Class # 6: Assistive Technology Frameworks

Tonight we finished out Power Points on Assistive Technology Frameworks. I really liked this self learning activity and found myself diving deeper and deeper into the frameworks. I think I may have went a little over board on my Power Point but learned a lot! The four frameworks I looked at included HAAT, SETT, WATI and the MPT. The first one I looked at was the HAAT model and to try and help myself understand this model I thought up a particular student and walked through the steps as if I was part of the team to figure out what assistance in a particular activity they may require to gain access to the benefits of the activity and/or to facilitate their performance. I found this helped me a lot! This model has four components; the human, the activity, the assistive technology and the context in which all three of these exist. The particular student I thought up needs to complete written assignments in her English class. She has fine motor challenges which make it difficult for her to write legibly. So in this case I found the HAAT “activity” to be writing. For this particular student, for the the human component, we would need to consider the following; this person has the ability to speak and speaks clearly, has gross motor control, practices their fine motor skills on a daily basis – stress balls, cutting and sorting, uses pincer grip etc, receive occupational therapy,they have some experience using some forms of assistive technology- ex -adaptive keyboards, they work well with peers, they are pleasant, cheerful, easy to work with and loves to learn. For this student the context is the classroom and home. And finally the the AT that could be used in this example could be a speech recognition program such as dragon dictation on an iPod/iPhone/iPad that could be used at both school and home. By thinking through this example I was able to gain a better insight into this model and it also helped me to understand the next three models as they share those 4 commonalities; they all center around the student, they look at the task they are hoping to complete, the environment of milieu in which the task is to be completed and then looks at the suggested technology that to support and enable the person to complete the task successfully. Another crucial component that was not labeled directly in each model as a component but was definitely mentioned throughout each process was the aspect of time. All five of these components affects and impacts each other and needs to be looked at in detail and in an ongoing process. This is not a static process where once you think you have found a support the process is over. The team needs to be constantly gathering evidence to see what is working, what is not working and asking why. By doing this one will see how this process can impact growth of students and teachers and how it can impact and change a school's culture to not only say we support all students but demonstrate this belief as well. In each of the 4 models I studied, they all looked at the student first and did not jump to the assistive technology right away, which is key. How can we assign AT to a student without knowing their strengths, needs, context and environment first? With all the models, they take on a team approach where information is gathered, analyzed and the information used to make informed decisions. The process in one school for a particular student will look a bit different than for a student in another school because of the huge diversity amongst people with disabilities. This is why we see so many different models and assistive technology being used. There is no way we could come up with a blanket or standardized test to be used with all students, however, the five components mentioned above, I feel, do need to be part of any model or framework.

Like Morrison alludes to in her article, "Implementation of Assistive Computer Technology(ACT): A Model for School Systems, ACT provides students with independent access to curriculum which would otherwise have been difficult or impossible and provides equal opportunities and supports those with learning problems. With that said, she stresses, the process for effective integration of AT into the curriculum is not a quick and easy task that can be taken lightly. She states that the issues in ACT delivery, needs to be more carefully considered and requires a more complex understanding that goes beyond the mere access and operation of ACT devices." As seen in Scherer table 8.1 "Influences on Assistive Technology Use," for AT to influence student learning in a positive way, the milieu, personality and Technology needs to be considered in order to get optimal use out of the AT. For example, if the AT is being forced upon a student by therapist, teacher or parent that can affect the student view on the device and may feel embarrassed to use it in front of peers if they do not understand its purpose and they do not meet the students needs. With this scenario, the student may only partially use the device and be reluctant in it use or use it inappropriately.

The student may feel like the following cartoon depicts. That decisions are being made for him without considering his strengths and needs making him feel labeled. Tensions arises when the technology is looked at before the student leaving them feeling different and stigmatized. According to Morrison we need to look at the individual first. We also need to look at training and supporting educators, teachers, parents and students to help increase their comfort level and provide them with a better understanding as they participate in the decision making process with the team. The concept map Morrison uses on pg 90 of her article sums up nicely a suggested model for ACT implementation. It provides a great visual showing the student in the middle emphasizing the student-centered focus. As mentioned earlier, there is not a one-size fits all approach, but that is why these processes are referred to as models or frameworks, they are not meant to be followed word for word, but used to guide or provide a frame in which to work from.

(cartoons url-http://www.lexdis.org.uk/project/media/presentations/Glasgow2009/html/web_data/file19.htm)

Class # 5

Tonight we finished off the last 2 presentations on apps, that again were amazing! The first presentation talked about apps that could be used for Social Skills and students with autism. A few of the apps mentioned that I thought would be useful in my school was Conversation Builder, Strip Design and Shredder. The reason I really liked Conversation Builder app was because you are able to personalize conversations and make them more real life for the students when they do have those conversations. I really liked Strip Design because you are able to make your own comic strip with actual personal photos and it can be customize easily. Plus, it is only 2.99!! It has been my experience that students like creating comics and I can think of one student in particular who would go crazy over this app. This student always takes out their sketch book when they have any free time in class and sometimes tries to sneak in drawings when I am not looking! I try and incorporate drawing into alot of their tasks and could easily adapt those to include this app! I also took a liking to the shredder app because it is one way students can concretely get rid of their negative feelings, which for some is a huge task to shake negative feelings. Another app I liked was the social express because it has lots of lessons and scenarios for different levels and has a print off feature which I really like. However, I did find this a bit pricey so will research it further before purchasing. The next group who did their presentation on new apps for students with learning disabilities started out their presentation talking about the highs and lows for LD. One point here that really hit home was how these students often look to be fine and are often labeled as those that just do not put enough effort into their work because the disability often does not have physical signs. Often their disability lies in one area and are typically not global, so maybe seen as just not good at or not interested in a certain area. It is very important, that we as teachers, do not make these general assumptions that can really hurt these children! We need to be constantly trying to reach all students in different ways to be better equipped to pick up on any signs of students with LD. As well, I feel their needs to be more professional development offered to teachers in this area if we are to serve our students better! I was very surprised at this groups survey results as only 10% of teachers felt adequately trained in AT. Why is this? Are they not fully aware of the broad spectrum of AT devices, and maybe think software and hardware are the only forms of AT? Even so, again, I feel very strongly that there needs to be more professional development in this area for all teachers, not just Resource or YSF teachers. The classroom teachers need just as much PD as they are the ones that work with these students on a regular basis. I find our student services department does a great job in meeting with teachers and going over the various AT our school has to offer and helps to train teachers on specific AT that they may need to use with particular students. It is great to have this in house support as it cuts down on travel time to in-services, if you have a question you can quickly get it answered and we do not lose precious contact time with our students! It is important to effectively implementing and utilizing AT such as mobile devices and apps with our students. Some of the apps I really liked in this presentation included Math terms, Comic Life and iMovie. Having taught math I really liked Math terms as it seemed to give a great explanation of the various terms being explained and also included visuals!!! Comic Life software for the PC is something I use often with my students that our board now subscribes to. I had a hand in introducing this piece of software to our technology consultant and having licenses purchased. My students love this but with the app it is much more portable and cheaper! iMovie also sounds like a really great app that is really easy to use and I think my students would love. One classmate mentioned that a teacher would not need a lot of time to teach students how to use it, which is a great feature! Both of these apps are only $4.99 which I fell is a great deal! Once again, I was blown away by the number of apps out there and how useful they can be to students in helping all students find success. Now all we need to do is convince people higher up that mobile devices and apps should not be considered a luxury but a necessity in schools!

Class # 4 - Apps Presentations

I was blown away by the amazing presentations during class #4. There was so much great information on different apps that can be used with a wide variety of students. I was rather shocked though to see the huge differences in the availability of mobile devices and apps in the different schools. Some schools are very fortunate to have class sets of iPads loaded with apps while others have none or very few! After listening to the presentations, I find it such an injustice to our students not to have class sets of these devices available to our students! The first presentation was on the use of mobile devices with students that are physically disabled. There is such a broad range of physical disabilities. The group did an excellent job introducing what a physical disability is, examples of them and apps that can assist the physically disabled in their learning. One app that I really liked was SoundAmp app. I think this is a great app for those hard of hearing. It is amazing how it can turn your mobile device into a hearing aid. It has been my experience, young students can be very self-conscious of wearing a hearing aid or using FM system, this app can make a student’s disability a little less noticeable in the classroom therefore reducing the self-consciousness. I also liked the ThinkGeek Joystik accessory. I think this would be great for games. I use many educational games in my teaching and this accessory could benefit some students with some of these games. The next presentation was my group on Communication Disorder Apps. I did not realize there were so many apps to assist students with communication disorders. Like I said in my presentation, I recently sat in on a group of students using the iPads. This is when it really hit me how truly powerful these devices are! I was amazed at how comfortable they were using the device and the increase in their level of independence and time on task using them. One particular student was using Touch Chat Suite app. This app runs for about $300 but the Resource teacher said it is worth every penny! She has seen some big gains in some of her students that have been using this app, and they have only been using it since February! It was not until doing this project that I found out mobile devices and apps were in the early stages of implementation with some of our students. Right now, they are mainly used in small group settings in YSF, Resource and Early literacy with some use in the class during in-class support with student services. On Friday part of our in-service was an introduction of the 5 iPads and the apps available to our students. Teachers seem very excited by the presentation and are interested in meeting and getting more training. For the last two weeks I think I have met with one of the student services teacher 3 out of the 5 days to discuss the use of mobile devices and apps. She is so happy to see someone just as excited over them as her! The next presentation had to do with Apps in Action for Early Learners. This group did a phenomenal. Their background and research section was very detailed and I found very interesting. It was interesting to see the evolution of the history and attitudes behind the use of mobile devices. We have come a long way, but feel we still have a way to go! They also spoke of the importance to chose apps carefully as they can be very overwhelming. All the apps they mentioned were excellent and well priced (little to no cost, easier to sell to administration when requesting apps!). The last presentation was also very interesting. The segment that really inspired me was the video clip from an episode of 60 Minutes on the use of iPads (see video below). The part of the video they showed a teacher first using a paper and pencil approach while working with a student with autism. The student was unfocused and restless. When the teacher put away the paper and pencil and brought out the iPad you would swear it was a different child, she was focused and engaged! The next day I sent out a link for this video to my administration and student services teachers so they could watch it. If showing this video does not get us more iPads I don't know what will. We have several students who are on the autism spectrum who would definitely benefit from the use of mobile devices. And like the group alluded to, studies show that the number of children with autism, or at least diagnosed, does seem to be rising. As I listened to all the presentations I was excited and angry at the same time. I was excited at learning all the different apps that can assist so many of the students I teach now and students I will have in the future. I was also angry, because after talking to the Resource teacher she said they have made several applications for more mobile devices and apps but has been declined. How could any educator refuse students access to devices and apps that would, not could, improve their learning!! All they have to do is watch the video above! I have offered my help and support to the my staff in the fight to obtain more mobile devices for our students who so dearly deserve them!

21st Century Education Series: My E-Backpack Video

Example of a School right here in Atlantic Canada (Riverview Middle School)and their use of iPods as an instructional platform.

After conversing with a fellow colleague who is utilizing apps for student programing she mention when looking into any app it is important to consider the following three guidelines: 1.Research 2.Test Prior to Deployment 3.Use Free version first before paying This isn’t such a big deal with free apps, however, if as a school you have a certain budget and are trying to decide as a group where to allocate your funds the rubric may be helpful.If you are interested in rubrics for scoring apps here is a link to one we found: EVALUATION RUBRIC FOR IPOD/IPAD APPS

Class # 3

I really appreciated having time in class to get to know my group members and work on our project. Often, class time is not allocated for this, so the getting to know each other is often placed on the back burner with most emphasis placed on getting the project done due to time constraints. It is important to allow time to work on building community to help create a climate that promotes sharing and learning. Learning will not occur if an environment conducive to learning is not established. This is harder to establish in an online classroom and requires more attention due to the lack of face to face interaction. However, after just three classes I already feel a sense of unity by participating in activities and sharing in our group. This is important to keep in mind when using group work in our own classes. A feeling of trust and respect should first be established in the group as it will give pace and energy to the assignment and helps to empower the people involved. Our group, at first, found the project a little overwhelming at first in terms of trying to condense so much information into a 15 minute presentation! There was so much great information in the communications disorder apps webinar, we found it difficult to pick and choose. But once we discussed our outline with Barbara we felt more at ease with our presentation. I really enjoyed searching the iTunes store and found many reasonably priced apps that would also help assist students with communication disorders. In discussing these with a fellow Resource Teacher colleague, I found out that, as this is Autism Awareness month there are many free apps you can download. Below are a couple of links to get you started. You can search the App store for "autism" to discover free apps. Also search "ABA". Free offers can change daily so check throughout the month. Although the free apps are designated to support students with autism, many are very useful with other students as well. There are some great deals. Happy apping!! http://autismandtheipad.blogspot.ca/2012/04/april-is-autism-awareness-month.html http://autismandtheipad.blogspot.ca/2011/04/temporary-free-apps-in-recognition-of.html

YouTube Video:Speech with Milo: Sequencing Tutorial