Key aspects of quality special education include the learning environment and the physical learning space since special needs students typically have individualized behavioral and educational plans. In an in-person context, teachers can utilize various strategies to ensure each student is actually learning the desired material and skills.
- Teaching assistants are often assigned to individual students.
- Classroom contents and organization are carefully considered.
- Certain learning spaces (ie. energetic curriculum vs quiet curriculum) are clearly partitioned and distinguished from others
- Visual stimuli are limited and carefully thought out.
These special education resources are essential, so essential that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools provide many of them to their students with special needs. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Education Department claimed that public schools must continue to provide those resources as best they can. However, many special education students are receiving little to no support at all in a remote context; in May, only 20 percent of them were receiving the resources for which they qualified [1].
Current state products associated with each All Hands on Desk product are as follows:
The Beekeeper
- portable folding lap desks, such as the child travel tray from Lusso Gear, as well as adjustable children’s desks from Mecor
- can include features like storage, surface tilt options, adjustable legs, flexible lamps, and tablet holders
- many iterations of adult adjustable and standing desks
- The KI WorkUp adjustable table uses a completely internal locking adjustment mechanism in the table’s legs so that the table can be raised and lowered easily and safely
Lusso Gear travel tray [2] Mecor Children’s Desk [3] KI WorkUp table [4]
While these technologies each possess one or two qualities that can serve as inspiration, there currently exists no technological solution that contains all qualities as the Beekeeper: portable, adjustable, lightweight, stable, cost-effective, and easy for a child to adjust and move on their own.
The Beehive
- products that provide children with sensory challenges a familiar and customizable space to help them relax and regain control after stressful activities or events
- the B-Calm Hideaway
While this product is an easily set-up and customizable space for reading or resting, it does not possess certain elements to designate the space for focused learning, such as easy organizational tools, interactive buttons, or lights with varied brightness and warmth. The design for the Beehive extends beyond a partition; it will provide that physical barrier while also incorporating electronic and mechanical elements to enhance student engagement and encourage focus.
The BuilderBee
- online platforms exist for remote “play,” such as virtual bingo and online pictionary
- home learning resources such as the Tinker Crate
- Light Stax
- a patented product that contains small stacking blocks that illuminate when they are connected to each other and to a power source
For all students, but especially those with special needs, social engagement and inclusivity in peer interactions is essential for emotional and academic development; research shows that children who engage in play with other students are more likely to succeed intellectually and socially. Interactive online games increase students’ screen time (already increased with remote learning) and lack the physicality of at home learning resources such as the Tinker Crate. A tactile remote game that facilitates student-to-student interaction does not exist in the current market; the BuilderBee product will fulfill this need.
Unboxed Tinker Crate [5] B-Calm Hideaway [6] Light Stax [7]
The BusyBeeBand
- Revibe Connect
- an attention focusing watch for a user with or without special needs
- WatchMinder
- a vibrating reminder watch invented by a child psychologist
Revibe Connect Watch [8] WatchMinder Vibrating Watch Line [9]
Existing devices help students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), students with autism spectrum disorders in their various iterations, and others with special needs in staying focused, managing their time, and modifying their thoughts and behaviors. The BusyBeeBand fulfills these needs as well, adding more capabilities such as instructor-student communication and student-specific customization.
references:
- Levine, H. (2020, September 16). As School Returns, Kids With Special Needs Are Left Behind. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/parenting/school-reopening-special-needs.html
- Lusso Gear. (n.d.). Child travel tray. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://www.lussogear.com/products/kids-travel-tray?variant=22672486793297
- Kids Desks, Children Desk and Chair Set Height Adjustable, Childs School Student Sturdy Table w/Lamp. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://mecor.com/products/kids-desks-children-desk-and-chair-set-height-adjustable -childs-school-student-sturdy-table-w-lamp-1?variant=35001689178267
- WorkUp Height-Adjustable Tables. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.ki.com/products/name/workup-height-adjustable-tables/
- STEM, STEAM & Science Kits for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2020, from http://www.kiwico.com/
- B-Calm Hideaway. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from http://www.b-calmsound.com/store/p4/b-Calm_Hideaway.html
- Starter Set. (2014, February 25). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://lightstax.com/starter-set-gallery/
- Revibe Technologies. (n.d.). Revibe Connect. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from https://revibetech.com/pages/revibe-connect
- WatchMinder. (n.d.). WatchMinder. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from https://watchminder.com/