Is blogging accessible to people with vision loss?

I recently read an article about visually impaired people being able to blog. The article stated that the essential functions needs to include the ability of an individual to relate their own user account ; edit their user profile; compose , read, and lend style to their own blog entries; link the content of their blogs to relevant online material; and review the comments of their readers.

As is the case with most new technological advances, education regarding accessibility for computer users with visual disabilities is essential if improvements are to be made by designers and developer of blogs and related applications. Currently, a number of barriers exists that prevent blind individuals from benefiting fully from a mainstream blogging experience. One of these barriers exists in a fundamental component of the process, the creation of one's user account.

The inaccessibility of the current blogging experience represents more than just a lack of access to relevant information for blind computer users. Blogs are a rapidly growing avenue to self expression, a means of exchanging information with communities of like minded peers, and even a potential source of employment.

Online Debate

Trying to find anything con about technology can be very tedious work. It made me take a second look at how I select my research topics for my students. Here we are doing an online debate and my Internet service is down. I'm going to the public Library to use their service, its going to make recording my argument interesting. I'm nervous enough without that added stress.

Technology Concerns

With the up and coming 2010-2011 budget cuts that our school district must implement, the purchasing of new technology equipment and the renewal of subscriptions to sites may take a noticeable hit. So is it back to paper and pencil or do we be come innovators and create more collaborative learning assignments.

Geocache

I have posted my geocache in Navicache.com under the name of jolly rancher. I had to borrow a GPS because I don't own one, so trying to figure it out was challenge for me (as is many things). But, once that hurdle was crossed it was fun . I discovered that their is other geocache hidden in that surrounding area.

Dustin made a great point-who monitors the students when they are at home? Just this week one of our students was involved with an older guy (via spacebook) from California. This guy arrived in town a couple of days ago, and her parents are beside themselves which they should be. We were ask to watch her ever move, don't let her go to the restroom, Library, or lunchroom without an adult escort.The strange thing about this is that we told her parents that she was texting this guy during class and that they should look into this matter. Their respond was, she has done this before and nothing has ever come of it. I think this all could have been avoided if they took care when it they were made aware of the situation.

My wiki link is http://409.wikispaces.com/

I wrote about Web 2.0 not being the alpha and the omega of social networking. With every computer program their are some cliches, and this one is not without its short comings.

This week assignment

This weeks assignment stirred up some concerns about Acceptance User Policies. Each districts has some type of user policy in place, and any use of the computer can create some concerns; and we all know that we can't always predict what will be shared on some websites. I have previewed sites, and then when students go to those sites if they should type one thing wrong like .com instead of .org they are seeing something that I had not intended for them to see. Our district has blocked several sites like YouTube and others. In the past we were able to monitor what sites our students were viewing via their sign numbers but for some reason we are not able to that anymore.

Geotagging

This weeks assignment has sparked new ideas for possible new lesson plans for my geography unit next school year. I was also thinking about using geotagging as a class building activity. One of our teachers uses Flat Stanley with your special needs class to study geography, I wonder if she could incorporate some geotagging into that assignment.

Thank you all for your helpful advice. Our district is really pushing toward making technology our number #1 focus in integrating technology into our existing lessons, that's why I was thinking that revising all my lesson plans would accomplished this request. I can see by taking baby steps would be much better than overwhelming myself. Thanks again!

The half way mark

I can't believe that we are at the half way mark in this class. We have learned a lot of useful technological applications. My problem is having the time to reconstruct my lesson plans to include these new techniques. I'm hoping that over the summer I will be able to rewrite all of my lesson to include more technology usage.

Standardize Testing

In about three and half weeks our school district will start MAP testing. Every year we come up with different ways to raise our scores. This year we have our kids in what we call boot camp for reinforcement in the areas of Comm. Arts and Math. Selected students give up one elective to attend these practice sessions. I'm interested in seeing the data on how effect this strategy was. The selected students can choose to attend these three week sessions or not. Students that attend these sessions don't like giving up their elective but, we remind them that its just for three weeks and the extra help in Math and Comm. Arts will help them to better understand the curriculum not only for this year but it will also prepare them for next year as well.