/webresourcesforteachers

Top 5 Websites for Special Educators: Readworks.org-teaching lessons with

printables on skills such as: cause and effect, fact and opinion, etc.Starfall-beginner reading activitiesABCya-educational games for grades -5World Book Online- encyclopediaVoki-create a talking character of yourself or others

“The Best of the Best: Top 100 Web Resources for Elementary Teachers”

We have explored the use of technology and have found ways to incorporate it into our everyday teaching of students with special needs.

We feel that we are able to keep the students more engaged and motivatedby using these tools in our classrooms.