December 12, 2012 - Last Class

December 12, 2012

Last class, as Metallica says “Sad But True”.  Our class consisted of the rest of the class presenting their case studies, including myself. First up was Trisha. She presented about a grade 3, female student.  The student loves technology, is a positive learner but struggles with reading and writing. I like how Trisha was able to implement AT support for the student in the classroom and in the Learning Centre. The difference between her writing before AT support and after was unbelievable. The App, iWordQ, was most powerful for the student. Loved it!!  Great job Trisha, you are making a huge difference in this students’ life, now and in her future.  The second presentation was by Ann. I was truly moved by Jaden’s story.  For a young boy to have gone through so much in his life already and be so strong is a true testament of his will, strength, his parents love and support and of course his teachers guidance. Jaden is a hard worker, a visual kinesthetic learner and needs repetition to aid him to learn.  He loves the iPad and does very well with using this AT.  The difference in his writing when using Co-Writer was amazing. I admire this boy’s strength in every way. Ann, you are doing an amazing job with Jaden. You can tell, by the video, how much he respects and looks up to you by the way he responded and look at the camera. J  The next presentation was by Francine. She presented about a grade 1 student, named Jack, who shows signs of Autism. Francine’s Case Study was different in that she provided the AT support at home. A very moving, heart warming and emotional presentation in seeing how much the iPad and Proloque2go has impacted this boys life. Something that might never had happened if it was not for Francine. You have impacted Jack’s life in immeasurable ways. Communication is so important for all individuals and you have been a huge part in providing the means for Jack to communicate his needs and wants. WOW!!!  Awesome job Francine!   The next Case Study presentation was by Janet, who discussed her involvement with J. It was very interesting to listen to Janet, who is a principal, describe how she was able to provide support for J in the school setting. I admire how Janet is able to connect to J, not only through AT, but through building a relationship with the student. The iMovie trailer was really cool to see. It really displayed J’s personality and his imagination. Loved it!!  The students at your school, Janet, are very lucky to have you as an administrator.  The next Case Study presentation was by Isaac. His presentation of A was very powerful. A is a 13 year old, non verbal student with high sensory needs. The amount of time, energy and patience that Isaac displays through his Case Study and in person is one of a kind. The communication piece which Isaac discussed is so important in A’s life. Isaac has done a great job understanding A in great depth. In my opinion, this knowledge is the main reason A is having so much success in the school setting.  The sensory piece involved in A’s daily routine at school is critical to his success. The swing may be the most important piece of assistive support he has in his daily schedule.  Great job Isaac!!  The next Case study was by Traci. Her presentation was unique in that it involved a group of students in the Early Literacy Program, LLI. I have had some experience with the program, being trained in the past. The level of knowledge it takes to run the program effectively is immense. It was evident that Traci has put a lot of time and energy into the program. She has provided amazing support through various AT to engage the students who have been struggling focusing during the lessons.  The iPad can definitely be a useful device to have in the LLI program. Really enjoyed Traci’s case study. J

I presented last and felt the Case study was a success because it has become clearer to me where we need to go in the future with Ziggy. Even though our team has incorporated AT into her daily life at school, the next step is to be more specific with the direction we are taking in regards of her writing. I am excited to take that next step with Ziggy.  Overall, I really enjoyed all the Case Study presentations. I learned a lot from all the presenters, thank you all!!!

When I reflect on the last 3 months of this course and the journey I have taken through Assistive Technology,   feel very lucky and enlightened. I had taken this course in 2007 and it is hard to believe, in some regards, how much technology has changed in only 5 years. During the first few classes there were many new elements of AT that were not even discussed last time. Most of this centers around the Apple devices of iPad, iPod and now the iPad mini. We discussed many Apps, such as iMovie (also on Mac computers), Book Creator, Proloque2Go and many others. We learned about the convergence of technology in regards to the Apple devices. We were also able to learn about presuming competence. Very enlightening! The Universal Design for Learning was taught and really made me more aware of my teaching in school. Using this design is critical to the success for all of our students in our schools. In class we had two class projects, with a partner to present. It was awesome to have this experience, what a way to learn – hands on with the technology we are using with our students. The Assistive Tech. models were researched, which made me more aware of the depth the evaluation of the students and their needs – the technology needs to match the student.  The class had the opportunity to see AT in action with a field trip to view Grade 6 AT projects. This might have been the coolest part of the course. Loved it!!  We ended with all of our Case Studies, all were truly inspiring and very well done.

Thank you to all of my classmates, to Anita and Barb for a great few months. I learned so much in a very short period of time. I will miss coming to class this Wednesday night. :(     

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 5, 2012 - Presentations

December 5, 2012

This was the first night for the class to present their individual projects/case studies.  We also had the opportunity to visit the grade 6 presentations and their use of technology in school.  The first 3 presentations were by Darcie, Emily and Stephanie.  The student Darcie described, Mary, is in grade 10 and has a vision impairment. Mary is a strong advocate for herself. In the past she had used such technology as Kurzweil. Her newer AT centered around an iPad and the various apps that can used to aid her in school. Mary is able to use the Iscan app to scan documents for her to read and enlarge. Overall, the iPad device seems to be the now and future device for Mary to use. It is a mainstreamed device so Mary will feel comfortable using a device as many other students use, just in a different way. I found the presentation by Darcie excellent, with lots of energy and knowledge of her student. I also enjoy learning how AT is working for students in high school opposed to my setting of elementary school.  The next presentation was by Emily.  Emily presented a case study about a grade 3 student - named E. E loves arts and crafts and enjoys using the iPod. Her AT assessment recommended Clicker 5, Razkids and the iPod touch with various Apps. Emily discussed how E was using some of the Apps in school to aid her in the school setting. I could relate to Emily and her experiences with using various technology, finding out which ones work and which ones are not optimal for the student. I have found at the elementary level that there is a time period where the student is learning how to use the technology and then using the technology to learn. During that process it can be interesting depending on the student, their capabilities and their behaviour. I really enjoyed Emily's presentation. :)  The last presentation of the evening was by Stephanie. Stephanie's case study was about a man named Paul. Paul is a 25 year old male who is in an adult facility that Stephanie works at. He has epilepsy and has seizures. These seizures are lessening his cognitive abilities after each one. Stephanie has been working with Paul since 2005. Paul is a huge fan of Star Trek and considers himself an author.  Paul use to lie in bed for most of the day. Now he is using the computer and the iPad. Stephanie has done a great job matching the technology to her user. I loved the visuals used for Paul for him to gain independence when using the computer and the iPad. Similar to the first presentation I found it really interesting learning about an older student (adult) using technology to aid them in everyday life.  Way to go Stephanie!!  Great presentation :)  After the presentations we were lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the viewing of the Grade 6 students and their use of iPads in their classrooms. I found all of the presentations really interesting, particularly the ones done by students that I had the privileged to work with last year.  It was great to see the use of the iPads being used to the fullest by the grade 6 team for their students. I always find it so amazing how much students grow in their use and knowledge of technology from elementary school to the middle school setting. It is an amazing journey they are continuing for the rest of their lives.  Awesome!!!

 

November 28, 2012 - Assignment in Lieu of Class Cancellation

November 28, 2012

This week's class was cancelled and we were asked to discuss various models of Assistive Technology Assessment. Here are a few that I was able to find:

Models for Assistive Technology

1) Model Name: The Human Activity Assistive Technology (HATT) Model

Authors: A. M. Cook & S. M. Hussey

General model for an AT system. Shows the interrelationship between system components.

Human Performance Model Bailey (1989) was developed by human factors engineers and psychologists ... to assist in the design and application of technology. Framework for studying human performance in tasks involving technology.

Typically used to describe the performance of a human in a given task (activity) in a given situation (context – environment).

2)  Model Name: The SETT Framework Author: Joy Zabala

The SETT Framework was designed to aid the process of gathering, organizing, and analyzing data to inform collaborative problem solving and decision-making regarding assistive technology and appropriate educational programming for students with disabilities. Information is gathered concerning the Student’s abilities and needs, the Environment(s) in which the student navigates, the Tasks required for the student’s active participa- tion in the activities within the environment, and finally, the Tools needed for completing the tasks. As transdisciplinary teams engage in the consider- ation process, key questions associated with the SETT Framework (see Figure 1) provide a system- atic method for discussion and decision-making. The intuitive nature of the SETT model has led to its widespread use by school-based teams.

 http://www.joyzabala.com/

3) Model Name: Education Tech Points Authors: Gayl Bowser and Penny Reed

Education Tech Points was created to facilitate decision-making regarding the utilization of assistive technology services and resources when planning educational programs for students with disabilities. Bowser and Reed argue that each Education Tech Point represents a critical juncture in the process of referral, evaluation, and develop- ment of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). As illus- trated in Figure2, the six key points are (1) referral, (2) evaluation, (3) extended assessment, (4) plan development, (5) implementation, and (6) periodic review. Because of the compatibility of this model with the traditional special education referral and evaluation process, it has been widely adopted in special education.

4) Model Name: The AT CoPlanner Model

Authors: Leonard P. Haines, Gladene Robertson, Robert Sanche, and col- leagues

Recognizing the value of technology to foster communication and the time-lock pressures of the school day that infringe on adequate time for collaborative planning, Haines, Robertson, Sanche, and colleagues created,CoPlanner, a groupware product that supports communication, collabora- tion, and co-planning. Additional content modules (i.e., Instruction CoPlanner, Transition CoPlanner, and Assistive Technology CoPlanner) provide elec- tronic worksheets and planning systems that support specific applications of collaborative planning. In work describing the theoretical development of the assistive technology module, Haines and Sanche (2000) summarize their review of four common special education technology models and how they used a normalization

 

5) The ABC Model Author: Rena Lewis

While technology can be helpful to everyone, Lewis observed that it is important to recognize the unique contributions technology offers students with disabilities. She suggested that these benefits could be understood by noting that technology can Augment abilities and Bypass or Compensate for disabilities (see Figure 5). This model is intuitively easy to understand and is the essence of rehabilita- tion and therapy decision-making.

6)Model Name: The A3 Model
Authors: Smith, Schwanke, & Edyburn

The A3 Model is a theoretical work that seeks to describe a developmental process associated with efforts to provide access for individuals with disabilities to facilities, programs, and information. As shown in Figure 12, the model illustrates a web- and-flow of efforts that are needed to obtain universal accessibility . In the first phase, Advocacy efforts raise awareness of inequity and highlight the need for system change to respond to the needs of individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are the typical response to advocacy. Inaccessible environments and materials are therefore modified and made available in phase 2. Typically, accom- modations are provided upon request. While this represents a significant improvement over situa- tions found in the earlier phase, accommodations tend to maintain inequality
since there may be a delay
(i.e., time needed to
convert a handout from
print to Braille), it may
require special effort to
obtain (i.e., call ahead to
schedule), or it may require
going to a special location
(i.e., the only computer
with screen reading
software is in the library) 

The other part of our assignment was to find 10 Low Tech Assistive Tech items. Here are a few from the web and a few from my Learning Centre. 

 Clothes pins can be used for a variety of AT, including counters for basic math. 

 Simple shoe box and beads to create a shoe box activity for a blind student at my school. He counts the beads and puts them in the can.

Another shoe box activity. Different shapes with the blocks. Counting them and placing them into the container. 

Muffin tray we use in the Learning Centre for a counting tray. We have velcro on the each for a tactile and the student feels each muffin top to count. 

 Simple wooden blocks with velcro. The student pulls them apart to develop fine motor strength. 

 Basic winter gloves with a ball, ball has velcro to aid student to catch the ball in PE class.

 Basic pencil grip aid to support students with fine motor difficulty and to promote proper pencil grip. 

 Basic PVC piping used to have student hear themselves read, what they sound like. 

Colored overlays have been used to aid students with reading. It helps isolate the words and works as a highlighter for the students.

 Party ring on a mouse enables the student to hold onto the mouse pad. 

In conclusion I really enjoyed the assignment.  Thanks for reading :)  

 

November 21, 2012 - Class Assignment Attempt

November 21, 2012 - Classroom Assignment Attempt

My partner and I presented our assignment this past week in class. We demonstrated how a Grade 2 classroom teacher could take her lesson plan of poetry and incorporate technology to aid all the students to reach success with the assignment.  Today, in class, I attempted to provide a similar assignment in class to a grade 2/3 classroom. It was similar in that we (classroom teacher and I) presented a poem in the same way we did for our assignment. An example poem was shown on the hover cam. It was read by the teacher. There was no Youtube video to add to the display of assignment but the students were engaged. The students were asked to write a similar poem with connection to things they like. Some of the students, used the Ipads to create their poem using Pic Collage. They performed really well.  There is a pic below from a student who worked on their poem in the classroom.  This was a huge success for him, he has been transitioning from the Learning Centre back to the classroom over the past few years. The classroom teacher and I both felt the use of the Ipads aided, not only him, but the other students in completing the assignment.  Even though, it was not the complete assignment done from our class it is a step in the right direction to be using AT in the classroom regularly.  :)  I feel good about the outcome today. 

November 14, 2012 - Reflection

November 14, 2012

This weeks entry will not be a long one. Our last class gave us the opportunity to finish our assignment for next week. Since this class I have been a little under the weather with flu like symptoms. Good news is I feel better and believe I will be in school again tomorrow and be able to come to class to present with my partner.  During the past few days that I have been laid up I have found some interesting articles and videos in connection to technology in general. The below video I found to be quite interesting, it was on the CNN website.  Please watch and feel free to comment.

What else could technology and the people who really know how to use it be doing for our world?
:)

November 7, 2012 - Universal Design for Learning

November 7, 2012

It is hard to believe that this blog will discuss our seventh class. It has been a great experience  :)  The class discussion centered around Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It is important for educators to use this approach to teaching to make it possible to reach ALL students in their classroom.  The class learned the importance of knowing your students and their needs. This seems to be an obvious point but can be overlooked at times. In our school we have transition meetings to discuss the students going from one grade to the next. It includes their strengths and challenges. How they learn best. It not only discusses academic needs but also social.  As a resource teacher, I am involved in these meetings and do a file review of each student to provide information on each of the students. The UDL principles 1) provide multiple means of representation 2) provide multiple means of action and expression 3) provide multiple means of engagement. It is important to understand the UDL principles and how they can be implemented into teaching. Below is a video with a overview of Universal Design for Learning.

We had the rest of class to work on our next assignment. Next week I will discuss the creation and presentation of our project.

October 31, 2012 - Activity in Lieu of Class

October 31, 2012

Proloquo2go follow up activity:

The assignment is to view one of the videos B.Welsford sent me, which were on Proloquo2Go utilization. The videos show children, with various disabilities, using the App.  I am to reflect on the videos based on my knowledge of the App and post my thoughts. I have posted the video below I am reflecting on:

It states on the AssistiveWare website that, "Max is nine years old and was born with Cerebral Palsy. The language area in his brain has been affected and he therefore has difficulty using his speech to communicate. He started using Proloque2Go on an iPad about a year ago. He now uses it on a daily basis, at school and at home. His speech has made good progress and his frustration level has decreased. Max is more able to communicate, he spells and he can create sentences that he was not able to create before. He even helps with customizing the app's vocabulary. According to his speech therapist, Proloquo2Go has become his voice and has completely changed his life."

I found the video to be very powerful and moving. From reading from the website the App has had a major impact on his life.  The beginning of the video shows Max using the Ipad with the Speech Language Pathologist. I found it interesting how she used the device to have Max tell her what he wanted to do with the paints. The SLP's strategy provided the basis for Max to communicate his needs through the Ipad and the Proloque2Go App. He was able to manipulate the device and tell her he wanted to do the craft/painting. He has many skills developed, including some spelling skills. He demonstrated this when he spelled the word 'Purple'. Very impressive. I know these skills and others he displayed can not be all contributed to the Ipad but it seems it has been a platform for acceleration in Language and Speech skills for Max.  The SLP states the language area in Max's brain has been effected since using the Ipad over the past year. This is amazing!!!  When thinking of 'Presuming Competence', I feel Max's experience on the Ipad demonstrates that all students have a certain level of understanding but need a voice to communicate their understanding. With this voice students' level of frustration decreases, like Max and their behaviour would improve. My experiences over the past 3 years with a student who is blind, non verbal and possibly ASD have been educational to say the least. It has been extremely difficult to find a means for him to communicate his needs and wants. We are currently using a GoTalk with 6 cells, 2 of which he uses (at times). It has been extremely important for our team to have an understanding of his level of competence when it comes to working with him. I feel we have made some major strides in his communication skills and I can only hope he is able to be as successful of a story as Max in the future. One aspect of the video I wanted to mention that I found interesting was the lack of interactions with peers in the mainstream classroom. It seemed, although a short video, that Max has many skills and now a communicative device, that he would be able to be in the regular classroom - more than the video showed. If it has not happened already I would love to see Max in with his peers. This may be the next step for this amazing student. Loved the video :)  

The second part of our assignment is to choose 2 Webinars that tweek my interest.  After choosing the Webinars I am to discuss how I would support the classroom teacher with the integration of  the technology into the classroom with a student with Autism. The first Webinar I viewed dealt with the aspect of Visual Scheduling. One of the Apps mentioned was called

FIRST THEN

The Webinar discussed the importance of using a visual schedule and how the App can support a student with Autism. I have used this App at my school this year. A student in grade 2, who has Autism, has been using this App since the beginning of the school year. In the past he used a visual schedule comprised of PICS from Boardmaker, laminated with Velcro and attached to a board with the words First Then. This year we decided to have him use the App on a Ipad. I first discussed this with the classroom teacher, since this student is fully integrated into the classroom. She was fully on board and felt comfortable with the technology. It is a somewhat straightforward App to use. We sit up a view basic schedules for the student to use the first day of school. I introduced the new Visual Schedule through a Social Story over the summer, which included his teachers name/pic, his Teacher Assistant, myself etc and the Ipad and the App. He was excellent from the start using the device and the Visual Schedule. The convergence of using the Ipad for academics, social stories and his visual schedule has been awesome!!  It really is great to see him using the device with this App. The school team has been fully supportive of the student using technology to aid him and his parents have been supportive as well. I am very lucky to have school teams support ideas for students with open arms. I commend the classroom teacher, vice principal, teacher assistant and parents for the success of the App working for this student. My job as Resource Teacher is very easy when we are all on the same page as in this case. It makes it easy for me to support the student and teacher in all areas of learning in the school setting. 

The other Webinar that I viewed centered around the use teaching of Social Skills. I particularly enjoyed the discussion around the App - Social Skills Sampler 

 

I have not had any experience with this App particularly.  As a Resource Teacher I would love to introduce this App with many of my students I work with in regards to Social Skills. I would first introduce this mode of teaching various skills in connection to previous lessons with Social Skill development. As the student was more familiar with the App I would expand the use into the classroom. The student I mentioned above would benefit from using this App, in and out of the classroom on his Ipad. He could watch the videos (video modeling - Love it!!) and learn many skills through this App. The classroom teacher could reinforce certain skills by connecting those skills in with the PATHS lesson of the week. This way the student would have the benefit of learning on the Ipad and the App and with the other students in the classroom setting. I would also include these lessons from Social Skills Sampler in my weekly Social Skills groups. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the assignment this week. The videos and Webinars were very informative. I look forward to our discussion in this weeks class.  

October 24, 2012 - Fifth Class Reflections

October 24, 2012

Well, to blog this week about class will be a little different than other weeks.  I was unable to attend most of the class due to my school having Parent Teacher interviews (PT).  I did come to the first part of the class and I was able to come to last part of the class. It was a busy night, trying my best to be at the PT interviews and at class.  Luckily, my school and the class are on the same campus.  At the beginning of class, my partner and I presented our project on Proloque2Go.  I think we did a great job with our presentation, B.Welsford and classmates had some great comments and suggestions on how to improve our project.  It was a great experience to present in front of colleagues and I think my partner and I did well.  Thank you!!  :)
When I returned from PT interviews I had the opportunity to listen to one last group to present their project.  I thought they did a great job and one reason it was enjoyable to listen to their work was because one of the presenters was presenting through the Ipad and Skype or Facetime.  It was really neat to have them present and have the technology of the Ipad provide the opportunity for them to show their work.  Awesome work ladies!!!

One aspect I wanted to touch on today in my blog was the PT interviews. I wanted to mention the continuous movement of parents to be aware of the technology that is available for their children.  It has been something I found myself being more conscientiously aware of since taking this course.  Parents are becoming technologically advanced, knowledgeable and excited about the use of technology with their children.  There were many conversations with parents, that involved Individual Program Plans (IPP's), describing the use of technology to aid the students in achieving success with their goals.  Many of the parents were aware of the various Assistive Technology devices and programs we mentioned to them.  Especially the ones that were connected to the Ipad or Ipod.  In some cases, the parents mentioned APPS that they have been using with their children over the summer.  It was something I wanted to mention in my blog today because it really is a step forward for parents.  As we move forward with the advancements in technology, it seems like we will be moving forward together, more than ever before. This makes me very excited as a Resource Teacher. 

Moving Forward together :)

Next weeks class will be via an Webinar!!!  Looking forward to this experience!! 

October 17, 2012 - Fourth Class Reflections

October 17, 2012

Our fourth class we had the opportunity to work on the App, Proloque2Go.  My partner and I were able to design various communication folders to aid a Case Study student.  We focused on various settings the student would be in with various folders to aid the student in communicating her needs and wants.  This is the second time I have worked with the App but it felt like a new learning experience.  I know this is the best App available and most effective way for non-verbal students to communicate with others. Below are some videos that show the App Proloque2Go in action: 

Next week we present our assignment of working with the App Proloque2Go. I look forward to presenting our work and also to learning from the other groups.  Until next week :) 

October 10, 2012 - Third Class Reflections

October 10, 2012

Our third class centered around the "Convergence of Technology", "Presuming Competence" and "Communication".  Through class discussion we were able to understand that the new technologies of devices, such as the Ipad, Ipod and some other tablets have brought many technologies to be available on one device. For example, the new Ipad is a camera, scan device, can do text to speech, video recorder etc. It has become a device to replace many other devices or programs that might have been used in the past in our everyday lives and in our schools.  The link below to the Apple Canada website discusses their products, including the Ipad and the new Ipod.
http://www.apple.com/ca/
The diagram below displays the "Convergence of Technology" - which Wikipedia describes as " is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve toward performing similar tasks. Convergence can refer to previously separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications), and video that now share resources and interact with each other synergistically."

The other part of our class discussed "Presuming Competence". We watched a powerful video of Carly. (short video below) It really demonstrated that, despite communication barriers we need to continue to work at developing a parallel means of communication with our students.  Carly's story is truly inspiring. As discussed in class, effective Communication has to have three parts : 1)Engaged Communication Partner 2)Joined Attention and 3)Common Language.  Communication can be Verbal, such as face to face, on the phone etc. It can be Non-Verbal, such as with body language or gestures (sign language). It also can be written, such as texting. No matter the means of communication the general desired outcome or goal of any communication is for the sender and receiver to have understanding.  Our class began our first major assignment with working with an App called Proloquo2Go with the Ipad. It provides students that may be non-verbal with a means to communicate that can be understood by many. Excellent App, one in which I have had some experience introducing to a student a few years ago. Although we were at the beginning stages of the Ipod being used with this App, years later he is now effectively communicating to others we great success.  Having the means to communicate to others is a critical part of life for all of us.

Next weeks class we will continue to work with the App Proloquo2Go for the Ipad. We have a case study and are to use the program to develop an effective means of communication. Below is an older video describing the App.  It is not the best quality but gives an overview of the program.
Looking forward to working with the App next week.

I end this weeks blog with one of many quotes about effective communication,
"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said. "
Peter Drucker