The Smart Desk.

sep10-freedom-project

What exactly IS a freedom project?

The “Freedom Project” for SEP10 is all about creating an innovative invention that helps/benefits your ideal career. The purpose of this blog is to brainstorm ideas, create a process and show off your innovation while using skills you learned. For my project, I am making a website about a smart desk for teaching using HTML, CSS, and Github. This blog will walk through my process of independently studying a teaching career, real world problems, electronics and making the website.

Okay, what IS my innovation?

I want to help support kids with learning disabilities, in ways we adapt to them instead of seperating. They deserve to be with the wholeclass, which is why I thought of the smart desk. The issue my innovation is going to try to solve is comprehension and concentration struggles among students. According to a study, concentration issues are very common for students with issues like ADHD, Anxiety, OCD or learning disorders. However, children can also just get distracted easily or struggle to concentrate without these issues. My innovation can also help support students who struggle with staying on task, seeing from afar, hearing and advocating. Issues with focusing affects comprehension.

I chose this topic because I am very passionate about teaching. I want to work with young kids and I think teaching at a young age is important because thier minds develop young and I want to support them. I also chose this topic because I know what it's like to struggle paying attention and comprehending. In addition, I'm also shy so an innovation that can help would be better than constantly raising my hand for extra help. My innovation is a smart desk. This desk has many features to support these students. These features are…

A live computer, this is linked to the teachers smartboard via bluetooth that shows the student exactly what's on the smartboard, but directly in front of them.This is a medium screen standing straight up on the desk

A testing mode, students can pull up a built-in border that goes around the desk as well as locking the search engine. This prevents the students from getting distracted while working or taking a test, as well as reducing cheating.

A built in calculator and spell checker on the side of the desk. As well as Noise canceling headphones and a feature where the computer reads aloud. This also plays live audio during the lesson. The teacher has a small microphone that is connected to these speakers via bluetooth.

A check in light. The teacher can ask the class if they are following and the student presses red for no/need help and green for yes, im okay. The student can also change their color during independent work.

A response board that a teacher can see. This board faces the teacher, and is located on the opposite side of the student's live computer. The student can type their response/question for the teacher to see instead of saying it out loud.

What is my goal?

Based on statistics, around 5-9% of the general population has a learning disability. 9.4% of children in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD. 14% of all public school students receive special education services. As these numbers are greatly increasing, my goal is to help give every student the same support system, so nobody feels an outcast, but everyone is getting thier unique support.

There is more digital support than physical such as text to speech and downloadable support systems.As for real life, most common support is seperate classrooms or teachers and fidgets, but I would like to create something bigger and more impactful. Why should these students feel left out, or seperate from the others? Having all the support in one desk can ame a difference. I can use some of the pre-existing features at my desk, and incorporate some ideas such as text to speech features, spell correct. My goal is to create something to keep all kids feeling equal, regarless on how they learn. My smart desk can be used by everyone, so if everyone in the class has a smart desk, nobody will feel left out and will be supported in thier own way. I belivie no two kids learn the same, so its important to have as many resources in one spot as possible.

How does my smartdesk compare to other innovations?

Not only have I incorperated my own idea's, i have gotten insperation from methods Ive seen growing up, and researching online. But how is my innovation a solution, and better than others?

Existing Innovations

You can download literacy Tools, Organizers and writing Tools to your browser.
This can be plenty of downloads, which may stop working or slow down your computer.
You might be the only student using this tool with headphones, making you feel left out.
Highlighting features
Not being able to focus on the teacher and your screen
Having limited features due to membership requirements or paying
Not being able to completely customize your learning experience
Most tools are for reading and writeing but limited to beyond that.
Can be limited to what it reads or translates

VS

My SmartDesk

Has plenty of Read and write support systems, that you can customize
You can still download pre existing systems, and toggle the ones you want active in a menu
having highlighters, notes and calculators for all types of math
Having headphones already hooked up to the desk
Having the computer screen linked to the teachers, so you wont have to be left behind durring their lesson.
Offering non-verbal help and check ins which the teacher can see, communication without having to talk.
Linking the headphones to a small microphone, which the teacher can wear. This can help students hear clearly.
Having monitored internet access
Helps test preformance, and can be used without cheating.
Gives a personalized experience all in one desk, helping the child feel in control of thier learning