Utilising iPads to support diverse learning needs

As I travel around our schools I am most struck by the use of iPads to support and enhance the independent learning of many of our students who have additional learning needs.  I also work closely with our team of educators who support our Vision Impaired students.  They are always pushing the boundaries of technology to ensure that vision impaired students can access and fully interact with the curriculum and their class/teachers.

I think most people are now aware of the great built in accessbility features of Zoom, VoiceOver, and Black on White Text, Speak Auto-text which came with the first iPad operating system version.
However iOS5 also added the following great accessibility tools that our students are utilising:

• Speak Selection - adds a speak option to any text you select
• Assistive touch - an overlay menu is displayed that presents the user with commands that usually require certain physical actions, such as rotating the screen or shaking the device.  See more information at Inside Apple's iOS 5: Assistive Touch allows accessible gesture commands from Apple Insider.

Recently too, Gita Mathias -  Coordinator for the Vision Team, and myself gave a presentation at the recent IEU conference 'We Connect' about the use of iPads for Special Needs students in our diocese. 

iPads special needs learning

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