Final Thoughts & Reflection

On our very first day of class, my heart was racing as I logged on to my computer and the blackboard program.  I had introduced myself on Showbie,  started my blog,  downloaded R&W4G and set up a teacher account on Book Creator.  However, I am not inept when it comes to technology, and that is what worried me.  Now, having completed this class I am amazed at the number of things that I have learned! 

When I take part in any Professional Learning, I always enjoy the hands-on activities and being presented with the opportunity to bring activities back to my classroom.  This class definitely did just that!  So many resources that I am excited to bring back and implement in my classroom, and share with my students. So many resources that will help include ALL learners in the classroom while strengthing literacy skills.  

 Todd Rose's Ted Talk video,  "The Myth of Average"   first introduced us to the idea that if we design our classroom to fit the "average" student, our classrooms are designed for no one!  We do not teach to the "average" student, we must teach the "individual" student and thus follow the UDL framework and meet the needs of every student in our classroom and give all students the opportunity to succeed.  

Over the course of the 9 weeks, we took part in so many valuable activities that helped me gain a better understanding of Assistive Technology and the UDL framework and furthering the idea that AT is critical in the classroom.  Through  Tyler's story and meeting him, by working through the simulations on Understand.org, by completing Katie Novak's Dinner Party activity and by being introduced to many other resources such as Read & Write for Google, Book Creator, Mentimeter, Keeble Keyboard, the Asseccibility options on our IPhones or IPads, and Snapverter (just to name a few) I now see how important it is that we presume competency for each and every student and meet all the diverse needs of our students by providing choices that will enable them to learn in the best way possible.  

 

Class #4 Take Aways

Take Away #1: Unite for Literacy

Unite for Literacy is a  free resource that allows digital access to over 100 picture books.  The added bonus to this site is that the books can be read aloud to students in many languages, even ASL!  This site does not require a sign-in and is extremely easy to navigate, making it user friendly for the youngest students to use.  It is theme-based, and you can actually search for any subject.  What a fantastic resource for alternate access and inclusion for ALL students!!  To view the site, simply click on the image above. 

Check out the video for a little more info:

Take Away #2: edWeb

edWeb is an excellent educator resource.  It provides a multitude of webinars on many topics and thus providing many opportunities for virtual professional learning.  Once you sign up for an account, educators may then sign up to attend live webinars or can take advantage of the pre-recorded webinars that are available in the archive.  You can visit the site and create your profile by clicking on this link: https://home.edweb.net/  I am looking forward to exploring this resource further and taking advantage of the free webinars.  

During our class, we had the opportunity to watch the webinar titled "Supporting Learning from Home for Students with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities" presented by Kara Magee-Arick.  This webinar was also sponsored by Star Autism Support.  Within this webinar, Kara Magee-Arick discusses some challenges that we must overcome when teaching students with Autism and remote learning. The big problem is that some believe that students with Autism or other developmental disabilities cannot access or learn from remote learning.  The solution?  That we spend time supporting parents and caregivers, to combine instruction and parent learning. She suggests 3 types of learning from home that may be implemented depending on the student's needs.  The types of learning are as follows:

1.  Support Caregivers

This type of remote learning focuses on helping parents with everyday routines.  Caregivers are trained through visual supports and through webinars.

2.  Instructionless Learning

The teacher provides work packets that may be completed at home.

3.  Synchronous Remote Learning

The teacher is delivering the curriculum to the student in conjunction with the caregivers.   This method allows the teacher to support the individual IEP goals and meet the unique needs of the student.  

Star Autism Support also provides some excellent resources for caregivers, especially for COVID 19.  This site provides  Home Support, Home Support Webinars, and Home Supports for Routines.

 

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Take Away #3: Case Study - Jake

My final take away for this class comes from the UNC School of Medicine.  We looked at the "Deaf-Blind Model Classroom" where there were 2 case studies we could follow, Jake or Matthew.  I chose to follow the case study of Jake.

Jake was a 15-year-old high school student who had no formal means of communicating.  School focused on functional skills.  His mother and home care providers were instrumental in helping Jake succeed in communicating with others. It was amazing to see the excitement when Jake began to communicate using a 2 switch step scan and interacting with his family. Jake also used a light-tech flip chart to access the alphabet and begin writing. Jake could communicate with his partner what letters they should write for him.  He did this by moving his arm which would then cause the switch to light up green telling his partner to move to the next letter.  Once his partner pointed to the letter that Jake wanted, he would move his knee which would then light the red light letting his partner know that was the letter he wanted and they would write it for him.  Over time, Jake clearly begins to understand the concept of print with letters representing sounds and inserting spaces between words.  

This case study shows that students with complex needs can be successful and that we should ALWAYS presume competency!  We have to allow all students to learn literacy skills.  With AT, patience, consistency and TIME, great things are possible!!!

3 Take Aways from May 9th's Class

1.  Dinner Party

During our third class, we were involved in an activity called "The Dinner Party."  During this activity, we were broken into groups and told that we had to create a menu for a dinner party that we would be hosting.  It should be an easy task, right?  However, the catch - there were many restrictions we had to consider.  Some of our guests were vegetarians, we also had to offer gluten-free options, paleo options... When we first began this task, we were overwhelmed; however, we quickly came to the conclusion that to meet the specific dietary needs of all our guests, we would over a buffet.  This would enable us to meet the needs of all our guests.  

Dr.  Katie Novak uses this analogy of the dinner party to compare the strategy of DI and the UDL framework. 

If we take the analogy of the dinner party, UDL would be the equivalent of providing a meal that is accessible to all!  Guests can have the option to choose what they want while having access to all the choices.  Within the classroom, that's what UDL offers students - a "buffet" of choices so that we can meet the needs of all students in our class.

2.  Apps, Apps and more Apps!!!

During this class, we were introduced to a variety of apps for reading and writing.  Some we reviewed in our last class.  Some of these apps I have seen before and even used while others were new to me.  Unfortunately, some of these apps incur a cost, and although they would be beneficial in the classroom, we may not be able to access them due to the price.  When we are recommending apps, we need to remember that we do not want to overload on apps.  You want to find ones that work best and focus on those.

Some of the apps include:

https://www.speechtutor.org/

Voice Dream Writer

Voice Dream Reader

Keeble Keyboard

3.  Read & Write Google Extension  

This is the first experience I have had with R&W4G.  To say that I was completely overwhelmed at the introduction to this extension is an understatement!  However, after Ms. Welsford offered a second class to review the extension and each of its toolbars, I can see it's benefit in helping students gain confidence in reading and writing.  The toolbars and features align with CAST'S UDL guidelines and I think it's something that should be available in every class for every student! 

I've also noticed that a few fellow classmates have completed a course through Texthelp.  I think that is something that I would look into as well.  The more I know, the better prepared I am to implement in the classroom.

  

 

Critique #2 ~ Take the Pencil Out of the Process

 

 "Which is more important - being able to print/write the answer or knowing the answer?"

 The article "Take the Pencil Out of the Process" written by Leslie Broun, although written over 10 years ago is very relevant today.  In this article, Broun considers the importance of using a keyboard as an alternative to printing with a pencil, especially for those students who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other special needs.  

Research has shown that students with ASD have significant neuroanatomical differences and abnormalities in the cerebellums and these neurological abnormalities may cause these students to have difficulties with motor functions which may include handwriting.  Broun quotes Dr. Richard Simpson who said: "Having to engage in handwriting is the most significant and serious impediment to academic participation for students with autism spectrum disorders in schools in North America today".  These students who have difficulty with handwriting are placed under an enormous amount of stress that may result in poor academics as well as poor behavioural problems because of the fear and frustration when they have to write.  When it comes to communicating through writing, they may focus more on the process of writing rather than the content or quality.  Broun continues to say that the keyboard is the best alternative for these students and I agree with her 100%.  If a student is encountering difficulty with getting thoughts on paper due to the inability to write what they are trying to say, why wouldn't we do everything possible to help them meet with success?  Especially when we know there may be a medical condition hindering them from the physicality of writing.  Would we ever ask a student who required a wheelchair to leave their wheelchair and walk?  As Broun also pointed out, "following the principles of the Universal Design for Learning, we are guided to allow the use of materials and strategies that promote learning for students of ALL ability profiles." After all, what is more important, the ability to write the answer or knowing the answer?

I thought this article brought forth some relevant ideas.  I think that if we "take the pencil and see what happens" we will see a vast improvement in the quality of students' written output.  If the technology is available, why wouldn't we use it to help facilitate independence and success for these students?   As a teacher, my philosophy is that I am there for my students and to provide a safe learning environment.  If providing a keyboard can decrease student's fear and frustration and increase their quality of work, isn't it worth it?

Class #2 Take Aways

Our second class was just as interactive and informative as class # 1.  Here are some takeaways from that class.

1.  Understood.org - Through Your Child's Eyes

Understood.org is a site that helps parents and teachers access information needed to help them understand their children/students with learning and attention issues. 

Through Your Child's Eyes is an option you can choose on this site.  Here you will find simulations and videos to help us experience what reading, writing, attention, math and organization issues might look like.  

To begin, you must choose a grade level and then the area the child is struggling with.  Each simulation starts with a video of a student telling you about his/her issue and how it may affect them.  Second, we are faced with an activity that we have to complete that helps us understand what the child is experiencing.  Then we have an expert who offers an explanation and possible strategies.

I love this site!  It is a real eye-opener for teachers.  To experience first hand what our students may be experiencing in the classroom gives the situations a totally different perspective for us.  I especially like how the simulations include any age.  It's one thing to read about learning and attention issues, but this site takes it to another level where we can actually see these issues "through your child's eyes."

2.  The second takeaway from our class was the list of apps we created for remedial reading.  The extensive list of apps was generated in google slides, so it's something that we will have access to and a resource that I am sure in this technological age, I will reflect on quite often.   

 

3.  My third takeaway from this class was the visual simulator.  It may be difficult to imagine what a student with a visual impairment sees as they move around the classroom.  Seenow is a visual simulator that demonstrates what the student may be experiencing.  Within this simulator, you can choose from 3 visual impairments: cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy.  To try this simulator, follow these steps:

1.  Go to https://simulator.seenow.org/ (it's better to use a smartphone to get the full experience).  

2.  Click "Let's Go" or "Allow Access"

3.  Click on "No thanks, I'll join later"

4.  Choose the visual impairment

5.  You can also change the severity of the condition

In the past, I have a student with a severe visual impairment in my classroom.  She would work with her itinerant weekly.  During one class, the itinerant brought in special glasses that the students could try so that they could experience precisely what the student could see.  It was truly amazing how the students reacted.  I think that with permission from the student and their family, this could be an excellent resource to use in the classroom to help gain a better understanding of visual impairments. 

Book Creator

Having created our first book in book creator, I have to say, I'm hooked!!!  Book Creator is an excellent tool to have in our toolboxes to help students across all curriculum areas. This program is super easy to use.  I already have my two boys creating books, and they love it! 

Here are some ways in which our group thought we could use Book Creator in the classroom:

• Use with reluctant writers or those with written output issues - a fun alternative to using pen and paper
• Cross-curricular- use across all areas of the curriculum, such as a math dictionary, science/social studies terms...
• Exit activity for the end of units
• Personal Journal
• Accessible activity for students with auditory/visual disabilities
• For creating "How To" books
• For creating informational texts
• Use for collaboration amongst students
• "Show what you know"- assessment tool
• Reading Response Journal

Making Secondary Literacy Accessible for All: Review and Critique

The article "Making Secondary Literacy Accessible for All" by Christy Palmquist and Heather Prenevost focuses on how we can meet the literacy needs of ALL students with the help of supports and technology, especially those who are struggling to become independent readers.  I found this article to be a straightforward read that offered some practical strategies that we can take away and use in our classrooms.

We need to focus on the five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension) along with both expressive and receptive language skills to develop a balanced literacy program so that students may move to higher order thinking skills.  The authors state that language skills, both expressive and receptive, are the base of all academic learning and that "for our students to learn subject matter, strategies and higher order thinking skills, they must develop their language skills." 

As educators, we need to ask ourselves, "What needs do my students have in literacy?" Once we have assessed their literacy and language skills, we need to match the students' needs with the right supports and assistive technology to help develop the strategies required to move into higher order thinking skills.    We must do this by keeping in mind that all students learn in different ways.  Using the right technology will help maximize learning while using ineffective technology will have an adverse effect resulting in little or no growth in language and literacy skills.  We also have to be mindful of how much support we provide as our goal is for our students to become independent learners.  If we offer too much help, students remain dependent learners, and if we do not provide enough support, the student may become frustrated and "shut down."

I like how the authors provide us with some tools and practical strategies that we can implement with our students across all grade levels.  We use these tools of visualizing and verbalizing, think reading, vocabulary and comprehension and reading to enhance language skills and thus higher level thinking. 

The "Thinking Reading" strategy is one that I have used frequently in my classroom with my guided reading groups, although the authors go a little more in-depth than I have.  I like the CAR – Comment, Ask, Respond approach.    I also like the images/visuals that were included in the article.  Those are something that could be easily reproduced and used in the classroom.