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Goals/Objectives:  

  1. Provide a systematic infrastructure in order to build state and local capacity to improve educational results for students with disabilities across New Hampshire through the use of Assistive Technology.
  2. Provide technical assistance of a specialized nature to the Department so that districts may effectively and efficiently identify, clarify and address responsibilities under State and federal special education laws. 
  3. Expose New Hampshire educators to a hybrid learning experience that utilizes a research based system of quality indicators to promote effective, efficient Assistive Technology services for students with significant disabilities. (Quality Indicators for AT Consideration; Assessment; Inclusion in IEP; Implementation; Evaluation of Effectiveness; Transition; Professional Development and Training; and, Administrative Support).
  4. Promote infrastructure development, compliance and implementation with fidelity of evidence based practices, through the five phases of implementation science (Exploration, Preparation, Integration, Scale and Optimization) in order to improve results for all students, including students with significant disabilities, who need Assistive Technology devices and services in order to be successful. 
  5. Develop an Assistive Technology training series focused on supporting families and the implementation of assistive technology based on the Dual Capacity Framework.  
  6. Understand State and Federal laws pertaining to Assistive Technology, including considering and evaluating the need for AT devices and services, legal obligations for ensuring access to the general curriculum, and providing accessible educational materials as defined by IDEA, Sections 504 and 508; Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2, Level AA (WCAG2.0AA) and both the National Education Technology Plan of 2010 and the 2017 update (released January 2017); Education Technology Developer’s Guide of 2015
  7. For educators and other stakeholders, demonstrate a practical understanding of AT, UDL and their respective Frameworks, Guidelines and Resources including: SETT Framework, QIAT Indicators, AT in the IEP, UDL Lesson-Builder, including Tools & Strategies for evaluation of the needs of students with significant disabilities.
  8. Demonstrate ability to access, create and use the Accessible Educational Materials services provided privately and through state and federal funding for students with print-based disabilities including: NIMAS, Library, Bookshare, Learning Ally, Open Education Resources (OER), Accessible Book Collection, AEM Center, captioning tools, image descriptions, document formatting, audio files etc. 
  9. Develop plans for next steps in the implementation of Assistive Technology in the classroom/school/district, including Student Assessment, Technology Implementation, Identification of available resources, plans for Professional Development and ongoing Dissemination of Information.

Course Philosophy:

We believe that adult learners learn best through meaningful hands-on activities and collegial sharing of information in a safe and supportive environment.  Information will be delivered to participants through: explicit instruction, hands-on activities, collaborative projects, multimedia and print-based tutorials, interactive videos, models and examples, live and online discussions, twitter chats, active use of online resources for ongoing sharing and discussion throughout the length of the institute and beyond. 

Expanding the Professional Learning Network 

It takes a collaborative effort to successfully implement AT & UDL & AEM initiatives.  The support network needs to expand beyond the four walls of a building to be successful in keeping up with the constant advances in the field. Cross-sharing of resources and online discussions will be encouraged between the two institute groups of participants to expand the AT Professional Learning Community across the state (#NHATconnect). Participants will also be introduced to the larger national and international AT & UDL communities through participation in the following existing networks: QIAT listserv, UDLExchange, UDL-IRN, #ATCHAT #UDLCHAT, #EDTech, #inclusiveLN, EdtechTeacher, and others. Participants will be encouraged to find their own online support resources specific to their professional role/interests (#STEM, #NTCHAT, Blogs, Websites, listservs, etc.)