Using technology enhancement in the literature circle as an accommodation for learners with special needs

 6a Interaction Accommodation

Students with physical disabilities is that they often have extended absences from school

• become hospital/homebound students
• usually unable to physically attend school for some period of time for medical reasons.

A hospital/homebound student to interact with the other students in a class through telecommunications technologies.

Using telecommunications to work with other members of the literature circle allows the student to continue in the cooperative learning activities:

• An internet or video conference system could be used as an accommodation if a class held a literature circle with one or two students from a discussion group who are unable to physically attend class, but who can still participate virtually.
• Another option is to use an asynchronously internet based online course management system, where the discussion circle could interact with each other using applications such as threaded discussions and or email.

Assistive technology specialists from the Florida Assistive Technology Education Network (ATEN) state that when accommodating for students with special needs, instructors should still expect the students to communicate and they should provide students with: opportunities to interact with others; varied models of print use; choices, sufficient time for them to respond; and opportunities to communicate (2000, 2002).  All of these expectations can be accommodated in most asynchronous distance learning environments and relate well to the principles and activities of a literature circle.