NCTI -

National Center for Technology Innovation
Advancing Technology Innovations for All Students

Glossary

 

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A

Accessibility. A general term used to describe the degree to which a system, product, facility, or tool is usable by as many people as possible. For specific characteristics that promote accessibility in educational software, see the Product Features list at www.techmatrix.org.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The legislation enacted to prohibit discrimination based on disability.

Assistive Technology (AT). Tools and equipment used to maintain, support, or improve the capabilities of a person with a disability. Examples are Braille printers, text to speech screen readers, voice recognition software, real-time captioning, and augmentative communication devices.

I

Inclusion. An educational strategy that commits neighborhood schools and regular education classrooms to provide all educational services to children with special needs.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The document developed for each student with special needs that sets the standard by which subsequent special education services are usually determined appropriate.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The 1997 law that modifies and extends the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA). IDEA was reauthorized in 2004 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (acronym remains IDEA).

L

Least restrictive environment (LRE). A requirement of IDEA legislation to ensure that children with special needs are, to the maximum extent appropriate, educated alongside peers without special needs.

M

Mainstreaming. An educational strategy that places a child in the least restrictive environment based on his or her abilities. Most recently, it refers to the placement of children with mild disabilities in the regular classroom for some portion of each school day.

N

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Federal law (2001) aimed at increasing performance accountability in schools and districts. NCLB’s requirement to report disaggregated student test scores has increased attention given to subgroups such as English language learners and students with disabilities.

O

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). The office within the U.S. Department of Education that provides funding to programs that serve infants, toddlers, children, and adults with disabilities.

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The office within the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services charged with ensuring that the states comply with the IDEA legislation.

R

Reasonable accommodation. Adoption of a facility or program that can be accomplished without undue administrative or financial burden.

Response to Intervention (RTI). A process that includes the provision of high-quality instruction and interventions in general education; monitoring and measurement of student progress in response to the instruction and interventions; and use of these measures of student progress to shape instruction and make educational decisions, including whether to refer a student to disability screening.

Rich Site Summary (RSS). A technology that allows educators to subscribe to “feeds” of the content that is created on the Internet, whether it is written in a Web log or more traditional newspapers and magazines.

S

Section 508. A 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act that aims to remove barriers to electronic and information technologies and applies to all federal agencies and federally funded projects.

Social Media. Also referred to as “New Media” that enables users to participate directly in a wide array of online activities from creating, exchanging, and commenting on content through a variety of online tools, such as Facebook, Second Life, YouTube.

V

Virtual Reality (VR). An emerging technology that allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, whether real or imagined. Current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones (e.g., Second Life).

W

Wiki. Computer software that allows users to edit, create, and link Web pages easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative Web sites and power community Web sites. In schools, teachers and students are using password-protected wikis to create their own textbooks and resource sites (e.g., Wikipedia).

 

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