Instructional and Assistive Technology

Instructional Technology

The Howard School community embraces technology. We believe that technology is a vital tool in the educational process, and that students must be comfortable with all forms of new technology to stay competitive in today’s world. Teachers work with our Instructional Technology and Assistive Technology staff to introduce new technology to the students at the correct age and skill level. It is important to understand the needs of our students and to introduce technology that will enrich the learning environments we create at The Howard School. Technology opens up new channels for learners, who tend to connect more and achieve more when they have multiple ways to access information.

A variety of multimedia tools enhance opportunities for collaboration and interaction in and outside of the classroom. The use of these tools supports instruction at every level. Our 1:1 program includes iPads for some Lower School students and school laptops for the remainder of the student population.

“In the technology-rich world we live in, one that our students have grown up in, we have to be sure that we are using the correct technology to enhance learning,” says Lisa Prodigo-Nimorwicz, Digital Learning Coordinator at The Howard School. As the go-to tech resource for faculty, Ms. Prodigo works with teachers to implement the best tools for specific projects and guides students in using them.

Some Instructional Technology tools include:

G-Suite for Education
Seesaw
Zoom
Interactive whiteboard technologies, such as SMARTboard and EPSON interactive projectors

Assistive Technology

Equipped with the right tools, assistive technology can help bridge learning difficulties for students, enhancing their overall educational experience. Assistive technology apps and software integrate easily into the curriculum to make learning more accessible at school and at home. For example, students who struggle with decoding are able to access and learn material at their intellectual level, instead of being limited to their decoding level. With this support, they gain exposure to higher level vocabulary and more complex sentence structures. In addition, students can use voice-recognition tools and/or electronic writing supports to bypass or help remediate a writing difficulty and produce written work that can be evaluated on the merits of creativity and expression. We also use assistive technology for note-taking support.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Designed for students who have challenges with decoding, we provide electronic materials so that all students can use text-to-speech software to access the curriculum as needed. We primarily use the Read & Write tools for Google, which can be individualized for voice types, speed of reading, and font preferences. Additional tools include a built-in dictionary, word prediction, an extensive phonetic spell checker, homophone checker, and study skills tools. All Howard School students have access to these tools at no additional cost.

Voice Recognition (Speech-to-Text)

Electronic Materials

Every worksheet, textbook, or supplemental text is provided in both paper and electronic format to allow seamless access to curricular materials for our students who require text-to-speech software. Students who qualify based on assessment are given access to Bookshare and Learning Ally. For our younger students, we have a subscription to Bookflix, which is an online literacy resource that pairs classic video storybooks with related nonfiction eBooks with text-to-speech support in human voices.

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