Some Ideas to Apply Technology in the Inclusive Classroom

EMAZE

Emaze is an online, web-based presentation creator that can be used to build and edit presentations on any personal computer or tablet. The goal of Emaze is to help users easily design visually compelling and engaging presentations that don’t look like the typical PowerPoint or Keynote presentations we have all seen many times.

One great thing about Emaze is that you can create presentations which involve movement, or you can create traditional presentations. Regardless of which one you choose, you’ll be able to start from one of their many predesigned templates. Or if you’d rather start from PowerPoint, you can quickly import your pre-made PowerPoint presentation and convert it into any Emaze template that you’d like.

Emaze is an excellent and easy-to-use presentation builder that offers visually compelling templates. Moreover, this website could benefit students with special needs, such as children with ASD, who often have difficulty with social interaction, to present their work to both their teachers and classmates in a safe way. 


How-to Guide on Emaze 

1. Sign up for free using a Facebook/Google account or your email.


2. Click on “create new".



3. Choose what you want to create (presentation).


5. Choose a template according to your topic


6. Edit it by adding information, pictures or even a Power Point presentation. Then, click on the "save" button and give it a name. 



 Task using Emaze: How to take care of our water? 

  • Group: 8th grade
  • Level: Pre-Intermediate


The teacher will show students a video on Youtube about water pollution.  

After watching it, each student will have to do some research on one specific human cause for this worrying issue. 

Then, they will have to create a presentation using Emaze to raise awareness about water pollution and how everyone can help to take care of our most important natural resource. 


References 

emaze: Create, Share, and Explore Online Presentations. (2021). The EdTech Roundup. http://www.edtechroundup.org/reviews/emaze-create-share-and-explore-online-presentations 



DYSLEXIA TOOLBAR

Marketed as being “by dyslexic people, for dyslexic people”, this is a toolbox which features a whole host of assistive technology tools for K-12 students with dyslexia. Type pads, word prediction, digital overlays and text readers are all included, along with many more neat features designed with dyslexia in mind. 


How-to guide on Dyslexia Toolbar

1. Search "Dyslexia Toolbox" on the Chrome Web Store and install it. 



2. You are ready to use Dyslexia Toolbox. If you want to change any of the settings, just click on the puzzle button! 



Task using Dyslexia Toolbar: Items of clothing

  • Group: 4th grade
  • Level: Elementary


The teacher will give students a picture dictation. They will open a Paint doc with two blank silhouettes with one text box in each. Both silhouettes will have a name above them. Teacher will read sentences so that students draw the right clothes. (E.g.: “My name is Anna. I’m wearing an orange shirt. I’m wearing a purple skirt. I’m wearing black shoes. I’m Tom. I’m wearing a blue coat. I’m wearing green trousers. I’m wearing brown shoes.”). They will have to save their works on the computers. 

Then, students will use the puppets they made for a “fashion parade”. The teacher will call for the students to show the silhouettes on their screens and say “I’m wearing…” (describing the clothes on their own silhouettes).


In this case, Dyslexia Toolbar will be very useful for students with this disorder because it allows them to organize their ideas previously. The learners can write what they want on a Gdoc and this toolbar will help them with the word prediction. Once they finish the text, the teacher will ask them to present their puppets. Students can select the option of text reader, so once the app reads it out loud, then maybe they can repeat it with the help of the teacher. 


References

Lynch, M. (2021, 11 agosto). 7 MUST HAVE APPS AND TOOLS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES. The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/7-must-app-andtools-students-learning-disabilities/ 


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