Along with all the different types of mouse emulators, there
are multiple types of alternative keyboards.
Expanded keyboards are oversized keyboards with more surface area than a
standard keyboard for students that have poor fine motor control and need a
large target.
Mini-keyboards are smaller keyboards that benefit students
that have limited range of motion.
One-handed keyboards have two types. The Half-QWERTY keyboards have the appearance
of a standard keyboard and can be used for both left and right handed
users. (Right) The Dvorak keyboard layout has
the most frequent keys on the home-row position. (Left)
On-screen keyboards, mentioned in a previous blog, have a
standard keyboard on the computer monitor.
Letters are selected by clicking with the mouse.
Finally, customizable or programmable keyboards are for individual
students and have three basic types. The
first, is the standard QWERTY with extra programmable keys, the second use
interchangeable overlays, and the third alter on screen keyboards.
Below is a chart summarizing all types of keyboards.
Like I didn't know so many mouse emulators existed, I also never knew about all the different types of keyboards that were out there! With this knowledge, a computer can become completely individualized to each student.
References:
Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in
the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Mia,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I never knew so many forms of keyboards existed. I found your post very helpful and learned a lot of valuable information from it. Thanks for sharing!
Mia,
ReplyDeleteI love how you showed so many examples of different assisted technologies for keyboards. I also have found your post to be very useful when trying to find different ways to accommodate each student. Awesome job!
Mia, this is a great description of all types of keyboards. The chart is a great source that you added to help with all the details and differences. I really enjoyed how you described each keyboard and made it easy for the reader to understand.
ReplyDelete