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T E C H N O L O G Y I N T E G R AT I O N

Using Technology to Empower Students With Special Needs Learn how one educator uses G Suite for Education to help students overcome their negative self-images and embrace learning.

By Kathryn Nieves

November 8, 2016

© iStock.com/gradyreese

One of the biggest problems I encounter as a resource room teacher is the self-esteem of the students in my

classes. After years of disappointing academic experiences, their confidence is low and their motivation has

declined. Combine those points with the peer pressure, bullying, and stresses of middle school, and the students do

not have a positive outlook on their education.

In my classroom, technology is a tool for empowerment—it creates a collaborative and innovative space for all

students. Along with over 50 million educators and students, I am primarily using Google’s G Suite for Education

. The suite is a bundle of Google’s key products, such as

Drive, Docs, Slides, and Forms, along with new tools like Google Classroom. While I used these applications in a

middle school classroom, the following strategies are appropriate for any age from upper elementary students to

high school seniors.

Use Google Classroom for Choice and Personalized Learning

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My special education students typically miss out on taking courses of personal interest. Electives are often replaced

with supplemental math or reading classes to bring the students up to grade-level expectations. So I decided to

bring student interests into my resource rooms. While we still have to follow the curriculum and I have to modify it

based on individual needs, I wanted to implement more choice and personalized learning in my instruction.

© K athryn Nieves

A Choice Board used in the author's classroom

I typically share a choice board or a HyperDoc to Google Classroom in order to provide my

students with their own avenues for learning. A choice board is a graphic organizer that offers students options of

tasks to complete. A HyperDoc is a digital lesson plan that also incorporates choice in student learning. I provide

students with tasks they are required to complete and a variety of tasks they can choose from and can complete at

their own pace. This individual pacing helps to increase student ownership and accountability for their learning—

traits that all students need, especially students with special needs.

Sometimes the HyperDoc is as simple as a multimedia text set from which students choose what they would like to

read and view. For some assignments, students use YouTube to view a video I’ve created about the topic. Then they

have their choice of an article to read based on their own individual interests. Students can choose to use Google

Slides, their own YouTube video creation, a Google Form to survey others, or other technology tools to show what

they’ve learned before sharing with their peers via Google Classroom. Students are given the freedom to

demonstrate their knowledge in their own way and tend to feel more invested in learning because of the choices

they are given.

Create “20 Percent Time” for Passion Projects

Based on Google’s philosophy of having employees devote part of their work time to projects of personal interest, I

have my students choose an area of passion that is not in the curriculum. They develop a step-by-step plan to help

them reach their goal and set timeframes to measure their progress. For some students, organization is a challenge.

Since they have to keep track of all of their materials and work, as well as plan their project step by step, the project

gives them the tools they need to practice organization. This project is a long-term assignment, so I give my

students about half of the school year to complete their work.

The students excel at these projects. I had a student draft an entire graphic novel on paper, scan it to her Google

Drive, and then use the PDF annotation extension Kami to add text to the thought and speech

bubbles. Technology enabled her to create a professional-looking manuscript that she can add to her portfolio as

she pursues art in high school. Other students completed their experience by sharing their projects with their peers

through Google Slides, video recordings, and other presentation software.

(http://hyperdocs.co/)

(https://www.kamihq.com/)

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Technology Integration Special Education 3-5 Upper Elementary

6-8 Middle School 9-12 High School

Though there were challenges, my students enjoyed the opportunity to work on these passion projects and were

able to use problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles. The concept of problem solving is tough for special

education students to grasp, but having them work on their own choice of project helps unlock their ability to work

through challenges.

Use Tools to Aid Discussion and Collaboration

Because of the nature of some of their disabilities, my students struggle with communication. Group work is difficult,

and discussions are often one-sided. I knew my quiet students had insightful comments to share but were reluctant

to speak up in class, and my outgoing students needed to take more time to craft their responses. Again, technology

helped all these students work through their challenges.

I use the Google Slides Q&A feature during class presentations. The students access a question-based page

associated with the presentation and can post questions, which the presenter can refer back to at the end of the

presentation. My quieter students felt more empowered from behind a keyboard, and they actively shared ideas and

asked questions. For my students anxious about speaking in front of others, the anonymity made them feel relaxed

during discussions. My eager speakers were also aided by technology. Because they had to take the time to type an

answer, as opposed to just saying whatever popped into their heads, they paused and reflected before typing. They

began to think about their words carefully as a result of the digital discussions.

Verso is another way I’ve encouraged collaboration and discussion. Through this Chrome app, I

can post questions for my students. They cannot see each other ’s responses until they post something themselves.

Since responses are anonymous, my students with anxiety feel at ease about their contributions.

Technology has eased the disappointment and frustration that my students feel when faced with academics. It has

helped me reach out to my students, rekindled their passion for learning, and empowered them to not only find

success but also feel confident in the classroom.

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