Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/912628
I N C O U R T N E Y C O F F I N ' S special education class- room, students with moderate to severe disabilities are blogging and sending and receiving emails. It began when Chromebook computers were acci- dentally delivered to Cof fin's classroom. And she didn't send them back. She expected her students with moderate to severe disabil- ities at Orange Glen High School would make good use of them. She wasn't disappointed. Cof f in i sn't sur pri sed that t e c h n o l o g y o p e n s d o o r s f o r s tu d e n t s , b y a l l o w i n g t h e m t o c o m m u n i c a t e w i t h o n e another and the world. Technology also prompts students to become more excited about learning and more focused. For example, students recently used their laptops to follow along with their teacher's PowerPoint presentation on the Seven Wonders of the World. Coffin has fought to obtain communication devices for students unable to speak, and some of her stu- dents finally found their voice. Maria uses a DynaVox speech generating device. "I want to buy a white prom dress with silver shoes," she says, smiling from ear to ear. e device allows educators to preprogram words that students can string together through touching the screen to create sentences and express them- selves. Maria loves to tell people "You're crazy" while laughing with good humor. "Maria likes attention and socializing and talking about things that are important to her, like we all like to do," says Coffin. Devices are also preprogrammed with images for food and drink, social expressions like " What's your name?" and "Hello," and pictures of activi- ties they would like to do and facial expressions to "WE OFFER HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND THEY MEET THEM. THESE ARE THINGS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES." COURTNEY COFFIN Empowering students with challenges through tech Escondido Secondary Teachers Association SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER Escondido Union High School District 28 cta.org