Last Words

Once again, it is time to say goodbye to an enjoyable learning experience. After taking the Assistive Technology I over the summer, I could not believe I could still be amazed by the many things one can do with an iPad (technology). Well, I was wrong. The Assistive Technology II helped increased my appreciation for the use of technology in schools. As an educator, I need to put my teaching preferences aside in order to meet students at their learning needs. The use of AT can help me achieve that goal in the near future.

I am grateful for all the things that I have learnt about technology (low & high-tech). Taking this course helped me be more flexible in my teaching approaches. When it comes to today’s education of young minds, teachers need to think outside their somewhat rigid box (traditional teaching). I am willing to keep an open mind, in order to engage all learners in my mist.

My Observations since taking AT II

The Lost Art of Cursive Writing

Technology is helping students connect to the world and be more productive in the classroom. However, there is still a lot of misunderstanding in today's classrooms because students do not understand the language use by their teachers. The 'old school' way of instructing (e.g. writing on the board) does not meet the needs of students who are used to texting (print). The art of writing notes is quickly coming to an end, and teachers will have to adopt new ways to communicate clearly with students.

I chose this cartoon because it is a true reflection of what integrating technology can look like and does look like in some schools around NS. As mentioned in previous blogs. My school does not have Wi-Fi in the entire building. It does make it hard, for me, to let some of the LD students use their technological devices because they cannot get any connection. I do not see myself sitting in hallways with 30 kids trying to connect to the internet. More money needs to be injected into updating internet access in all schools. It is time to stop wasting money on software or books no one is going to use. What is the point of having access to technology if it cannot be used properly?

 Inclusive Education & Technology

Inclusive education and equity for all learners is not yet a reality in all NS schools. Some kids will always be left behind because of their life realities, which school they go to and/or their learning abilities. My current school only has one computer lab. The only technological devices I have in my classroom are two computers (teacher & spare) with an overhead projector. Furthermore, the school I currently work at is not accessible to students with limited mobility (no elevator) apart from the ramp located at the side of the school. A wheelchair bound kid cannot access the second floor or basement. This should not be happening in 2013. No child should have to be limited to one room or floor because of their physical limitations. I think that until all school create a welcoming environment, for all learners, they may have to use programs like Blackboard (virtual classroom) to make LD or physically handicapped students interact with all their peers and teachers.

What I learnt & what I realized

 Today’s class gave me a good insight into what other teachers are experiencing with LD students at their respective schools. Students’ learning is a priority, but we (educators) sometime go the wrong way about ensuring learning and growth in all learners.

We have to presume competency in all children regardless of their learning abilities or disabilities.

Why are ‘we’ building adaptations based on students’ weaknesses? I never taught about that before today. Why force a child to do something they cannot do well (e.g. writing)? Educators should focus on their students’ strengths.

Adaptations do not work for the most part. They are often not revisited on a regular basis or updated to meet students’ changing needs. Not all teachers are consistent in making suggested adaptations.

Many schools still do not have Wi-Fi or lack computers or iPad.

I was surprised to see that 99% of the case studies were all about boys. Is there a reason why boys are at greater risk of developing learning disabilities than girls? Should curriculum makers find ways to create curriculum that are more suitable for the way male students learn best?

Boys vs. Girls/Do They Learn Differently? - Article

By Jeanette Der Bedrosian

http://www.washingtonparent.com/articles/1201/gender.php

 

During the presentations, I started to get a bit frustrated by the fact that teachers are still expected to use their own money to get Apps or equipments to help improve a child’s learning. In order to do my case study, I had to bring in my own iPad to school. I also purchase notepads (wider lines), and tri-grip pencils for two of my students. I am tired of having to use my time and money to provide things to my students that should already be available in schools. Once again, there needs to be fairness in how technology and resources are distributed amongst NS schools.

Social Story

Social story getting teachers' attention from kdstrong


I created this Social Story (low-tech) after reading the Tip Sheet/Creating Social Stories. One needs to be very specific when trying to show proper behaviour to a young learner.

Low Tech Assistive Technology

  

My Visit to Dollarama & Stapples



Until a few days ago, I never spent more than 10 minutes inside a Dollar store. To think outside the box at a dollar store was not an easy thing to do for me. After almost 40 minutes, I came out of the store with 3 items that can be viewed as low-tech assistive technology.

#1 Felt: Like most individuals I use felt to protect my floors from scratches. However, felt can be use in the classroom, instead of tennis balls, to reduce the excessive amount of noise in one’s classroom. Furthermore, felt is not visually distracting like tennis balls. Some LD students have a hard time focusing in noisy environments. Some autistic kids are extremely sensitive to certain noises. I experienced, in the past, an autistic child get into a rage (slapping his head), when a woman at my Church started to scream when the rest of the congregation was silent. His mom and deacons had to take him out of the sanctuary (took him to a quiet room). In school, I sometime had to send some students (non-autistic) to the library to get their work done because my classroom was too noisy for them to focus.

#2 Knee pad for gardeners: No, I do not expect my LD students to kneel down during class. I bought the pad because I could cut off part of it to put at the front of a desk or laptop (comfortable resting place). Furthermore, the pads can also be use to prevent bruising in some autistic kids who can be oblivious to pain.

#3 Tri-Conderoga pencils: These pencils are perfect for individuals with poor to low motor skills (pencil grip). I purchased these pencils because of their width and sturdiness. I will be using them this week with the child I am doing my case study with, and will report on it during class.


knee pad for gardeners




tri-conderoga pencils

 

A-Frame for iPad. I purchased it at the Dollar store for 3$. It has a low angle holds. It is wrist-friendly when lay flat.

My Low-Tech Youtube video

On March 23, I selected this youtube presentation because the low-tech examples are simple. They can easily be use in all classroom (across levels).  Great options for teachers who do not have access to high-tech technology.

Pic Collage & Book Creator

February 23

The timing of today’s class was perfect (February 23). In a few days, I will be giving some of my students an assignment in which they will have to present a recipe en Français. I told them that they could either record themselves preparing a recipe of their choice, take pictures of the steps they followed to prepare the recipes (include French texts) and/or a power point. PicCollage or Book Creator were not options. I will give them the options to use the Apps I just mentioned if they have access to an iPad or iPod touch. Now, I just have to figure out how I will let them present the assignment in my classroom that does not have a LCD projector.

As a French teacher, I do see how beneficial PicCollage can be in making learning French more interactive. In less than 30 minutes, I was able to use this App to create a group seating chart, and two matching activities (reinforce French vocabulary acquisition). PicCollage is also a terrific way for students who have limited motor skills to present their work. PicCollage is so user friendly that any students can use it to present their work. I am certain that my LD and non-LD students with create exciting work with this App.

Outcomes

1.21 identify the main ideas of a text

4.1 function in the classroom by using expressions in the unit ‘Comment Survivre en Français dans un cours de Français’ (How to Survive in French during French Class)  

Book Creator

Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to get familiar with Book Creator. However, in the time we had, my partner and I started to write a Social Story. Book Creator can be use for the followings:

- Create a daily schedule (school day)/5 day calendar

- Social Story (LD/Autistic/ADHD)

- Class Project

- Exercise schedule with pictures

- Meal plan (breakfast/lunch/supper and snacks)

Dr. Puentedura 

 Dr. Ruben R. Puentedura is all about integrating technology in the classroom. This man should be in charge of all schools across Nova Scotia. He can make sure that all schools have equal access to technology. I do get upset when I hear that some schools have access to iPad and Ipod carts and so many others do not. My school only has one iPad. One can only wonder if people at the Board Office believe that technology will enhance a student’s knowledge. If they did; I and many other educators would not be struggling to find ways to keep students engage in a world of pen and papers. Most educators want to adopt new teaching approaches. They want to embrace technology. Educators do what they can with what they have … me included. All educators would benefit from attending Ruben R. Puentedura’s workshops. It would help them make changes in lessons delivery. Finally, when I was looking at some of the recordings on Dr. Puentedura’s website the following question came to mind:

Why can Assistive Technology training be mandatory to all educators? Math teachers, for example, always get training when a new curriculum comes out. I do not understand why it is more important for certain teachers to keep up with a new curriculum and not all. I keep hearing about the integration of technology in the classroom and its related benefits, but no mention of province wide PD days for all educators.

My Thoughts On Assistive Technology & Communication

Technology!?  

After taking the Assistive Technology course this summer, I was looking forward to integrating more technology into my teaching. My enthusiasm quickly died once I started to work at a school that did not keep up with technological advancements. It took two months for me to get an overhead projector that work. I still do not have a LCD projector. It does become annoying to try to get one from another teacher who needs to use theirs on a regular basis. I almost forgot to mention that there is no wireless access in most part of the school. One has no other choice but to use lots of hand outs and transparencies to deliver daily lessons. Day 1: The Assistive Technology course only reinforced what I do not like to admit. I am not meeting the needs of all my learners (LD, non-English speakers and non-LD). Why can all schools have equal access to technology that can enhance students learning? I do not like hearing myself talk for too long ... I am sure that my students feel the same. I would prefer if my students used Apps and programs such as iMovie, Evernote or Glogster to display their knowledge of the materials covered in class. I do not like to carry loads of papers to mark. Today’s learners are so knowledgeable and most importantly comfortable with technology. It would make one extremely happy to mark well designed assignment, in lieu of poorly readable ones. Many of my students would love to create a short ‘movie trailer’ with iMovie or prepare an oral presentation with Pic Collage (visual aid).

I do believe that students want to be successful in their learning. However, they do not know how to communicate their knowledge to us educators because we do not speak the same language (old school vs. modern school). Effective communication between students and teachers needs to become a priority in schools. Technology can help both students and teachers improve their level of receptiveness to information shared on a daily basis. I cannot fathom the high level of frustration LD students, such as Susie Ruben, experience on a daily basis. They also have something to say. Their silence or disruptive behavior does not equate to lack of knowledge. Susie Ruben is a perfect example of that. Individuals gave themselves the right to presume that Susie could not be educated because she was not able to communicate'the 'normal' ways (orally and written). The technological advancement, of the time, gave Susie a voice. Nobody I know wants to be ignored or misunderstood because they have verbal and written limitations.

Proloquo2Go

Non-verbal communicators are slowly, but surely getting their voice back. They are no longer required to carry a binder full of flashcards (communication tool). They can use Proloquo2Go (Apple App) with an Ipod touch, Ipad or Iphone to share their ideas, knowledge and feelings. I believe that accessibility and adaptability are two key words to keep in mind when creating any communication tools for LD (non-verbal) students. My partner and I kept these two words in mind when creating the communication tool for Felishia. Based on the information, time allocated, and familiarity with the App my partner and I did our best to meet all the needs of our student. The entire experience was gratifying. I believed that Felishia will be having an easier time to communicate with her peers, teachers and family.

My observations during the creation of the Communication tool

 My partner and I needed to remind ourselves that we were creating a communication tool for someone else. It sometimes felt like we were both trying to impose our likes above Felishia’s. This is why we kept our LD learners’ profile as vague as possible. We did not want to make assumptions about her needs, and daily realities (mostly used info provided in profile)

It would have been much easier to have more information about the LD learner, her family and classmates. All LD students have to right to get a tailored communication tool. A tight cooperation between educators, student and their parent(s) is crucial in creating a communication tool that will benefit all. We made sure to use simple words/vocabulary that can be understand by the many individuals Felishia will encounter on a daily basis.

Joint attention between all the individuals creating the communication tool is necessary. It took my partner and me hours to create minimal work. While doing the activity, one could not stop wondering how much time it takes to create a complete communication board with Proloquo2go?

Future improvements to existing communication tool

 Felishia’s communication tool will have to be modified as the year goes by because her needs and abilities will most likely change in the span of a school year.

My partner and me created folders that would not require Felishia to press too many buttons because she mostly uses one hand. We spaced the folders and included a 0.1 sec time delay to make sure that she gets time to control her hand movement on the Ipad, I phone or Ipod Touch. It is alosselected the lighter to carry around. Furthermore, most schools will purchase Ipads and not Ipod/Iphone to be utilized by LD students during the school day. My partner and I did not know Felishia financial realities at home. One could not assume if she used an Ipod touch, Ipad or I phone. Are families with LD children entitled to financial assistance to purchase technological devices that will help their child communicate with others?

Finally, while doing the proloquo2go activity, one has no choice but to realize that not all human think the same way. In order for effective communication to take place one needs to have an ‘organized’ thinking process. Unfortunately, this does not always happen for LD learners (verbal and non-verbal). The information they try to convey can often get lost in translation.

Communication

Communication is crucial in helping individuals of all walks of life and ages share ideas, feelings, knowledge, etc. However, not all communication is effective. One might not have the ability or knowledge to use common communication techniques (oral or written). In other cases, one’s realities (ethnicity, cultures, learning abilities, economic status, etc) can determine how well their communication skills will be received by others. Personally, I find it sometime difficult to convey what I want without having people misunderstanding what comes out of my mouth. Apparently my “accent” or low voice makes it hard for some people to stay engage when listening to me. It looks like I will never make it into the elitist world of stellar communicators. The same applies to any individuals who cannot speak a certain language properly or write it. This later statement makes my heart go to individuals who are not viewed, by society, as able communicators. Time, effort, and open-mindedness are crucial in giving ‘disabled’ communicators a voice.

Virtual Class & Webinars

February 9, 2013

Virtual Class:  Class was canceled today because of a Blizzard. The virtual class was quite enjoyable. I do appreciate the option of being in school, in the comfort of my home. Virtual classes should be made available to students who have a chronic illness (absenteeism due to illness). Their learning would not suffer as much as they would be able to be part of a class (present assignments to the rest of the students). Furthermore, I do believe that a child with a severe learning disability and/or physical limitation could record a presentation that can be accessed by fellow classmates.

Webinar: Fine Motor Skill

 This week, I had to ask one of my students to redo some of his assignments. His handwriting is ineligible (very weak information output). I am surprised that he was not referred to OT. I told him to use the computer (spare) in my room whenever he needs to submit written assignment. His inability to write properly is affecting his academic success. This student and others who have the same limitations would benefit from having access to Write Pad (Jr. High Level).

Dexteria (Cost: $4.99)

The Dexteria App can be used with the iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone. This App can support students by increasing motor skills and writing abilities. Users have the option of using their fingers or a stylus with the App. The use of a stylus or fingers is perfect when one is trying to develop dexterity, finger sequencing and movement control. 


Write Pad for iPad (Cost: 9.99$) – good for Jr.& Senior High

Write Pad can be a life saver for students who cannot write legibly on paper. This App can automatically convert a student’s hand writing into text. I would recommend this App to all students. What I discovered throughout the years is that some students’ poor penmanship hides their inability to spell properly. This App will increase their confidence.

    

Shape Builder (Cost: 0.99$)

What I like about this App is that it allows students to pay closer attention to the task at hand. Shape Builder is colorful (visually appealing) and can also teach young learners new vocabulary (fruits, animals, etc.)

   

Webinar: Top Apps

Even though today’s education is less rigid than it used to be, many students cannot function effectively in a classroom setting. Many of these students experience anxiety on a daily basis. Others start to act out because their inability to be successful learners creates frustration within them. As an educator, I often label students who are not able to behave in class as disruptive and lazy. I like to make myself believe that the assignments I give them are age appropriate and will allow all to meet the outcomes; far from the truth. Students do not do certain activities and/or disrupt classes because their learning needs are not met. Some of them would be more effective in their learning if they had access to some of the following Apps:

Pocket Pond: This App proves that one does not need to spend a lot of money to relieve stress. Pocket Pond is interactive and contains features that are soothing for students who cannot cope in a regular classroom setting. High level of anxiety cannot just affect one’s health; it can also reduce one’s ability to succeed academically

Bubble Popper: This App brings childhood memories back to mind. Popping bubble wraps is fun and inexpensive. One of my ADHD students would benefit tremendously from having access to it. This student cannot sit still for more than 2 minutes. Instead of disrupting my classes and/or being quick out of class he could quietly pop bubble to calm himself down. I would prefer to let him and other LD students use this App during class in the hope that their work will be completed.

TED (gifted learner) I simply love this resource. The variety of motivational speakers and knowledge shared is vast. I believe that some of my students should listen to talks on TED instead of reading and collecting data in printed materials. Great classroom discussion can result from watching any talks on TED. This resource will motivate students academically.

 Webinar: Apps for Severe Autism

Students with severe autism can be secluded from other students because they cannot always communicate with fellow students. These students (severe autism) need to use certain technological tools/resources to help enhance their performance in school (academically & socially). The following (3) Apps can help students with sensory regulation, and improve their attention to task.

Fluid2 (cost: .99$)

 This App is all about allowing LD students (autistic) to relieve some of the anxiety they experience on a daily basis. Not having a voice (non-verbal) can lead to disruptive behaviors and a lack of academic motivation. These students need to have a vehicle to distract them from the source of their anxiety. Fluid2 can help with that.

Tap Speak Button Plus (49.99$)

Tap Speak Button Plus is a good alternative to Proloquo2go. This App is not as extensive as Proloquo, but it does allow a child with severe autism to communicate feelings, ideas, needs, wants, etc. This App gives a voice to non-verbal learners. Apart from being financially accessible, this App is user friendly and colorful.