Accessibility is often taken for granted, but for a student who has special needs, accessibility is not always available. Copeland states "Whether a child is officially labeled as being differently able (having one or more characteristics that society labels as a disability)(FN1) or whether she is perceived as typically able, each of our students needs for us to be on the cutting edge of information resources and access. Moreover, our students need us to help them understand how their differences make them specially able. It is through this process that we also discover the child's gifts and abilities, and can use her differences to help her develop the information literacy skills and multi-literacies necessary for lifelong learning" (p 64-69). This past year, I worked in a middle school library and was very fortunate to become very well acquainted with some exceptional students. I served classes with moderate intellectual disabilities (MID) and profound mental disabilities (PMD), with ages ranging from 11-21 years old. I quickly learned these students needs were not being met. These students enjoyed story time with books mainly in the preschool through the 2nd-grade level. Pete the Cat was a favorite, and as the IMD class came daily, I often had requests for that same Pete the Cat book to be read several times each day.
As these students have mental and physical limitations, the information provided by the State Library in the South Carolina Book Services caught my attention. I began thinking of ways my students could read text that was on their reading level and for my students who do not have the mental capacity to read or the physical capacity to hold a book. The Amazon Kindle Fire Kids Edition would be beneficial to my students. The Kindle Fire has ports for headphones, and the noise canceling ones could be used as the students could listen to the stories being read aloud to them. This particular Kindle can be purchased in bundle sets, and they come with the kid-proof cases. They also come with a 2-year guarantee if they are dropped or broken, they will be replaced for free. Please click on this link Fire Tablet Accessibility for more information regarding the accessibility of the Fire tablet.
As these two classes have different needs, the MID class could use the Fire tablets independently to access books, audiobooks, movies, games, and educational content or listen to music while working in free time, or if they can work better while listening to music, the Fire tablet could be used for that. The PMD class does not have the mental capacity to read, but they would be able to listen to audiobooks, listen to stories or informational texts, listen to music, and for those who have the physical ability, they could access interactive games that are on their intellectual level. One of my students in the PMD class would become agitated and cry and hit himself because he was not verbal, but if he listened to music or I sang to him, he would calm down and give me the biggest smile.
For all of the students, the case including the stand is beneficial because it can be used in an upright position on a student's desktop, or for the students in wheelchairs, be placed on their accessible desktops, or on a freestanding stand that is height adjustable. This link to Fire tablet stands will take you to stands that can be used with the Fire tablet, which renders the tablets more accessible to students. The price of the Kindle Fire is less than a Play Away, Play Away Launchpad or iPad. After the one year of Free Time Unlimited has expired, the price is $2.99/month which is very economical. If you are a Prime Member, it is possible to borrow books for free, and there are many free apps that can be downloaded. Books, audiobooks and educational games can be downloaded from the teacher or librarian's Amazon Prime account, and control settings can be put in place. When purchasing books, one book can be shared with six Fire Kindles, so you pay for one book, but it is accessible by five other devices. This is a huge saving when purchasing class sets. The built-in dictionary helps a student quickly get the definition of a word they do not recognize or understand.
For all of the students, the case including the stand is beneficial because it can be used in an upright position on a student's desktop, or for the students in wheelchairs, be placed on their accessible desktops, or on a freestanding stand that is height adjustable. This link to Fire tablet stands will take you to stands that can be used with the Fire tablet, which renders the tablets more accessible to students. The price of the Kindle Fire is less than a Play Away, Play Away Launchpad or iPad. After the one year of Free Time Unlimited has expired, the price is $2.99/month which is very economical. If you are a Prime Member, it is possible to borrow books for free, and there are many free apps that can be downloaded. Books, audiobooks and educational games can be downloaded from the teacher or librarian's Amazon Prime account, and control settings can be put in place. When purchasing books, one book can be shared with six Fire Kindles, so you pay for one book, but it is accessible by five other devices. This is a huge saving when purchasing class sets. The built-in dictionary helps a student quickly get the definition of a word they do not recognize or understand.
Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels
It is up to us to make students not only successful but to feel successful and for everyone to have accessibility to resources and technology. The following video links show how the Fire Kindle can be used in the classrooms.
Kindles in the Classroom
Kindle Fires in the Classroom
Setting up the Kindle Fire for Library and Classroom Use
The Kindle's World at School
Homeschooling with Kindle Fire
References
(2011). School Librarians of the 21st Century. Knowledge Quest, 39(3), 64–69. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=503009229&site=ehost-live
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