Embracing Technology is a Win/Win Situation

Throughout this course the same theme kept coming up. Students can show what they know in variety of ways. Teachers have to realize that students don’t just have to put pen to paper to show what they know. It is quite absurd that many educators feel students need to learn the same way, when every single person in their classroom comes with a different background and story. In the video with Todd Rose and the problem with cockpits being designed for the average, is exactly the same problem in our education system. We need to vary the dimensions of learning and have an “adjustable cockpit” because every student has an jagged learning profile. Teaching to the non existent “average” hurts everyone, including the best and brightest. This is especially true at the high school level where I teach because far too often teachers teach the course and not the student. I know...they have to meet outcomes, but they have to ask themselves how do they need to assess the outcomes? Too often teachers expect students to produce what they know and are comfortable with. Teachers need to reflect on what they are expecting of students and what the purpose of the task is. Technology has changed and we can do more but don’t realize it. We can make learning flexible with the technology available to us. The practice of Universal Design can help educators reach the goal of meeting the needs of all their students. If teachers are open to exploring new technology (which can be quite user friendly) they can often easily practice Universal design.

I went to an Individual Program Plan meeting to meet the parent of one of the new students I will support next year. She talked about his lack of organization, his inability to express himself on paper and his reading fluency and comprehension issues. I was very excited to tell her about some APPs and programs we can look at next year to help him achieve success. She said he had an IPad that she bought but he did not bring it to school this year. I told her to definitely bring it in!

I was astounded by all the APPs that we were introduced to in the course. I have a Master’s in Curriculum Studies: Technology and just in a few years I see a major change in ease of use of most APPs and that a lot are easily accessible because they are free! I look forward to showing them to students and colleagues. And the message needs to be, that is great to “tinker” and don’t be afraid to explore to see what is out there. You would be pleasantly surprised!

If all else fails ...digitize text so it more accessible!

Similar themes that came up in the case studies

There were students who were expressive in conversation but had difficulty putting detail into their writing. Students who were shown some type of speech to text, whether it was Google Read and Write, Google docs or SIRI, were initially hesitant but eager to try the technology. Once they tried the technology, most were able to write substantially more in the written pieces. They were detailed and expressive and some of the students even got excited about their writing. Most of the students that used the speech to text also liked the word prediction feature and some of the teachers commented that the students were using words they would not have used initially but because they saw them in the toolbar decided to use them.  It also seemed that most of these students were more successful with speech to text, if they had some type of graphic organizer initially prepared to organize their thoughts. The students all had success with getting longer, detailed pieces of writing, which would help increase their confidence in writing and hopefully get them on a more positive route regarding writing.

Most of the case study parents were involved parents that want to work with the school as a team player and were willing to try anything that will make their child’s learning experience a positive one.

Other programs like Adobe Spark, Raz-Kids, Cloud Art, Book Creator and accessibility options on the IPad, were explored in the case studies, and even if there were some setbacks, the students enjoyed using a different platform to show what they know.

Most of the presentations on the case studies talked about how technology is not universally used in the classrooms and that the students need to be taught the programs, which means sometimes things don’t always go smoothly. Sometimes the technology does not fit the student and you have to try something else.

Everyone seemed enthusiastic to try new technology with their students knowing that some students will have great success while others may need some tweaking to get it right.

Christine

Speech to text

She is starting to speak negatively when speaking about herself about her writing. Teacher wanted to focus on adding detail to her stories and her grammar. She used Google docs voice typing. She is expressive when talking but not when writing. Her sample on Google docs had more detail.
Amanda
Speech to text
Google Read and Write. She has clear speech. There were mistakes but she was learning how to work with the program. She found it easier to express her ideas.
Katie
Speech to text
Poor self image, especially in writing. Challenges with reading comprehension, handwriting, written expression. He has ESL support and Early Literacy. He spells phonetically but he struggles with the “rule Breakers” in spelling.  He struggles with expressing himself. He expresses a feeling of anxiety with the writing process. Google Read and Write. Writing samples more detailed and expressive.
Kareen
Adobe Spark
Learning disability and anxiety. Trouble getting thoughts down on paper.  She was introduced to Adobe Spark. Students can research picture easily for what they want to say. Nice final Project!
Teresa
Prediction
Challenges are that he does the minimum in writing, speech difficulties. Looked at pencil grip. Used Google Read and Write for Google Chrome. He was familiar with Google Docs and he liked using predication.  He really like the program. Speech to text was not an option because of articulation. Nice final piece!
Abby
Raz-Kids
Raz-Kids was used.  It is interactive technology and you get rewards (stars). Easy to use and multiple genre to choose from. Book is read to student and there were comprehension questions. When the student reads, you can record.  This is a running record. Student did well when the book was read to her first. If student did not know the word, you can click on it. She got a bit reliant on the words being read to her. Initial sight words was 51/100, second time 77/100. Nice results!
Damien

IPad

Student says his writing is messy and his brain works faster than he speaks. More of an introvert. Speech to text doesn’t work because of talking too quickly. Sees technology as being a weak student. Has some vision concerns so he uses black background with white font. He types in notes. 30 minutes to handwrite but minutes to type. With his color blindness he is sensitive to glare. He sits in the back of class because of the different color ...finds it embarrassing. Sometimes it takes a while to get the student on board with technology.

Sue

SIRI

Speech to text (SIRI) was used to help detail and grammar and word choice. Student is excited and motivated to use the technology. For the task, she organized with a graphic organizer. Her final written assignment was detailed and filled with expression.

Katie

Speech to text

The writing in Co-writer was more detailed. In Google Read and Write the student did not use the prediction. With the Google Read and Write he used a template of a cover letter. He was quite independent

Sarah

Prediction

Student struggles getting things down on paper. He doesn’t stay on task with his original idea. She tried Speech to text for Google Read and Write. The program was too slow and the student got very frustrated. Word prediction was a better option. Speech to text is not for every student.

Jolene

Book Creator

The student was introduced to different technology to just get her opinion on them.. She liked Book Creator and found it user friendly. Did not like Cloud Art, she found it disorganized. With Google Read and Write she used the simplify option. She found the text to speech too robotic. She said she would use Book Creator but shut down when she had to write. When she got to do a topic of her choice she was more receptive.

Alison

Speech to text

With Google Read and Write he was able to write more and use words that he would not have used. He enjoyed the program.

Nick

Speech to text

He has not been using AT that was introduced. It seems like he did not get enough training. Student had strong oral language and speech to text seemed a good fit. In his initial writing he is not putting in much effort. Not much detail. Did not want to use speech to text. He did not want to use it when he peers don’t use it. He did a graphic organizer to generate ideas. Speech to text in Google docs. His writing was more detailed.

Alison

Google Read and Write

Student was introduced to picture dictionary on Google Read and Write . Teacher went to google docs and used pictures from pictionary dictionary to make short sentences with directions. He could find pictures on day 1 but had trouble with highlighting. Directions by teacher needed to be clear and concise and she figured that out while working with the student. His tasks needed to simplified.

Speech to Text and Some Interesting Videos

Google Read and Write

Today we looked at the features on Google Read and Write. If you go on their website and put in the search engine, “ free for teachers”, you can sign up for a year subscription. Most school boards in Nova Scotia have access to the group discount price, but you have to put in a request to have the extension added for certain students. This extension would be great for many students but it is still too costly to purchase for all students, so it is usually given priority to students with a learning disability diagnosis. We have to be careful though, because one of the features is speech to text, and we should not make the assumption that all students can use speech to text successfully. More often than not, teachers assume this can be a quick fix for a student struggling with the writing process. Students need certain skills to use speech to text successfully, and we cannot make the assumption that students just have to talk to the computer. Students need consistency in enunciation, volume and pitch. The ability to inhibit “ums” and ahhs”. Students should have the  ability to express ideas verbally, have attention to auditory and visual details, the ability to multitask, edit and problem solve. Students also need to self monitor and regulate their emotions and they should have motivation to use technology. Some of the skills can be taught but for some students speech to text is not the best fit.

All of the features on Google Read and Write were user friendly. There are similar features for Google docs, PDF and browsing the web, with a few differences on each of these platforms. The picture dictionary lets you highlight words you don’t know and then a definition using pictures is created. This is a good option for younger students with simple words, it would not be as user friendly for higher grades with more difficult words because it would be hard to interpret the picture. There is also a vocabulary list which gives you a definition and picture in table form. This would be helpful for the older students who may have difficulty with some of text. It gives them a quick simple table. The speech to text option works well but students need to be taught how to annotate. They need to speak clearly and put in grammar. The voice is quite clear and easy to understand, so students cannot complain of a robotic voice. You can also have text read to you from the three platforms mentioned. You can even highlight small sections and have just that part read to you. This would be great for students who struggle with attention issues. You can leave annotated notes on a document for students who may need detailed direction on an assignment. This feature lets students review your comments at their leisure. They could also use it in collaboration with a partner on a group assignment. The word prediction feature works well and you can change the number of words that come up in the settings. This would be great for students who may be overwhelmed with a large number of words on a list. As mentioned, Google Read and Write is very user friendly and students could be become quite efficient after a couple of times using it.

Videos Showing Amazing Accomplishments 

This video shows how you can use a computer with a head mouse. You do not need to use of your hands to get the computer to communicate for you. This man is able to live by himself because of the ability to communicate through the computer. He says his life would be completely different if it wasn't for the computer.

This little girl named Ruby uses Proloquo2Go.It has given her a voice and people that work with her say there has been a dramatic decrease in aggressive behaviour because she no longer gets frustrated because she has a tool to communicate with.

This video shows a product that translates sign language. This opens up a world of communication for those who use sign language and those who do not. People who sign can now communicate with everyone using this product. Amazing!

How a father with ALS communicates with his son. Incredible and get out the kleenex. :)

Video showing how the Neuroswitch works. This is the technology used by the father in the previous video. Life changing!

Inspiring video. This young women talks about her struggles in school having a learning disability and how assertive technology changed all that. 

This video shows how a person visually impaired uses the computer. He has his own You Tube channel. 

The Writing Process...Just a Complicated!!

With the eye opener class on Day 3 about the reading process, we should not have been surprised that the writing process was just as complicated. We were a little more knowledgeable going into the task analysis for writing, but we still did not have an exhaustive  list. When we looked at the process as a class, attention to task was essential, just like in the reading process. Looking at how we sit and our posture, and how long we had to sit would all have an effect on our writing. Position of paper, choosing the proper tool, lined paper or blank? All of these things are before we even put the writing utensil down to write! All of these are cognitive frontal lobe processes. We could also look at poor organizational issues and students who don’t have the tools to start the writing process. We pull from our long term memory for information such as where to start on the page, shapes and ability to construct letters, cursive or printing, knowledge of grammar, spelling…. And the list goes on! Metacognitive skills such as focus, self control, correcting, and manipulating are all part of the process as well. There is also prior knowledge automaticity of grammar, shape, size, spacing etc. And finally, with all this and much more that I have not included, students are expected to complete the task in a time limit.

This activity makes you realize as an educator, how important it is to do a task analysis of what we are expecting students to do. We need to be aware of what is involved and ask ourselves how ALL of our students will be able to complete the task. With this knowledge, we can make the appropriate match of assistive technology, if needed.  If assistive technology can enhance performance and we have access to the technology, it essential we expose students who could benefit.

We as educators, also have to remember that when people write they are expressing themselves and that we can express ourselves in other ways then just writing. Teachers get caught up in assessing writing skills but we can find out what students know through other processes. Writing should not be the only way to demonstrate knowledge. Speech to text for students who are expressive and can organize their ideas is an option if writing is laborious. But even students who have these traits, need to be taught how to use speech to text effectively. Students need to be able to speak clearly and with confidence, and they need to keep it simple. You are dictating to a machine and teachers cannot make the assumption that students know how to do this. We have to remember that students can have rich language but not be able to get it down on paper. We can teach these students that have difficulty getting started in the writing process how to use strategies such as graphic organizers.

We were introduced to some low assistive technology through a video and our professor showed us a few as well. These low tech options may be all that a particular student may need, and as educators we shouldn’t get too tied up in the high tech if there is a low tech option. Simple and effective to enhance performance may be best.

Just a few low tech items you can use for students. I use the page holder often when students are typing from something they wrote on paper and the timer that visually shows the time going away is really effective. I also found some left handed items that spoke to me, as I am a lefty. I really like the notebook with the ring on the opposite side. No more hands hitting the ring!

We also did a group activity where we made a visual representation of the many APPs available on Mac, Microsoft, Android and Chromebook. Our group looked for APPs for Chromebook. There were many but any of the extensions would need to go through our school boards to get permission to have them put on as extensions for our students. It can be quite a process, but if the extension seems invaluable, it is worth it.

The Reading Process....Not So Simple

Today we started the class with an in-depth analysis of what happens when we read. Those of us that enjoy reading, don’t think about what we do when we read, and those who struggle don’t think about why they find reading difficult. When you dissect the reading process, you quickly realize that there are ample opportunities for something to go wrong. We first look at the motivation to read. If that is not in place, which happens for many students who find the reading process difficult, the battle begins. If a student is not motivated, they already have a perceived attitude about the process, which can make it difficult to be willing to engage in the activity with an open mind. Students need to be emotionally engaged when reading, and if they can’t make connections because they lack experiences, being engaged can be difficult. Long term memory to recognize patterns and symbols, predicting, sequencing, visualizing and reflecting are a few of the processes involved the reading process. All of this is just for the first sentence and then we start the process all over again for sentence two. No wonder some students feel so defeated.

We also looked at the difference between remediation and compensatory strategies. With reading remediation, we are involved in the process of learning how to read. Through phonetic awareness, students are encouraged to enhance the reading process. Through APPs such as duckduckmoose, bitspro, and montessori crosswords and many more, students can develop the phonemic awareness that is a prerequisite to learning to read with efficiency. With compensatory strategies, teachers need to ask what the next step is after remediation has been exhausted and students have plateaued. As we have discovered, the reading process is a very complicated task and there are so many opportunities for something a student to struggle. What do you do to supplement the reading process to help with understanding when something does go wrong?Through compensatory strategies, students are still immersed in the reading process, and APPS such as voice dream, NaviDys web browser,  speak selection on devices and simple language on wikipedia, all help students who struggle with the reading process, to get access to the content of the text. 

The students I support are in high school and have received reading remediation since early elementary. Some have become better readers that can read the text successfully but most continue to struggle with comprehension, context, inferences and scanning for pertinent information. Academics are coming at them full speed and if they struggle with the reading process, they better figure something out or they will quickly be left behind. This is when compensatory strategies are crucial for success.  Something as simple as digitizing text gives access to the student. High school students want to be able to read the text and complete the assignments their classmates complete. Using Apps that can digitize the one dimensional piece of paper and have it read out loud, change size of text, character spacing etc. open up opportunity for students who want to be independent. Digitizing can also help students who struggle with organization because they can send it electronically, so no paper to lose.

We looked at how language was innate and that we are programmed to learn language. Reading is not….The visual system mostly evolved so that monkeys could find fruit high up in the trees amongst the leaves. Writing was only invented 5000 years ago. I found these facts to be really interesting because I think a lot of people assume reading is something we just do, and we should be able to do it easily. Obviously if humans have not always been involved in the reading process, it had to be learned. And with it being learned and not an innate trait some people will struggle with the process.

We also looked at Chrome Web Store, Google Play and the Microsoft store for APPs that would help with reading remediation or compensatory strategies. Chrome Web Store has a few APPs such as Early Literacy and Read with Me, which help with the fundamentals with reading. Google play had hundreds of APPs to choose from for early literacy. Phonics with Phonzy helps young children practice letter sounds and words. Kids Alphabet Game Lite helps children learn to recognize the letters of the alphabet. The APPs for Microsoft were limited but had a few APPs for early literacy. ABC Letter and Phonics for Preschool and ABC Book 3D.

We also used the APP Read Iris, which let us take a picture of a document and instantly digitize it. No more scanners! This type of APP can give students the option to be able to digitize a piece of text easily. Once it is digitized, they can manipulate the text to help them be independent learners.

Universal Design for Learning

Rather than looking up definitions, and writing them down to learn some concepts that may have been new to us, we were emerged into an activity where we learned to collaborate, problem solve, investigate, be creative, finish and present a product. With this assignment we learned the definitions thoroughly because each group presented in a new and creative way. That is Universal Design. Students learning in different ways to meet the needs of all the different types of learners. It was engaging, but it also took us out of our comfort zone and that is when great learning can take place. Most of us felt apprehensive and unsure of our final product and probably over thought the process. When we saw the final projects, we realized that everyone tried their best and wanted to produce the best possible product that they could. All of us learned from each other which is quite exciting because we did not know how to use the APPs a week ago. We learned and then we taught. Through the process we learned that it is ok to “tinker” around with the APPs and see what features they have. You can always delete what you don’t like and start over. You can’t really learn the features of APPS without taking some risks and most of the APPs are quite user friendly.

Lots of great points were discussed in the “Assistive Technology Today” powerpoint. Everything has changed so dramatically with technology and continues to change. With students having access to handheld technology, teachers need to take advantage of this resource and become proficient enough to keep up with most changes.  If we don’t learn what is available to us, we become stagnant and Universal Learning is definitely not taking place.   The powerpoint slide that showed the different types of students you could have in the classroom, was powerful. We all have students that are LD, ADHD, ASD, physically challenged etc. As teachers, if we teach to one type of learner, we are probably not meeting the needs of most of our students in the classroom. I find the “invisible disability” of LD can easily be disregarded, because teachers don’t see anything physically wrong, so they assume these students are not trying hard enough. Giving out a handout to all students (which happens more often than not) is not Universal Design. At the very least digitize the document so students can have it read to them from the computer and enlarge print if needed.

Matching up appropriate AT was something I never really thought about before. With something like speech to text, I just assumed anyone can learn to talk to the computer. I tried using Google Read and Write with one of my grade twelves and he kept saying it was junk and didn’t work for him. I was perplexed because it seems to easy to use. I just assumed he was using it correctly, but now I will sit with him and see if maybe it just isn’t a good match.

Technology is changing everything. Students can get documents in seconds, which means easier access. When looking at technology we need to take into consideration that students, the environment and the task will change as they get older. I think of the LD students I see that have much different expectations put on them academically in high school than junior high and also the changes in their lives outside of school. Part time jobs, relationships  and trying to be more independent, add a new dynamic to juggle.

Let's Get Started!

Class introductions got the students to jump into an engaging, experiential activity using APPs that most were not familiar with. Exploring the APPs was simple, fun and easy to learn in a few minutes. Telligami which let the user make an avatar and add voice, would let students who struggle with class presentations have an alternative option. Working at the high school level, I see some students become anxious about the presentations that are required in most of their courses. This APP as well as Videoscribe, could be used as a first step to get the students comfortable with the presentation process.

The TED talk by Todd Rose was thought provoking. The analogy of the classroom being the "cockpits of the economy" really made the viewer stop and think of how many students do not fit the one sizes fits all concepts in our education system. Being a high school resource teacher, I see students every single day that are trying to fit into the "mold". Most feel trapped, disengaged, unintelligent and don't feel they belong. Every year I see students who end up getting so frustrated and feeling helpless, that they miss time, refuse support and become totally disengaged. I wonder how many of these students who do not conform to the average philosophy, and drop out, could have been something great. I saddens me to see student's light burn out because they are just too tired to continue trying to be something they are not. 

Accessibility options on the IPad would be beneficial for a variety of challenges students may face. The zoom option and larger text would be a features that could be used for students with visual challenges. Other options such as assistive touch, switch control and touch accommodations could be used with students that have mobility issues. To access the accessibility options you just go to your settings in the IPad.

Book Creator was easy to use and could be easily implemented into any high school curriculum. Students are regularly asked to completed projects such as book reports, research projects, power points and brochures. This fun simple, APP would make the daunting task of research more engaging which in turn means more learning. Students could learn to use this APP quickly and make a more interactive projects than the old stand bys. 

The Book Creator lets you use many APPs so you are able to do an APP Smash, which means exactly that!...using a bunch of APPs and putting them into the book. The experiential way of learning, gets the student engaged and using the APPs. "Doing" is a much more effective ways of learning than listening. 

This type of assignment would be an effective way to get students to experiment with unknown APPs which would help develop skills such as problem solving, tenacity and creativity. Working with others on this project would let students develop communication and collaboration skills. 

APPS!

• Toon Camera

This APP takes a picture and then changes it into a cartoon! This could be used for projects, and art assignments. It could be used to create creative posters or brochures for fundraisers, school dances and other activities in school. 

• Visual Poetry

An excellent APP  to engage students in making their own poetry. I find students often complain about the poetry unit in English classes, so if teachers can find ways to make it more engaging, I say go for it!

• Chomp

Fun, simple APP that uses your picture to make you a character. It has voice overs and animation, so it could be used for presentations, visual calendars for students that need to see their schedule every day. It could also be used to create social stories and help promote discussion. 

Is Anyone Average?