Week Two: Topic (Educational Technology), Module (Priority: Technology and Inclusion) – Clip 11: An Adaptive Keyboard

The adaptive keyboard may be used to assist instruction, especially with students that have physical disability or special needs. For instance, limited mobility students may have great difficulty using a typically configured keyboard. In order to help these students overcome these barriers, an adaptive keyboard can be a solution. These students are able to type their responses and the computer would read it aloud. In cases where students are not able to literally touch the keyboard with their fingers, there are wands and other devices that would allow them to key in their responses.

After watching the video, my view of the role of technology for students with special needs really did not change. As a teacher, I worked with special needs students on a daily basis. Therefore, I witnessed the struggles that students had to encounter when learning new concepts.

I believe that such type of technologies could be used by other types of students, who are not special needs, especially the adaptive device that actually read aloud what is being entered into the computer. Additionally, I believe that this may help students to become better writers.

Regarding older individuals, I believe that such types of technologies could be used to help improve their mobility on the computers. Many of the typically configured keyboards have keys that may be too small to read or too small to touch. In order to rectify this dilemma, older individuals may be more effective using special adaptive keyboards that are larger.