iPads in Special Education Classrooms

iPads in Special Education

For
Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland
Magdala D. Norton
EDTC640
Summer 2015
University of Maryland University College

iPads in Special Education Classrooms

The District
Baltimore City Public Schools is located in Baltimore, Maryland. There are 188 schools
and programs in the district: 1 pre-k/kindergarten school; 54 elementary schools; 75
elementary/middle school; 7 middle schools; 15 middle/high schools; 28 high schools; 1
elementary/middle/high school; 7 programs (not schools). The 2014-2015 student enrollment
total was 84,976: 45,585 students in grades pre-k5; 17,050 students in grades 68; 22,341
students in grades 912. Total number of teachers in the district were 5,209. The student
population is 82.7 percent African American; 8 percent White; 7.4 percent Hispanic/Latino. 4.5%
of the students are English language learners and 15% are special education students. Based on
the free and reduced lunch eligibility 84% of students are of low income families. The 1.34
billion dollar budget for the 2015-2016 was approved as of May 4, 2015. Out of this budget
$826,988,173 is allocated to schools. The district created a customer service center which serve
as both a call center and a technical support team for persons in the district that may need
assistance with technology devices.
The Problem
The districts vision is: Accelerating the academic achievement of all students, in
partnership with the entire community to ensure that students have the attitudes, skills, and
proficiencies needed to succeed in college and in the 21st century global workforce. Its mission
is: To accelerate student progress through effective implementation of the Master Plan, focusing
on quality instruction, managing systems efficiently, and sustaining a culture of excellence.
Both its vision and mission are great but the district falls short of accomplishing both its mission
and visions due to its lace of attention to students with special needs. Students in special
education do not have access to technology devices in their classroom nor do they have
opportunities to use technology devices outside of the classroom. Technology, such as the iPad,

iPads in Special Education Classrooms

will be advantageous to students of special needs whether the need is visual, auditory,
behavioral, developmental or adaptive.
The Needs
Baltimore City Public Schools offer a city wide training at the start of the school year and
midway through the school year; it is mandatory that each teacher attends the trainings. The
meetings cover information that teachers and all stakeholders need to know, new technologies
are introduced or recommended, teachers are able to voice any issues they may have or make
suggestions and we discuss what changes we could make to make our classrooms more learning
centered. I believe that this type of meeting will not be the best place for training teachers on
iPads in special education considering most teachers there would not be special education
teachers. The best alternative for this type of training would be a one week, 5 hours a day
training session that would be held during the summer. The training will be held at various
school sites so there will be no additional cost in terms of venue.
The Audience
This training program would be for special education teachers. It will also be open to any
teacher who is interested in attending in the training; however, only special education teachers
will be able to participate in the activities. The information technology specialist will also be in
attendance at the training and all support staff from the customer service department since it is
their duty to assist staff members with technology issues. Also in attendance will be the members
of the special education citizens advisory committee. The training will be open to 20 special
education teachers.
The Goals/Objectives
Teachers will learn the following from this training:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

The basics on how to use the iPad

How to troubleshoot common problems with the iPad
How to best customize the iPad to suit their students needs
What apps, prebuilt, into the iPad that are suited for persons of special needs
What type of apps to download that can address a specific need
How to create a technology driven lesson plan
What resources are available to assist them
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iPads in Special Education Classrooms

8. Who to contact should any issue arise that they are unable to troubleshoot
Content
Below is a day to day agenda of the meeting.
Day 1 How to use and troubleshoot the iPad

Teachers will be given an iPad

Techers will watch a short video tutorial on the iPad (throughout the video I will pause it

and allow the audience members to demonstrate the actions demonstrated in the video)
Teachers will practice various functions of the iPad such as powering on and off,

installing apps, turning the Wi-Fi on and off, removing apps, etc
Teachers will then demonstrate to each other how to perform the functions (essentially it

will be a teacher to pupil type of instruction)

Instructor will review a list of issues that may arise when using the iPad and will

demonstrate how to troubleshoot those issues.

Teachers will watch a short video on troubleshooting the iPad
Teachers will practice troubleshooting individually and collaboratively.

Day 2 How to customize your iPad

Teachers will be given an iPad

Video presentation on how to customize an iPad for a specific need.
Teachers will practice the various accessibility options available from the iPad
An open discussion will be held in which teachers will share some of their students

specific needs with the room.

The instructor will list some accessibility options within the iPad that the teacher can

change to suit that students needs

The instructor will take notes.

Day 3 Prebuilt Apps and Downloadable Apps

Teachers will be given an iPad

Instructor will review what apps that are prebuilt into the iPad and what apps that
teachers can download that are best suited for students of special needs (list of
downloadable apps will be inspired from the discussion from day 2).

iPads in Special Education Classrooms

Teachers will practice using the apps that are prebuilt into the iPad and they will

download apps recommended by the instructor and practice with those apps as well.
Instructor will supply teachers with a list of resource sites for finding appropriate apps for
their special needs students.

Day 4 Technology Driven Lesson Plan

Teachers will be given an iPad

Instructor will present a variety of lesson plans that were created for special education

classes with the iPad as the sole technology use.

Teachers will research apps, download apps and practice with apps.
Teachers will present their selected apps to the group and explain how they plan on using
that app in their classroom.

Day 5 Lesson Plan Presentation

Teachers will be given an iPad

Teachers will present lesson plans to the group
Instructor and peers will provide feedback
Instructor will distribute a packet containing all training materials used, resource sites and
contact information for technical support to audience members.

Instructional Strategies
The instructional strategy used in this training will be varied to accommodate teachers
who are not familiar with the iPad on an instructional or personal level. The first phase of the
training will begin with instruction/tutorials from the instructor. There is no preset time limit for
the training but I will try my best to guide the lessons as best as I could so that we are not on one
particular topic for a lengthy amount of time. The next phase of the training will be
individual/group time with the iPad devices. Participants will be able to work with the devices
individually and as a group. This portion of the training will be guided and monitored so that
participants are on task with the learning objectives. The instructor will be present to answer any
questions participants may have. Collaborative work between participants will be encouraged but
not mandated. The final phase of the training will be sharing/presentation portions. In this phase
teachers will present their apps and lesson plans to the group. They will be given feedback by

iPads in Special Education Classrooms

both the instructor and participants. The feedback will be beneficial to them when creating future
lesson plans for their classrooms.
Materials
Below are links to the videos that I will use for the iPads in special education training:
http://mits.cenmi.org/Resources/VideoList/VideoPlayer/TabId/1585/VideoId/453/iPad-BasicsGeneral-Overview.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDVy7PXyUp4
http://mits.cenmi.org/Resources/VideoList/VideoPlayer/TabId/1585/VideoId/448/iPad-BasicsAccessibility-Features.aspx
The app store includes a special education section which users can access to
search for apps that are geared to students with special needs. Apple states,
Weve done everything possible to make anything possible. Apple offers a
variety of built-in tools and technologies that help people with disabilities get
the most out of their Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

P
hoto retrieved from: http://www.apple.com/education/special-education/

iPads in Special Education Classrooms

A list of apps and the content area the app is best suited for will also be presented to the
participants. Below is a screenshot of that list. Teachers will be permitted to make suggestions to
the list as well.

Field Test
To field test the workshop I will host a lecture/presentation style meeting with the

perspective participants. The instructors and participants will meet at a pre-disclosed location for
the 5 hour training session. During this test session the instructor will discuss with participants
the importance of using iPads in special education and share stories and data that shows the
success that both teachers and students have had with using iPads in special education classroom.
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iPads in Special Education Classrooms

The time allotted for this portion will be 30 minutes. Teachers will then be given an iPad which
they will use throughout the field test training session. The instructor will demonstrate the basics
on how to use the iPad. Participants will practice turning on and off the iPad, downloading and
deleting apps, navigating the settings of the iPad, changing the accessibility features of the iPad
and resetting the iPad. The time allotted for this portion is an hour. Next the instructor will show
participants how to access the apps within the iPad that are geared towards special education and
share apps that can be downloaded for special education. Participants will be able to explore both
the apps that are prebuilt into the iPad and those that were downloaded to the iPad. The time
allotted for this portion will be 1 hour as well. Next the instructor will share lesson plans with the
participants; these lesson plans will include the iPad as its main technology source. Participants
will participate in the lesson plan as students and will perform the assignment directed by the
instructor. By participating they will be able to learn more about the iPad and the app that is
being used for that particular lesson plan. The time allotted for this portion is 1 hours. The
field test training will end with a discussion and evaluation. The discussions will be guided by
the instructor.
Revision
Based on the feedback from the field test that I held I will gauge whether or not I need to
make any changes to my plan. I may need to create a more time centered plan so that we do not
spend too much time on one section. I may need to spend more time demonstrating how to use
the iPad if the participants at the field test were not familiar with how to use the iPad or I may
need to shorten it if they are familiar with how to use the iPad. If participants appeared to be
uninterested in certain presentations I may need to change how I present the information to them.
I could make certain activities more group centered as opposed to a one person activity. If any
revision is necessary I will know for sure after the field test. A week before the actual training is
to begin I will meet with the information technology team and the members for the special
education citizens advisory committee. From the information technology team I will know if the
tutorials and slides I created for how to use the iPad and for trouble shooting the iPad would be
effective. I would meet with the members of the special education citizens advisory committee
to learn if there were other apps that I had failed to include in my list of apps that are geared for
students with special needs. I will also attempt to meet with some, hopefully all of the special
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iPads in Special Education Classrooms

education teachers so that I could go over my lesson plan with them. I would be open to any
suggestions they have to offer.
Evaluations
I will evaluate the success of the workshop via an online survey on the last day of the
session. Participants will complete the survey using the iPad that they have been working on all
week. The link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2VHWBJ3. I created a survey
that is not too long and doesnt require too much typing from the participants; surveyors should
be able to complete the survey in as little as 1 minute. Essentially the questions asked are meant
to gauge how effective participants believe the training was. If they are willing to recommend the
training to other teachers then I would say that the training was a success. Surveyors can also
leave comments, suggestions and feedbacks in the survey that they believe would be beneficial
to future trainings.
Summative Evaluation
To complete a summative evaluation of the training I will follow up with the teachers
both virtually and in person. I will schedule a date with the teachers to come to their classroom
and observe them while they teach. It is important the date chosen be a date that the teacher is
using the iPad in the instruction. Based on how the teacher uses the iPad in the delivery of the
lesson plan, how students perform with the iPad, and how the teacher is able to troubleshoot any
problems that could arise I will be able to gauge the success of the training that was given. The
training should have been able to prepare the teacher for using the iPad and how to create lesson
plans with the iPads. The teacher should also be able to demonstrate to the students how to use
the iPad as well and he or she should be able to assist the student should they need any assistance
as well. At the end of the school year I will send out another survey to teachers to ask them how
effective they believe the iPad has been in their students learning. I will also ask them if they will
continue to use the iPad in their instruction. The survey can be accessed using the following
link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2VHWBJ3. The data retrieved from the survey will be
compiled into one document which I will use to revise the training if necessary. Since the district
has a special education advisory committee I will also meet with that committee their thoughts

iPads in Special Education Classrooms

on the training, what changes have they noticed in the students and teachers since the iPads were
integrated into the classroom instruction and if they had any suggestions or questions.
Budget
Item
Instructor
Participants
Materials

iPad Air Wi-Fi 16GB

Cost
$40 per hour for 25 hours
$500 stipend for 20 teachers

Total Cost
$1,000
$10,000

$4730.00 x 2

$9,460

$17.99 x 20
$0
$500

$359.80
$0
$500

Silver (10-Pack) with

3-year AppleCare+

for iPad
iPad cases

Venue
Refreshments and light
snacks

Overall Total: 21,319.80

Follow-Up
To follow-up with participants I will reach out to them throughout the school year; I will
send them an email each quarter. Before the beginning of the first semester I will send them an
email to thank them for attending the training sessions and to let them know that I am available
to assist them if any of the resources provided are unavailable. Prior to the second semester
beginning I will send another email to ask them how was their experience in implementing the
use of the iPads in their classrooms. I would ask them to share how prepared they felt prior to the
first implementation? If I receive any negative experiences I would offer to come to his or her
classroom to provide assistance anyway I could. Prior to the third semester beginning I would
send another email to ask how were things progressing? Was using the iPads for lesson
instruction becoming less challenging or more challenging? I would also ask them if they were in
need of any assistance with the lesson plan creations or troubleshooting with the iPad. Prior to
the forth semester beginning I will send another email to check on the progress of both the
teacher and students. I would want to know how students are responding to the iPad. Whether or
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iPads in Special Education Classrooms

not the teacher believes that the iPad had been an effective learning tool for the students? I would
also ask in what ways, besides lessons and activities, have the iPads been used in the classroom?
The last email will be sent at the end of the school year. I would ask them if they collaborated
with any other teachers when creating their lesson plans. Did they receive assistance from any
other resources that I did not provide? If they did, I would ask them to share them with me so
that I could update my list of resources. I would also ask if they believe that the training provided
had contributed to their success in implementing the use of the iPad in their special education
classroom. If a teacher had not been successful, I would ask him or her to share what they
believe was the reasons why their attempt to implement the use of the iPad in their special
education classroom was unsuccessful. In both situations I would offer to answer any questions
or help with any new inquiries that they may have.

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iPads in Special Education Classrooms

References
Apple, Inc. (2015). We believe that technology can provide great learning tools for all learning
abilities. Every Mac and iOS device comes standard with innovative accessibility
features. Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/education/special-education/
Apple, Inc. (2015). US education institution Hardware and software list. Retrieved from
http://images.apple.com/education/pricelists/pdfs/us_education_institution_price_list_04_
28_2015.pdf
Baltimore City Public Schools. (2011). Information Technology Plan 2011-2014. Retrieved from
http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/cms/lib/MD01001351/Centricity/Domain/8052/PDF
/2011-14_InformationTechnologyPlan.pdf
Baltimore City Public Schools. (2009). District Data Profile. Retrieved from
http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/cms/lib/MD01001351/Centricity/Domain/8048/Dist
rictDataProfile.pdf
Sailers, E. (2010). iPad Apps and Accessories for Special Needs. Retrieved from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/39018411/iPad-Apps-and-Accessories-for-Special-Needs

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