PROJECT PLAN

INQUIRY MODULE
MANDI LONG & 23 SEPTEMBER 2019

DESCRIPTION
Special Education is an ever prevalent and ever changing issue in our
culture today. The unification of Education and Technology (AI, XR,
and IoT) is crucial in order to address special education at its
fundamental level. Using a 3D Printer, Spectrums MIX, and Oculus
Quest can all aid in the development of communication, social
interaction, and thought process skills in special need children.

SUBJECT AREA OF INTEREST

Special Education is my subject area of interest. My mother is a

Speech Language Pathologist, so I have had the opportunity to
observe from an educator’s point of view. This in turn has nourished
my passion to help children with special needs function in the real
world.
IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (AI)

I chose to explore a 3D printer for my Artificial Intelligence

application. I chose this technology because I think it has the
potential to ignite creativity in the classroom.

For each prompt – provide 1 – 2 paragraphs on your research

experience using each technology.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not)

change the way people learn within your subject area?
School can be boring to students because it becomes a
monotonous pattern of memorization, lectures, and repetition.
Upon my observation, repetition becomes even more prevalent
in a Special Education classroom. Students become
accustomed to the flash cards and can answer even before the
question is asked. A 3D printer would “mix things up” and force
students to apply critical thinking skills. A teacher could design
shapes of different colors to pass around the classroom. The
concept would become a reality where children could relate a
word with an item.
Furthermore, a 3D printer can be used in a special
education classroom as an incentive. In theory, the 3D printer
would function as a “treasure box.” Students who
demonstrated positive behavior or academic achievement
would be allowed to design their own prize. Behavior can be a
problem in a Special Education classroom and the 3D printer
would serve as motivational substance for improved behavior.
The possibilities are endless.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology

currently? What advancements (technologic or

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 otherwise) are needed for this technology to reach its
potential to transform the way we learn?
As with most technology, there is always room for
improvement. Technology at its finest has the potential to
malfunction. Even a fully AI 3D printer can malfunction!
Perhaps the biggest shortfall of this technology is cost
efficiency. The majority of schools are confined to strict
budgets. A fully AI equipped 3D printer can cost well into the
thousands. Another shortfall is time efficiency. Printing the
smallest item takes up to hours to complete. Within a full
school day, only 1-3 objects could be made. Even if a school
could purchase one, equally sharing the printer among
classrooms would pose a problem. In order to transform the
way we learn, the 3D printer needs to become more accessible
to the public through time and cost efficiency.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for

good or bad) outside of its original intended purpose?
Do you foresee anything we should be wary of?
Within the bounds of its original intended purpose, the
3D printer becomes a great educational tool. However,
stepping outside those confines and the results could be
catastrophic. Educators should be aware of feelings. Some
students may not be capable of designing an item. This could
result in jealousy, hurt feelings, and confliction in the
classroom. Managing the printer with awareness of other
students is the key to success.

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IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (XR)

Within the Extended Reality realm, I explored a virtual reality device

known as Oculus Quest. I chose this technology because it would
allow students to take monumental steps towards education as well
as everyday life.

For each prompt – provide 1 – 2 paragraphs on your research

experience using each technology.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not)

change the way people learn within your subject area?
There are so many avenues an educator could take while
using Oculus Quest. One great thing that I noted was the
ability to draw and write within the Oculus module. Shapes,
addition, spelling no longer would have to be confined to pencil
and paper. A student could step into a new and exciting
dimension to explore the endless possibilities of a simple Math
problem or sentence structure. It becomes paramount to excite
the minds of the students in a Special Education classroom.
This technology could also be a great resource in the
development of social and communication skills. Through my
observation, children with special needs struggle with follow up
questions, listening, and paying attention. By being able to
enter a virtual reality, they could practice these skills in real life
scenarios without the fear of embarrassment or failure.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology

currently? What advancements (technologic or
otherwise) are needed for this technology to reach its
potential to transform the way we learn?
One of the biggest shortfalls of this technology is the lack
of educational games. Moreover, most of the educational

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 games were above the mastery level of a special needs child. A
great addition to this technology would be the invention of a
communication-based game. In this game, the student would
have to talk with a realistic human character in order to
advance to the next level. The game would be centered on
exercising those listening skills as well as utilizing those follow
up questions.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for

good or bad) outside of its original intended purpose?
Do you foresee anything we should be wary of?
Unfortunately, this technology could easily become a
distraction if not monitored. I found that most of the games
were designed for pleasure rather than learning. Thus,
students could become enthralled in a virtual world and lose
interest in their own, real world. Students should learn how to
live in the real world rather than in a virtual, unrealistic world.

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IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (IOT)

I explored Spectrums Mix at the ignited lab. I chose this technology

because the music and colors caught my attention.

For each prompt – provide 1 – 2 paragraphs on your research

experience using each technology.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not)

change the way people learn within your subject area?
This technology includes a color mat and two color
receptors. It connects to the internet using the Spectrums app
on the Ipad. This would be an extremely valuable tool in a
Special Education classroom. It teaches shapes and colors as
each color corresponds to a specific sound. The amazing thing
is you don’t have to stick to the color mat! You can touch any
object with the color receptor, thus, expanding the concept of
a simple 2D shape to a realistic, tangible 3D shape.
The music also helps bring the classroom to life. Through
observation, I have noted that children with special needs
heavily rely on their communication device. They are often
playing and replaying songs or cartoon episodes. Perhaps the
music emitted from this device could further their
comprehension of topics outside of shapes and colors.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology

currently? What advancements (technologic or
otherwise) are needed for this technology to reach its
potential to transform the way we learn?
A major setback to this technology is the lack of color
receptors. If multiple receptors could be connected at once,
then the entire class could participate. In order for this
technology to work, a school would have to have a strong Wi-

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 Fi connection. Many places, even within the United States, do
not have readily available internet connection. Finally, the
colors receptors are small and can easily be lost. Moreover,
some special needs students would not have the physical
ability to grasp the small color receptors.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for

good or bad) outside of its original intended purpose?
Do you foresee anything we should be wary of?
This technology could initiate behavior issues. Some
students might only want to work on the electronic device.
They could refuse to work outside of the technology device,
which would cause confusion and disorder in the classroom. As
with anything, the technology would have to be balanced with
other interactive activities.

RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS
Over the course of this project, I have discovered three
radically different technological devices. All three of which can
realistically be incorporated in to a Special Education classroom.
They all have the potential to transform education into an arena of
creativity. These technologies would encourage young students to
step outside the box of repetition and embrace innovation.
Furthermore, these technological devices would transform the
monotonous daily lectures into a new dimension of time and space
where embarrassment and hurt feelings cease to exist. They can
improve behavior, motivate students, and the possibilities are
endless.

However, as with all things there are certainly setbacks.

Funding is perhaps the biggest setback. Most school budgets could
not financially afford these devices, much less multiple devices.

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Having a strong internet connection is yet another problem. Finally,
technology at its finest can still cause distraction issues. Students
can easily get off topic and lose interest. Ultimately, an educator
must have the ability to monitor the technological devices as well as
understand and observe the effect it has on the students.

Technology is fun and exciting! Everyday more and more

technology becomes readily available. Rather than step back in time,
classrooms should step forward with time and embrace the positivity
technology has to offer.

PERSONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

These technologies completely transformed my opinion on
technology in the classroom. I have often had the belief that
technology should be minimized in the classroom. However, while
exploring these technologies I found that my mind opened up to new
ideas. It began to question the traditional lecture, note, and
memorization way of teaching. I would have been able to better
learn the parts of a cell had I been given a 3D model rather than a
list of vocabulary words. Education would have been so much more
exciting. I personally had a blast “playing” with these technologies. I
definitely learn better with these technologies and hope to one day
incorporate them into my own classroom.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS (OPTIONAL)