Week 5 Assignment #2

Latest technology helps support special needs students, teachers in Kagawa Pref.

In Kagawa Prefecturem Japan, special needs classrooms and schools in are making use of the latest resources like information communications technology and 3-D printing in order to offer the right support for students with varying disabilities and development levels.

In the special needs classes a field experiment with remote support about teaching methods was carried out from January to March this year. The project was led by two professors special needs education specialist Satoshi Sakai, 56, and Eiichi Miyazaki, 55, who specializes in education technology. They teamed up with IT giant Fujitsu Ltd. to combine technology with classroom needs.

Sakai began wondering in 2005 if there wasn't a way to offer more precise support to match the type and severity of a disability. 

Using advanced cameras and microphones he would be able to assess the classroom and give support to the teachers and feedback. "Being able to get advice from experts like this so easily is an extremely powerful tool for teachers who have yet to build experience in the classroom," Tanaka said. Sakamoto also commented, "If we have (the experts) come all the way to the school, it's hard to schedule a date and a time. With this system, it is possible for experts to observe what goes on in the classroom several times in a short period of time, and we were able to apply the information to improve the lessons immediately."

Sakai also employed virtual reality to try to have teachers experience how those students on the autism spectrum see and hear! "We would like to build a system that can provide appropriate help so that teachers can support students with special needs, regardless of distance or environment," Sakai said.

At another school, Kagawa prefectural Takamatsu school for children with special needs, in the prefectural capital of Takamatsu, a 3-D printer was introduced two years ago. It allows teachers to create tools to help support students with physical disabilities as well as educational materials for the classroom all on their own.

I found this article fascinating, how Sakai and teachers handled the challenge of being able to offer support when being so far away! As well I loved the idea of using virtual reality to have the teachers experience what it is like to be autistic!! 

Technology plays such a critical role in education, there is no surprise that it plays an equally critical role with special needs students. In fact it can play an even more important role to help compensate for what the students lack!!