Wikis+and+Learning+Disabilities

//by Josh Fowler//

To put it in the simplest of terms, a wiki is an interactive website that is easily created, edited, and published by a variety of users, if wanted. Wikis allow users to share a variety of media, from words, files, and hyperlinks to audio and video. Creators can start with a single page of information and spread it across numerous pages with any type of organization they would wish to use. Wikis are easy to use webpage templates to share a wealth of information.

Wikis are a great tool for anyone to use to share information with others, no matter who they may be. Teachers and students can greatly benefit from utilizing Wikis for class information, especially those students with learning disabilities. According to Teen Health, "learning disabilities are problems that affect the brain's ability to receive, process, analyze, or store information, [making] it difficult for a student to learn as quickly as someone who isn't affected by learning disabilities." We all have experiences with students who struggle due to a learning disabilities and we always are looking for ways to help these students succeed and overcome any type of obstacle they may encounter.

Wikis are great tools to use with students with learning disabilities. The first benefit to the student would be that it would give them an easy way to have another resource for classroom information. Teachers can easily post course materials and links to various resources that will allow students to review the material or to find additional information they may need while study or learning the material. Many students with learning disabilities enjoy using technology because it helps them overcome their LD, and wikis are a tool that can help. One specific example of a benefit would be a student with ADD who struggles greatly with organization skills. Keeping a notebook and various handouts could be a nightmare for this individual, but creating a wiki can allow this student to have all of the necessary information saved digitally, where they or anyone else can access it at any time.

One of the difficulties that LD students may have with using wikis would be to remember their class wiki's or their own wiki's web address. This could be remedied by having shortcuts or bookmarks for the student on their computers, having the site saved as their homepage, or to have the wiki linked to the school's webpage. Other difficulties may occur with their specific learning disability, but those would be addressed individually. For example, a student may have dyslexia and have trouble reading and writing. They can use the various colors and font sizes available on the wiki to help them organize and differentiate information on the page.

To utilize wikis, students must be able to read and navigate a mouse. This would allow students to read and gather any information on the already created wiki page. To create their own wiki, students must have the ability to type, read, and navigate a mouse. For students who do not have these abilities, due to a physical or visual impairment, they could use a partner or teacher to help type or navigate the page for them, allowing them to still use the wiki for educational purposes.

A Brochure of Assistive Technology at Landrum High School
 * Example of Uploading Files**

media type="youtube" key="h_0merL0w_s" height="349" width="425" media type="youtube" key="1pR5yogCmkA" height="349" width="425"
 * Video on successful individuals who had learning disabilities in school:**
 * Video on how Wikis can be used in the classroom:**

//**Links for more information:**// Teen Health: Learning Disabilities

Wikis by Kate Teehan (Google Book) See Chapter 9 on page 63

Disability.gov

AbilityNet GATE: Learning Disability