Hello C’s Class
We are coming at you with out last group inquiry blog! Thank you all so much for following along and we hope you found at least one thing to take with you so you can implement it in your classroom! Here is the link to our final project and some resources for you to check out!
Thanks everyone, have a great summer and stay safe and healthy!
Casey, Aria, and Kaylyn
XO
Hello C’s Class
Today we are going to be talking about some of the easy things and some of the harder things when bringing assistive technology into the classroom. Some of the smaller and more easily accessible things are graphic organizers, alternative seating, fidget tools, noise limiting headphones, and closed captioning. Many classrooms we have been in have DIY fidget tools such as bottles that have glitter or other things in them for students to play around with. You can purchase stress balls and other squishy toys for students to silently use. Online there are several DIY videos for crafty things teachers can make super easily and cheap. Here is a video of one DIY fidget toy you could make for your class.
Graphic organizers are super easy too. They simply require the teacher to create an outline for the given lesson and then print them. This organizer was used in Kaylyn’s class she visited last semester. The teacher used it to visually show students how they should format their paragraph writing.
Headphones will range in price so depending on the funding you get you can explore your options.
Flexible seating can also get pricey. These wobble chairs are $50 on Amazon. In the classrooms we have been in they usually only have around 4. This may become a problem in your classroom so other seating could be used as well. Exercise balls, bean bag chairs, pillows, and carpet areas are all ways you can create different seating and learning spaces easily in your classroom.
Of course one of the biggest things is price. A cart for IPads is $700 on its own IPads aside. This would be a very expensive thing however often the cart is shared between the whole school. Therefore funding would be more accessible as you are not getting a cart for every class.
Overall there are certain aspects of assistive technology that are easy to implement and simply require time. Others become more expensive. In 2019 the Government of Canada put more money into making technology accessible for those with disabilities: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/118.nsf/eng/home. Families and research institutions can receive money through this. Students in university can receive funding through the The Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities: https://www.at-bc.ca/programs/grant-equipment-for-students-csg/ . This website (https://canasstech.com/pages/resources) shares different resources in BC.
As for funding in Elementary schools we weren’t able to find specific resources for funding for assistive technology. However, these things could easily fall under things that other educational funding websites would cover. As well as the PAC could support these types of expenses.
Hello C’s Class!
Today we are going to be focusing on assistive technology specific for dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning challenge for students as it affects being able to identify speech sounds and how they relate to letter and words, also called decoding. Dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language.
There have been many incredible creations in the area of aiding in helping individuals with dyslexia. First we have speech recognition software, being able to talk to a computer that can convert conversation to text. This would most come in handy when struggling with spelling or writing any professional communications.
Mind mapping software is also a thing. This provides a space for students struggling to write out their ideas with the ability to plan their work more effectively.
Text-to-speech software was also created to help individuals understand the work they are presented with and be able to proof-read or check their own work.
There are also smart pens that can be used to write but can also track the text being written and recreate the notes in digital form. Then the pen can upload the text to a software for further processing.
Lastly there are more tools designed to help students with dyslexia that are all very similar to other ones. Tablets, smartphones and applications, computer based learning programs, spell checkers and many more softwares are available to aid in the learning success of students with dyslexia complications.
Last week we had discussed the pros and cons of assistive technology, but it is also important to discuss why labelling students with this learning challenge can sometimes be beneficial but also may cause some negative responses.
The diagnosis of being ‘dyslexic’ is usually then slapped onto why a specific individual is under-performing in school. However once a student is diagnosed correctly, the appropriate instruction and assistive technology may be implemented in order to assist them in being successful in school.
The cons however come when that label comes into play. Labelling a student with this learning challenge brings it into focus when it’s unnecessary to highlight it. It may be hard to separate personal differences and strengths once that learning challenge is slapped onto their name.
In supportive learning environments the main objective is to improve the learning abilities so to be classified as having dyslexia should be beneficial. The school would work with the parents to find the best way to support the student.
In different environments where the focus is primarily on optimizing productivity, it may be harmful to be classified as a person with “dyslexia”. The categorization may just lead to unnecessary discrimination.
Overall, the student with learning challenges and parents should assess the situation to make sure it will be beneficial to be seen as a “dyslexic”. Every environment is different, so even as future educators it is our job to ensure the safety of students with learning disabilities in the classroom. There can be many things going on that we don’t see so we need to make sure conversations are had and precautions are taken to prevent unnecessary distress to the particular individual(s).
That’s all for today! Technology for dyslexia and pros and cons of labelling a person with it. Thanks for reading, we will catch ya next week!
Aria, Casey, and Kaylyn
XO
Hello C’s Class,
Coming at you with another collaboration from Kaylyn, Aria, and I! We have been talking to you all about lots of cool ways to bring in assisted tech to support students with learning disabilities. Today we want to talk about the general pros and cons of implementing this into the classroom. So, if you’re curious keep reading…
Okay, let’s talk about some of the pros! Most obvious assistive tech supports students that learn differently which will enable most children to be able to learn in the classroom despite their abilities. It can help students with diverse abilities become more independent and personalize their learning to their zone of proximal development. For students that have a hard time communicating, it can aid in giving students the voice they need in order to be successful in their educational journey. By enhancing student’s communication, assistive tech can reduce anxiety and enhance peer connections. Overall assistive tech will help to improve academic skills by fitting to the needs of each individual student.
Alright so we hope we have convinced you to all start implementing assistive tech in the classroom…but wait… what are the cons? Before you go ahead buying everyone an iPad lets talks about the concerns.
Like i mentioned above, assistive tech might involve having to have iPads in the class. Well, iPads can be expensive and as we all know, teacher budgets are not that big. If schools don’t provide these little screen geniuses, then we will all have a hefty bill to pay off. Assistive tech also takes training. The different apps, and resources we can implement in the classroom takes some knowledge to manipulate. So, unless you are super techy or have an EA in the class that has training you may be out of luck… and lastly… some teachers genuinely have no idea how to use tech and don’t like it. If this is the case maybe just retire? I’m kidding, but seriously, if you aren’t comfortable with using tech in the class well get comfy and take some classes, do your research because at the end of the day the pros outweigh the cons.
I hope these pros and cons have given you all a little bit more insight on whether or not assistive tech is for your class. All children deserve to get a chance to be successful in their educational experience. So do some learning of your own and get techy!
Check ya later! Kaylyn, Aria, and Casey
XO
Hello C’s Class!
We are here today to discuss more about iPads and the assistive technology created by Apple to help students with different learning impairments. Many different Apple features can assist students with various learning and literacy, vision, hearing, and physical/motor skill difficulties. Apple has a section outlining each of these special tools they have created to help aid students. Click here to see their website! We will now be discussing some of the things outlined on the website.
Learning and Literacy: “Guided Access” limits what actions can be done on the Ipad. This can help students with Autism or other attention and sensory challenges stay on task. You can disable to use of the home button, different parts of the screen, and the turning motion. “Speak Selection” can be used to highlight a section that will then be read out. This can help students follow along with the words as they are read aloud. The dialect and speed can be adjusted to fit the needs of the student. “Siri” can assist students who have challenges typing. Siri can do anything for students just by voice command such as setting reminders and sending messages. “Dictation” is a built in form of Siri that allows you to speak your response back to either a text message or email for students who may struggle with Dyslexia. “Safari Reader” was a super cool one that changes the look of a website. For students who may become distressed from sensory overload can use this to reduce the visual clutter and help highlight the information actually important to them.
Guided Access:
Speak Selection:
Safari Reader:
Visual: “Voice Over” helps students navigate the technology through a gesture based screen reader. “Siri” can also benefit students with visual impairments by simply speaking the task and Siri will do it for them. A note at the bottom of this section stated that there are also Braille displays available on IOS devices.
Siri:
Hearing: “Mono Audio” helps adjust the audio channels that usually have a distinct right and left side. This can be adjusted to play both at once as well as adjust the volume for other auditory challenges. “Closed Captioning” is available for videos so students can read along of they have difficulties with the video sound.
Physical and Motor Skills: “Assistive Touch” allows students to do multiple tasks with a simple touch of the screen. This alleviates any difficulties students may find in using force and multiple buttons. It creates one menu for several tasks to adjust to their specific needs. “Siri” again can be used here as it allows students to say what they need done. Siri can navigate for them.
Assistive Touch:
There were a couple things we did not touch on but they can be further explored in the website link at the top of this blog post. Apple has made big steps to allow all students to be able to use technology. Many of these features can be super beneficial for students to allow them to utilize technology to help advance their learning. Many schools are now using funding to get carts of Ipads in their schools which can greatly help students with learning disabilities as shown in this post. We were super happy to read this page and credit Apple for their great strides in creating assistive technology for students with learning disabilities!!
Thanks for tuning in! Catch ya later,
XO
Kaylyn, Aria, and Casey
Hello C’s Class
Assistive technology are devices that increase, maintain, or improve students with learning setbacks. It’s easy to think of “assistive technology” as technology itself, but it can be as simple as a pencil grip or as complex as some of the programs that are available in our classrooms today. Assistive technology is all about helping students progress towards their goals lined out on their IEP (Individual Educational Plans). Assistive technology also has goals of helping students learn how to complete a task and help bypass an area of difficulty. Students can listen to audiobooks and avoid reading, and focus on the computer screen as words are read aloud so they can learn unfamiliar words.
So as we, Kaylyn, Aria, and Casey, explore the different ways assistive technology can be used in the classroom, we are going to look at all the different kinds of sources, levels, and devices that can be used.
As said before, technology in the classroom that aids in helping students can range from low to mid to high technological appreciation. Most of the technology that helps students with disabilities is high tech, but as educators it is important to know how these devices can be incorporated within their teaching to promote an inclusive learning environment. Today, we are going to be looking at technology that is beneficial to students with learning disabilities.
First we have Graphic organizers. These help the students who have a hard time putting their thoughts onto paper, as well as the visual learners who need to see their ideas mapped out. While these can be done without technology to allow students to improve their quality of writing, using graphic organizations on the computer can allow students to arrange their thoughts without worrying about order, importance, or categories because the text can be easily changed and moved around.
Next, there are iPad-like devices called Pentop computers that aid in text-to-speech programs and strategy feedback. They are cheaper than iPads and may be a useful tool for students with learning disabilities. Pentop computers can give auditory feedback during math work or writing, and are a vital tool for students with learning disabilities. They can easily provide reminders while a kid is working on a math problem, and can be utilized for its note-taking skills.
Lastly, students with learning disabilities often have a hard time with their development of math. Research states that calculators can almost provide an unfair advantage to those students with math setbacks. Graphing calculators can be effective for the visual data to be seen, but only partially. Math drill programs are said to aid in the developmental process of learning how to solve math questions and increasing motivation in the addition and subtraction skills of students with math disabilities. Math Trek 1, 2 ,3 is an example of a program used in the classroom, as well as many more that are available for teachers to utilize in their diverse classrooms.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post on learning a couple different ways to aid in helping students with learning disabilities! We will talk to you soon!
Catch ya later!
XO
Aria, Kaylyn, and Casey
Hello bloggers, Aria, Casey and Kaylyn here!
For this EdTech project we are teaming up to explore our Inquiry question:
“What are some technologies that can provide support to students with learning disabilities?”
We chose this question because we are continuously learning how to make our classrooms more accessible and inclusive for every student who walks in the door.
Casey’s Class here, I wanted to quickly tell you about my experience with working with individuals with diverse abilities. I got the opportunity to work in an inclusive classroom supporting a student with autism and once I built a relationship with this student I became his respite worker outside of the classroom. I also worked as a behavioural interventionist for a year with an adult with autism who was working at the level of a primary student. Through these opportunities, I have seen what an inclusive education classroom can do for children with autism but also children with different learning abilities. Although the classroom isn’t for all individuals as like my older client, myself and my group members believe in doing everything we can in order to support and include each student in the classroom. Now back to the group!
Especially now, in our tech-ridden society it is so important for us as future educators to know the tools that are available in helping all students be successful through their educational journey.
We are really interested in finding ways to help kids who have troubles communicating. Such as students who have autism, down syndrome, dyslexia, anxiety, ADHD, or speech impediments. Stay tuned as we will be diving into this topic next week!
Adios amigos,
xo
Kaylyn, Casey, and Aria
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