Educational Services
Over the years, the focus of the Kornreich Technology Center has expanded from evaluation and training of individuals with disabilities to playing a larger role in the field of assistive technology (AT). We are dedicated to promoting increased awareness of the benefits of assistive technology through presentations at conferences and meetings, teaching continuing education programs and academic courses, and a variety of other educational venues.
Education is provided for:
- Professionals
- Consumers
- Families
- Advocates
Locally, we are a resource to our community through such programs as:
On-Site Professional Development
For a group of five or more consumers, teachers, therapists, parents, or others in the New York Metropolitan area who are interested in learning more about how assistive technology helps people with disabilities, we can bring our knowledge to them. Workshops on a variety of beginning, intermediate, and advanced topics related to assistive technology for children or adults with disabilities can be presented on-site at schools or other training facilities. Please call 516/465-1614 for more details, or go to our Events page to see some of our recent educational and information dissemination activities.
Distance Learning
Nationally, a growing number of collaborations with agencies across the country that serve the disabled population enables us to expand our scope beyond our own geographic region. A major component of these collaborations is the use of our distance learning capabilities, including video teleconferencing and web based projects, allowing us to interact with many more individuals than previously. An example is:
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Podcast Series
A podcast is a short informational or entertainment program that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The Kornreich Technology Center podcasts are in both audio and video formats and are available at no cost.
Online Training
The Kornreich Technology Center also offers a series of pre-recorded online tutorials. These are how-to programs for specific educational software. They’re short, specific, and available free of charge to anyone interested.
Webcast series
The Kornreich Technology Center has hosted several series of free, web-only programs on issues in augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) and other kinds of assistive technology. Anyone can access these presentations from any internet-enabled computer. Programs done so far are archived here for immediate viewing. Speech-Language Pathologists can earn ASHA CEUs for viewing some of these programs.
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Continuing Education Program
The Kornreich Technology Center is an approved continuing education provider for both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In addition to our webcast series, we will be hosting occasional educational events that will allow speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists to earn credit toward their recertifications. Click on the logos below for more information. Keep an eye on our Upcoming Events page for scheduled presentations.
Academic Education
Participating in the pre-service training of professionals is another way the Kornreich Technology Center disseminates information about assistive and educational technology. In addition to opening our center to classes of students to visit, assisting students in research projects through our library, and so on, we have ongoing teaching responsibilities at academic institutions in our region:
Applications of Technology in Special Education
Kornreich staff teach this graduate-level course for Education students from Columbia University's Teachers College, Department of Health and Behavior Sciences. The course provides pre-service and in-service special education teachers with basic information on assistive and instructional technology appropriate for use with students who require special ed and related services. It is a distance learning course, conducted entirely online, and uses a variety of technologies to more closely simulate face-to-face instruction.
Assistive Technology, Environmental Modifications
Kornreich Technology Center staff co-teach this 3-credit course annually. Masters students from the New York Institute of Technology program in Occupational Therapy attend classes at the Kornreich Technology Center, giving them an opportunity for hands-on experience with assistive technology.
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Special Education and Technology — Assistive and Instructional Technology for Individuals with Disabilities: Current Research and Practice
This is an annual presentation by Kornreich Technology Center staff on augmentative communication and computer access technologies for students in this summer institute given by Long Island University/C. W. Post.
Therapeutic Skills: Technology/Assistive Devices course
This is an annual series of lectures to Occupational Therapy students from Long Island University's Brooklyn campus. Topics include input devices for all kinds of assistive technology, electronic aids to daily living, computer adaptations to accommodate disabilities, and the assistive technology evaluation process. Students attend classes at the Kornreich Technology Center, giving them an opportunity for hands-on experience with assistive technology.
Fu School of Engineering
The Kornreich Technology Center coordinates a fieldwork experience for engineers in training at Columbia University. The project raises awareness of the impact of product design and environment design on people with disabilities. Staff of the KTC and the Henry Viscardi School (HVS) guide the engineering students through the creation of solutions for real world problems faced by HVS students.
See a list of our upcoming educational events.
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