It honestly does not feel like this class should have ended... where did the time go? I literally had to ask some memebers of our class if this Saturday was the LAST one and if our presentations were do.
Am I just out of it, or did the class just go by super fast??
Anyway, our last class was great. It was so intersting to hear other peoples case studies and hear about some students... it was also really nice to get some feed back and be able to chat about what some schools have and don't have... and how involved the administration is. I was actually shocked at some of the things that came up... for example... one school not having access to the wifi! What is up with that?? My school has wifi all over and we all (including the students) know the password.
I learned a lot about how a little change to the way that a student is taught can make a HUGE difference in their work output. Having only Learning Centre experience, it was nice to have a little glimpse of how this can all work in the classroom... the students does not need to just be removed to get use of the tech.
This is my moto when my iPhone or iPad isn't working properly (which rarely happens because they are aweosme)!
I was having a conversation with someone yesterday who was talking about a conversation she was having with a woman who was in a wheelchair that did not have much motion in her arms and that was non-verbal. She was describing the way that this woman communicated. She used her eyes to look up for yes, and down for no. When people talk to her, they go through the alphabet and the woman spells by looking up to say yes to certain letters- this is amazing, but it made me think "isn't there something better that she could be doing? I don't know if she had the ability to use her arms or not... but my mind automatically went through all of the speech devices that she would benefit from.
From THIS to THIS
Before assistive tech class my interest was with boardmaker! I thought that PECS was awesome and that having visual schedules using the boardmaker symbols was the way to go. Until I was introduced to Proloquo2go and was shown how to use it. I had been given an iPod to use with a student last year in my elementary learning centre, but was not told anything about it and was not shown how to use it. So, I didn't. I spent LOTS of time finding symbols and cutting and laminating and making velcrow choice boards and sentence strips. My gosh it took forever!!! I will absolutley think twice before I ever do that again and I will send an assistive tech request in before I even think of doing something.
Technology (especially my precious iPhone) is much needed!!!
I wish I could have made this bigger... super neat chart of technology! If you go on technology quotes in i and then go t
Unfortunately Barb was sick today so we had another online class. I still think it is so neat that we are able to do this. We are all together, and still having the same lessons that we could have from a classroom, but we are in the comfort of our own homes! One of the assignments was to look for videos that show low tech. The ones that I found on youtube, I was unable to find in the search on this blog. So, I just posted the link because I did really like them. Most of the ones that I found were posted by my classmates anyway.
While exploring for ideas of everyday items that could serve as Low, Assistive Technology, this is what I found:
1) As I discovered while working on our group blog a simple plastic ring can be placed on a mouse in order to keep a students hand attatched to it.
2) This is one that I use all of the time! It isn't really an assistive technology but helps with the technology issues like... cords falling or getting mixed up! So, just attatch your iPhone cord in this clip and you don't have to worry about it falling behind your desk.
3) since we are kind of talking about using one item for something different than its original purpose... I thought this was a super cute and handy idea!!
I worked with Mary and Emily on a blog and here is the link! It is on phycial disabilities with a focus on CP! http://gemgroupblog.blogspot.ca/
I really enjoyed watching the video that Barb had made and showed us. It is always nice to see real teachers and their experiences of having technology in the classroom and how it has helped their students. Made me realize how lucky I am at the school where I work because we have SO many iPads and different technologies and I don't really use them as much as I could. I use the iPads to do little activities and lessons with my learning centre kids... but I really could be incorporating it into my resource caseload. I almost want to show a few of my non teacher friends who think that having such access to computers and our pocket technology is replacing the way that we teach.
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is a form of augumentative communication. It has been used in our school system, especially at the elementary level for quite some time. When you go to schools and have students who use this system, it is clear exactly how long they have been using it- the pictures are old and ratty!! During a conversation about PEC's and how long it would take and how much money it would cost to make a communication system for a child, I was reminded of myself last year, getting TONS of boardmaker symbols printed off and laminated... and the system never really working. If I had of really known how well Proloquo2go worked, I would have set that up for this kid and not have done ALL of that work!! I still have tons of these symbols in my desk at home. Lots of them are of my face and the other teachers in the school... what a waste of paper!
We had the opportunity to play with Pic Collage, which is an awesome app that I had already gotten to know a little bit... but not as well as I could have! I did not think out of the box previous to this class and did not realize exactly what else I could do with it! The first picture is the way that I HAD used pic collage with my Daily Living Skills class. We are learning about feelings and getting to know ourselves and loving the good qualities that we possess, so the assignment was to use Pic Collage to represent 3 of those qualities and to find pictures on the internet (unless using their own device where they had access to their own photos) that related to those qualities. I showed them mine as an example.
Here are some of the other lessons that I created using Pic Collage:
As part of my DLS (Daily Living Skills) we are going to be encorporating the Zones of Regulation. So, I thought this would be a neat way to put the different feelings into the zones.
I did a lot of matching and sorting with my elementary learning centre students, Pic Collage is a really neat way to make my own. I could take pictures of actual things that students would see in their daily lives at school and then have them match the pictures or sort as needed.
Another part of DLS is going to focus on keeping a house clean and things like that. One thing that my students need to learn how to do is wash dishes. Most of them get the concept, but they do not know how to properly do it, and the order that the dishes should be washed in, cleanest to dirtiest. This would be a cool activity that shows the dishes and you can move them into the picture of the sink.
This is something that I actually used this week with my student. There have been issues happening at the end of the day when his EPA has to say "do this, do that" and its on repeat, repeat, repeat! This schedule is good for both the student and other others in the room that may get annoyed at the constant re-direction! He thinks it is cool because its on the iPad and it really has made a difference!
WAY TO GO PIC COLLAGE!!!
Another app that we got to explore with today was Book Creator. This was super neat and only cost $4.99! I can totally see myself using this with so many students! I had made a few books last year with a student who was just learning how to read, we used paper and pencil (YUCK) and it took FOREVER!!! If I had of known about this app I would have used it... it would have saved time and would have been much cooler. We could have added video clips and had photos that would be more meaninful that the ones that he drew (his hand paper skills were not very good). It is also great for myself to create books that students can read, would be perfect for creating social stories. I just loved it!!
Well we had A LOT of snow so we had the pleasure of staying in bed and doing our class online through Blackboard Collaboration. It was pretty neat!! Two students were able to present their powerpoint presentations and we could all see it even though we were all at our own homes. I think that is just so cool! It is amazing what technology can do!! I think all online or distance courses should use this. So UNIVERSAL!!
Since we only had an hour class, we had lots of time to make up for missing 6 hours of class time. So, we needed to view 3 different webinars that Barb had already recorded.
1) The first one I looked at was Free Top Apps in Education.
One of the neatest, or most useful thing about this presentation was the fact that the iPad can already do SO many things on its own. You can help students with learning disabilities or any kind of disability right in the settings! No need to download millions of apps!
One of the coolest features that I utilize in my Learning Centre is the Text to Speech accessible option. It comes in handy with iBooks for students who are not able to read, but who are attending classes and expected to keep up with their classmates. You simply turn the accesible option on, and highlight parts of text that the student needs to read and click "speak".
I found Google Earth really neat as well. Obviously it has been around for a while, but the app on the iPad is pretty neat.
Reminders... again, another feature built right into our devices. I think this feature would come in handy for all of my students in the Learning Centre especially since we are a "21st Century School" and our pocket technology is encouraged in our school. There are a few specific students who do not remember easily where they are supposed to be at given times.
iCell! This app was really neat. It showed 3D images for different kinds of cells. I think this would be great for one of my students who is on a full IPP but attends all of her classes. The teachers are always coming to me asking what they can give her to work on, because she is so low academically. I will show her this app and see where it can fit into her curriculum.
I loved this presentation because it proves that you do not have to spend lots of money to get great apps! There are SO MANY free ones and some of the best are built right into the device!
2) The second video I looked at was Apps in Action for Severe Autism.
Fluid and Pocket Pond. FREE These are two of my favourite apps that I used in my Learning Centres in the elementary level. Watching this video, I just clued in that one of my students with severe Autism might benefit from one of these. He becomes agitated very easily, and this might be something that we could fit into his schedule to help him self regulate. Not only are these self-regulating apps good for students with Autism, they also are very calming and would assist any student that might need a break. I enjoy playing with them myself.
Sign 4 Me- $9.99 I do not currently have students who use sign, but I think this app is SO COOL! I will for sure keep it in my bank of apps and bring it out if I ever need it. The library has over 11,500 words! That is AMAZING!!! Gosh, I might get it just to learn sign language myself.
PhotoTouch Concepts- $0.99 These apps that Grasshopper developed are great apps... I have tons of the apps and have used them so many times. Most of them are within the $0.99-$4.00 price range.They were really great for my elementary students who were working on many of these skills. I have also recently used them with one of my high school students who is delayed, they are good for working on his fine motor skills as well as the concepts.
Injini- $29.99
This is a pricey app, but reviews state that it is well worth every penny! There are 10 educational activities that assist with speech and language, following directions as well as occupational therapy! I am thinking specifically of one of my students who might enjoy this. It is hard to find educational apps that she will actually do... her preference is to let the iPad read stories to her.. she doesn't want to take part in it herself at all. There is a lite version that I think I will download and give it a go with her. That is one thing that I LOVE about iTunes... there is usually a lite version that you can try first. Nothing worse than spending money on an app that you HATE or doesn't do what it is supposed to.
3) The final Webinar that I viewed was Apps in Action for Communication Disorders
The first app that was shown was Proloquo2Go. Obviously this is an amazing app but I will not go into detail about it because I have previously in other posts. I am currently working with this app for my case study, and there is no doubt that it's amazing!!
Talk Rocket To Go ( previously called MyVoice)- $99.99 Seems like a good app. Not as advanced as Proloquo but would do the trick if communication is an issue. There was a review from a woman whose husband suffered from a stroke and they use this app for him to communicate. It's nice that you can customize and use real photos. There is even a location-based vocabulary section that I think is really neat. The device recognizes your location through maps and lists of locations will come up that the person can click on. There is also a french version, which I think is amazing.
Expressive- $25.99- Looks very similar to Prologquo. I think it would be a great alternative if buying Proloquo is out of the question. A feature that I love that isn't available on Proloquo is the option to record your own voice on buttons.
Artikpix- $29.99- This is a great app for students who have articulation problems. I thought instantly about one of my students who has SO much language in her... but the way it comes out makes it hard to understand her. This app would help with this! I love that it keep a record of how the student does with different activities so that you can email the results to teachers, parents or to just keep for educational records. It is nice that it can be used with 4 students at a time and saves the information for all of them.
Speech Tutor- $4.99. This app is really cool and shows 3D visuals of speaking. It shows a side view and front view of the positions of your mouth when saying certain sounds. This would be amazing for the student that I mentioned above as she can practice while using this app. The people working with her are constantly showing her with their mouths for every word, so this app would be a nice tool to use during set times that she could do on her own. Since our SLP's are only in the school once a week and have TONS of students to see... Every iPad should have this app and students should be using it all the time.
I learned so much from watching those videos. I think the areas where I could really relate was the communication video though. This seems to be where my major focus is with my students right now. I am definitely going to bring the apps that were previewed to my team and request that we buy them. I know that it will benefit SO many students, not just the specific young lady that I had in mind.
Today was great! Started off with a little refresher of what we learned in our Assistive Tech class in the summer, but as Barb said "A bit of repetition isn't a bad thing".
I think my favorite, and most useful part of the day was iMovie!! We had the opportunity to play around with the iPad app and make a movie that was related to assistive technology. I chose not to post it in order to not offend anyone. :) But, here is a video demonstrating the whole program. It's long... but it is a great tutorial.
I can think of a few ways to use it in school. I think it would be great for students who have anxiety about presenting in front of people. They would be able to make neat presentations and email them to their teachers. It is also a neat way to get information out there in a creative way, rather than simply writing down everything you know about the topic that was assigned.
Watching Autism is A World made me think of a lot of the students I have currently and have had in the past.
Presuming Competency- assume they are competent first rather than assume they are not. This is a great term that I heard today. I have to admit it is something that I have never thought of before. It is SO easy to just assume that someone is not competent... that will happen NO MORE for this gal!
Today we had the opportunity to work with Proloquo! What an amazing app this is!! To be honest, I have heard of it before, and have listened to Assistive Tech people tell me how amazing it is... but when I tried to use it, I thought... hmm I don't quite understand. I didn't really know how much it could do. I am now transformed and am a huge fan!! Here's a little video of it in use.
When my group worked on our project, we found it very time consuming, but I know that the final product was awesome and would be of great use to our "mock student". She was non-verbal and needed something to communicate her wants, needs and general feelings, as well as just having "chat" with people. She did not have any visual impairments so we assumed she would like pink and purple and made it colorful and pleasing to the 8 year old eye.
Our student had the functional use of only one hand, so we thought that an iPod was the way to go for her; easy to hold and manipulate with one hand and also the small size wouldn't be a problem because she did not have visual problems.
We were given a list of a few things that she liked to do, so we incorporated those into her grid and then made up a few of our own that we thought she would need.
I have decided to use this program for my case study, if I get parent permission that is... so stay tuned for more information on Proloquo2go!! :)
