The Arkansa - ADE Special Education

program. One of our Autistic students has this
to say about PAWS, “It’s better than the Sponge
Bob typing program because it is not timed, it
has more games, you don’t have to type as
many letters to move onto higher levels.” He
says his typing is getting better, and he would
prefer to type than to write. He is a fourthgrader.
The school psychology specialist
reports that two Autistic fourth-graders express
themselves better when they don’t have to
write. One started on PAWS last year and is
already on level 7 and is much more fluent
when writing a Word document. His regular
education teacher is bragging on how well he is
expressing himself.
One second-grade teacher, who is fortunate to
have the computers in her classroom for everyone,
describes some of the advantages her
students enjoy. She starts by saying how
delighted she is to share how the marvelous
little black machines open up the intriguing
world of learning experiences! Some of the
most frequently used programs are the United
Streaming video library and the Compass
program. She says that it is so fabulous to be
able to instantly access visual support presentations
immediately in the classroom. The
available subject choices are so vast that all
information or pictures about a subject can be
found right away. The Golden Book
Encyclopedia, in Compass, is one of her
favorite learning places because the children
hear poetry, see pictures, read works, meet
authors and illustrators and experience actual
video clips of many different things, for
example, video clips of Hurricane Katrina. She
says that every student is enthralled and the
learning has never been so much fun and so
effective! Children use headphones to allow
them to move at their own pace without
interruption. Math Virtual Manipulative
Library website is a frequent place for this
T.A.S.E. Winter - 29
class to visit, where they can practice and
experiment with math principles and move
virtual manipulatives around with the click of a
mouse. As she concludes, she says that one of
the best advantages of Compass programs is
that students can have assignments individualized
to meet their ability level.
Computer programs may be individualized for
any student for enrichment or enhancement.
Programs may be chosen on the student’s level
for success. One teacher states that this process
is most effective when the special education
teacher and the regular education teacher
collaborate to choose the correct levels.
The two elementary schools, with numerous
computers, continue to intrigue us. We are
closely monitoring the effectiveness of this
wonderful invention. The whole concept of
making a vast difference in the ability of some
of our Autistic students to communicate and
express themselves is a gold mine.
So, while the Fayetteville Public School
District may not have magical technology or be
doing anything different than anyone else, we
are certainly proud of what we have
accomplished and proud of the positive
benefits that come from all the varied devices.
We continue to try to stay abreast of the latest /
greatest information available concerning
technology. Our concern is always for the
students and how to make their educational
environment more enriching.
The Fayetteville School Board voted to supply
each teacher with his/her own laptop with
wireless internet cards. The teachers are
encouraged to take them home and use them to
their advantage. While this purchase alone
may not have been directly for students, they
are certainly indirectly affected. Hopefully,