Josh Giorgi, 21, just returned from a class trip to Jamaica where he learned about the country’s music, food, culture, and history, all without leaving his classroom in Plymouth, MA. The experience is part of Radius Pediatric Healthcare Center’s curriculum to teach students about different educational subjects through the use of computers and the Internet.

When the teachers at Radius present a new topic of study, Josh and his classmates use Camera Mouse to search through Google images to match pictures on the Web to the different aspects of the particular month’s subject that will be taught in class. Josh’s chosen images are then added to the computer program Boardmaker, after which Josh picks the image corresponding to his topic of interest for each lesson. For instance, in February, Josh chose images for four famous African Americans to celebrate Black History Month. Josh learned about Jackie Robinson, Oprah Winfrey, Malcolm X, and Barack Obama from videos on Youtube.com and other information found on the Web.

Josh is about to turn 22 and is therefore transitioning from Radius’s education department to their adult wing within the same facility. Radius is a pediatric extended care residential facility for individuals with severe physical and cognitive limitations. Radius offers a Day School Program, which is a Department of Education approved private day school. Radius is a member of MAAPS (Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools) and admits people of all ages who either reside on site or visit for the day. Classes include social studies, music, math, science, home economics, music therapy, and more, and follow the state’s curriculum frameworks adapted to each student’s needs. Josh and his classmates were treated to harp music at one of the music therapy lessons, and they even got to strum the harp after the show.

At age 22, students may be transitioned to the adult services program, which is overseen by the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR). Radius works with its guests to develop goals of everyday life and community experiences. Objectives include social goals, expressive language, sensory and motor functions, and activities of daily living, which include field trips to the super market and to retail stores. Josh also spends time with the resident animals, like “Babe” the guinea pig, and swims on occasion.

According to Jennifer Eagerman, speech and language pathologist at Radius, Camera Mouse gives students like Josh the opportunity to actually navigate the Internet, choose their own target images for lessons, and then pick the desired lessons for the day. Josh was very capable of communicating before Camera Mouse by raising his head or smiling for “yes” and pursing his lips or looking away for “no.” But these and other forms of communication, such as switches and “I like it” audio buttons, did not offer the variety and range of choices that Camera Mouse does. With Camera Mouse, Josh plots his own course within the curriculum. The next country of the month: New Zealand!