Final Wrap Up

I feel as though I have a whole new perspective on assistive tech and technology in general. From here on out, I will try to overcome my feelings of guilt about not using technology enough in my classes and try to make a concerted effort to integrate the iPad a little more. There are some wonderful apps out there to aid many students in their education journey and I hope I am able help enlighten some of them. In the meantime, they will continue to enlighten, surprise and impress me.  I look forward to seeing where technology takes us next!

A big thank you to Barbara Welsford who has done a phenomenal job with this course. Your technological expertise (and patience) has been greatly appreciated. Enjoy the rest of your summer :)

July 17th - Webinar

Ok she was right!  The Writing Process is H U G E! There is an overwhelming amount of information. I found the inspiration overview difficult to navigate. The sheer amount of complex information, combined with my naivete when it comes to the writing process made it hard to comprehend. Barbara's breakdown of the WP served as clarification for some elements but it left me wondering if there would be any major (or minor) variations in the WP when it comes to a different language. As a French teacher, I can only imagine the process would have some distinct differences. Perhaps these differences occur only when learning a second language.

file:///C:/Users/Angela/Downloads/Writing%20Task%20Analysis%20withAT%20gif%20(1)%20(1).pdf

20 Apps for Reluctant Readers

1)    Speak it to me – text to speech app. Great for students with reading disabilities. Also allows them to follow along with the text. Text can be copy/pasted into the app and read aloud. This could also potentially eliminate the need for scribes. The font size could be increased (for those with visual impairments) and the voice speed can also be altered.

2)    Dragon Dictation: Dragon Dictation works in the opposite way of Speak it to Me. Instead of reading text out loud, the app writes down spoken text. For students who struggle with writing, it can be a great way for them to jot down ideas or get help learning. Reluctant readers may be more apt to read if they know their answers to questions can be spoken instead of written.

3)    Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Spelling and or understanding of certain vocabulary is often a road block for reluctant readers. Readers can gain some independence through accessing this app quickly and easily.

4)    Prizmo: With Prizmo, users can scan in any kind of text document and have the program read it out loud, which can be a big help to those who struggle with reading.

5)    Flashcards for iPad This app makes it easy to study words, spelling, and other elements of reading that young and LD readers might need help with.

6)    The Writing Machine: designed to pre-literacy concepts. It is well known that developing concepts about print at an early age is invaluable to a child’s overall literacy development.

    

7)    First Word Sampler: Preschoolers with a reading disability can get a head start on improving their skills with this app that teaches them about letters and words using fun graphics and sounds.

8)    Sound Literacy: The app is incredibly useful, employing the Orton-Gillingham method ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orton-Gillingham ) to help students recognize the spellings of English phonemes. It uses pictures, words, and sounds, and makes it easy for young students to practice and learn their ABCs. It is especially good for dyslexic children.

9)    Word Sort: This app helps kids to learn how to identify parts of speech, like nouns, adverbs, and verbs, as well as emphasizing grammar skills.

10)           ABC Phonics Word Families: Using analogy phonics (or word families) this application teaches young learners to see and hear the patterns of commonality in a set of words. With flashcards, spelling words, scrambled words, and games, this app is a must-have for helping students.

    

11)           Blio: Blio offers all the same features of any basic e-reader, and also a few things that make it unique. Through synchronized highlighting and a serial presentation view, the app helps those with reading disabilities make sense of the text, something many other similar apps don't offer.

12)           Read 2 Me: If you use DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) books in your classroom, Read2Go is one of the best and most accessible ways to read those books on iOS.

  

13)           AppWriter: Designed with reading and writing disabilities in mind, this text editor for iPad integrates numerous accessibility features into standard text editing functionality.

14)           Audiobooks: Sometimes students with reading disabilities might just want a break from reading books the old fashioned way. That's why this amazing collection of free audiobooks can come in handy, offering access to classics like Romeo and Juliet and Treasure Island.

15)           iStoryTime: There are numerous titles to choose from in the iStoryTime series, all of which allow kids to have the book read to them or to get help reading it themselves.

16)           Reading Trainer: While this app is designed to help average readers boost their reading speed and ability, it can be useful to those who struggle as well, as many of the skills taught can help just about anyone become a more confident reader.

17)           Stories2Learn: Why use existing stories to help troubled readers when you can build your own? This application lets you develop your own text and audio stories, including messages, topics, and other things that can help keep kids interested.

18)           MeeGenius! Kids' Books: MeeGenius is another series that's perfect for practicing reading skills. Those with trouble reading can use illustrations and helpful word highlighting to get help, or just have the book read to them until they're confident enough to do it on their own.

19)           See Read Say: This application will help to ensure that young learners are familiar with all of the Dolch sight words (the most common words), using games, activities, and tons of practice

  

20)           Read Iris: Import images from your photo library and clipboard, or import PDF files received from other apps. Readiris for iPad automatically recognizes all text, graphics, images and tables in your documents. Select the content and pages you want to include in the final document.

Article Response: "Assistive Technology and UDL: Two Sides of the Same Coin"

The authors of this article argue that UDL and AT work together to benefit students with disabilities, "Advances in one approach prompt advances in the other." I would argue that the two work in unison to help all students, not just those with learning disabilities or difficulties.

The idea that AT and UDL co-exist on a continuum. They each have their own clear distinctions, but there is some overlap in the middle. Both approaches to education are meant to reduce barriers for students. The others use history curricula to point out how AT and UDL might be used to reduce barriers and enhance learning. History relies heavily on written text to comprehend concepts. "Taking an AT perspective, the problem can  be considered and individual problem." A UDL perspective addresses the issue as an "environmental problem". History curricula's over-dependence on written text "raises barriers to engagement and mastery for many students.

In this specific case, a UDL approach with a "multimedia curriculum that provides digital, universally designed media that offer diverse options for viewing and manipulating content and expressing knowledge" would be more beneficial for all students. This is room in education for both approaches and we must start looking at the foundation of our curriculum to provide more comprehensive learning strategies for all and then individualize from there if necessary.

UDL AND AT WORKING TOGETHER

Article Response: "Diagnosis and Intervention Strategies for Disorders of Written Language"

"Since writing represents the last and most complex skill to develop, it is the most vulnerable to insult, injury and adverse genetic influences". Kay's article clearly outlines the brain mechanisms involved in the writing process. It is both overwhelming and intimidating when you truly begin to breakdown the process. "It requires the simultaneous and sequential integration of attention, multiple information sources, memory, motor skill, language, and higher cognition." It's truly a wonder anyone is even able to learn how to write and communicate thoughts, ideas and feelings on paper. The entire process is a beautifully complex combination of the mind and body. A "kinetic melody"

        

Requirements for Written Language  

"The primary requirements for written language include an intact central nervous system, intact cognitive ability, intact language skills (both receptive and expressive), motivation, skill development, practice, and emotional stability. Secondary written language requirements include concepts of organization and flow, writing skill, spelling skill, syntax and grammar knowledge, mechanics, productivity, accuracy, visual and spatial organization, simultaneous processing, revisualization, and automatization."  

I have included the above quote to aid when we look at breaking down the writing process in class. 

Article Response: "Assistive Technology and Writing"

Newton and Dell point out that there are two different aspects to writing. The first aspect is, "handwriting" and the second is "written expression". There are low-tech and high tech solutions for students with writing difficulties.

LOW-TECH:







MID-HIGH TECH:








These are just a few examples of mid/high and low tech solutions for students who struggle with writing.

The article is enlightening in that it reminds me that the focus should be on the quality of responses, not on the quality of handwriting. "For some students with learning disabilities, the process of handwriting or keyboarding text can command so much of their cognitive resources that they have little left to devote to the content of their writing. Given the opportunity to record their ideas digitally, students can think about what they want to say rather than how to handwrite, spell or keyboard it." If we allow struggling writers to create digital responses, then we are putting more emphasis on content rather than the act of writing. There are teachers who would argue, "what happens to these kids when they enter the 'real world ?"  I would argue that the "real world" is chalk full of assistive technologies (ie. iPads) and that we should be teaching kids how to use them in school.

Article Response: "Take the Pencil Out of the Process"

All too often teachers identify kids who struggle as lazy. This article forces us to think about writing as a physical act. Many of us take handwriting for granted and it is therefore difficult to imagine why so many of our students struggle to commit pen to paper. Broun points out that, "sometimes kids grow out of this," and she says, "sometimes, with extra practice, their skills improve." As a teacher, I struggle with the point at which you know for sure whether or not a child will "grow out" of writing difficulties.

From about grade four on, the writing process is crucial to learning. Kids are no longer learning to read and write; rather they are reading and writing to learn. I have a few students for whom the writing process is very labor-intensive. Perhaps this is the Cardinal Sin of teaching, but I struggle with drawling that line (so to speak) between "forcing" them to write and allowing them to use a computer or iPad. One particular student has ADHD, along with a myriad of other difficulties. Allowing him to do his assignments on the computer produces similar results to that of writing. He is easily distracted and spends more time fiddling with font sizes than putting actual answers down. I am often left wondering where am I going wrong?!

Another extremely important point made by Broun is when she says, "Fair is not giving everyone the same thing, fair is giving people what they need." She is referring to having computers in the classroom and allowing students with difficulties to use them as a writing instrument. I have two student computers in my classroom and I personally, find them cumbersome. I prefer the use of the iPads whenever possible as they are more mobile and it is easier to monitor student activity.

Broun states that, "Texting is now part of our culture". We should be embracing the shift from pen and paper to touch or keyboard typing. Technology will continue to change but it is not going away. Technology has made current-day information accessible via touch, so why then are we still reading to kids from outdated textbooks and having them copy pages and pages of notes from the board?

Article Response : "iPads as instructional tools..."

It is not surprising that research shows, "the use of technology in teaching and learning for students with intellectual disabilities" is beneficial. There have been major advancements over the past decade, specifically in assistive technology and I agree with the authors, in that we should be incorporating technology as part of our Universal Design for Learning. We should be developing schools and classrooms built around promoting access to technology for all students (disabled or otherwise). Many of the apps we have been shown over the last week and a half would be hugely beneficial for many students, not just those with an LD. In addition, those who have learning disabilities and or difficulties would feel included in a "flexible learning environment".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3ardmq0a0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGLTJw0GSxk

The article points to the idea that, "video has improved the learning opportunities" for many disabled students. "Using video in instruction not only supported students in learning and generalizing academic skills but was also very motivating for them". While this is true, I feel it is necessary to point out that human interaction cannot be discounted. Videos are useful in teaching for dozens of reasons, but I find it hard to support the use of video for social skills. There are certain social skills that are best taught in person. No doubt that video can be meaningful and engaging for kids, but so can human contact.

The students from the study in this particular article were able to work more independently with the use of the iPad. The argument could be made that as a result of students gaining more independence teachers will have more time to develop appropriate teaching and assessment strategies. Student independence could, by proxy, allow teachers to create a better UDL in their classrooms!

July 11th - Webinar Response

WEBINAR TAKEAWAYS:

Let me begin by explaining my Pic Collage, followed by posting my notes from the webinars, followed by the top 3 apps.

The presenters explained Executive Functioning by equating it to the CEO of the brain and or the conductor of an orchestra.  They said that it is about the process of: THINKING, DECIDING and ACTING. This reminds me of a set of traffic lights. I chose the Tools4Students picture because it was one of what will be the most useful apps for my learning environment. KidsDoodle clearly represents the idea of Think, Decide Act. A concept that is crucial to social and academic survival for all kids. 

Notes from Webinars:

• iPad to enhance executive functioning
• EF > driven by frontal lobe - behaviour regulation and time management
• Set of processes (about self-management)
• CEO of brain / Conductor of orchestra
• EF dysfunction = CEO or conductor is "drunk" (GREAT analogy) - makes this easy to understand
• THINK, DECIDE, ACT = Traffic Lights
• impact of EF dysfunction = PSYCHIATRIC disorder
• any form of mental health disorders (ADHD = 100% have EF dys.)
• ADHD= display difficulties with the INHIBIT, FOCUS/SELECT and SUSTAIN and MODULATE CUES
• ODD/CD - multiple self-regulation and self-realization deficits 
• ASD = Difficulties with self-analysis/awareness and determination
• EF and School > executive  demands are MEDIATED by teacher who CUES students
• SCAFFOLDING = step-by-step approach to reduced amounts of info
• Teacher is "surrogate frontal lobe"
• demonstrating what has been learned is very hard when student is alone (ie. tests/homework etc)...
• "Production involves knowledge and the engagement of various combinations of executive capacities at various lines" - not mediated by teacher
• EF dys = disorganized and disengaged
• "inextricably woven into every person"

AREAS OF EF IMPACTING LEARNING:

THINKING:

• planning/prioritizing
• working memory
• time mngmnt
• organiztn
• metacog (thinking about thinking

DOING:

• response inhibition
• emotional control
• sustained attention
• task initiation
• adaptability

TOP APPS:

1) Tools4Students - 25 ready made graphic organizers

2) Take a Chill - grounding yourself before beginning a task

3) iRewards Chart - excellent for Autistic/ADHD kids. 

Thurs July 10th

Response to Article: "Learning from Text..."  (Edyburn)

The article points out that "Learning to read is a developmental milestone celebrated by hundreds of thousands of young children every school year" (p.16) The author makes a point of saying that it is "incomprehensible" for literate readers to imagine what a struggling reader must endure. It is a "milestone" many of us take for granted. I for one, hadn't thought of struggling readers as people with an "eroded self-concept". There is a shift that takes place in learning around fourth grade. We transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Children who have not learned how to read by grade 3 or 4 will undoubtedly have difficulty in almost all subject areas.

The statistic that "80% of students with learning disabilities receive services for a reading disability" is shocking. The article mentions that many different labels are used to describe students. This both disheartens me and makes me nervous. All too often we label the student instead of the disability. Teachers, students, parents and specialists often believe that reading difficulties are irreversible. I believe that with appropriate and timely intervention some reading difficulties can be reversed. The shift in terminology from the word disability to difficulty is encouraging. The term difficulty has fewer detrimental side effects.

"Accountability climate" is not a term I'd heard prior to reading this article but it is certainly one that captures the teaching/learning environment today. There has been a major educational shift over the last few decades which has led to the "No Child Left Behind Act". Educators are transforming their way of thinking from teaching the kids who "want to be there" to "teaching kids to want to be there". We are in an age where we can more easily identify struggling students. In addition, affordable and accessible assistive technology is on the rise. These two elements combines is making education for accessible for all!

Weds. July 9th - "The Myth of Average" - film response

NOTES

• "What good is tech best technology if you can't reach the best instruments of the world?"
• designing to fit the average
• no such thing as an "average" pilot
• "jagged size profile" - no one is the same on every dimension
• BAN THE AVERAGE
• "deign to the edges" of the pilots
• flexible cockpit (classroom)
• adjustable seat - diverse pilots
• designing textbooks and learning environments for the "average" student
• varying dimensions of learning
• jagged learning profile
• nurture individual potential
• average hurts everyone
• design on average destroys talent > leads to boredom/dropouts > also makes it hard to identify (ie. Science whiz who struggles with reading)
• technology allows us to do more than average
• education has gone digital
• tech is already here - what do we want it to be
• using tech to create FLEXIBLE learning environments
• language translation
• simple solutions with HUGE impacts
• new digital science curriculum
• performance improvement through tech
• formula for success from the Air Force

MY ADJUSTABLE SEAT

I teach multiple courses to multiple grades at the same time, so my entire approach to teaching and learning is an "adjustable seat". I have to gear my lessons toward a wide variety of learning styles, age levels and content, all the while ensuring I am meeting outcomes at different grade levels. Next year I will be teaching a combined 6,7,8,9 Health class. I have been working on a plan of attack for how to approach this but am open to suggestions ;) My idea of what works and what doesn't work in classroom is everchanging. Just when I think I have it all figured out, I am thrown a curveball. I suppose a major component to education is that it should be ever-changing and evolving.

TAKEAWAYS: 

July 9th - Reading Task Analysis

Breaking down the reading process is a daunting task. In doing this activity I discovered that the reading process for an "average" reader would be far different than the reading process for a student with a reading disability.

• Engage attention to task
• Phonology (auditory processing) - Breaking down specific sounds by deciphering the alphabet and then "chunking" these sounds into syllables. Turning syllables into words and words into sentences etc.
• Visual Processing (Orthography)
• Semantics (understanding) - Relating what is read to a certain schema

Weds. July 9th App Smash Presentations

Prior to doing this project and hearing the class presentations, I had little to know understanding of most of the definitions. The App Smash Presentations were incredibly informing, both on the specific definitions we were asked to define and on the apps that were used to present the information. After seeing the presentations, I of course reflected on our own project and feel it would have been a good idea to include more examples in the presentation.

Ashley and Ainsley's (apologies for any misspellings), project used terrific examples. The lens through which they did their presentation was fun and informative. Many of the apps used by presenters (save the Google and Camera apps) were apps I had never used and or even heard of.

As mentioned during our presentation today, I am the Resource teacher for our school. Scheduling in a small school with a teaching staff of 6 and a half people, can be a logistical nightmare and I have had to take on a Resource role. Working one on one with students who struggle has been both a test of my patience and incredibly rewarding by times. I have an ongoing list of specific apps that I plan on using with specific kids. Technology is an excellent way to engage learners and facilitate learning.

Tuesday July 8th

Response to Article: The Education of Dyslexic Children from Childhood to Young Adulthood - S.E Shaywitz, Morris and B.A Shaywitz

The authors start by saying, "For good readers, gaining meaning from print quickly and effortlessly, like breathing and speaking, is a natural part of life" (p.452). Although I certainly fall into this category, the statement makes me think about dyslexia (and other reading disabilities) in the same regard as any other disability. Those of us with full use of both our legs find it impossible to imagine the struggles a person in a wheelchair must face. Thinking about reading disabilities from this perspective makes me slightly more empathetic. If nothing else, it gives me new insight into the complicated world that is reading/learning disabilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugFIHHom1NU

July 8th

Response to Article: How the Special Brain Learns - David A. Sousa

I hadn't previously considered the daunting task of reading from this angle. I was blessed, from an early age, to be able to read with ease and enjoyment. I have always found it hard to relate to those who struggle with reading (insert shocked face here). Despite being a Resource teacher, I often find myself growing impatient with kids who have difficulty in literacy. A recent interaction with a struggling student in grade 3, who was working on his "L" sounds, went something like this:

Me: "Ladder. L-L-L-Ladder. LLLLLL. Ladder

Him: "Wadder"

Me: "No J*****. Try it again. L-L-L-Ladder"

Him: "Das what I said! W-W-W-Wadderrrrrrr!!"

The article is enlightening. My frustration with this particular situation may have been lessened had I simply tried to gain a different perspective. The article points out that "reading is the most difficult task we can ask the young brain to undertake" (p83). We are asking kids to reorganize what they have come to know as language. This reorganization takes place in the form of "abstract symbols" known as the alphabet. 

The article also points out that, unlike language, reading is not a survival skill.  A person can communicate, function and otherwise 'get-by' in the world while still having major reading difficulties. The student mentioned above also suffers from language impairment so it was reassuring to read that, "children with language impairments are at risk for problems when learning to read" (p 84).

For someone who takes the ability to read for granted, it is eye-opening to be reminded that breaking down reading into phomenic awareness, graphemes and various neural interactions, it is surprising that more people don't show weakness in reading. Teaching a student how to read is a daunting task; but teaching a student with a reading disability how to read is beyond daunting.

Monday July 7th

Response to Article: Touching the Virtual, toughing the real: iPads and enabling literacy for students experiencing a disability” (By Rosie Flewitt, Natalia Kucirkova and David Messer).

The article outlines the idea of iPads supporting literacy by first paying credence to the theory of touch in learning.  Prior to reading this article, I hadn’t really taken into consideration the significance of touch in learning and in teaching. Touch is the sense through which we navigate the world around us. The article outlines three main types of touch: real, vicarious and virtual. In doing so, it is clear that there are various forms of touch and each form has a role in education.

The authors’ statement, “technological advances have led to the development of tactile digital interface, leads to me question what’s next? Incorporating technology into the classroom is almost parallel to a ‘good education’, but I am left wondering what the next big wave of technology will be. It is easy to understand how/why a teacher or administrator may feel overwhelmed by new technologies. It is difficult enough teaching yourself how to use them but to then teach a child how to use them to better his/her understanding of specific concepts may seem daunting. I suppose a large part of understanding technology is first understanding the potential. I sometimes harbor guilt for the fact that I am not using technology enough in my classroom (especially when doing remedial work with students).  Part of this guilt stems from simply not having the time to explore ways to incorporate new software.

The authors also point out the “mind-body entangelement”. “Touch and gesture are not merely supplementary to speech but are finely integrated with it”(p.109). The two go hand-in-hand (so to speak). The introduction of iPads into the select school for this study, “stimulated enthusiastic responses from students” (p.111).  My initial reaction to this statement is OF COURSE it elicited excitement in the students. For many kids, iPads are closely related to games and perhaps the kids were enthusiastic because they thought they would be playing on the tablets. They may not have been so enthusiastic had they known it was to “improve literacy”. However, just as a parent hides broccoli under mountains of mushy white potatoes dripping with butter and salt, to get their child to eat vegetables; teachers are hiding academics behind a sleek, shiny “toy”.

The article makes mention of a “cause and effect through actions” (p.111). Immediate response from the device coincides with today’ desire for immediate gratification. Shooting stars blasting across a screen is perhaps more encouraging and motivating than the traditional checkmark.

Fri July 4th- Conference Day

Race and Identity - with speakers: Martin Morrison and Mike Corbett

Mike Corbett started by saying, "Race is a pseudo-scientific bullshit construction". A bold statement, considering the very definition of race refers to a "human population distinguished as more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics".( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/race). My apologies, if this comes as a shock to anyone, but race is indeed scientific at its core. A more appropriate statement would have been, “Racism is a pseudo-scientific bullshit construction.” Racism has no scientific backing. Rather it is a social construction derived from historical and present day societies.

Martin Morrison is the RCH (Race, Cultural and Human Rights) Coordinator for the Tri-County School Board. He stated, "that people construct points of entry to talk to you based on who you are”. We make assumptions instead of asking people about their background. Martin led an activity whereby we were to make assumptions about a stranger right in front of them. The activity was eye-opening for many, but I think it was more about prejudices than race. We had to guess specifics about what kind of food they liked, what their favourite movies are etc. Forgive my ignorance but I think these superficial assumptions are harmless. In fact, our group was almost completely right about the assumptions we had to make about ‘our stranger’. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand why the activity was done, but to do through a cultural lens seemed irrelevant.

Martin did however speak to a very important point. He talked about the "residual impact of negative stereotypes for people of African descent". Jaws dropped when he admitted to carrying receipts with him, so as not to be accused of stealing. Gasps were audible in the crowd as a result of this admission. Martin said there is a “beauty of being understood”.  I as a white, middle class, female take this for granted.  It is important for us to remember that much of our student population often feels misunderstood and that having someone make assumptions about who you are isn’t always a positive approach.

Educational ideals seem to come in waves. A ‘hot topic’ at this point is Cultural Proficiency and Social Justice. I hope that through exposure and understanding, we can become more culturally aware and that social justice isn’t just the newest fad. We have to acknowledge our shortcomings and misgivings and incorporate our knowledge, patience and understanding in the classroom.