Tech Matters Blog | Power Up What Works

Tech Matters

Technology tips and teaching strategies aligned with PowerUp WHAT WORKS.

Sep

21

2018

PD On the Go: Intro to Assistive Technology from the Center on Technology and Disability

Join us every Friday to see one of our favorite short videos to grow and enhance your practice. When used appropriately, assistive technology (AT) can enhance learning and improve outcomes for students with disabilities. But what exactly do we mean... More...

Jul

11

2018

The Future of Assistive Technology – Where Might We Be Going Next?

Think about the types of technology your students (and you!) were using just 10 years ago. What did assistive technology (AT) look like? What is possible now that wasn’t possible then? What might be possible in the next 5 years? The last decade has... More...

Mar

19

2018

10 Things You Can Do Today to Improve Accessibility

“Supports to make learning accessible should be built into learning software and hardware by default…Modern public buildings include features such as ramps, automatic doors, or braille on signs to make them accessible by everyone. In the same way,... More...

Nov

19

2014

What does state of the art assistive and educational technology look like for students with disabilities?

“…what used to fit in a building now fits in your pocket, what fits in your pocket now will fit inside a blood cell in 25 years” – Ray Kurzweil The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (1988), is also called... More...

Nov

17

2014

How the SETT Framework Works

Dr. Joy Zabala is the Director of Technical Assistance for CAST and for the National Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Center. Dr. Zabala was a general and special educator and is a pioneer in assistive technology and accessible instructional... More...

Nov

12

2014

Using Smartphones to Support Struggling Students

The website, te@chthought, posted a series of articles about how teachers can integrate smartphones into classroom instruction in exciting and meaningful ways. Over time, the strategies kept growing and they include valuable ways to enhance your... More...

Nov

5

2014

Bookshare: Wonderful, Free Assistive Technology Tools

Bookshare (www.bookshare.org) provides a wide range of free, digital curriculum materials for individuals with print disabilities and those with intensive academic needs. While its features can support reading instruction, Bookshare is neither an... More...

Oct

29

2014

Assistance for Assistive Tech

In today’s technology rich environment there are many free technology tools, including numerous apps, which fall within the category of assistive technology. These tools have the potential to help students with disabilities and those that struggle... More...

May

19

2014

Our Favorite 3 Free* Tools for Vocabulary Learning – Context Clues

Good readers automatically use a number of strategies when they encounter unfamiliar words, including the use of context clues. For students who struggle with reading, these strategies may not come as readily and they need direct and explicit... More...

Feb

10

2014

Meeting ISTE NETS Tech Standards for Students? PowerUp Can Help!

Is your school focusing on the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)? Looking for ways to help your students meet technology standards? We've put together some of our free resources on teaching with technology to help get you started... More...