This is a link to the blog I worked on as Assignment #2 with Gillian.
Please check it out!
http://lowmediumhightechnology.blogspot.ca/
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Tuesday 9 April 2013
Amazing Apps
Due to having class cancelled one stormy Saturday we had to respond to 3 webinars about some pretty incredible apps. This was a really fun experience because it introduced me to so many useful apps.
We had to reflect on our top three apps for each webinar.
The first webinar I watched was:
Top Free Apps for Special Education
My favourites 1. Pocket Pond:
This is an amazing app and one that I have found very useful since discovering it while watching this webinar. I have used it multiple times with certain students in my class who need some sensory to help to calm down! I have downloaded it on my iphone and ipad and 2 of my students regularly ask to use it! It is a koi pond that allows you to buy new fish, clean the filter in the tank, feed the fish and glide your hands on the water making a lovely sound that even I find calming. It can also be used to teach students about ecosystems. It's great to help students who need help to prepare for transitionsThis app has definitely helped life in my classroom!
2. Dragon Dictation:
This is a great app for students who have difficulty getting thoughts down on paper. It's a voice recognition app that can be used to send emails, write notes, stories etc. The student needs to be very articulate for this app they have strong vocabulary and are able to verbally express their ideas.
I love this app and have used it with students in the past. It's been very helpful for a student in my class last year who had difficulty writing throughts down. However, he had to be very clear when talking and we had to practice with the app a fair bit before he was able to get the Dragon Dictation to record his thoughts correctly most of the time.
3.Calendar App
This is one of my all time favourite apps. The fact that it syncs with all my other devices is amazing. I can even sync it with my husbands phone, which means we all have our schedules at the touch of our hands and this saves time and stress. So for a student who has (executive function) memory difficulties, this app would be life changing because it is so easy to use, change and update and now caring an iPad or iPhone with you everywhere is very common which helps to make students feel less self conscious when needing this assistive technology.
Apps For Severe Autism
1. Fluid2 App a really cool sensory regulation app. I was drawn to this app because of the relaxing music as well as the ability to move the water. It is great for students who need something to calm them as they have transitions. It helps students to self-regulate and relax. It is similar to the Pocket Pond app as it has calming music and the ability to manipulate the water.
2.Proloquo2 I think this is one of the most amazing apps for special education and autism. It really has changed the face of communication for students with special needs. When teachers, parents and students are trained to use this app, the ways it can change a students life are so profound. I think back to the Suzie Ruben story and how her life was forever changed once she was able to use a device that could help her communicate. Suzie had essentially been a nonperson until the moment when she typed on a computer keyboard to speak. Proloquo2go makes so many things possible, and it's on a device that is such a social norm in this day and age. Amazing. It's also wonderful because it can be constantly changing and evolving as the students activities change. Where as something like pecs takes so much time to change and add vocabulary for the student Proloquo2go can be changed literally on the go! I love this app!
3.Robert Munsch Ebooks
These are great for students with autism and allows students with autism to be able to participate in independent reading in class. They are really affordable and easy to use. These are great and I have been able to use these in class with one of my students who has a very low reading level and has difficulty participating in independent reading. Excellent
Communication Apps:
1.Sounding Board:
A much cheaper alternative to prologu2go. You can have up to 9 cells. It's nice to have a cheaper alternative to proloqu2go.
2.Expressive:
Another much cheaper alternative then proloqu2go the app doesn't have access to as many pictures as proloqu2go, but it still is very useful for a student that has communication difficulties.
3.ArtikPik
This is a speech practice app. It is in game form which is a great way to reach students.
You can choose the types of sounds you want to work on and you can find out if they have mastered various sounds. I could see this being very useful to find out where you need to go with a group of students.
We had to reflect on our top three apps for each webinar.
The first webinar I watched was:
Top Free Apps for Special Education
My favourites 1. Pocket Pond:
This is an amazing app and one that I have found very useful since discovering it while watching this webinar. I have used it multiple times with certain students in my class who need some sensory to help to calm down! I have downloaded it on my iphone and ipad and 2 of my students regularly ask to use it! It is a koi pond that allows you to buy new fish, clean the filter in the tank, feed the fish and glide your hands on the water making a lovely sound that even I find calming. It can also be used to teach students about ecosystems. It's great to help students who need help to prepare for transitionsThis app has definitely helped life in my classroom!
2. Dragon Dictation:
This is a great app for students who have difficulty getting thoughts down on paper. It's a voice recognition app that can be used to send emails, write notes, stories etc. The student needs to be very articulate for this app they have strong vocabulary and are able to verbally express their ideas.
I love this app and have used it with students in the past. It's been very helpful for a student in my class last year who had difficulty writing throughts down. However, he had to be very clear when talking and we had to practice with the app a fair bit before he was able to get the Dragon Dictation to record his thoughts correctly most of the time.
3.Calendar App
This is one of my all time favourite apps. The fact that it syncs with all my other devices is amazing. I can even sync it with my husbands phone, which means we all have our schedules at the touch of our hands and this saves time and stress. So for a student who has (executive function) memory difficulties, this app would be life changing because it is so easy to use, change and update and now caring an iPad or iPhone with you everywhere is very common which helps to make students feel less self conscious when needing this assistive technology.
Apps For Severe Autism
1. Fluid2 App a really cool sensory regulation app. I was drawn to this app because of the relaxing music as well as the ability to move the water. It is great for students who need something to calm them as they have transitions. It helps students to self-regulate and relax. It is similar to the Pocket Pond app as it has calming music and the ability to manipulate the water.
2.Proloquo2 I think this is one of the most amazing apps for special education and autism. It really has changed the face of communication for students with special needs. When teachers, parents and students are trained to use this app, the ways it can change a students life are so profound. I think back to the Suzie Ruben story and how her life was forever changed once she was able to use a device that could help her communicate. Suzie had essentially been a nonperson until the moment when she typed on a computer keyboard to speak. Proloquo2go makes so many things possible, and it's on a device that is such a social norm in this day and age. Amazing. It's also wonderful because it can be constantly changing and evolving as the students activities change. Where as something like pecs takes so much time to change and add vocabulary for the student Proloquo2go can be changed literally on the go! I love this app!
3.Robert Munsch Ebooks
These are great for students with autism and allows students with autism to be able to participate in independent reading in class. They are really affordable and easy to use. These are great and I have been able to use these in class with one of my students who has a very low reading level and has difficulty participating in independent reading. Excellent
Communication Apps:
1.Sounding Board:
A much cheaper alternative to prologu2go. You can have up to 9 cells. It's nice to have a cheaper alternative to proloqu2go.
2.Expressive:
Another much cheaper alternative then proloqu2go the app doesn't have access to as many pictures as proloqu2go, but it still is very useful for a student that has communication difficulties.
3.ArtikPik
This is a speech practice app. It is in game form which is a great way to reach students.
You can choose the types of sounds you want to work on and you can find out if they have mastered various sounds. I could see this being very useful to find out where you need to go with a group of students.
Monday 8 April 2013
Ruben Puentedura's thoughts around technology in education......
This blog was very interesting and some of the things he states on his blog are things I have been wrestling with in my classroom.
The desktop computers in my classroom are outdated, we never use them and they are taking up much needed space in my room. I'd love to get rid of them, but the board would not agree with that! I can't wait for the day they will. The desk tops are so passé and only allow a total of three people at a time to use them. Now we use the netbook cart when we need computers and we also use the ipads when we can. I only have access to two iPads in my classroom, but even still that's more then some classrooms.
( the idea of having personal portable multipurpose devices that can go from school to home to coffee shop is the direction we are heading, if we could just get everyone else on board with this philosophy.)
I really wanted to do a Imovie trailer with my class after learning about this app, but it meant that I would have to ask my students to bring their own devices, which I think is a great idea and it's something Ruben mentions in his blog ( allowing students to bring their own portable devices) but the hoops and red tape that I would have to go through to be allowed to let kids bring devices to school is ridiculous. In the past technology like iPods etc in the classroom was considered a distraction and still so many parents and teachers see it that way, this is something that we as teachers will have to help change if we want to continue to meet the needs of our students.
Another thing I noted in one of Ruben's video's was about working as a team and trying to learn and use technology in the classroom. He mentioned that it is important to teach teachers how to use the technology and not to just throw the teachers into the technology and hope that they will be successful, this is not a good foundation for success.
We as teachers all know that technology is the only true way to reach our modern day students, but often we don't have the resources, training etc to do so, this leaves teachers feeling like they are not doing their job and like they have failed. I have felt like this......I really had little to no training with my SMART board before I was expected to start using it, I still don't feel I am always using it adequately.
Technology is great and our students thrive off it, but it's still very difficult to put all this into practise in classrooms with such limited resources.
If we all had a cart with 30 ipads in our classrooms ...... to quote Dr Seuss "oh the places we'd go!" I look forward to that day with excitement!
The desktop computers in my classroom are outdated, we never use them and they are taking up much needed space in my room. I'd love to get rid of them, but the board would not agree with that! I can't wait for the day they will. The desk tops are so passé and only allow a total of three people at a time to use them. Now we use the netbook cart when we need computers and we also use the ipads when we can. I only have access to two iPads in my classroom, but even still that's more then some classrooms.
( the idea of having personal portable multipurpose devices that can go from school to home to coffee shop is the direction we are heading, if we could just get everyone else on board with this philosophy.)
I really wanted to do a Imovie trailer with my class after learning about this app, but it meant that I would have to ask my students to bring their own devices, which I think is a great idea and it's something Ruben mentions in his blog ( allowing students to bring their own portable devices) but the hoops and red tape that I would have to go through to be allowed to let kids bring devices to school is ridiculous. In the past technology like iPods etc in the classroom was considered a distraction and still so many parents and teachers see it that way, this is something that we as teachers will have to help change if we want to continue to meet the needs of our students.
Another thing I noted in one of Ruben's video's was about working as a team and trying to learn and use technology in the classroom. He mentioned that it is important to teach teachers how to use the technology and not to just throw the teachers into the technology and hope that they will be successful, this is not a good foundation for success.
We as teachers all know that technology is the only true way to reach our modern day students, but often we don't have the resources, training etc to do so, this leaves teachers feeling like they are not doing their job and like they have failed. I have felt like this......I really had little to no training with my SMART board before I was expected to start using it, I still don't feel I am always using it adequately.
Technology is great and our students thrive off it, but it's still very difficult to put all this into practise in classrooms with such limited resources.
If we all had a cart with 30 ipads in our classrooms ...... to quote Dr Seuss "oh the places we'd go!" I look forward to that day with excitement!
Course Summary
This course has taught me so much about assistive technology and how I can use it to help students in my class. It has also opened my mind up to all of the technology that is out there, especially Ipads. The things that I can do in my class with one device amaze me. I knew Ipads were cool, but now I have a new found respect for what they can do and how they can help students. As a result of this course, myself and another teacher also doing her masters in technology have helped to encourage our principal to get more Ipads in our classrooms.
I also feel more confident doing assessments of my students using the MPT model to try and find something that helps to make school, projects, assignments etc more accessible to all students in my classes.
One of the key moments in this class that I think has changed my life, was when we watched the video on Suzy Rueben. This has forever changed my perspective on interacting with persons who have autism. I feel at some points I have unintentionally been treating students with autism as non-persons. Watching this video made me want to introduce others to Suzy Rueben's story.
I also feel more confident doing assessments of my students using the MPT model to try and find something that helps to make school, projects, assignments etc more accessible to all students in my classes.
One of the key moments in this class that I think has changed my life, was when we watched the video on Suzy Rueben. This has forever changed my perspective on interacting with persons who have autism. I feel at some points I have unintentionally been treating students with autism as non-persons. Watching this video made me want to introduce others to Suzy Rueben's story.
Saturday 6 April 2013
Class Presentations
The presentations today were so well done and gave me many ideas for my class. Things like text to speech and dragon dictation.
The growth he made in just one week was incredible. It shows how truly intelligent he is and what he is capable of if the supports are in place.
I have also learned that I am delighted that I work in the school board that I do. I am shocked that the teachers in other school boards don't have access to the same technologies that I have access to. I have my own ipad in my class and access to several more in my small school (Only 7 classrooms) and we have 5 ipads available and more will be coming soon. My principal is very pro-technology and willing to put the money that she can into getting more Ipads in our classrooms.
I also was quite shocked to hear that there are many teachers out there that are not willing to have technology in classes that are so necessary for students with special needs. The fact that many teachers think having an Ipad in a classroom is just a distraction is so disheartening and such an "old school" way of thinking.
I am so excited to take all the amazing things I have learned from this class back to my school, to help support my students with special needs now and in the future.
I am so excited to take all the amazing things I have learned from this class back to my school, to help support my students with special needs now and in the future.
PicCollage-Digital Scrapbooking gone wild!
PicCollage was a wonderful app that we discussed last class. I believe it was originally designed to scrap book memories digitally, however the applications for this app in education are endless. Creating schedules, assignments, anchor charts, webs for brainstorms, interactive venn diagrams etc. There are so many uses for this app and the ease of making them is amazing, which in turn is very helpful for busy teachers, who already don't have enough time to get things done.
You can import pictures from the web, your camera etc. The app also has fun stickers that you can use in your creations ( more can be purchased for a small fee). This app is so cool, creative and fun and it's also free.
This is an awesome app for technology intregration in the classroom. It helps to reach those learners who are unable to complete pen and paper tasks, but it also engages all students.
Some of the PicCollages I created with my group are:
You can import pictures from the web, your camera etc. The app also has fun stickers that you can use in your creations ( more can be purchased for a small fee). This app is so cool, creative and fun and it's also free.
This is an awesome app for technology intregration in the classroom. It helps to reach those learners who are unable to complete pen and paper tasks, but it also engages all students.
Some of the PicCollages I created with my group are:
I created this pic collage for English Language Arts. My class had been working on Fantasy Stories and one of our school goals is posting learning targets. But I thought to take it one step forward, would be to give students the target for their writing. I have been doing this in paper form, but using the Ipad and being able to manipulate the checks and then being able to email your finished "Have you met the Targets" sheet to the teacher at the end would be a way more effective way and would save losing trees and also would save students from losing the actual paper.
The second PicCollage I created was with Place Value Concepts in mind. IF i had more time I would have found better base ten pictures that would have worked better with the activity.
Students can move the base ten blocks in to represent numbers visually.
The 3rd PicCollage I created was for my grade 6 Electricity unit this activity would be used after students have learned about current and static electricity. Students would put the various objects at the bottom of the screen in the correct category.
Saturday 23 March 2013
Low Tech Solutions for Assistive Technology Needs In the Kitchen!
We also checked out "Life Hacks" Which showed a variety of simple but very helpful uses for every day things. I was scratching my head while watching the video thinking I wish I would have thought of that.
And because I loved part one of "Cool Life Hacks" I had to put in part 2
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