Digital Solutions for Today and Tomorrow
The Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) is blessed to collaborate with some of the country’s best educator, including Dr. Sean Smith, a national expert from the University of Kansas specializing in technology and innovation to serve the needs of all students.
He is a teacher, presenter, author, and champion for meeting the needs of students with diverse needs. Sean graciously gives his time and expertise as an adjunct professor and national consultant to PIE.
He provides his insights on technology in a new format for this month’s PIE blog: a short video that shows what you can learn in the May webinar, A Little Slice of PIE. Many thanks, Sean, for all you do to welcome, serve, and celebrate our students!
~Christie Bonfiglio, Ph.D.; Program for Inclusive Education-Director
The 2020-21 academic year is one for the history books. It is safe to say that everyone will be happy to have this academic year in our rearview mirror. And yet with all the challenges, one silver lining is the integration of the various digital tools within our instructional experience. While these tools vary across grade levels and content areas, many have proven critical in our efforts to plan and design for the variability of our learners during very trying times.
Are they game changers? Well, we might need a summer to reflect and consider that question. However, as we close out this academic year, we know that certain technologies are often essential to providing access and support while furthering personalized learning experiences. In the following video, I outline one tool, Text to Speech, as the pre-show to the May 11th A Little Slice of PIE.
Get more practical tools and tips when Dr. Smith presents live on Tuesday, May 11th at 7 pm!
About the Author
Sean J. Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Sean J. Smith is a teacher, teacher educator, researcher, national presenter, and the parent of four school-age children, two having exceptionalities. With a background in the research and implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and technology-based innovations for struggling learners and those with disabilities, Sean has authored books, chapters, articles, and offered hundreds of national presentations. The Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on federally funded research and implementation projects, Sean is currently examining the impact of virtual reality and online learning on student development as well as ways to apply evidence-based technology innovations across the lives of those with exceptionalities, particularly in the area of literacy and technology. A former co-editor of the Journal of Special Education Technology and Teaching Exceptional Children, Sean works to identify ways to further the research-to-practice gap to ensure effective and efficient outcomes for ALL learners, especially via innovative technology-based solutions.