Journal # 8 Adaptive Technology

NETS-T IV

Communication

Argumentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is non verbal communication that allows people with severe speech or language problems to increase social interaction  and school performance because they can express thoughts, ideas, needs and wants.

Low Tech Device

Sign Language is considered an AAC low tech device, and instead of sound patterns it uses visually transmitted patters to convey meaning. In a classroom, teachers can use sing language as a form of communication, and it facilitates the communication between teacher and mainly deaf students.

High Tech Device

 The DynaVox EyeMax System is a powerful and modern communication device that facilitates individuals with speech and language disabilities to communicate and control their environment with just the blink of an eye.  As a modern technology enhances, this type of technology facilitates the communication between a teacher and students with communication problems. In a classroom, the DynaVox Eye System would facilitate teaching since the student will are able to experience a more meaningful communication.

Accessibility
An input device many times known as an alternative device includes hardware or software solutions that allow users with mobility impairments to interact with a computer without using a standard mouse or keyboard.


Hardware: Magic Touch Screen is an add-on touch screen for computers.  The magic Touch Screen is a mouse emulator that allows controlling operation normally controlled by the mouse. In a classroom, it is extremely helpful for students with learning disabilities because teachers can use for teaching them to interacting with picture, and it makes learning for accessible.

 Software: GazeTalk is a software project that is designed to develop an eye-tracking based system that supports several languages, facilitates fast text entry, and is both sufficiently feature-complete to be deployed as the primary AAC tool for users. It fact, it is sufficiently flexible and technically advanced to be used for research purposes, and its system is designed for several target languages, initially Danish, English, Italian, German and Japanese. A GazeTalk software can assist the teacher to have a better communication with the student, and assist the student as well since the GazeTalk’s features such as type to talk and writing can help them to have a better learning.