Course Summary Reflection

It is no great surprise to me that I am walking away from this course with a great bunch of tools in my Assistive Technology tool belt. While I am certainly no expert in any one of these technologies, I have  been introduce to a wide range of applications and devices that will allow me to better plan for my students.

A few particular points stand out for me. One was the crucial message that just because a child may look like they have low cognitive ability does not mean that they do. We must presume competence! This is such an obvious truth and frankly an embarrassing one to admit of being guilty of. 

Another point for me that struck home was the importance of correctly worded prompts. The example that was given was “turn off the light” rather than “hit the switch”. This is where proper training comes in.  It is essential that staff who work with students receive training from qualified personnel so that the work that is being done with students is meaningful and effective. It would be horrible to think that well meaning people are actually inhibiting student progress due to poorly worded prompts or instruction. Also it never hurts to remind again about the importance of plenty of wait time!

I loved the class on low tech tools. I know from my own classroom experience how important it is to be creative when thinking how to address a student’s needs. It doesn’t have to be high tech, but it does have to be effective and safe.  

Finally, while I will admit to being a bit naïve, I am still amazed that there is a reluctance by some classroom teachers to embrace AT.  Technology is an essential component for so many students to learn and participate in school. I look forward to continuing to building on my AT skills and knowledge. I know that I have a lot more to learn, but I am looking forward to it.

Case Study Comments

Michelle Hill - "Logan"

Great snap shot of who Logan is. We got a clear over view of the class dynamics as well as Logan's strengths and challenges. I sympathize with the difficulty in assessing what students know. I have many  students who have similar characteristics and I struggle with the same things. It is a wonder that he hasn't been diagnosed sooner. I am thinking of he was my student I might try implementing the best practices for student s with ASD and see if that made a difference. Great presentation Michelle, it was a pleasure to watch - very interesting!


Adele -  "J"

Wow, J sounds like a very interesting student. He reminds me very much of a little  guy who I see right now in Grade 1. He also has had a difficult start in life and have close family members in jail : (
I would like to build my skills in working with these at risk students, you gave me a lot to think about. I like the gradual approach to introducing the technology as well as expectations. Your patients is commendable!


Kari Macdonald - Justin

It was wonderful to see Justin to do so well with the technology. I love that he was able to show this to the other students, it clearly gave him


Amy - "T"

 It sounds like your nephew enjoyed learning how to use the iPod. I know from my own son how difficult it can be to engage little guys in paper and pencil tasks. Also I appreciate that the writing app that you chose wasn't ideal. I find that the number of apps that are out there can be overwhelming and it is hard to know which one to try. I like the beginning sounds app.

Shauna - C

It is nice to see a girl as a subject for your case study. It is difficult when students become self conscious about using assistive technologies. It is great when there are a number of technologies being used and the teaching/learning style is dynamic. Also, I was thinking perhaps a presentation on "cool" people with Learning  Disabilities would help, and some lessons on different types of learners.  

Jeff Hunter - R

I work with in Elementary schools and I often wonder about how my students with SLD will manage once they leave me. It sounds to me like this students weakness  is executive function. I was staggered to see his reflection, wow. It was great to see how engaged he was with the Inspiration. Alternative forms of assessment is essential for student success, it is a shame to see such a bright student struggling to produce work in a conventional way.

Rebecca Taylor -

Your presentation was very well done. I could relate to your comment that at the beginning of the year you came in with high expectations of making great gains, then reality hits.


Anne Macdonald - Will

I loved your comment that there is no test yet to assess what Will knows. It is sad to hear that Will is having such a difficult time with the transition. I hope that the increased use of the iPad will be useful.

Alana Pyke - Rex

It is wonderful to see the range of adaptations for Rex that have been implemented for the whole class. It is exciting to see such a young child to be so self aware, I am a big believer in teaching children from a young age self advocacy skills. I hope he gets his own laptop, I am sure it would make the difference for his success in school.

Jennifer - J

(Google Calendar, soshiku) The case study was interesting, executive function is often the down fall for many struggling students... and adults for that matter. I agree that there has to be buy-in from all parties. I wonder if assignments and homework could be downloaded from home could be helpful?

Assistive Technology for people with Vision Impairment

I primarily chose this video because in the school where I teach we have the benefit of having a Smartboard in each and every class. I was intrigued to find out how they could be utilized to teach someone who has a visual impairment. The idea of having the lesson being demonstrated on the  Smartboard also being shown on a computer monitor for a student was brilliant. While text can be enlarged for a student relatively easily, it is the "in the moment" instruction that a student who is visually impaired may often miss out on. I wonder however, if in our integrated schools some students may be reluctant to use such a system because it may draw increased attention to their disability? I would hope that in this age of integrated technology use, the stigma of using such a system would be minimal.    

Adapted Toy

   The toy that I looked at for this assignment was a pop up re-arrangeable tent. We have had one in our house for years and it is something that all my children have used. I like this toy for a number of reasons. The first is that it promotes creative play. Children can imagine their tent is anywhere or is any number or things. In this way it can be used with children to directly teach imaginative play, which is often needed for children who have ASD. It also gives children a quite place where they can feel secure. Inside the tent they can escape from some of the sensory stimulation of the world.
  
   For children who are developing their gross motor skills the tunnels promote crawling an movement in a safe and controlled space. The set that we have has a number of different tunnels and tents that can be arranged in a number of ways which helps to keep the children engaged. There are also sets of plastic balls which are available that when combined with the tent make a ball pit. This could benefit children who have sensory deficits. The touch, sound and sight of the brightly coloured balls can be enjoyed in a confined space.

   I would recommend this toy to any parent, especially to one that has a child with special needs. Its flexibility means that it can be used in a number of ways to promote their child's physical, cognitive and social/emotional development.  Plus, it easily folds up and can be stored in a small space, the fabric is washable with a wet cloth and is durable.  

Low Tech Devices

It was an interesting process to look for products at the Dollar Store that would help students work more productively in the classroom. The possibilities are endless. From my own teaching practice I have used objects in the moment that will work to fit a students need. As bizarre as it seems I have used a paper towel roll quite effectively to prevent a student from having  a melt down. When he puts it upright it indicates to me that he needs assistance. When it is lying flat I know that he is working well independently. Assistive technology does not have to be fancy it simply has to work. Another object that I have come to use often in my class are lengths of resistance tubing that I have cut into sections and have made into "bracelets."     

These have very successful. They are only a dollar to make, the students seem to enjoy them and they are virtually indestructible! The old cliche is so true - necessity is the mother of invention.  Living an hours round trip from any shopping district has made me resourceful. I look around to see what it available to meet the needs of my students. However, I hate paying what seems like a ridiculous price for things that have been marketed as being "educational" and I hate buying products that are designed to be used once and then thrown into our landfills. However, I think there is a middle ground to be had where if people are willing to think outside the box durable, cost effective tools can be found.

During this weeks class, I loved to see the other inventions people have made. Amy's pencil holder had so many great things going for it. It was easy to grasp, worked as an eraser and as a fidget toy! I don't think I will ever look at a turkey baster in quite the same way : )

Janna's scissors I thought were brilliant. With a few modifications to make them more stable and less pointy, many students could find them helpful.

My other two favourite inventions were the dice roller, which as an elementary teacher believe should be in every classroom and the popsicle tray made into a paint tray. The paint tray, especially once it was stabilized could work very well for a number of students. Overall it was a pleasure to see the other students ideas and creativity. 

Inventions

I found this particular assignment difficult. It was hard for me to know where o begin. Eventually after quite a bit of frustration I decided that the first step was, as it always should be, to think of the user first. I thought about the students that I see and what their particular needs were. For many of them fine motor control was a challenge. So, in the end, for my assignment I choose to make two "inventions". The first was a device that can be used by students to become independent in getting dressed to go out. Originally this product was designed to be attached to a camera when it was being used around water. If the camera fell in it would keep it afloat until it was retrieved. It has a detachable clip on it making it easy to fasten to various objects. For students who struggle with  fine motor control would have it attached to their zipper making it much easier to hold and pull.

The second invention is an activity to help students build their fine motor control. It uses clothes pins to both practice their pincher grip as well as their literacy skills among other possible things.

 Fidget tools are something that I have a love/hate relationship with. With a high proportion of my students struggling with attention issues, I see the need for them to have something in their hand to give them the sensory stimulation that they need. However, at times I find them distracting for me, the other students in the class as well as the students themselves who are using them.  I persevere with them though, because I know they are best practice for those who struggle with attention and need sensory stimulation. I hope that with continued use as well as explicit teaching some of the off task behaviours that can accompany these low tech devices will help reduce. Primarily I see these items being used in a classroom setting, for mid to upper elementary students who do not have significant developmental delays. I would not give these particular items to a student who has a tendency to mouth objects. The goal of these objects would be for students to hold them, giving the students the movement and sensation they need in order for them to be productive in their work.  

  

These are intended to be used in a classroom setting for students to indicate their level of understanding. Often students get tired of raising their hands, students with special needs may get impatient. With these low tech objects students can signal their comfort with the work non-verbally. This would also be good for classrooms which have student who are sensitive to sound. I would recommend that the light and the clips be used for a single student. The clips could be combined with one of the stands which are shown below as well as the container which can suctioned to the desk.
The cups can be used for a whole class. The benefits of this would be that it gets the entire class thinking and evaluating their understanding as well as minimizing stigma for the students who require this support.

 There are a number of products in this photo which could be used in a number of ways. Primarily I see these objects being used by students who struggle with and gross & fine motor control. The bag fasteners can be used to keep shoelaces tight. Once threaded through the student simply squeezes the button and pulls laces to tighten and then they get tucked into the shoe. The ipad case functions as an easy access bag. No fasteners to deal with, soft material in a fun pattern, what student wouldn't like to use this? The finger lights could be used in several ways. One way would be for the student to practice their letter formation in a fun and engaging way. Another function could be for nonverbal students to use the finger lights as pointers to indicate choice or identify an object. Finally the container has suction cup fasteners which could be attached to a desk. Regularly used objects could be put in there for easy access, which would also be good for students who struggle with organization. 

These items are also to be used for students who need to practice with motor control, either in the classroom or in a learning centre. The popsicle maker can be used as a game where students practice using a pincer grip to reveal a surprise, either put on the end of the stick or in the container. The ice cube container can be used in one of 2 ways. The first would be for students to take items out of the compartments. The second would be to turn it over and use the bottom of the tray. Each of the compartments has a soft bottom. Letters could be written on the individual compartments and the students would be asked to push in that "button". The bendable wax sticks can be used by the student to form letters, which then can be traced with their fingers.

I have worked with a number of students who could use these stands, who either had a Severe Learning Disability or who were on the Autism Spectrum. For those with a learning disability, the holders could hold cognitive credit cards to help them in their area of need. For the students with ASD they are a convenient way to display a schedule or a prompt. The benefit of the garden labels is that they are like little whiteboards, making it very easy to change the message. These low tech devices can be used either in the learning centre or in the classroom.

The Power of iPads

 The power of the iPad is unmistakable. Since before the time of the industrial revolution the delivery of education has remained basically unchanged. Teachers disseminate knowledge through lecture and literature. Students show their understanding by recording their thoughts onto paper. Through this system millions have been educated, and obviously some have thrived. However, there are many who have not. We may not be able to put exact numbers on the percentage of students who were not able to learn in this way, but as educators we have come to understand that while a person may not be able to learn and demonstrate their understanding in this traditional way, they are certainly able to learn and demonstrate their understanding in other ways. This is where technology can be a game changer for those students who do not thrive in a traditional classroom. There are so many technologies available today that can make the difference for struggling students. Smartboards, CoWriter and Kurzweil, to name a few, are new technologies which are being used in some classrooms which have made a difference for students. However, for shear versatility and price point the ipod Touch has got to be the best and most dramatic bang for the educational buck. 

The quality and the versatility of the apps available today are almost unimaginable. I have paid more for a single textbook than the going rate for one of these devices. However, the possibilities and potential of these devices are staggering. Whether it is giving voice to those who are silent, or access to knowledge for those who would otherwise be denied, the ipod has a tool to fit almost any need. It has become a common joke to say- "oh, there is an app for that!" Well, before I began to incorporate the iPod into my teaching, I did not appreciate how true this was. Once I began to search the iTunes Store, taking Assistive Technology courses and attending Webinars, I began to fully appreciate the variety and the quality of the apps that are available. Whether you are teaching how the mouth works to produce sounds, to basic number concepts there are applications for the iPod that will make the material not only accessible but also engaging. I am excited to be entering the profession of teaching at such an exciting time. The technology that is available for students and people with disabilities today, has never been greater. More than any other technology it is the iPod that I believe will make the difference in the lives of our students.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The number of AAC Apps are many and perhaps overwhelming. I had some difficulty searching them using the App Store and had much better luck searching them using Google and then looking them up on my iPad. I wonder if it was because it was the Canadian App Store? In any case, it would be wonderful if it was possible to get a short trial of apps before you purchase them, especially the more expensive ones. 
It is clear that there is an app out there to fit every need!

   icommunicate $49.99 –

Features:

·      record your own audio & pictures

·      Text – to – speech  with 20 voices including international

·      Can create visual schedule, storyboards ,flash cards, communication boards, speech boards & more

·      Includes 10 000 + symbols

·      2 types of storyboards 4X10 or task completion

·      print

·      lock app from changes

 MyTalk Tools – $49.99

Features:

·      Text to speech

·      Video, photos, web images,

·      Full-sentence communication

·      Includes 10 000 + symbols

·      Video with audio scan (requires additional app $39.99)

·      Many fonts to choose

  Expressive - $25.99

Features:

·      Can add your own images & audio

·      Change background colour of folders

·      Hide delete & add buttons to avoid accidents

·      600 images

·      landscape or portrait mode

  Tap To Talk - Free

Features:

·      Pre-set pictures

·      Tap one picture and it leads you to another

·      Tap To Talk  Designer is the online full feature product – 179.95

 Predictable  -  159.99

Features:

·      Self-learning word prediction

·      Editable categories and phrase bank

·      Forced delay to lock your screen (to help those who have reduced fine motor)

·      Emoticons to allow you to add laughing, crying yawing, etc

·      Handwriting can be used instead of keystroke

·      Import your email list

·      Publish feature allows you to communicate discrete conversations

·      Auditory feedback for all keys and buttons

 GoTalk Now - $79.99

Features:

·      Choose from 1- 25 locations per page

·      Use personal images

·      Search internet in-app for image or icon & crop, rotate

·      Colour pages, borders and text with any hue

·      Record your voice or choose text to speech

·      Add auditory cues

·      Play videos from any communication location & trim them to the desired length

·      Link song from your playlist

·      Choose between standard or express style communication pages

·      Create multi-media social stories

·      Print and save communication files

·      And more!

 TapSpeak Sequence Standard– $ 29.99

Features:

·      Unlimited number of sequence, sequence length

·      Unlimited phrase recording length

·      Select from a number of geometric symbols & colours

·      Use your own photographs or drawings

·      Designed to accommodate users with varying motor skill

·      Recorder phrases in sequences, modify existing phrases

·      Ability to export/import/merge sequences between devices

·       Resizable moveable target