Check out the following resources for special education and educational technology.
Assistive technology
- AAC Evaluation Genie, to help determine a student’s assistive technology needs
- Bridgingapps.org, to help find apps and devices for student with special needs
- Maryland Assistive Technology Network (MATN) marylandlearninglinks.org/matn
- MITS (Michigan Integrated Technology Supports)
- Accessible Instructional Materials for IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) mits.cenmi.org/AIMNIMAS.aspx
- Library mits.cenmi.org/LendingLibrary.aspx.
- Video tutorials (mits.cenmi.org/Resources/VideoList.aspx) and
- Webinars (mits.cenmi.org/Resources/ArchivedMaterialsResources.aspx)
Books
- Learning and Teaching Early Math: The Learning Trajectories Approach by Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama. Describes the learning trajectory for composition of numbers.
Finding funding
- Donors Choose, to raise money for classroom. See tips here.
- Grants and Funding page by Makewonder.com
Lesson planning
See instructables.com, for video classes on just about everything
Arts & Music-centered
- starfall.com, for early language, number sense, and writing lessons in an arts-integrated manner
- pattyshuklakidsmusic.com, for pre-K+ lesson through movement and song
Computer Science
Digital Citizenship
- Digital Citizenship Resources for Elementary and Up
- Helping Students to Manage Their Digital Footprint
IEP Development
- MarylandLearningLinks.org, for IEP development
Life Skills
- LINKS Currilculum — a comprehensive program for teaching independence to students with autism and developmental disabilities
Sexuality & Dating
- Canadian Centre for Child Protection has many free downloadable resources about preventing abuse.
- FLASH, free downloadable lesson plans in Family Life and Sexual Health for middle and high school students with special needs
- Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
- Introduction to Sexuality Education for Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind and Significantly Developmentally Delayed
- National Sexuality Education Standards, Core Content and Skills K-12
- The Healthy Bodies Toolkit for Girls and The Healthy Body Toolkit for Boys
- Safety Awareness for Empowerment, a free downloadable booklet, gives lesson ideas and even a script for what to say when teaching how to be safe. It also discusses appropriate boundaries for students.
- Touching Yourself Social Story, a free social story about masturbation for boys with disabilities. It teaches boys to wait until they get home.
- VizZle has ready-made social stories and games in their resource list. Search on Dating and Relationships, Public and Private, and Masturbation. If you don’t have VizZle you can get a free trial.
- YouTube video on Sexuality and Relationships
Visually Based Lessons
- Bitsboard, for creating visually-based lessons
- Flipagram is an app that enables users to make 15- to 30-second videos using pictures. It’s also easy to add music. See how-to article here.
- monarchtt.com Offers VizZle to aid in the creation of visually based lessons
- Sproutflix (sproutflix.org) contains videos which feature people with disabilities.
Product lists and reviews
Websites often allow you to search on a topic and see related games and apps.
- autismapps.wikispaces.com
- AutismFamilyOnline.com
- Best Autism Therapy: Learning App Guide
- Bridgingapps.org, to help find apps and devices for student with special needs
- Common Sense Education: search on a topic for product reviews
- educatorstechnology.com Articles about using technology in the classroom along with discussion of tools.
- Edutopia
- The iQ Journals: Adventures in Autism, Media, and Technology with a boy named Quentin
- Learning Works for Kids
- Topmarks, a great source of learning games
Professional development & networking
- ADDitudemag.com Tools, articles, webinars related to ADD and ADHD
- Annenberg Interactives is a searchable collection of virtual manipulatives and applets that teachers may use to teach mathematics at all age and ability levels.
- ChristyIsbell.com Tips on dealing with sensory processing disorder (SPD) as well as early childhood topics.
- Common sense education for app reviews, PD videos, and classroom games
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Coursera offers free online classes from the nation’s top universities.
- DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology)
- Divisible by 3 blog by Andrew Stadel.
- educatorstechnology.com Articles about using technology in the classroom along with discussion of tools.
- edWeb.net A networking website with many free CE classes, interest groups, discussions, and more
- edsurge.com A host of tools, articles, conferences, and more, all to do with educational technology
- Fred Rogers Center
- Go-To-For-OT A blog by Occupational Therapist Stacy Turke
- InclusiveSchooling.com gives tips for creating more inclusive classrooms which are academically successful
- Kent ISD PD Hub online courses
- Mathlanding’s collection of professional learning resources
- National Autism Center
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- National Education Technology Standards (NETS)
- PBS Misunderstood Minds Describes the implications for students who experience difficulty with math instruction.
- Skillshare offers short (15 minutes to 3 hours) courses from national experts for a fee (monthly and annual subscriptions are available).
- The Teaching Channel offers free professional learning through searchable video covering multiple age levels and subject areas. The Teaching Channel supports its Theory of Professional Learning by offering tools that assist teachers at each phase of the learning cycle.
- UseVisualStrategies.com Articles and products to help with autistic students, by Linda Hodgdon.
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