Chapter six puts its focus on academic software. It starts out the same way as chapter five in describing the types of software and the costs of the software. The chapter talks about authoring systems, imaging, illustration, academic games, concept mapping, simulations, special needs, and many other topics.
I enjoyed learning about the different types of special needs software. There is software that will read the words or letters as they appear on the screen. It can also enlarge the text for people with poor sight. There are many other types of special needs software out in the world. Teachers need to be aware of this software and how to use the software. It can really make life easier for the students who do have a disability if the teachers know how to utilize the special software designed for these students. Knowing the different types of software that are available for use in the classroom is a major responsibility of the teacher and the school.
Not only has the special needs software gotten impressive, but so have the input devices. Some are custom devices, and others are commercially available devices used with special software.
ReplyDeleteProbably the coolest retail device I've seen used was a steering wheel/shifter/foot pedal combo used for this kid in India. They figured out how to make the wheel control his virtual keyboard, with the pedal being select, and the shifter acted like a joystick/mouse.