Out final class was such a great display of the expertise that everyone brought to the group. The presentation and case studies were fantastic, everyone had such great ideas. The videos were great, it is clear, that everyone truly has the students best interests i mind when designing their lessons and carry out the case studies. It was an inspiring experience to watch the students achieve success when working with the variety of assistive technology presented to them. If only every teacher could see how useful a few extra minutes is when preparing lesson that are specific to the needs of the student.
Well done everyone and I hope to get the opportunity to work with you all again in the future.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Reflection #4
Wow, it's hard to believe that we are down to our final class! This certainly has been a great learning experience for me. Having been a Learning Center teacher, I know how important it is to effectively and efficiently integrate Assistive Technology into our classrooms, and into our students daily programming. In our class we had the opportunity to practice our skills with a few programs, specifically ClozePro, Clicker 5 and Inspiration. The diversity of these programs is great, they have a lot of potential to be used in a variety of settings, with a variety of learning needs.
We had the opportunity to create lessons, using these programs, for a student described to us in a case study. It was a great opportunity to practice our skills, make mistakes and correct them, and come up with a final product that we all felt was an effective and useful lesson, one that would achieve the outcomes intended for the student.
One handy tool is http://www.learninggrids.com/ . There are various lessons created, that can be used as is, or can be adapted to fit the needs of indivdual students.
We had the opportunity to create lessons, using these programs, for a student described to us in a case study. It was a great opportunity to practice our skills, make mistakes and correct them, and come up with a final product that we all felt was an effective and useful lesson, one that would achieve the outcomes intended for the student.
One handy tool is http://www.learninggrids.com/ . There are various lessons created, that can be used as is, or can be adapted to fit the needs of indivdual students.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Interesting Blog
As I was researching and preparing for another assignment, I came across a very interesting blog post, written by an individual with Autism. The blog website is http://thiswayoflife.org. The author of the blog discusses the use of Assistive Technology, the benefits and hindrances of it, and the necessity of taking the time to match the person to most appropriate device. The discussion can be found at http://thiswayoflife.org/blog/?cat=21. There is also a link to a PDF file that contains a very thorough questionnaire used by the Oklahoma Assistive Technology Centre. (here it is: http://www.theoatc.org/documents/communication/AAC%20Checklist%20rev%2004.16.04.pdf)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Reflection #3
Today, class started with our presentations on Kurzweil. Each group presented their lesson plans that were centered around one specific student. Each student presented on the Mileu, Personality, Technology and Task, the fundamental components of successfully pairing a student with the appropriate assistive technology. This theory was developed by Dr. Marcia Scherer. You can find a link to her website in the side bar under her name. The versatility of Kurzweil was very apparent today, as we were guided through the various lesson plans.
Writing analysis was the next topic covered. We spent time discussing the various aspects of writing, specifically those physiological and neurological components that are essential before a child even begins the process of writing. The writing process was covered next, there is a diagram, created in Inspiration 8, below on the page.
We ended the day with an opportunity to use various programs to assist those student with writing difficulty. Inspiration 8, Draft Builder, Writing with Symbols were all covered. There is a link to each programs website in the side bar,as well as various tutorials .
Writing analysis was the next topic covered. We spent time discussing the various aspects of writing, specifically those physiological and neurological components that are essential before a child even begins the process of writing. The writing process was covered next, there is a diagram, created in Inspiration 8, below on the page.
We ended the day with an opportunity to use various programs to assist those student with writing difficulty. Inspiration 8, Draft Builder, Writing with Symbols were all covered. There is a link to each programs website in the side bar,as well as various tutorials .
An intersesting site....
As part of another course, we have been required to view various blogs written by people who have been diagnosed with Autism. I've included a few of the blogs websites in the side bar. In any case, as I was planning for my weekly response I came across this article below. I've included only an excerpt from the article, however I've also provided the link if you would like to read further. The article is about a young girl who had severe cerebral palsy. Her parents, under the direction of their doctor, had their daughter Ashley's reproductive organs removed therefore stunting her growth and preventing the onset of puberty. little did they know that this little girl was cognitively age appropriate, however was given no way of communicating with her parents, or her doctor to protest their decision. The following is an excerpt reinforcing the necessity and the right of people being able to communicate:
"My ongoing concern is the readiness with which Ashley's parents, doctors and most commentators assumed they could make an accurate estimation of the understanding of a child without speech who has severely restricted movement. Any assessment of intelligence that relies on speech and motor skills cannot conceivably be accurate because the child doesn't have any of the skills required to undertake testing. To equate intelligence with motor skills is as absurd as equating it with height. The only possible way to find out how much a child who cannot talk actually understands is to develop an alternative means of communication for that child. An entire new discipline of non-speech communication has developed since I was born in1961, and there are now literally hundreds of non-speech communication strategies available. Once communication is established, education and assessment can follow,in the usual way. No child should be presumed to be profoundly retarded because she can't talk. All children who can't talk should be given access to communication therapy before any judgments are made about their intelligence. Ashley's condemned to be a Peter Pan and never grow, but it's not too late for her to learn to communicate. It's profoundly unethical to leave her on that pillow without making every effort to give her a voice of her own."
http://fridanow.blogspot.com/2007/06/forwarded-on-beheald-of-linda-edwards.html
"My ongoing concern is the readiness with which Ashley's parents, doctors and most commentators assumed they could make an accurate estimation of the understanding of a child without speech who has severely restricted movement. Any assessment of intelligence that relies on speech and motor skills cannot conceivably be accurate because the child doesn't have any of the skills required to undertake testing. To equate intelligence with motor skills is as absurd as equating it with height. The only possible way to find out how much a child who cannot talk actually understands is to develop an alternative means of communication for that child. An entire new discipline of non-speech communication has developed since I was born in1961, and there are now literally hundreds of non-speech communication strategies available. Once communication is established, education and assessment can follow,in the usual way. No child should be presumed to be profoundly retarded because she can't talk. All children who can't talk should be given access to communication therapy before any judgments are made about their intelligence. Ashley's condemned to be a Peter Pan and never grow, but it's not too late for her to learn to communicate. It's profoundly unethical to leave her on that pillow without making every effort to give her a voice of her own."
http://fridanow.blogspot.com/2007/06/forwarded-on-beheald-of-linda-edwards.html
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
reflection #3
Today in class we had the opportunity to play with Kurzweil. I have used the program before, however, at the time I had no idea what it was capable of! Wow! What a fantastic resource in each and every school. Today, as part of our class, we were to create a lesson for a student of our choice. This is one aspect of my job that I love; working with students, getting to know them , getting used to the way they learn, and learning what they need to be successful in school, then finding the appropriate program for them to use to ensure this success. I must admit, the days I get to visit the Assistive Tech department, I thoroughly enjoy. The programs available to assist various types of learners, if implemented correctly, can truly change the educational career of any student.
In any case, today we spent the day designing a program for a grade 6 student with reading difficulties. As we designed the activities I was amazed at all that the program could do. As teachers, we often start designing an activity with some preconceived notions of what we want the student to accomplish. I found as I was using the Kurzweil program that I was learning new and innovative ways to teach various aspects of the lesson. The "bubble note" feature is so convenient for extra clarification, and for monitoring comprehension. The highlight features, defintions, read-aloud, all fantastic ways of developing independence within a struggling reader. The students have the opportunity to go through a test without constantly asking for clarification. Having taught in a high school, I have found that many children who are struggling readers will not ask for hep when doing assignments or tests. They would rather take a failing grade, then raise their hands, among a group of their peers and ask for clarification. By implementing the various features Kurzweil has available, students can clarify on their own, not only creating more independent test taking, but also encouraging problem solving.
In any case, today we spent the day designing a program for a grade 6 student with reading difficulties. As we designed the activities I was amazed at all that the program could do. As teachers, we often start designing an activity with some preconceived notions of what we want the student to accomplish. I found as I was using the Kurzweil program that I was learning new and innovative ways to teach various aspects of the lesson. The "bubble note" feature is so convenient for extra clarification, and for monitoring comprehension. The highlight features, defintions, read-aloud, all fantastic ways of developing independence within a struggling reader. The students have the opportunity to go through a test without constantly asking for clarification. Having taught in a high school, I have found that many children who are struggling readers will not ask for hep when doing assignments or tests. They would rather take a failing grade, then raise their hands, among a group of their peers and ask for clarification. By implementing the various features Kurzweil has available, students can clarify on their own, not only creating more independent test taking, but also encouraging problem solving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)