The Internet as a Tool for Assisting Students with Special and/or Diverse Needs

“Internet communications can transport students beyond their physical environments, allowing them to interact with people far away and engage in interactive learning experiences. This is particularly appropriate for individuals who are easily distracted when going to new and busy environments such as the library, who are poorly motivated, or who have difficulty with reading or writing.” states the author on page 3 of Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities . In this article the author addresses some of the challenges that teachers face with student who have a mild learning disorder. The Internet and other assistive software programs help to keep students who are easily distracted on task. For example some students may have a hard time finding interest in reading but when presented with an e-book their interest is often sparked. The power of multimedia can really inspire a student with disabilities. One of the benefits the e-book, that is accessed through the Internet. The article describes the capabilities of an e-book like this, “They include high-interest stories: the computer reads each page of the story aloud, highlighting the words as they are read. Fonts and colors can be changed to reduce distraction. Additional clicks of the mouse result in pronunciation of syllables and a definition of the word. When the student clicks on a picture, a label appears.” The Internet can also be used to give students, with disabilities, task oriented problems that can be accessed online. For the teacher the Internet offers many resources and ideas to help facilitate the needs of these diverse learners.

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Assistive_Technology/

-Stephen Hardy