Week 6 - Last Class

Today was a day full of wonderful presentations. It was very interesting to see the case studies that each  of my classmates had been working on.  The variety of technology used to present the case studies were varied which kept things interesting! We had PowerPoint, Prezi and Pictello. Some people presented from their laptops and others presented from their iPads. I really enjoyed hearing the results from everyone's case studies. It was exciting to see that most people used Apple products as their form of assistive technology! In some cases, my classmates were fortunate enough to have the iPods and iPads at their schools and for others they had to use their own personal devices in order to incorporate the technology. It was exciting to see the successful results, but at the same time it was frustrating to see that it was very common to see that most people do not have access to universal devices at their schools. Desktops and netbooks and even more outdated technology seems to be the common recurring technology that we have to use, but it does not allow us to meet the diverse needs of all the students in our classes. Apple devices are the way to go!      

Below is the the PowerPoint presentation that Maureen and I did for our case study. I really enjoyed seeing the progress for the student. Through the use of the apps that we introduced, he was able to complete tasks successfully. He experienced a lot less frustration which was extremely beneficial for him both at school and at home.

Case Study.pptx

Today was our last class. Our summer course was a great introduction to the technology, but I found that this course allowed us to go more in depth exploring. Each class Barb provided us with the opportunity to work on assignments in class using specific apps. We would then finish up each class with presentations from each group. I found this structure to be very helpful since we had the opportunity to see each groups ideas and learn from each other. I have been able to incorporate some of these ideas and activities into my classroom to engage my students and meet their needs.

Universal devices are a must! It is so important that students are motivated to do the best they can. In order to do this, they need up to date technology and teachers who can teach them how to use the devices. If the technology is in place, time will be used much more effectively. Students will able to show what they know!

Week 5

Today Maureen, Nancy, Tarah and I created a blog focusing on Assistive Technologies Supporting Blindness and Visual Impairments.  Click here to visit our blog.

Low Tech Assistive Technology

Play dough could be used to make pencil grips for students 

Clothes pins can be used to assist students who have difficulty turning pages.

Velcro can be used as a tactile material attached to the bottom of a desk to assist students who have difficulty staying focused.

Low Tech Video

Inspiring Inventions by Kids

Within this new clip low tech options are presented that were created by kids. I love the idea of using the tubes flowers come in to help with colouring or it could even be used for small pencils.

Week 4

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is a form of augmentative and alternative communication. It is a system that consists of six phases. The first phase teaches non-verbal individuals to exchange a picture for something they want, i.e.. items, activities and to express feelings. As the individual progresses through the phases, the pictures transfer to symbols which can be put together to make sentences. This communication system allows individuals to initiate conversation and communication needs and wants.

Keeping up with the times can appear to be costly, but it can also be a lot more effective! Today we started off by comparing the program Board Maker, which is used to make pictures for PECS, with Pic Collage and Proloquo2go. I am not familiar with Board Maker, but I have seen some visual schedules that have been made using Board Maker. I had no idea the amount of time it required to make an individual card, 15 mins!  15 minutes might not seem so bad, but when you are making 50 cards, it could be a very long process. You have to find the appropriate picture, print them off, cut them out, glue them on card stock or construction paper and then laminate them  It can also be very time consuming for the child who is using these pictures as a communication system. If the child has a large amount of pictures, it could take a long period of time in order him/her to find the necessary pictures to convey the message. When using an app such as PicCollage for a visual schedule, it can be created in a just few minutes. It can be customized to the individuals preferences, i.e. colours, pictures, size.

Proloquo2go is another app that can be used a communication system. It allows the user to create several communication boards containing folders and buttons. You can adjust the complexity as the individual becomes familiar with the program. It allows you to customize to individual preferences, i.e. colour, pictures, voice. When experimenting with this app I found it to be very easy to operate. For $189.99 it would save a lot of time and it would be something that students would enjoy using on their iPod touch or iPad as opposed to carrying around a binder.

Click here to read more information on PECS.

Pic Collage is a free app that can be used in a variety of ways. As Barb said "it's uses are only limited to your imagination." I love the fact that pictures can be found and inputted in seconds. It is very fast and easy to use and manipulate. You can change the backgrounds, make your own, import them from the internet, add pictures, text, stickers, which can be easily altered for different students. Pic Collage benefits teachers because it's easy to use! It is also very visually appealing to students as you can personalize individual schedules and create activities that are geared towards an individual student and their interests. I know I loved using Pic Collage myself! I think it is something that my students would really enjoy. There are many uses for Pic Collage. Some of the ones that were presented in class today by different groups were:
-Labelling diagrams
-Visual schedules
-Book reports
-Graphic organizers
-Seating charts
-Venn diagrams
-Journalling
-Addition & Subtraction
-Skip counting
-Sequencing

Below are some of the activities Maureen and I created using the Pic Collage app.

Healthy Snack Sort- We used a t-chart from the internet as our background. We labelled one column as good choices and the other column as unhealthy choices. We copied pictures from the internet and put them at the bottom of the screen so students would be able to sort the pictures into the correct group. 

Clothing Sort- For this activity we copied pictures of clothing from the internet. There is also list of each article of clothing on the left. Students can move the pictures and words around to match the picture with the correct word or vice versa.    

Place Value Mat- We used a place value mat as our background for this activity. We also copied pictures of base ten materials and grouped them at the bottom of the screen. Students could make specific numbers by placing the base ten materials on the place value mat.

Life Cycle- We used a life cycle template as our background. We copied pictures from the internet of each lifecycle stage of a frog. Students would be able to put the pictures in the correct order.

Writer's Workshop Ideas- We used this web template as a background. For this activity students could write their name in the middle and they could brainstorm ideas about themselves to include in the areas outside their name. This would be a good way for students to generate a list of writing ideas.  

Book Creator

The last app that we explored today was Book Creator. This app allows you to create your own books on the iPad. You can add your own pictures or pictures from the internet, text, video, music and your own voice.  These ibooks can be shared with your friends through email and iTunes. They can also be published in ibooks and shared.   

5 ways to use Book Creator in the classroom:

-Social Stories

-Dictionaries

-Picture Books

-Journalling

-Informational Texts

Ruben Puentedura's Blog

Ruben Puentedura's blog contains a wealth of information focusing on education and technology. It is certainly worth taking a look. Below is a video entitled Technology in Education. It introduces SAMR and other models that Ruben uses in his work. 

Within the video the SAMR model is what stood out to me. Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. Substitution is at the bottom of the model,  "tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with no improvement." Augmentation is the second level, "tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement." Modification is the third level, "tech allows for significant redesign." Redefinition is the top level, "tech allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable."

When it comes to my school and where we stand within the SAMR model, I don't think we fit into one particular area as a school. I think it pertains more to individual classes and the interest the teachers have in using the technology and the accessibility. We don't have a wealth of technology, therefore it makes it difficult to use it effectively. We have a computer lab, a netbook trolly, two iPads (which are inaccessible), two mimio teaches , a class set of ereaders and grades 4-6 classes have mounted LCD projectors and three or four netbooks. I am fortunate enough to have an LCD, a classroom computer, three netbooks and the mimio teach in my class. A class set of iPads would be a dream, but we have to work with what we have. When trying to figure out where I would fit in this model, I couldn't pin point one place in particular. I felt as though for different activities I have assigned, they fall into different areas.  

In order to get teachers to the redefinition level of technology I think there are many things that need to be in place. First of all, the technology needs to be available and accessible. More importantly, teachers need to be inserviced on the technology that is being implemented. When I was at the FETC conference, one of the messages that really stood out to me was, the dump method does not work! If technology is dumped into a school, it will rarely be used or used effectively. Teachers need to be provided with some time to learn the capabilities of the technology within their school. Technology can be very intimidating to people and we need to make sure that we are keeping up with the times.

Social Stories and Video Modelling

Social stories and video modelling are great ways to teach students social skills and positive behaviours that can be easily understood. Social stories should always focus on the behaviour or skill that is being targeted, not a behaviour that is unacceptable. Using the app imovie would be a great way to create some social stories. The stories could be individualized with personal pictures, recorded voices and text.  By using imovie, the social stories could be very meaningful for the individual.   

The website Model Me Kids provides some great information about video modelling.

For more information on Carol Gray and social stories click here. The video below also gives a brief introduction to social stories.

UDL-Universal Design for Learning

These videos provide some excellent insight into UDL.

Week 3- Snowed In!

Due to the blizzard like conditions, today's class took place in the comfort of our own homes! This also got me out of shovelling the large amount of snow that was drifted in our driveway :) It was so nice not to have to venture outside or try and make up the class at a later date. We logged into Blackboard Collaborate, which I must say, was a lost less painful than I anticipated. I didn't experience any technological glitches and I was able to easily answer questions and give feedback when needed.  I thought this was a great way to have class. I really enjoyed the experience!

During our session together this morning, Tarah, Nancy, Mandy and Raeann shared some of the information they learned at the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC).

Tarah's presentation focused on sign language and she presented us with the app Signed Stories. Barb was able to show us a demonstration of the app from her iPad which I thought was pretty cool. This app tells stories through sign language. I also really liked Tarah's use of sign language in her classroom with the thumbs up and thumbs down. What a great way to decrease the noise level.

I had never heard of Tango before. After seeing Nancy's great presentation, the one thing that stood out to me about this device was the price-$8299!! My initial thought was, how can anyone afford that? and even if they could afford it, why would they waste that much money when they could purchase Proloquo2go and iPad and all the accessories for under $1000.

iComm was another new app for me. Mandy's presentation provided a great overview of this app and it's capabilities. This app is free with an upgraded version for the cost of $6.99. The one thing that stood out to me regarding this app was the price of $6.99. As Mandy mentioned, there are some limitations within this app, however it is a good starting place for young children.

Following our online class I watched three webinars that Barb created with the assistance of some of her colleagues focusing on apps what support fine motor skills, top free apps in special education and communication. I found these webinars to be very informative. They provided me with so many new apps that I wanted to download and try out. There were many apps that I could see benefiting some of students. I have listed some of my favourites from each webinar below.

Fine Motor Skills

I learned a lot of valuable information while watching this webinar since this is not my area of expertise. I feel like I now have a good understanding of what to look for and how I can help support students. Fine motor skills are the ability to make precise coordinated movements using the joints and muscles appropriate to hand and fingers. If a student is experiencing difficulty with their fine motor skills, they could have trouble cutting, gluing, writing, eating and completing other school tasks. These difficulties can become very frustrating for children. Fine motor skills develop at infancy and continue to develop into childhood. This webinar presented many iPad apps that can be used to assist children who experience fine motor dysfunction. iPads can be used as a part of a comprehensive fine motor skill remediation program.   

Bugs and Buttons: ($2.99) This app is a pinch and grab activity that requires thumb and index finger control. Students need to apply the necessary pressure on the screen to drag the bugs and other objects to the necessary jars. As the levels increase, the activities become difficult. This is a great activity for students to work on developing their fine motor skills, sorting, patterning, path finding, counting and tracking. 

Touch and Write: ($2.99) This app allows the user to touch the screen with their finger or a stylus and learn letters, numbers and words. You can write with shaving cream, ketchup, gelatine, pudding, chalk or a pencil. The user can choose between 29 different paper styles. There is a choice of two high frequency word lists and you can also create your own word list. This app enhances handwriting skills, control and grasp. This is a great engaging and creative way for children to develop their writing.

Dexteria: ($3.99) This app provides therapeutic hand exercises supporting and enhancing fine motor skills. It also helps children and adults develop their writing skills. The activities help build strength, control and dexterity. It also promotes, finger sequencing, isolation and control. A stylus can be used to complete the activities. This app is meant to be used in short sessions on a regular basis. If it is used regularly, improvements should be noticeable over time. This app is very engaging for students and motivates them to complete tasks.  

Top Free Apps in Special Education

Bubble Popper: (free) This app gives you 1 minute to pop as many bubbles as you can or you can pop for as long as you like. It allows you to adjust the size of the bubbles and the colour. This app would be a great tool to use with students and individuals who have difficulties with transitions, for calming, relaxation, distraction and sensory regulation. As soon as I seen this app I thought of one of my students. He has ADHD and I think he would really enjoy and benefit from using this app. He has a lot of difficulty transitioning between activities and classes and settling in without being very disruptive. I think it would be worth a try.

Pocket Pond: (free) This app provides you with your own personal pond. You can enjoy many relaxing sounds of nature including the ripples of water. This app allows users to interact with fish and feed them. The interactive water reacts to touches and swipes. There is an option to add lily pads, dragonflies, food, other fish and with the upgrade you can also add thunderstorm sounds. This app is very peaceful and is great for calming and relaxing. This app can be used with students who have autism for sensory regulation, to enhance discussion and verbal expression.

Pic Collage: (free) I love the app Pic Collage! We were first introduced to this app during our summer course and I have used it many times since them. This app allows you to create collages using pictures, stickers, borders, text and many others features. You can import your own photos from your photo library and you can upload photos from the internet. There are many different backgrounds to choose from and a variety of colours for fonts. It is very user friendly and easy to manipulate by tapping the screen and moving things around. This app is great for journaling, creating timelines, collages, brainstorming, visual schedules, picture dictionaries, procedural/informational writing and advertisements.

Communication Disorders

This webinar provided so many great apps to support students. I found it difficult to choose three that I liked best.

Sign4Me: ($9.99) This app is a signed English translator. You are able to type in words, phrases and sentences and the character will sign back the translation. There are over 11 500 words in the library. Everything you type gets saved in the history until you delete it. You have the ability to zoom in and out on the character and speed up and slow down the rate the character is signing. This app is great for children and adults of all ages who are learning to sign.  


ArtikPix: ($29.99) This app is an articulation app for children with speech sound delays. It has 24 decks of cards with 40 cards each for sounds and blends. The app consists of flashcards and matching games. Students have to touch the card to hear the word and sentence and swipe to move on to the next card. In the matching activity words are categorized into easy, medium and hard. This app also features voice recording and accuracy tracking for each individual. I think this app is a great at home practice tool for children who work with speech language pathologists.



Pictello: ($18.99) This is a talking story and photo book creation app that is available in many languages. Each page of a storybook can contain a picture (you can add from your own photo library), 5 lines of text and a voice recording. Pictello can be used by children and adults of all ages, therefore it is very user friendly. Pictello can be used by people who are non verbal to share stories. It can also be used to teach social skills and recall events.    

FETC

This past week I attended the Florida Educational Technology Conference, FETC. This was the first time I attended this conference and I have to say it was a great experience. As you can see in the photo above, it was hosted at a huge beautiful convention centre. The palm trees and the 30+ temperatures were an added bonus!

Some of the sessions I attended were better than others. I really enjoyed the sessions that provided me with teaching resources (i.e. websites and apps) that I could use with my students. I did enjoy the first session I attended, iPads for Teaching and Learning: A Panel Discussion. My initial thoughts were, boy aren't we behind in the world of technology; however, I still enjoyed hearing their thoughts. The discussion was led by two principals, including two teachers and two students. They were reflecting on their experiences using iPads with a 1:1 student : iPad ratio in the classroom. What a dream! Some  of the things that stood out to me from this session were when the teachers said that assignment completion rates jumped to 100%. Students could no longer use the excuse that they lost their homework or couldn't find it. Everything was on the iPad and their work was all received and submitted electronically.

One other session that I enjoyed was Engaging the Reluctant Reader. Within this session we were provided with an overload of websites, apps to support student learning. Some of these resources I am familiar with and others I have yet to try. Here's the list:
-Sound Literacy
-Reading Trainer
-Dropbox
-Evernote
-Overdrive
-Tumblebooks
-LibriVox
-BookShare
-Read2go
-Digital Story time
-Wikipedia
-Brain pop
-Dragon Dictation
-Mind Mapping
-Popplet
-iWordQ
-Ginger spell checker
-Grammerly.com
-Quizlet
-Evernote peek
-Bibme
-Spark notes
-Glogster
-Aurasma
-Zaped
-Weebly
-Thinglink
-Story Arc
-Story Creator
-My Story
-Sock Puppets
-iBooks Author
-Voice Thread
-Voki
-Animoto

After the sessions, Maureen and I ventured to the vendors where we were overwhelmed with the amount of amazing technology in one huge room. Upon entering the room I snapped this photo with Barb's saying in mind, "Google it."

While in the vendors area, we attended a google session. The presentation can be seen by clicking here. We also attended a mimio session, which I really enjoyed. It as very interactive and I can see it being something that my students would really enjoy. It was beneficial for me to get to participate in this session because our school purchased two mimio teach devices two years ago and they have sat in a cupboard ever since. Our vice principal at the time purchased them and then moved to a new school. Since returning to school, I have dug up the mimio teach and had our tech guy in to install the software on my computer. It's now working,  I just have to figure out how to access the interactive mimio lessons so I can reach out to the students in my class.