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 

Proloquo2Go

The first assignment was great. For me, the best way to learn about a new tool is to use it. Although, I can listen to a lecture about something and come away with a general sense of whether it seemed useful or not, I find that it quickly fades from my memory. However, by getting to explore the App in the way we did during class, I was much more able to understand the potential application of it. Not only that, through the process I really was able to stretch my own understanding of what a person requires to communicate. Given that I have taken my ability to communicate orally with others for granted all of my life, and that I have not yet had the opportunity to work with someone who is nonverbal, my understanding was limited. Working through the process of which categories to make and how the various levels should flow was an extremely engaging and enlightening experience. I also found it incredibly valuable to have that time to begin that process and create something and then have that opportunity for input and feed back from Barb. It was a great learning experience.

I also found working within a group to be helpful. Although I admit initially, I thought I could complete the assignment much more efficiently and comfortably by myself, once we got into a groove, it was a great collaborative learning experience. My partners were a pleasure to work with and through the conversation and their insights they were able to help me expand my thinking.

            The process itself of creating a tool for another person to use to communicate was intimidating. Once I really began to think about what this other person might want to say, I began to realize how disempowered people who are nonverbal are. Not only did I get to choose what phrases they could say, but I also got to choose what they did not say.  I could include pleasant manners for the user and leave out some of the unpleasant phrases that most parents hear on occasion. Of course people can communicate in a number of ways, and can show their feelings in other ways. However, I did feel that to help give someone a voice was a great responsibility and that I wanted as much a possible to make sure it was in fact their voice rather than my own. As we were working through the process I began to see that ideally, whenever possible, the end user should have input in what should be included. To this end I was very interested and happy to see the typing mode, where the user can have much greater control over their communication, provided that the prerequisite skill set was there.  

Great class!

Class #1 Meeting the Needs of Todays Students

Have the needs of students changed that much since the days I was in school? Well, certainly high needs children were never in mainstream classes, they were relegated to the "Special Education" classes. However, I wonder about the other students, the ones who could "blend in” more readily with their classmates. Students who had severe learning disabilities, ADHD, high functioning ASD, where were they?  Certainly I know that that the rates of ASD are on the rise, but I don't know if, statistically, the rates of other disabilities are on the rise as well. In fact, I have a suspicion that while the numbers may in fact be going up, there has also been an ideological shift in the way in which we approach the business of educating children, that has led to a higher identification of students with special needs. We have learned that while fear may have worked in the short term to control behaviour, in the long term it not only failed to control behaviour but it also failed to promote an environment in which students can learn. Therefore, if we can no longer use fear as crowd control, we need to be a lot more resourceful to engage students and meet their needs. To teach each child, no matter their learning style or disability, we need new tools with which to teach. Old teaching methods will not work for today's new model of inclusion and differentiation. It is only if we change the way in which we teach will we be able to effectively do our jobs and meet the needs of all our students.  

Assistive technology is key to a vibrant and engaged 21^st century classroom. By training students with AT, we are better able to make their learning relevant and meaningful to them. Through technology we can give the students access to the curriculum, giving them the independence they need to be successful. Independence not only builds self-esteem, but also will enable them to develop skills that will serve them through their lives. As with most aspects of teaching, in order for Assistive Technology to be successful it is crucial that it is not implemented in isolation. Working with all stakeholders to identify strengths and needs, as well as essential training and monitoring are keys for success.   

While the demands of teaching have never been higher, it is exciting to be teaching in the 21^st century classroom. The tools that teachers have access to are ever expanding and their power and full applications are only now being realized.