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PUTNEY, VT—July 21, 2003—The National Institute at Landmark
College is pleased to announce that four schools and
a college have been selected to participate in an Assistive Technology
School Partnership.
In May, 2003, The National Institute at Landmark College sent out over
200 applications to schools and colleges inviting them to apply as a
participating school with the goal of improving their ability to deliver
educational experiences utilizing assistive technology.
Bellows Falls Union High School; Brattleboro Union High School; Mount
Anthony Middle and High School in Bennington; Woodstock Union Middle
and High School and Castleton State College were selected by a committee
which included Linda Hecker, Director of Educational Services for The
National Institute, Anne Fein, Manager of Assistive Technology Services
of Landmark College and Ellen Engstrom, Associate Professor at Landmark
College.
Assistive Technology is specialized computer-based technology designed
to help individuals reach their potential by facilitating academic performance.
It can serve as a bridge between a student’s needs and abilities.
For instance, students who have reading difficulty but good oral comprehension
might use text-to-speech software, which speaks text out loud while highlighting
it in color on a computer monitor. Other common forms of Assistive Technology
include voice recognition (converts speech into print), visual mapping
software (organizes ideas into pictorial formats), and personal organizers.
Landmark College has pioneered in integrating Assistive Technology into
an educational program to support students’ reading, writing, and
study skills. A Congressional Award supported the Assistive Technology
Demonstration Project in several areas: research and development of effective
Assistive Technology classroom strategies through Landmark’s Student
Notebook Program; the production of a Best Practices and Technical Services
Manual; several workshops at the Putney campus; the 5 School Partnerships.
The Manual is scheduled for distribution to Vermont schools and colleges
during Fall, 2003.
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