Keeping the "Looking Back" Theme...........................
Think about your childhood and your special toys. What toy was your favorite? And, why?
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14 comments:
a monkey playing the drums
I never go home.
verification
My favorite toy was an automated monkey playing cymbals. I use to drag it behind me as it made musical sounds.
Barbie dolls my aunt made mink coats for all of them.
I enjoyed playing with a Whiffle ball and bat because I wanted to be a major league baseball player.
I always enjoyed Hungry, Hungry Hippo and Critter in the Candy. Looking back, they were games I always played with my grandfather whenever I went to visit, so not only were they fun, but they hold sentimental value too. I am now playing these with my son.
My favorite toy was roller skates because it kept me moving
My favorite toy was my humor. I learned i could always carry it with me.
My wooden riding horse because it seemed as big as an amusement park horse
I loved Barbie dolls too. My favorite activity was to make clothes for them. There was one problem...my dog would chew them up and Mom would refuse to replace them because she accused me of being careless!
My favorite toy was my Fisher Price
record player. I loved to play my Smurfing Land Express and Chipmunk albums.
Blog #1 response to CS_KL
The purpose of Assistive Technology (AT) is to design tools/products that give additional accessibility to individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities. When considering the purpose of AT, Lewis and Swanson make a valid point that NCLB does not make AT a critical priority (www.naset.org/resources4specialed). Although standards to control the quality of AT products are being developed by NIMAS, the reality is that many schools systems are still struggling with issues of funding.
Although funds are scared, schools need to be vigilant about how to parcel out the various funding resources available through alternative programs. Ten years ago, few schools had internet access; affluent districts were twice more likely to have it than those schools serving the low income schools, whether urban or rural. However, in 1997, Congress approved the E-Rate program as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdliNC, NEA, 2008) The E-Rate program was launched through collaboration between the U.S. Government and private companies’ sponsorship, such as Best Buy, Cox Communications, Verizon, and ENA (a leading Managed Internet Service Provider). Through E-Rate, companies have provided deep discounts on telecommunications services to schools and libraries according to the state’s income index. As a result, many schools in various states have taken advantage of E-Rate supported connectivity by installing state-of-the art technology. For example, Roane County School district (West Virginia) gets an 80% discount rate, allowing it to connect its entire classroom with T1 lines. The money that the school saves from E-Rates has made it possible for the district to save money and to lower its student-to-computer ratio five to one. As a result, Roane has made significant improvement in all of the state exams (reading, math, social studies and science). Over the past decade, this school district has received over $400,000 in E-Rate funds (www.edlinc.org/resources).
Although Assistive Technology is often synonymous to IDEA, funding is not guaranteed. School systems and parents need to develop skills in locating alternative funding sources, what to do when applying for funding, how to use it, places to contact for more information and locate software and equipment that is appropriate for the learning needs of children. In spite of the dismal funding from IDEA and NCLB to school systems, it is essential for educators to become sophisticated in their quest to make technology possible for children with disabilities. E-Rate is just one example of a funding source that could enable the presence of more hardware and software in schools, especially when attempting to educate students with disabilities so that they can develop effective competitive skills in the 21st Century job market (www.pluk.ortAT1).
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