CALL FOR CASES

Communication Technology for Students in Special Education or Gifted Programs
A book edited by Joan E. Aitken, Park University
Joy Pedego Fairley, University of Missouri - Kansas City
Judith K. Carlson, Rockhurst University

Proposals Submission Deadline: 3/15/2010

Full Chapters Due: 6/1/2010

Introduction

Communication technology offers new and increased opportunities for individuals with special needs. Technology facilitates such diverse possibilities for individuals as providing assistive communication for a child with cerebral palsy, increasing mobility for a child with a disability, engaging a youth with ADHD, or offering exploration on the Internet for a child who is gifted. For many people concerned about children and adults with exceptionalities, they learn about communication technology through teachers, social workers, therapists, and people who have similar needs. This book of short and chapter-length case studies is designed to pull together ideas about using technology based on the experiences and expertise of teachers, researchers, and other professionals.

Overall Objective of the Case Book
The purpose of this book is to provide ideas for enhancing education for students with exceptionalities. By hearing the anecdotal experiences of one professional, for example, other service providers may gain information and ideas for better serving individuals with exceptionalities.

Target Audience
The target audience includes teachers, service providers, parents, and future educators who work with students with special needs.

Short Case (Teaching Tip)
Teachers, practitioners, and researchers are invited to submit on or before March 15, 2010. We seek short cases (about 500 words) relevant to any educational level or learning context. What is a single idea where you have used technology to improve the communication or learning of an individual with special needs? Whether or not this is a conventional use of technology, what did you do that did or did not work in your context? We are particularly interested in input from K-12 teachers because of their innovative approaches in the classroom. These cases should have singular focus about a teaching strategy that uses communication technology. You could write about a particular computer program, for example, and how a teacher could use the program with students who are identified as eligible for special education or gifted and talented services. Short cases or teaching tips should contain the following organization:

• Title: No author identification on the manuscript or file name. Please put identification information in the email.
• Keywords.
• Learning objective or purpose of the particular communication or learning strategy.
• Resources (e.g., quality references, computer program information, product information website).

Chapter-length Case Study Proposal

The case book includes case studies that develop and complement themes relevant to using communication technology in enhancing the communication or learning of people with special needs. These chapter-length cases may be relevant to any age or educational level (preschool through high school, higher education, or life-long learning). For this category, we seek original research, where the term “case” is interpreted broadly. The case cannot be a work that has been published elsewhere. Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Applications of Electronic Technology for Students With Disabilities
• Assistive and Augmentative Communication
• Communication Technology and Positive Behavior Supports
• Communication Technology for Alternative Education
• Cyberbullying and Students with Exceptionalities
• Technology Assessment and Response to Intervention (RTI)
• Distance Learning for Gifted Students
• Enhancing Teacher Resiliency through Communication Technology
• Using Technology in Assessment Processes.
• Home Schooling through Technology for Students with Special Needs
• Technology for Transition Services
• Saving Educational Costs while Improving Learning through Communication Technology
• Using Technology to Serve Special Programs in Rural or Urban Contexts

Each chapter-length case should contain the following elements:

• Introduction, Background, and Review of Literature
• Case Description
• Conclusion, Implications, and Lessons Learned
• Discussion Questions and Answers

The final word-length of each short case (teaching tip) is expected to be approximately 500 words. The final word-length of each chapter case study is expected to be in the range of 2,500–10,000 words.

Chapter-length Case Proposal Submission Procedure

Teachers, practitioners, and researchers are invited to submit on or before March 15, 2010, a 2-3 page proposal for chapter-length cases. All proposals should be include the following information:

1. Full name and title of the authors
2. Professional status (e.g., special education teacher, public school administrator, assistant professor, name of your educational institution)
3. Address and email
4. Chapter proposal summarizing the case and how the use of technology serves individuals with special needs.

Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by April 15, 2010 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter organizational guidelines. Chapter-length chapters are expected to be submitted by June 1, 2010. All submitted chapter-length case studies will be reviewed on a double-blind
review basis.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is scheduled to be released in 2011.

Important Dates
March 15, 2010: Proposal Submission Deadline (2-3 pages)
April 15, 2010: Notification of Acceptance. Short Case Deadline.
June 1, 2010: Chapter-length Case Study Submission
July 15, 2010: Review Results Returned
September 15, 2010: Revised Chapters Due from Authors
October 15, 2010: Final Submission

Please submit a single file with your proposal or manuscript, with no author identification on the manuscript or file name. Please use American Psychological Association (APA) style, 2010, 6th edition. Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically to:
comtechspecial@gmail.com

For more information please visit:
http://onlineacademics.org/ComTechSpecial/