Wired
Helping Students with Special Needs

Dear Web Editor,

One of my students is visually impaired. This student can type essays into a word processor, but she cannot read papers or comments that other students make during peer editing.

Where can I find a tool that translates other student work into a "readable" form for the visually impaired student and, in turn, allows the student to comment on the work of her peers?

As you've already discovered, the World Wide Web is a big place. Locating the best information about assistive technology (AT) and accessibility solutions for students with disabilities can take hours.

Fortunately, NEA is working on a way to speed up your Web searches. The Accessible Classroom Project, a venture between NEA, Johns Hopkins University, the IDEA Partnerships, Verizon, and others will produce a content-rich website for information about assistive technology and accessibility issues. The project team anticipates an August 2003 launch for the website.

The site will include practical lessons on assistive technology; guidelines, reviews, and analysis of accessibility applications; testimonials from AT users about specific technologies; interactive message boards; and strategies for advocating on behalf of students with special needs. Users also will find state-specific resources including government programs, organizations, and advocacy groups serving students with disabilities.

You can learn more about the project and its partners by visiting www.makingthegrade.org/assistive.

In the meantime, check out the following resources for information on helping students with special needs:

• The Center for Applied Special Technology recently released a new book called Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, available for free online at www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent.
• The Council for Exceptional Children, located at www.cec.sped.org, offers professional development and training resources.
• For comprehensive and up-to-date information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) visit www.ideapractices.org. The IDEA Partnerships, a group of four national projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), operates the website in an effort to deliver a common message about the 1997 reauthorization of IDEA. The site also includes resources on assessment and accommodation materials.
• The ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Children at www.ericec.org also offers fact sheets and links to other online resources.
• AbleData at www.abledata.com contains a database of information on thousands of AT products with detailed descriptions, pricing, and company information. The site also includes noncommercial prototypes and do-it-yourself designs.
• You can access the most current information about NEA's policies regarding IDEA's reauthorization at www.nea.org/specialed.

Quick Tip
If you want to use technology to teach about government and politics, check out a free CD-ROM from the Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), a project of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. In the CD-ROM A More Perfect Union, students portray political campaign managers for a fictional state. They schedule candidates' appearances, purchase polls and advertisements, and listen to debates as they try to beat their opponents. The CD-ROM contains video graphics that respond to individual student decisions and a link to the YLI website. The website offers a searchable database of state and federal legislators; online lessons for middle and high school students; course units on demographics, campaign commercials, polling, and ethics; and a resource guide for teachers. For more information, visit www.youthleadership.net or call 866/514-8389.

Editor's Pick

Light: A Learning Unit
General Electric has created an interactive website to teach middle school students about light and electricity. At www.gelighting.com/na/home/gela/index.htm teachers will find units on filaments, prisms, wattage, and electricity. The units include science lessons on the properties of light, math lessons on light measurement, and history lessons about Thomas Edison. Each lesson takes three to six 30- to 40-minute class periods to cover and includes hands-on activities and experiments. The site also includes assessment tools, suggested readings, and links to other useful websites.

Owl Watch

OWL.org FAQ
This month we share some frequently asked questions about OWL.org, the online community for NEA members.

What's the difference between OWL.org and NEA.org?
OWL.org is the new website for NEA members. It provides practical information, tools, and services to help educators do their jobs. The site focuses on members and "Educators Helping Educators." NEA.org is the Association's public website. This is where the Association presents its programs and perspectives to members, nonmembers, and the general public.

I registered at OWL, but I forgot my user ID and password. What should I do?
If you have any problems getting onto the OWL.org site, send a note to the customer care team at asktheowl@owl.org and someone will help you.

When I sign on to the OWL website, I see only one page of content. Where are the other content "channels"?
OWL offers registration to both NEA members and nonmembers. Registered NEA members can access the entire site, including discussion boards and all of the content channels. Registered nonmembers see a limited selection of content on a single page.

If you see only one page of content, you probably are registered incorrectly as a nonmember. E-mail customer care at asktheowl@owl.org to get the proper NEA member access.

Where do I find articles for education support professionals?
Visitors to OWL.org can customize the "My Profession" channel to suit their job needs. The site offers one version for teachers and one for ESP members. To set your profile to view ESP content, visit www.owl.org and click on the "set preferences" link on the right side of the page. Go to the field called "select your profession," select "Education Support Professionals," and save your profile. This will automatically load ESP content into the My Profession channel.