Parting Words...

I have never looked as myself as someone who incorporated technology in my classroom mainly because my schools were not equipped. Yet, truth be told, I was always quite intimidated by it. I could relate to the students mentioned in the power points that were hesitant or didn’t want people to see them use it. I was always hesitant to use it because I didn’t want people to see I was clueless on how to use it.

But, I have to say this course, along with the other AT class I took, has certainly opened my eyes, not to mention boosted my confidence.  I had no idea what resources were out there. I knew that the iPad was a cool little gadget but, I had no idea just how powerful this learning tool could be. The possibilities and range of access is mind boggling. I learned ways to support students with communication disorders and mobility issues. The best part of the course had to be that not only did we hear about the tools but, we actually got the opportunity to experience it firsthand. Proloquo2go was so amazing. How many teachers, EPA’s AND parents have sat, cutting, gluing and laminating? I wouldn’t want to try and guess.

When reflecting on the last 6 classes I can’t help but be struck with the iPad. I recently bought one and I am floored at how easy it is to use. Let’s face it, if I can use it, anyone can. The iPad is an effective technology that can support all students but, it is extremely powerful for students with disabilities. The iPad is revolutionizing how we teach kids. It’s really exciting to see this type of technology blossoming. AT provides attention to task and is improving performance for those individuals with a disability. Yet, there is one negative. There is one piece that is required for any AT to be successful and that is training. It is quite apparent that training is lacking in our system. If I hadn’t taken this course I would not have had a clue what is out there. And I am not alone. Just speaking with teachers and parents at my school I wasn’t at all surprised by their lack of knowledge surrounding current tools in AT.

In closing, I have to say thank you to Barb for a wonderful class.  It has opened up a world, I didn’t know existed. I am looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned!

June 23 (our last class!)
Case study presentations:
Adele: Jay - Grade 5 student who is oppositional. He has very low reading and writing skills. Lives in a difficult community. Behavioural Psychologist is pushing for him to use an iPad to provide apps to meet his interests. Apps tried: Unblock Me, Rush Hour and Busy Harbour, visual apps: Pic Collage, Book Creator, and Photo Booth.
Kari: Justin: - Grade 3 student who is struggling academically. He is on an IPP for Language Arts and Math. Hard worker and wants to please. He can be aggressive and suffers from anxiety. Asus Tablet was used. Apps tried: Whiteboard, (Love the video!) Sight Words, (Another great video!) He learned 31 words! That's very exciting stuff!
Heather: Ben (aka Liam) - Grade 5 student who is really bright, emotionally immature. He has had loads of interventions. Diagnosed with a learning disability. iPad was introduced. He used the iPad's text to speech option. He used Dragon dictation and Typ-O and loved it. The end result was quite amazing! How effective was that!
Amy: Child "T" - He is 5 years old and is entering Primary next year. He is a happy go lucky guy with a nice sense of humour. Apps used: ABC Tracing, Sound Sorting Beginning Sounds and ABC Magic2.  Mom wanted him to be engaged for the summer. Comments from Mom were really positive with "T"'s motivation.
Shauna: C - Grade 7 student who is struggling in Reading, Writing and Math. She is disorganized. She has been diagnosed with learning disability, possibly with dyslexia. In 2010 she was diagnosed with ADD. Apps tried: Dragon Dictation. As I was watching Shauna's presentation, I wondered if Logan would use it. I like the idea that the output has a better flow. I do wonder about the clarity of Logan's voice, though. It might might not pick up on his voice.
Jeff: Child "R" - Grade 12 student who seems to be quite an enigma. He seems disengaged and lacks self-confidence; he is disorganized and was diagnosed with ADD. He has difficulty with written expression but is very competent in technology, almost too competent. (Yikes!) Inspiration was introduced to give him a visual way to organize his learning. It's quite apparent "R" thought Inspiration was a great way to organize his thoughts. What a well written response! He's great!
Rebecca: Grade Two student that is diagnosed with Autism. He is a happy little boy who has some difficulties with social interactions with his peers. He does experience some difficulty in reading. His reading level is A. The iPad was introduced. ABC Pocket phonics was used. It works on letter sounds Great little videos! What a little sweetheart. It was very clear he loved the apps introduced.
Anne: Will - Seventeen year old boy diagnosed with autism who is non-verbal. He is considered highly affected on autism scale. "Students stayed until 21 in elementary"???? That is a shocking statement. I am sitting here shocked! Apps used: Book Creator. Mom made up a social story about moving. He used Jigsaw puzzle, My Brushes, Doodle Dandy. This quite a story. I would love to hear more. 15 minutes really isn't long enough to get the real story.
Alana: Rex - Grade 4 student who is in French Immersion. He gets frustrated easily. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and is on medication. Cowriter, Tumblebooks, Kidspiration and Into the Book has worked well for him.
Jenn: "J" - Grade 8 student who's struggling with many Language based areas and Math. He often feels anxious. He often gives up before he tries. Lots of support in place. He is hesitant to use technology.  iPad was recommended. Tried Google calendar, which is easy to use and visually appealing. It's free so you can't really beat the price. Soshiku was also used. It was easy to access and much easier to use.
Jackie: "Student A" - Grade 7 student who is functioning at around 4 years old. One type of AT that was used was Tiny Eye. This is an interactive SLP program. It has a rewards page that could be a game or music. It consists of different games. The students can see each other. You can see the sounds being made. This sounds really neat! I have a student in my class who would love this program.
Amy: Justin - Grade 7 student who is diagnosed with Mild spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. He is reading at a Level H. Technology used was Raz-Kids. It's nice that it's based on the PM Benchmark system. So, it's easy to tie into our leveled books. He has moved up four levels in reading! Wow! That is really awesome, really nice progress. That is a huge jump. That kind of jump is very rare!
Janna: "K" is a Grade 10 student who has been diagnosed with a learning disability and a visual learning disability. She's struggling this year at Sacred Heart. She has extreme anxiety around any environments other than school and home. She's very artistic and is involved in circus lessons (neat).
An iPad was introduced. Apps used: Tools4students and gFlash + Flashcards & Tests.  Tools4students is a group of graphic organizers. "K" really liked this because she could organize her thoughts. gFlashcards was a nice way to study. You could make up your questions such as multiple choice."K" loved using the technology.
Jillian: Ashley - She is in Grade One and is severely delayed. Has difficulties with receptive and expressive language. She has an IPP for Language Arts and Math, Functional Language/Communication. She's a happy little girl who loves to joke. Apps used: Toca Train and Book Creator. Toca Boca is an app that works on functional activities. Ashley loved Book Creator.  What a cutie! She is so pleased with her results! She definately wins the cutest award. I could take her home. Look at her language, really great job!
Excellent presentations! What a day!

Switches

** A big thanks has to go to Adele here, who helped me figure out how to embed video in my blog. Please don't judge me. At times, I am a slow learner.


This is a nice little video illustrating a switch and completing a task. It's worth mentioning that we
(educators)  have to presume competency. In the video Nicole's Mom doesn't go on and on encouraging her. She justs waits and Nicole eventually hits the pillow switch. The waiting is really important. No prompting.

Benefits of Powerlink/Switches
-gives them options to control their environment
-inclusion in activities
-leisure activities
-communication
-engagement in curriculum
-engagement in social activities
-access to employment
Successful Switch operation depends on:
-motivation
-suitable activities
-practice time
-lots of encouragement
-position of the switch
-type of switch


Here is an amazing video demonstrating just what you can do with a switch. Just amazing. Check out where the switch is placed.

Switch Ideas

pencil sharpener
shredder
electric toothbrush
foot bath
make up mirror
juicer
coffee pot
nail dryer
bingo ball tosser
tape recorder/listening centre
overhead projector
blender
ice cream maker
sewing machine
camera


The last job of the day was an online activity. We had to find high impact videos that demonstrate a variety of AT utilized by one disability group.
We had to find videos on hearing impairments.

The Haptic Chair
This chair provides sensory imput of vibrations via touch and possibly via bone conduction of sound. The chair produces vibrations produced by musical sounds, delivering them to different parts of the body. The haptic chair was tested with hearing impaired children in Sri Lanka. Many participants asserted they identify the rhythm of the song and could "hear" it better than with traditional hearing aids.

Interpretype Demo
Interpretype is a communication system for those who are deaf, hearing impaired or experience language barriers. The system works by text messaging between devices, streaming video or by translating internet telephone. Interpretype is used in many organizations to make their services more accessible. Interpretype promises to create a "Deaf Friendly" workplace.

Clocks
This video discusses different clocks that are designed for people who have hearing impairments or who are hard of hearing. One example was an alarm clock that has a vibrating pod that can be put under a pillow. Someone who has low vision could simply use a clock or timer with larger numbers. He also mentions talking watches that tell the time. There are even more sophistocated clocks/watches that are connected to your computer that will send reminders (when to get up, when to take medications). He also describes a schedule and visual assistant that can give you reminders such as when it's time to go to Physics class.

AT Inventions

Wow! These inventions today are so creative! Here are just a few:
 1. Amy's Turkey Baster Pencil Holder- This is a pencil made with a turkey baster. This would be great for kids with fine motor problems. It's easy to grasp or hold. A student could use the squeezy end as a fidget toy. The end can actually be used as an eraser. Awesome!
2. Shauna's Squeeze Bottle - This is a could also be used for kids with fine motor problems. Kids with autism could also use. You could use sand or rocks or glue inside along with the pencil.
3.Becky's Easy Grip Magnetic Letters- This could be used with kids with movement, fine motor problems. It is a magnetic strip and glued letters onto the strip. This was amazing! Really hard to explain without pictures! Really nice!
4. Jeff's Spongy Whiteboard - Half cork, half whiteboard with sponges underneath. You could use this with students who have difficulty with writing on a flat surface.
5. Janna's Spatula Scissors - Adapted scissors with spatulas for handles. She attached a clamp that could be attached to a desk. So, student could push down instead of having to squeeze scissors. This could be used with students with fine motor difficulties, visual difficulties. An amputee could actually use this.
6. Jill's Dice Buddy - This is a butter dish with dice tucked inside. This would be great with kids that have physical difficulties. But, it would be great for kids with ADHD. Dice are constantly being thrown or lost. This tool would keep the dice is one spot and they will never go missing!
7. Amy's One Handed Marker Holder - Plaster is in the bottom and the caps are stuck in it. Markers can be taken out without having to worry about taking off the caps. Students with fine motor difficulties could take them out with ease.
8. Jackie and Jennifer's Popscicle Painter - Foams were stuck on the end so you can make different textures using paint or glue or glitter. They had funky fruit grips to make it easier to pick up. Students with fine motor, grip difficulties could use these.
9. Anne's Measure Assist - You put glue a bathroom squeegee to a ruler or protractor.
10.Alana's Skater Rex - This little toy would encourage active play.  He's a little blue T-Rex on a skateboard that kids could push and pull. There's a chew toy at the back for easier grip.
11. Heather's Floater - For those who have fine motor issues. You could use it for zippers or cameras when around water.

Our Low Tech Invention

Ta Da! Introducing the Sticky Tray (patent pending)
So, what we did was we roamed the aisles at the Dollarama and came up with a brainstorm once we found the small suction cups. We thought it would be great to use them with students who may have difficulties with movement. We found the tray and thought that it would be perfect to use on a table or on a wheelchair tray. I think the little suction cups are the key. You could put them on any objects that needed to remain on the square tray. We found a little plate and a book that we attached the suction cups to it. We also picked up a little puzzle. But, we found the little suction cups didn't really stick to the puzzle. This enabled the items to remain stuck and not move. This would allow the student to use the plate and not knock it over. The student could also read the book, turn the pages without knocking it over. The suction cups really are the coolest little item we bought as you can use them for many other things. Kari used a bowl from home and the little suction cups worked. You could also use them on cups. Students who could use the Sticky Tray: students with movement difficulties (Cerebral Palsy) or students with behaviour difficulties who might throw items around.

Low Tech tools we found:

 

1.     Feather duster

     Use for raising hands for a student with physical difficulties.

2.     Bath mat for standing.

Stability for a student with physical difficulties.

Spatial awareness for student who has trouble staying put.

3.     Tap light

“Raising hand” for non-verbal student.

                  Answering questions (yes/no) for non-verbal student or a student with Autism.

4.     Coloured tape

                Lineups
                Outline personal space
                Outline spaces in classroom (eg, teacher's space)

5.     Ice treads

                Provide stability outdoors for students who have mobility issues.

6.     Felt insoles

                Spot-holder for standing (eg. concert)

7.     Sandpaper for letters

                Tactile reinforcement for visual disabilities.

8.     Waxy strips
       Use to form letters, numbers, shapes for visual disabilities.

9.     Foam heart for keeping beat (music class)
      Used for visually impaired students.

10. Mirrors

                Pronunciation. Reinforcing identity, responsibility.  Could be used with                 students with autism.

11. Lava lamp with timer

               Calming, time-out. Used with children with anxiety issues, anger issues or
               with autism.

12. Bubbles
      Blowing for speech and/or calming.

           13. Flying disc

                 Used for sitting on. Large Frisbee, could be used to improve gross motor skills
                    and hand eye coordination.
                   

             14. Garden signs
                 Answering questions. Could be used with children who are non-verbal.

              15. Eye shades
                      Calming.
                      Reducing stimulation.

               16. Chart with 3D numbers
                    Tactile reinforce for students with visual impairments.

Reflection #4

What a miserable day.... A perfect day to learn... But, I'm tired today. The fog outside is a mirrior of the fog in my brain. My body is telling me it's June.
So, today's class began with presenting our social stories from last class. Book Creator is super easy. The hardest part is the actual planning of the story. The creative part is really easy. You can use Book Creator for pretty much anything.
We followed with a brief discussion about our case studies. I'm feeling ok about the whole thing. I've got a little guy in mind (at least). My little guy used to be in my class and I often think of him when I find neat apps/websites that may work for him.
So, once prepped with what the expectations were, Kari, Adele and I set out to the Dollarama in Bayer's Lake to start "seeking and inventing". First part - Seeking. Initially I thought finding 15 low tech items would be difficult. But, before we knew it, we had 40 things!

Gears, Gears, Gears Building Set

I chose this toy because I recently bought it for my classroom. The toy is meant for children ages 3-10. This is a heavy duty gears set that spins and twirls. It’s easy to assemble and has many building possibilities. There are interlocking gears, pillars and cranks, connectors and an interlocking base. My students love creating all sorts of structures, tall or wide. The building set promotes imaginative play and motor development. It teaches kids how things move in a simple way. The pieces are fairly big and bright. But definitely not suitable for kids under 3 (I’d be worried about choking for sure).

Toy Company: Learning Resources Inc
Price: $64.99
# of pieces: 150 moveable pieces
Washability: plastic material enables easy clean up
Storability: easily taken apart and comes in a helpful, plastic storage container.
Batteries: none necessary
This building set has pieces that are quite a good size which enables little hands to pick them up and manoeuver them. Pieces are brightly coloured and easy to handle. They would be appropriate for children with physical or developmental needs. Children of different ages and ability levels would be able to play. The pieces are tactilely unique and encourage exploration. Play can take place on the floor, tabletop or wheelchair tray. Playing with gears is an easy activity to understand and there are no right or wrong way to play.

Features and Benefits:

*Durable
*High contrasting colours
*Tactilely stimulating
*Visually stimulating
*Open-ended
*Easy to grasp/hold

Developmental Processes Promoted:

*Visual attention
*Visual processing
*Cause and effect
*Action concepts: in/out, push/pull, on/off, go/stop
*Fine motor
*Eye-hand coordination
*Problem solving
*Finder and hand control and dexterity
*Hand and wrist grasp
*Sequential thought
*Patience
*Turn taking
*Social Interaction

Reflection #3 (Part 2)

Well, I didn't get to use Frog Dissection today....The LCD player just didn't want to get along with the iPad. My principal was nice enough to bring in his VGA cord for me to use. But, it just wasn't meant to happen today. I tried, my principal tried, even the most tech savvy Grade 5 student couldn't get the thing to work. So much for wowing my second graders....
Technology is great.... when it works.....

Reflection #3

(This is what we observed today from our classroom window.... Best view around!)

The day started off great! The first app we looked at was called Frog Dissection ($4.00). In a blink of an eye I put it on my new iPad. I'm currently in the middle of doing lifecycles with my Grade 2s. There's Monday's science class planned. They're going to be amazed at my tech knowledge. Who's going to be the cool teacher then?
The biggest chunk of the morning was watching the webinar and choosing 3 of our favorite apps.
Once we went through the webinars, we shared our faves. Here are a few that caught my attention:
Sock Puppets - This is a great app for social stories! This is the cutest little app ever. You can develop your own scripts. The puppets can also mouth your own voice! So cute. You could really use this for anything. Can't be the price of free.
The Shredder - This app is super simple. You type in your negative thought(s) and drag the negative thought in the shredder. It's perfect to reinforce the idea of "cope and let go". This would be great for kids with Autism, students who have anger issues.
WritePad - I really liked this app. I used to have a student who had really poor finemotor skills. His printing was hard to decifer. He would get frustrated when he had to write because he couldn't keep up with everyone else. He could certainly use this.
Touch Trainer - This app trains the student (or teacher) to refine their ability to touch screens. The button gets progressively smaller and smaller as time goes on.
Kiddie Question - This app helps to build language and improve problem solving skills. User has to answer questions. The student can do it independently or you could be having a conversation with them as you go through it.
Bugs and Buttons- This app is for all kids for kids who love bugs. It focuses on fine motor activities. It gets more complicated as you go along. It works on finger isolation and works on preprinting . The animation is awesome. Really engaging stuff!
Sign4Me - This app is basically how to use sign language. It is a 3D so you can see how it looks from different perspectives. You can save any phrases or sentences. This app is $12.99.
The afternoon was spent discussing social stories. Social Stories are usually done on paper. But, a lot of our kids with Autism can't really deal with paper. Students with Autism (and anywhere on the spectrum) need visuals. Technology can really come in handy here. It's so much easier when you can use technology (iPad).
So, we set off to create our own social story. We had to keep in mind text should be short and sweet, it should be worded in a positive way and in a language they understand. There should be lots of pictures and limited text. We used the Book Creator app to put it together.