SMART Technologies Inc. a provider of collaboration solutions, announced recently, the successful completion of the first-ever SMARTee Global Project focused on providing a positive impact for special needs students. The program was developed by teachers who are SMART Exemplary Educators (SEE) in collaboration with SMART Technologies, and leveraged products within SMART Learning Suite™, SMART’s education software, to help special needs students improve social and communication skills while creating the opportunity for the students to connect with other special needs students around the world.
In total, 60 special needs students from around the world, in grades three through seven, participated in the program using SMART software. The main objective of the project was to create a collaborative and project-based learning environment where special education students can meet new individuals and work together.
Students from each school engaged in a number of activities ranging from creating videos for one another to writing and sharing digital postcards.
The results were life changing for both the students and teachers involved. For example, a student in Sweden who had previously been unable to share or communicate with others was compelled by interactions with students in Finland to engage and participate in activities. As many special needs parents and educators can attest, this is a major developmental hurdle for students to overcome.
The project, which ran for the duration of the 2015-2016 school year, was developed and carried out by six special education teachers in five different countries including: Jörgen Holmberg, Kungsvägens Skola in Sipoo, Finland; Stefan Schwarz, Oberlinschule, Potsdam, Germany; Carla Pinho Vieira, St. Vincent School for the Deaf, Johannesburg, South Africa; Lotta Ramqvist, Birgittaskolan, Örebro, Sweden; Staci Gelbaum, Cumberland Academy of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, United States; Brianna Owens, Petroglyph Elementary, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.
Paying homage to SMART Technologies’ headquarters in Canada, the project’s mascot is a small beaver named “SMARTee” who spent the school year visiting the students in each country, chronicling his adventures in a blog.
“Special education students often feel isolated,” said Neil Gaydon, President and CEO of SMART Technologies. “SMART Learning Suite software, paired with solid pedagogical practices, allowed these students to collaborate and gain a feeling of connectedness by meeting students around the world who are very much like them. Not only did this project succeed in enabling that feeling of connectedness, but the teachers and parents also noted marked improvement in social and emotional skills, empowering the students who were previously highly non-communicative to communicate in ways that that suit them and play to their strengths,” he said. One of the SMARTee project educators, Staci Gelbaum, will be at ISTE 2016 to present this project in greater detail.
For more information about the SMARTee Global Project or to set up an interview at ISTE or via phone with one of the participating SEEs from around the globe, please contact Spark PR at smarttechnologies@sparkpr.com
