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The experts discuss the latest trends and the future of assistive and educational technology during the 2010 Technology Innovators Conference. All videos are captioned.

Does open source mean “free”? No, says Jim Fruchterman, but it does mean “freedom” as in freedom to distribute, reuse, revise, and remix.

Milton Chen, author of “Education Nation” insists: We will not improve our economy until we improve our educational system.

Assessment 2.0 – what does it mean and what will it mean in the context of Common Core Standards and assessments?

How can data inform the push toward personalized learning as well as the new buzz words of efficiencies and effectiveness?

What is the federal role in incentivizing innovation and how can entrepreneurs get in the game? Kumar Garg from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy discusses the role of technology in job training and education.

The world has gone mobile and the National Ed Tech Plan sites in a very mobile context. What does it mean for teaching and learning?

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act brought the FCC into the era of communication such as Skype and instant messaging, ensuring accessibility for the disabled.

What is the role of standards in the open source environment? If anything, standards are even more important to ensure interoperability.
See summary notes from the full panel presentation and Thorton’s slide presentations.

The secret behind Sesame Street’s successful Learning 360 initiative according to Gary Knell? “Meeting children on their own turf through the common bond of technology teamed up with great teaching and a new digital connection to the connected parent.”
Sesame Street Workshop and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center have championed digital and mobile learning in several [...]

Can assessments be more “game-like” and relevant to kids? Dan Schwartz says, “Stay tuned.”

 
Reviewing the findings of the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Youth project, Heather Horst discusses the role of informal learning settings and opportunities.
See the summary notes and slide presentations from the panel discussion on Digital Youth and Accessible Media.
See Heather Horst’s biography.
See more on the YouMedia, the outgrowth project mentioned by Horst running at the Chicago Public [...]

Explore the concept of personalization and its application to diverse student populations, its limitless possibilities for innovation, and its ability to tap into previously underused areas of the human mind.

The experts discuss the latest trends and the future of assistive and educational technology during the 2009 Technology Innovators Conference. All videos are captioned.

We have built the superhighway, but as Dan Domenech states, “the off ramp to too many schools is a dirt road, limiting what schools can do.”

Yong Zhao says, “Let’s think not only think about how to fix someone’s deficits but how to capitalize on their strengths. It’s possible…”

Trends in technology have changed the students of today and of the future. Lee Rainie explains they are their own nodes of production.

David Rose discusses how we can take what we know about the brain and put it to use in designing technology-enhanced learning.

What does creating look like in terms of education? Jillian Darwish discusses what the KnowledgeWorks map shows for our future.

National policy changes, YES! Larry Goldberg proposes a National Accessible Technology Plan that can align the efforts underway in many federal agencies.

What is the connection between accessible technology and the low employment numbers for adults with disabilities? John Kemp addressed this connection in the 2009 conference keynote address on the Federal Perspective on Technology and Innovation.

These answers are in response to this question: With all the other requirements, when are teachers going to find the time to learn all the technology? Steve Hargadon and Michael Levine set the record straight. It must be done.

What can social media do for us as adults, as educators? Steve Hargadon, founder of the Classroom 2.0 social network, looks beyond the merely practical to the transformative possibilities inherent in social media.

Kareem Dale shares how assistive technology becomes a personal relationship and lifeline for individuals with disabilities.

Speaking on the national educational technology plan, Linda Roberts says a plan is only as good as the goals and information in it, but that it can set the stage for investment and priorities.

How is the U.S. Department of Education approaching technology and innovation? The potential of personalized learning is gaining traction.

During the 2009 conference keynote address on The Federal Perspective on Technology and Innovation, Karen Cator addressed the importance of establishing a new research and development agenda.

How do you define state of the art AT? This 2010 Issue Brief offers guidance for current and future investment, development, and research in educational and assistive technology and training.

This panel on public/private partnerships discussed instances of success, proposed frameworks and models of change for consideration, and answered questions about how states can leverage their own resources to implement their own types of partnerships.

The panelists discussed how the demographic shifts and other business pressures are changing their perceptions of the disability market and offered advice on how to take advantage of the changes to maximize opportunities.

Alan Brightman discussed the different perspectives of disabilities he’s encountered, ways in which businesses have alleviated or added to accessibility issues, and provided examples of how wrong it is to impose limits on someone who wishes to accomplish something (e.g., become a jazz musician).

This panel explored both the assessment data on U.S. students’ performance as well as the pressures from businesses to have a better trained workforce. The audience engaged the panel in the Q&A session to provide federal and state policy advice.

Secretary Thomas E. Perez, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation, gave a rousing address that stressed the role of workforce creation and economic stability is dependent upon an investment in human capital and the harnessing of technology to make the most of the opportunities and information.

Three panelists explored what the future holds for education, technology development, and around-the-corner solutions.

Jim Stovall, Co-founder and President, Narrative Television Network (NTN); Author, The Ultimate Gift, gave a rousing inspirational and motivating keynote address to set the tone for the conference.

Experience the NCTI Technology Innovators Conference through archived conference materials including session summaries and presentations, audio interviews, the virtual Tech Expo, and a photo slideshow. View resources from our 2007 and 2008 events.

What do the forces of globalization mean to your business, research, and life? Join NCTI to set an agenda that expands the reach of learning, assistive, and emerging technologies.

This article explores how existing market research in the assistive technology (AT) field can be leveraged to create new solutions and to help those solutions reach wider markets.

10 Tips to help you amplify your message and maximize your outreach efforts.

Given the prominence technology holds in today’s schools and society, it seems crucial to explore its use and function in home environments for students with disabilities, particularly when considering everyday technology such as “smart” toys, computers, and communication devices.

This article surveys the current capacities of speech technology, reviews its existing and potential uses in education in general and special education.

The purpose of this article is to offer a review of research on the use of assistive technology for students with disabilities and some reflections on the nature of knowledge that is being produced by researchers who are examining these issues.

Historically, the use of technology in special education has been advanced on the basis of marketplace innovations and federal policy initiatives rather than on a compelling research base. This article presents a set of quality indicators that will guide efforts to enhance that base.

This paper looks at how computer and video-based epistemic games can help provide career preparation experiences for young people.

Hear Yong’s thoughts on innovation, how technology is defining new talents, and why we all should embrace change.

Representing the Federation Employment and Guidance Service, Inc. (F·E·G·S), the largest human service organization in the United States, Al Miller demonstrated the power of leveraging public-private partnerships to improve the overall quality of life and maximize independence for individuals with special needs. Based on his tenure of over 40 years at F·E·G·S, Al outlined the blueprint for integrating technology that leads to greater incentives for innovation.

This session provided an excellent vehicle for participants to hear from leading national philanthropic organizations regarding the impact of investment in shaping the marketplace of ideas and innovation.

As a school administrator, how can you determine which technology products will support your State-aligned curriculum? As an ed-tech vendor, how can you help your clients effectively integrate products into the classroom? Our simple and easy-to-use Consumer Guides help school administrators and ed-tech vendors learn what questions to ask and how to make informed decisions relating to education technology.

Today, more than ever, it is critical that technology products, devices, and tools have evidence pointing to their effectiveness. Panelists discussed the latest findings driving the field, and the best practices gleaned from the research. A lively conversation followed outlining effective strategies to communicate research-based findings in user-friendly terms to public and practitioner audiences.

Jim Fruchterman’s model for Benetech, a leading solution representing socially motivated technology applications, is a visionary example of leveraging the power of the social network to enhance lives. As a leading social entrepreneur and technology developer, Jim highlighted his experiences in creating ground-breaking solutions that allow all individuals to achieve equality in society.

Check out Julie Duffield’s take on the 2007 NCTI Technology Innovators Conference. Here is an excerpt:
…An important part of this conference is connecting researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and policy makers. It was inspiring to hear from innovators and social entrepreneurs like Jim Fruchterman from the nonprofit technology company, Benetech. Recently, Benetech was selected by the Office of [...]

The evolution of social media and collaborative online environment has been rapid and pervasive, and people are struggling to understand and keep abreast of new developments. See NCTI’s Issue Brief for a discussion on the implications.

The 2007 Conference’s Technology Expo showcased over 2 dozen vendors, product prototypes, services and other great assistive and learning technology innovations.  This year, NCTI sponsored a Peer Award for the Brightest Idea in 2007. 
But how do you select a winner among the variety of powerful reading products,  science and math programs, evaluation tools, and other really cool innovations?   With [...]

To help you re-live the fun and great presentations at the NCTI’s 2007 Conference, we have created this slideshow. If you missed the conference, here is your chance to catch a glimpse.

During the final session, NCTI conference speaker Al Miller presented a vision of cross-sector collaboration (profit, non-profit and government) to create solutions that are both more effective and less costly.
Fourth Sector enterprises, as he calls them, take the best of each sector to maximize social good (what NCTI Keynote speaker, Jim Fruchterman calls [...]

We asked NCTI ‘07 conference participants about the greatest challenges in each stage of the innovation process. Here are the specific questions and answers:

Are the results surprising, or expected? Share your thoughts below.
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NOAA, CDC, and US Department of Homeland Security have started using Second Life as a tool for their agencies or interacting with the public. As more federal agencies delve into Second Life and other emerging technologies, issues of accessibility become more important — with more participants. If the second life (or other) platforms are used [...]

One emerging theme during the NCTI conference is the question not of innovation, but of our ability put it to work.
Jim Fruchterman, in his keynote, described an initiative in Bangladesh to launch Wi-Max (fast wireless Internet) countrywide over the next couple of years. Bangeledesh will have better Internet Access than Silicon Valley. Jim says that [...]

Whether or not you saw the NCTI conference’s opening video, you won’t want to miss its message, that we are living in exponetial times. The impact of population density in different parts of the world, and growth of education worldwide, foretells big changes. It also underscores the need to keep-connected with emerging trends, or fall [...]

Conference day approaches, and with it office talk about the nuts and bolts of innovation. Putting together some materials for the big day, the NCTI team worked through the process of creating new technologies and tools for students with special needs. With five main steps, five disciplines, five sets of skills to [...]

Conference Prelude (11/09/2007) – This morning’s eSchool news features a piece on its “Best of the Education Blog” awards which celebrate the uses of blogging technology in and around schools. But how might blogs also help researchers, entrepreneurs and policy-makers bring to fruition better tools and techniques to help students with special needs? [...]

“Teachers should not be afraid of technology, teachers should be groundbreakers…willing to go the extra mile…” Watch this video to learn how practitioners, service providers, and researchers face assistive technology challenges and overcome them with innovative implementation strategies.

Today’s educators realize that assistive technology alone cannot teach students 21st century skills. Education technology must be a “tool in the toolbox” of teachers to maximize student engagement and achievement. Watch this video to hear educators discuss this issue.

Schoolwide strategies supported by administrators, teachers, and parents create the collaboration necessary for integrating assistive technology into the school day. Watch this video to learn how to apply strategies in your setting.

Watch this video to learn how Sean, a high school junior, approaches daily life with a disability. He uses computerized Braille copies and other AT products in school to learn geometry and develop 21st century job skills. Teachers and mentors also discuss their challenges in helping Sean achieve more independence.

See this video to learn how assistive technology helps Stacey bridge differences with peers to build relationships and actively participate in her 6th grade class. She uses an array of devices from hearing aids to a voice amplification system and an Alpha Smart 3000 that are integral pieces in her oral and writing progress.

Aaron faced “intense technology needs” entering public school, but with the help of assistive technology devices like IntelliKeys, a power wheelchair, and even video game controllers he is able to achieve more independence. Now as an 8th grade student, Aaron writes and races with his teachers at school and plays video games with his siblings at home. Watch this video to see how.

Voice-output assistive technology of varying difficulty levels help Angie, a 5-year old with cerebral palsy, participate in class and communicate with her family at home. With the appropriate training, even her older sister can program culturally specific recordings so Angie can use them in conversation. Watch this video to see how.

We asked key thought leaders from education and technology fields, “What will it take for assistive and learning technology to be considered a critical component of education to help more students learn, achieve, and reach their potential?” We learned that the AT field is at a tipping point.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) recognizes the importance of assistive technology for students with disabilities by requiring that assistive technology devices and services be considered in the development of every child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). This Fact Sheet accompanies the 2001 I Can Soar materials.

This is the user’s guide from the I Can Soar Video.