Wednesday 6 June 2012
Last Class!
Hi everyone,
Well, here we are last class of a really interesting journey. I now have 10 down and 2 to go! This class was one of the quickest. I think it was because we were constantly thinking and processing a large amount of information at once.
I enjoyed blogging and liked working together to make our group assignments. This is something that I think my students will enjoy. I know for certain that I will pass the blog information on to our grade 2 teachers who can use our "Tadpole Teachers".
I feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge when it comes to AT in the classroom. To me this course felt like an ongoing professional development course, something I was lacking. If anything I gained the knowledge on how to find the information and where to begin to search for help for my students. I know now that it can be overwhelming but there is help.
I am also looking forward to assisting my fellow teachers on how to incorporate AT into the classroom. I have already spoken at our June inservice on the UDLtoolbox and all of the fun things found inside it. I also tried to use it today in class with a writing assignment. It worked really well on the PC's but not on the IPADs, seems I have to download some sort of equiptment, lol. Will have to find out how to do that tomorrow :)
Thanks to all for helping out and giving me such wonderful ideas!
Well, here we are last class of a really interesting journey. I now have 10 down and 2 to go! This class was one of the quickest. I think it was because we were constantly thinking and processing a large amount of information at once.
I enjoyed blogging and liked working together to make our group assignments. This is something that I think my students will enjoy. I know for certain that I will pass the blog information on to our grade 2 teachers who can use our "Tadpole Teachers".
I feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge when it comes to AT in the classroom. To me this course felt like an ongoing professional development course, something I was lacking. If anything I gained the knowledge on how to find the information and where to begin to search for help for my students. I know now that it can be overwhelming but there is help.
I am also looking forward to assisting my fellow teachers on how to incorporate AT into the classroom. I have already spoken at our June inservice on the UDLtoolbox and all of the fun things found inside it. I also tried to use it today in class with a writing assignment. It worked really well on the PC's but not on the IPADs, seems I have to download some sort of equiptment, lol. Will have to find out how to do that tomorrow :)
Thanks to all for helping out and giving me such wonderful ideas!
Sunday 3 June 2012
Class #9 "Tadpole Teachers!"
Hi everyone,
I was extremely excited about last class. I really enjoyed collaborating with our group on how to make a new blog together. Usually I shy away from working in a group and prefer to work alone. But this time I felt extremely comfortable with the subject matter and the people I was working with. I am also gaining a lot of confidence in my technological abilities. Gone are the feelings of anxiousness when it is my turn to do something or research a part of our project! I wish I would have taken this course at the beginning of my Masters instead of the end.
Our group decided to do our project on the life cycle of the frog. I teach grade three so I was familiar with the topic and working with the little ones. I enjoyed searching for apps, youtube videos, e-books, on-line crafts and any little bit of interesting information we could add to our blog. I must say that our blog looks great and I am extremely proud of what we have done. I will post the link to our blog for everyone to see. Enjoy and thank you to my group!
I was extremely excited about last class. I really enjoyed collaborating with our group on how to make a new blog together. Usually I shy away from working in a group and prefer to work alone. But this time I felt extremely comfortable with the subject matter and the people I was working with. I am also gaining a lot of confidence in my technological abilities. Gone are the feelings of anxiousness when it is my turn to do something or research a part of our project! I wish I would have taken this course at the beginning of my Masters instead of the end.
Our group decided to do our project on the life cycle of the frog. I teach grade three so I was familiar with the topic and working with the little ones. I enjoyed searching for apps, youtube videos, e-books, on-line crafts and any little bit of interesting information we could add to our blog. I must say that our blog looks great and I am extremely proud of what we have done. I will post the link to our blog for everyone to see. Enjoy and thank you to my group!
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Blog 9
Tonight class was extremely interesting. We spent the majority of the class working in groups discussing chapters from "Misunderstood Minds. This was a video about Learning Disabilities. Looking at these chapters and discussing what we have found in our groups made me realize just how broad the term "Learning Disabled" really is.
I made many connections to my classrooms over the years with these children and their parents.
We first looked at Nathan: He was a little boy who was extremely bright, had a lot of life experiences and very strong communication skills. He reminded me of a little boy in my class. His parents thought he was an excellent reader because he enjoyed books. His first grade teacher said he was showing signs of low ability in letter recognition and phonemic awareness. He couldn't hear sounds which meant that he could not really read but instead was memorizing the pages. This was one of his strengths. He was asked to repeat grade one. His parents got him a tutor to prepare over the summer for grade two. He seemed to be prepared before school and memorized many site word lists but could not "contain" the new information. This made me quite upset because it made me think of the children who were kept behind because they were not meeting the grade level requirements like Nathan. Nathan could of been kept behind every second year and would still not meet the "grade level requirements!"
Nathan went to visit Dr. Mel Levine. He discussed how just testing for these things is not enough! We have to do something with the results.
Next we looked at Lauren: She was diagnosed with ADHD but considered a "dawdler" by her parents. Medication was recommended by her doctor but the parents refused. Instead they decided to give her a fresh start and move her to another school with new friends. (I have discussed medication with many parents over the years and struggle with my acceptance of it as well.) This seemed to work for a while which was actually a substimulus but soon things went back to the way they were before. Lauren started to become unfocused and unorganized once again. She was experiencing academic difficulties and social problems. Finally, the parents decided to try Lauren on medication. The doctor described it as a tool to help focus, like turning on a light bulb. A follow up report discussed how great Lauren is getting along on her medication. Her grades have improved, her social skills are developing and she is more confident. Medication is not meant to be the answer but rather a means to getting there. Lauren still has to do the work but this helps her focus her attention on her goal. After watching the video I have more acceptance of medication and can see that it does have a place but feel that sometimes it is over prescribed.
Finally we looked at Sarah- Sarah was 11 years old. Growing up she was considered a natural leader, was highly motivated and had excellent verbal skills. Things began to change by fourth grade. She began to withdraw from school and felt tongue tied. She was tested and was found to be low in basic language skills. She had good single word labels but association with labels was harder for her. Storage and retreval was hard for her which caused her mental connections to be interrupted. Sarah's doctor seemed to think that "therapy" would work for her along with using flashcards with new vocabulary rich in text. A follow up report showed that Sarah was benefiting from her therapy and has gained more confidence in her abilities to speak out more in class and to take risks. I am glad to see that help was available for Sarah and she wasn't just swept under the rug and forgotten about.
I made many connections to my classrooms over the years with these children and their parents.
We first looked at Nathan: He was a little boy who was extremely bright, had a lot of life experiences and very strong communication skills. He reminded me of a little boy in my class. His parents thought he was an excellent reader because he enjoyed books. His first grade teacher said he was showing signs of low ability in letter recognition and phonemic awareness. He couldn't hear sounds which meant that he could not really read but instead was memorizing the pages. This was one of his strengths. He was asked to repeat grade one. His parents got him a tutor to prepare over the summer for grade two. He seemed to be prepared before school and memorized many site word lists but could not "contain" the new information. This made me quite upset because it made me think of the children who were kept behind because they were not meeting the grade level requirements like Nathan. Nathan could of been kept behind every second year and would still not meet the "grade level requirements!"
Nathan went to visit Dr. Mel Levine. He discussed how just testing for these things is not enough! We have to do something with the results.
Blog #7
Hi Folks,
It has been a slow week for blogging. Last week the internet was down throughout our town so that meant that I could not log on. I feel a bit lost for tonight's class but am looking forward to it. Hope everyone had a good week.
It has been a slow week for blogging. Last week the internet was down throughout our town so that meant that I could not log on. I feel a bit lost for tonight's class but am looking forward to it. Hope everyone had a good week.
Thursday 10 May 2012
Class Blog 6
Hi everyone,
I had a few extra minutes today at school so I decided to log on to reflect about last nights class. I really enjoyed the power points that our three classmates gave on the templates of Assistive Technology. I was a bit worried about choosing the four models because when I started to conduct my research I quickly realized that there were a lot more then four models.
I feel that it was extremely relevant for us to research the models because it gave an idea of how to use different formats in the situation we are dealing with. I often wondered how students were assigned assistive technology. Now I feel that I have a better understanding of how to come together as a team to decide which works best for an individual.
I especially liked watching Youtube videos that Dr.Joy Zabala has put on. She help design the SETT model and really explains what/why/how to use it. I will post a link to a Youtube video that I added to my powerpoint last night.
Another interesting link that I found when researching is The Georgia Project Video Collection. This is a really great website that not only describes the Georgia Framework but also gives a huge collection of video resources on Assistive Technology.
http://www.valdosta.edu/coe/ecre/ATRB/Video_Tips.htm
Scherer Model:
I really liked the layout of this chart. I found it especially easy to read and follow. The check marking system is a great idea because I find that sometimes when teachers are given an evaluation to complete on a student it can become a very lengthy and wordy process. This makes it easier on all involved. It did remind me of the SETT framework that I researched. Both have an easy table to follow and give you an accurate visual to see.
Karen Morrison Article:
I found this article to be interesting because it was like looking into a mirror of everything that I have been feeling over the past 15 years of teaching with regards to Assistive Technology. I also felt like I have been left out of the loop when it comes to implementation. I knew nothing about was was available, how to find out or even where to go to get information. I also knew that there were programs and assistance out there somewhere but thought that the Resource teacher was in charge of assigning it. The thought of doing it on my own was very overwhelming.
Morrison states, "Lack of teacher time, limited training, access to support service, limited leadership and lack of a common vision or rationale for ACT use are commonly sited problems." This pretty much sums up how I was feeling. In her article she also discusses how no one is actually trained in AT to help implement the technology, which really scared me. In this day in and age School Boards should be spending the money to have staff members who are know what is out there and be willing to guide the teachers along. There should also be money available for "re-training" to allow teaches to keep up with the new information that is constantly evolving.
I enjoyed Morrison's discussion in the article on how teachers need to understand the importance of the technology in order for it to be used in the classroom. If AT is seen as just a baby sitter for a student while the rest of the class is doing something else then it is not important. Once teachers beleive that it is useful and needed in the classroom than educators will look for more technology and acutally use it. Morrison also discusses the need for ongoing evaluation. I thought that this was also important because if a child is using a certain AT at the begining of the year they should be reevaluated later to see if that technology is still useful or if they should move on to something else.
Great article!
I had a few extra minutes today at school so I decided to log on to reflect about last nights class. I really enjoyed the power points that our three classmates gave on the templates of Assistive Technology. I was a bit worried about choosing the four models because when I started to conduct my research I quickly realized that there were a lot more then four models.
I feel that it was extremely relevant for us to research the models because it gave an idea of how to use different formats in the situation we are dealing with. I often wondered how students were assigned assistive technology. Now I feel that I have a better understanding of how to come together as a team to decide which works best for an individual.
I especially liked watching Youtube videos that Dr.Joy Zabala has put on. She help design the SETT model and really explains what/why/how to use it. I will post a link to a Youtube video that I added to my powerpoint last night.
Another interesting link that I found when researching is The Georgia Project Video Collection. This is a really great website that not only describes the Georgia Framework but also gives a huge collection of video resources on Assistive Technology.
http://www.valdosta.edu/coe/ecre/ATRB/Video_Tips.htm
Scherer Model:
I really liked the layout of this chart. I found it especially easy to read and follow. The check marking system is a great idea because I find that sometimes when teachers are given an evaluation to complete on a student it can become a very lengthy and wordy process. This makes it easier on all involved. It did remind me of the SETT framework that I researched. Both have an easy table to follow and give you an accurate visual to see.
Karen Morrison Article:
I found this article to be interesting because it was like looking into a mirror of everything that I have been feeling over the past 15 years of teaching with regards to Assistive Technology. I also felt like I have been left out of the loop when it comes to implementation. I knew nothing about was was available, how to find out or even where to go to get information. I also knew that there were programs and assistance out there somewhere but thought that the Resource teacher was in charge of assigning it. The thought of doing it on my own was very overwhelming.
Morrison states, "Lack of teacher time, limited training, access to support service, limited leadership and lack of a common vision or rationale for ACT use are commonly sited problems." This pretty much sums up how I was feeling. In her article she also discusses how no one is actually trained in AT to help implement the technology, which really scared me. In this day in and age School Boards should be spending the money to have staff members who are know what is out there and be willing to guide the teachers along. There should also be money available for "re-training" to allow teaches to keep up with the new information that is constantly evolving.
I enjoyed Morrison's discussion in the article on how teachers need to understand the importance of the technology in order for it to be used in the classroom. If AT is seen as just a baby sitter for a student while the rest of the class is doing something else then it is not important. Once teachers beleive that it is useful and needed in the classroom than educators will look for more technology and acutally use it. Morrison also discusses the need for ongoing evaluation. I thought that this was also important because if a child is using a certain AT at the begining of the year they should be reevaluated later to see if that technology is still useful or if they should move on to something else.
Great article!
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Class 5 blog
Hi everyone,
Unfortunately, I had to drive to Wolfeville today and did not arrive until after 7 so I did not get to see both of the presentations. I am sure they were great! I have spent the past little while looking up assessment models and plan to do the same for the next little while before I call it a night.
On the technological side of things I have been continuing to download free apps for my children at school. I have a little boy who is globally delayed and really enjoys building things. I down loaded a simple physics app for him to build bridges. I will attach the link for everyone this week. I am also planning on adding some of my favorite websites to my blog along with some cool apps that I use. But for now I am a bit too tired from the drive up. I will come back tomorrow night.
Here is a really great youtube video using Kurzwell 3000 in an elementary school. It is a wonderful addition to any classroom!
Thursday 26 April 2012
Class Blog 4
Class Blog #4,
What an interesting night. I felt like I was on sensory overload watching everyone's power points. They were absolutely wonderful and so informative. I especially liked how each group was focused around a certain area and how all of their apps could help with that area. My pen was on fire writing down different apps for my school use as well as my personal use. I felt very informed walking into school today to ask my VP if I could download "pocket pond" for a little boy who has severe autism. I felt even more proud when I downloaded it myself onto the I-Pad!
Over the course of the night I was extremely nervous because I felt that the power point that I worked on was not as informative as everyone else. I think we might have been really hung up on time because there are professors that do take points off when you go over time. However, we did pack quite a bit of information in 33 minutes (we went over!) Great night.
Now I am going to try and attach everyone's blog address to my blog. If you can see it, it worked! If you can't, I went to bed and will try again tomorrow :)
I had a few extra minutes and found this video from 60 minutes. It is really interesting and discusses the use of I-Pads with Autistic children. Awesome!
What an interesting night. I felt like I was on sensory overload watching everyone's power points. They were absolutely wonderful and so informative. I especially liked how each group was focused around a certain area and how all of their apps could help with that area. My pen was on fire writing down different apps for my school use as well as my personal use. I felt very informed walking into school today to ask my VP if I could download "pocket pond" for a little boy who has severe autism. I felt even more proud when I downloaded it myself onto the I-Pad!
Over the course of the night I was extremely nervous because I felt that the power point that I worked on was not as informative as everyone else. I think we might have been really hung up on time because there are professors that do take points off when you go over time. However, we did pack quite a bit of information in 33 minutes (we went over!) Great night.
Now I am going to try and attach everyone's blog address to my blog. If you can see it, it worked! If you can't, I went to bed and will try again tomorrow :)
I had a few extra minutes and found this video from 60 minutes. It is really interesting and discusses the use of I-Pads with Autistic children. Awesome!
Thursday 19 April 2012
Class 3 Blog
Wow, what a productive class! Tonight we were put together in our groups to work on our presentations. At first I was feeling very hesitant and a bit nervous as I did not know how to put together a presentation of a webinar that was over an hour into 15 minutes.
I was extremely happy to learn that was not the point of the project. I can honestly say that I felt extremely comfortable working with my group. We put in a solid three hours of discussions and feed back about our power point. We really came together with ideas and thoughts on our Autism project.
Also, for the first time since I started my Masters Degree, I actually felt like I know what I am doing. I started to think back to when I first was asked to join a group for a project. I was so nervous, did not want to contribute let alone work on any sort of technology that had to be added! Tonight, I actually felt like I knew what I was doing and enjoyed being apart of it.
I was extremely happy to learn that was not the point of the project. I can honestly say that I felt extremely comfortable working with my group. We put in a solid three hours of discussions and feed back about our power point. We really came together with ideas and thoughts on our Autism project.
Also, for the first time since I started my Masters Degree, I actually felt like I know what I am doing. I started to think back to when I first was asked to join a group for a project. I was so nervous, did not want to contribute let alone work on any sort of technology that had to be added! Tonight, I actually felt like I knew what I was doing and enjoyed being apart of it.
Another aspect of tonight's class that was helpful was working with Itunes. Before this week my husband would download a lot of things on Itunes for me. Now I know his credit card number is already in the program and I can download things on my own, lol! I started off this week downloading free apps for my children and will go for the ones that cost money later.
Here is a cool App for children with Severe Autism.
Friday 13 April 2012
Class 1
Class #1 was extremely interesting. I have never used, seen or opened a blog before. I have an iphone, ipad and ipod which I use but don't have a clue as far as what they are actually capable of doing. I am really looking forward to learning how to use my apple technology both in my classroom and also at home. I am a bit nervous of the fast pace that this class seems to be taking and sometimes feel that I do not know enough to be here but I am a fast learner and willing to put the time in. Hopefully, all will go well in the next three months!
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Class 2 blog
Well, here is is class two. I am feeling a bit over whelmed and a bit nervous of what is to come in this course. I think I have my fish tank working and will now search out some videos to add over the next few days. Hopefully, all goes well with this.
This is kind of how I am feeling after class.
I am very interested in learning how to use ipads to help children within my school with Autism. There is so much technology available to assist Autistic children to finally have a voice. I am very excited! Check out this video I found on Youtube about autism.
Here is my Wordle. It was from another coure that I took in January but wanted to see if I could put it in correctly. Yay! I did it.
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