spg09+intro

=Introduction=

Teachers have an awesome responsibility to meet the needs of every student in their class. Today's classrooms are made up of diverse populations, which includes special needs students.



According to Sheryl Burgsthahler, Director of DO-IT, "Even though there's a lot of technology available for people with disabilities, it isn't implemented that much in our school systems today, and there are a lot of reasons for that. One is that people who work with students with disabilities--this could be teachers, lab managers, parents--often aren't aware of the technology that //is// available for them. And, then, technology is not always included in the planning process." = =

This is a real problem in the education system. Administrators aren't planning for assistive technology, and teachers aren't really aware of their options. What do you say start to change this?

Before we get started on the webquest, watch this video. It's a great warm-up to what follows.


 * __Video 1__: Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams (10 min)**

media type="custom" key="3589668" Video also available at **[|Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams]**.

When you step into your classroom, will //you// be prepared to meet the educational needs of all your students? The special needs students and their parents will depend on your expertise to ensure their educational needs are being met in your classroom. This webquest will help lay a foundation that will help you make good educational decisions for the special needs students in your classroom.