Thread: Special Needs
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Unread 02-10-2008, 11:48
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Re: Special Needs
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
Edit: I just remembered that there was a presentation in Atlanta this past year concerning special needs children.
The title of the presentation was Special Needs Children and FIRST Robotics Programs
It was presented by Pamela Greyer, NASA AEL/Chicago Public Schools.

If you contact FIRST, they may be able to provide further information regarding this presentation.
Here is the little abstract about the workshop:

Quote:

Special Needs Children and
FIRST Robotics Programs

Pamela Greyer, NASA AEL/Chicago Public Schools
The visual and hands-on nature of FIRST LEGO League robotics makes it a perfect fit for introducing
special needs students to world of robotics. In traditional team settings, these students are usually
excluded from participation based on behavioral issues or learning disabilities that could add an extra
burden on coaches and volunteers during the season. During the 2007 competition season, several
special needs students approached coaches and asked how they could become involved in the team.
These students were not considered for the team due to anger management issues, low grades, and
other learning problems. Research has found however that hands-on activities that involve them in
creative, explorative learning are more beneficial than traditional classroom learning strategies and
can also assist students with behavioral issues as well as becoming a motivational tool in increasing
skills in math and science. Another population, autistic children, can also benefit from building JFLL
models and increase individual independence with the guidance and assistance of special needs
teachers. How to build activities and a curriculum for special needs students around JFLL and FLL
robotics will be the focus of this presentation. Various techniques that have been used by the
workshop presenter in her work with special needs students in hands-on science programs will be
presented as well as a new initiative in the Chicago Public School District to provide inclusion of
special needs students in JFLL and FLL robotics in non-competitive as well as competitive environments.


Unfortunately, there is no info online about the presentation other than that, so as Jane mentioned contacting FIRST who could get you in contact with Pamela would be your best bet.

Some other relevant presentations over the years may be of interest as well. Those can be found here:
http://first.wpi.edu/Workshops/index.html
And here's where I pulled the little abstract from about the particular one Jane mentioned from this past year:
http://www.usfirst.org/community/fir...hType=AndWords


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