In my classroom I have a laptop that is hooked up to a projector, a desktop, and an optical mouse. There are microphones we can use, but I feel that I am loud enough, and there is no soundproofing between my room and the next. We have DVD players and VCRs. There are two computer labs in the school, and a SmartBoard room available if you reserve it.
Most of what I teach in my art classroom is hands-on. I have never had a student who was unable to physically create art, though some of my students still lack the fine motor skills needed to perform some tasks. I teach the special education students, and they sometimes get lost and are in need of a lot of help in order to create a piece of art. I also have many students who speak little or no English. Most of them are able to follow along visually and do not require a large amount of one-on-one assistance.
There are a few students in the district that are high-needs and have a personal aid that comes with them. In the past I have taught a deaf student who came with her own interpreter. Some teachers have shared their struggles to teach a blind student art. Others teach students with severe physical limitations.
As I began my search for technology, I was really interested in what was out there for blind students. As I looked I found the phrase Tactile Graphics. This involves printed materials, such as coloring books and maps, that can be purchased and used by blind students. Here is a link to one site that sells coloring books for blind children. http://www.tactilevisioninc.com/books_coloring.php
They cost around $10. I also found some grid paper that can be embossed here. http://www.tactilegraphics.org/products.html
The sheets range from $10-$35.
The ultimate tool for teaching blind students using technology would be a Braille and embossing printer. I found one called the Emprint SpotDot. It has awesome features, but it costs $6,995 plus $250 for training on how to use it. http://www.viewplus.com/products/ink-braille-printers/emprint-spotdot/
There are many other technologies out there that would be useful, but I feel that in art, hands-on work is most important.
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I hadn’t considered the struggles to teach art to students that are blind. The concept of tactile graphics and the Braille printer sounds fascinating – though expensive. Would your assistive technology department consider purchasing one? I wonder if you could email something and they could print it and interschool mail it to you. Better yet, would some of the elementary art teachers consider writing a grant to purchase the printer or some of the tactile coloring books and paper you mentioned? Just a thought as my mind is racing trying to fathom the possibilities. I might look into the embossed grid paper for some of my students as well. Thanks!
ReplyDelete(We also have the sound proofing issue. They did a great job of installing speaker systems and nothing to drown out the noise between rooms.)
I love that art is a universal activity that almost every student can participate in no matter what their abilities, disabilities, needs, or handicaps! It is unfortunate that in many schools, when funding gets low, art is one of the first things to go, since it is so great for all students. My school doesn't have an art teacher and the teachers are required to teach art on their own, so I really enjoyed reading your blog because I have to teach art, even though it is not my expertise. I liked your ideas for helping blind students using assistive teachnology! I will definitely keep that in mind if I ever have a blind student in my class!
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