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t‘s not mud: to look at â€"â€" just a dull gtey 'devicemxneaflyasfiashyasthclatcst gadgdskidscanymund.mfirst. than Amlesa‘n was leery of letting his friends see it. but. today. the l3-ycar-okl gmdem can confidently say this innocuous little laptop has changed his life. LEARNING: Assistive technology makes world of difference to I. students Befiite ihe device hewas not doing weflinsmmL "I was M much failing.” says the soft spo ken Malflum student. ' But aflet revealed disabilities and teaduers at his Armadale Public School recommended computer software financed through the of ‘Bducamm. everything Myearslalermismatbueonparwithhis classmates and he is mining fellow students andmntmclmsmmetechnwh‘wumty c advancements in computer technol- ogymmkmncby‘m‘umkntsmeycanb‘e Andasdigitaldeficesadwmemwhamrycan dqsotoofiosmdentswhordyonmem. “In my 25. years waiting with assiqu tech- nology. .I have never seen anything like what we're witmmmg now.” adds Phyflis Brudsky. a disabilities gducation expert in "If you are an individual with a disability. M's never been a better time to be am than nght now." lfwhat’s happeningimhe uni-Immacula- room‘can becafledadig‘tal dehnge. thenwhat's happening in special educatbn isa tsunami. "Wmassisdvelechmbgyishuge~jum huge.“ Remit: Smith. principal at Iodine- logically oriented Augustine (‘alhnlic High School in Unionville. \Nhiledrehflkdmsflflmarvelatourhando helds. tech mots for those with disabilities are transforming lives -~ from |ow~tech erasabic pens to high ~tech portable computerized eswithsoftwamdtatconvutstexttovoice and voice [0 text. scam textbooks. Otganmes thoughts and predicts wank ' Shewasdiagnosedtwuwarsagoafiersuug- filing with the written word. ‘lbday. in a main- sueam dassmom. that makes frequent use of online biog. and wilds. she's flourishing, . Sandmamdmmnd Hill mom whoasked not K) be kicntificd because her daughter. 12. has not come “out” as learning disabled. has watched her child transform. “She'sbecomealmiewritermalmnevm know 936ch. We've continually amazed at what's in her head, the idmfi and dopth l lfiheschdflcanpnmmunccdmoacrcse the Ontario curriculum. it's all paid for by the ministry and your school board. . Even amen-variety digital tools such as Facebook and blogs open doors for these who. mmepast.smtggledandoftcndmppcdouL SPECIAL ED:There’s an app for that “It definitely mm me feel more informed about the oomniunity in which I reside. ” "IWWMMHflMmhhnu-Iflhs'IMan [uh-I: ltmnflmmwmmhudw Whmmfi“ l'zmzou‘IOyrmgxom BY KIM 7WD!” mmmm mun-om:â€" many this is the way of the future." am watching with imam the Whirl sman‘phone apps The York Reg'oh Catholic school board has just bunched a- partnership with the University oflTommo to study how MW iPod apps can help those with learning disabilities and developmental delays. Programs designed for il‘ads do much the same tasks. for minimal mst. as $81“) she sayx “And it's nm all stuffed into a big backpack that ynu'm dragging from class to class" ' _Msr Btodsky.~a teacher Kramer in severe disabilitim is stoked about the possibilities Tanya Khan. a teacher at Kleinhurg Public School in Vaugun, has found several ways digital technology can help her special edu~ cation students Students' cellphones act as agendas. dlctkman'es. calculators. much-ep- "I think we're on to something amazing loan honesdy say that I've never seen one wedficilemoftechnologvthathasmsm- lulinnary potential.” “ WMmmmdahMmmknboobnMPubfichwdm Marflnmvwithdihdpdtudufindymflcflhndqnddedmdonresowtadm wmmmmradsmemdsmhimudhmmhhwfiflmwrk A seven-pan smes on how today‘s childish an leammg m new ways. GEN -Z cm for science experiments and heart rate monitms in gym. She posts graphic organmzrs onlinc to help with time managernem and lcs» sum {or students to review a! hmnc. Society is stifl rductam to“ about loam- mg [taming Kiiria- (ion of Yodn Region executive dimmr Lynn 7jrakk) says‘ DJ. Cunningham. now 28. mmombem his own experience as a studenl with Ieaming D 1M.2!,M3:K5Mdpnmaryswdentsspend m-mmmwam v b FEESJAIYl: Somehfiw uhoolstossxhepapa, taummgmsmm ' - b FBJLPAITS: WWW indium ’ D FRAZMI: WNW Debateomdsmaiongdam b FEIJ‘JMk Murdowegofiomhmmm Mflmmnall? D MN. 153M": Introduction to the 9mm nh’ngplxe'moumhods } MIJLMZ: Mammes. usehandaddsmdass ' ‘ THE SERIES 31A" PHOMOEIO'VMTTEWEN ‘(Lomparaflwly few in «emu- and pn- service training opportunities am‘ :n-‘auldhlr fur educamrs across Innde Hu-u-furu. administrators and (cachcn in nu: sLhUUls flequenfly haw [united hth-dgu." by video game graphic design-n to create (:00 -boking 'skins' in cuvcr mdu» Many see hope in the gmwing ubvqun) of technology in the mainstream. lowph principal a; William Mulock Su- ondary School in Nemnaliet. says there LS less stigma now that all Grade 9 students .m- mquiradtouselaptopa â€"-lhose who use it for special needs no kmger stand uul. for families of kids with additional needs. ‘ ys stigma isn't the unh thing {hat keeps “hidden in a closet“; so does lacde ‘ 5mm are educawrs who don't know (mung: ya about the advantagcs." she saw. adding training ls uflcnladung. much is wasted on equipment that Is nm being used to the best advantage.” abilities. refining to use asststiVe technology despite um from his parents. om:- of whom was a bit Regan school principal. . ' “You feel different. stupid. I wanted nmh ing to do with it", ‘ He reached rock bottom. falling m um vérs‘ '. before agmeing to try on! whwmn‘ to him mad organmc. 1110 imme was “absoiulcly massive” ~ so much 30, he graduated from university and has cn‘au-d a company, LEARNsMe. that pmvidc‘s nammg inmistivetechmlogy. mu'x I woa‘uogfiu‘um A simth occurred at Annadak- School after «sachets made an 8m)" to use more assisfiw technology in the school "l wasni sum what the other kids would think. ifthey'd call me names. but that didn't happen." student Suvathan Axulesan says. Janis lafle-Wlu’le. co-ordmatut of the Tommo Family Network a regiomd network 'lhc York Catholic board has dwelt)le a new approach to c‘mmmwm that. (mime tutorials. (mlmng camps. weekend workshops and an evening help desk am‘ available to parents and students who mm! to learn how to asslsm'c technokm}. The repon mmmncnds hmds ur mum: ml standards to album Lfluny of mu mess. “I: problem. says Ms Brodslu. b techno! ogy is chmging so quickly that agclmcs and puhua hawn’l caught up. ‘The pace Ls “my fast and wv haw m keep up or we ml] cuntmuc m low de through lhc’ track." Ms lufloWhnc \qu "11's own-mchmng and exuung at (he \Jmc time. Opportunities are hnmlcxx‘ Teachers. too. need more support. au-urd mg to a nepon Masai by the mumul mm profit (‘anada His company hopes to reduce the stigma ~|ooking Mfiupplicd biplpr 33.2.3 I (528:. 7..”