Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Amy Dell is Professor and Graduate Coordinator of Special Education programs at The College of New Jersey. She has been teaching courses on assistive technology for 25 years, from the early days of Apple IIe computers with 5 1/4" floppy disks and adaptive firmware cards, through the early Macintosh and Windows days of 3 1/2" disks and CD-ROM's, to the present day of iPads, apps and "the cloud." She has directed several state and federally funded projects focused on assistive technology, including the Central New Jersey Assistive Technology Program for Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired (funded by the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired) and the Adaptive Technology Center for NJ Colleges (funded by the NJ Commission on Higher Education). She also directs the college's Center on Assistive Technology and Inclusive Education Studies (CATIES), which provides trainings and assistive technology evaluations to P-12 schools in the state.

Deborah A. Newton is the interim Associate Dean of the School of Education at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in New Haven, Connecticut. As a professor in the Department of Special Education and Reading at SCSU, she served as the department chairperson and coordinator of the master's-level concentration in assistive technology. For many years she was an assistive technology specialist at a nonprofit center in Whippany, New Jersey, and before that, an elementary school. She holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Cincinnati, a master's degree from The College of New Jersey, and a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Newton presents frequently at assistive technology conferences and remains active as an assistive technology consultant.

Jerry G. Petroff is a professor in the Department of Special Education, Language and Literacy at The College of New Jersey. He serves as director of the New Jersey Center on Complex and Sensory Disabilities, the Career and Community Studies Program for young adults who have intellectual disabilities, and the Work Skills Prep Program, a residential summer program to improve work skills of 20 students who are blind/visually impaired and have multiple disabilities. Dr. Petroff has over 38 years of experience working on behalf of children, youth, and adults with disabilities. Holding a doctorate in psychological studies in special education and a master's degree in speech pathology and audiology, he teaches courses and consults with local school districts on inclusive education, teaching students with complex disabilities, and the transition of students with disabilities from school to adult life.