Reflection on the course as a whole

My reflection on the course as a whole is basically the same as the last course--Access to Literacy. On the one hand, I'm blown away by all the possibilities that these tools can offer students. On the other, I'm so discouraged by the lack of access they have to these tools. Our schools are doing such a disservice to our students. A student shouldn't have to wait around for one of their teachers to be taking a grad course before they get services they should have gotten years ago.

Again, I think about the cost factor--what is the cost to society to have people who are miserable, unemployable, uncommunicative, maladaptive, functional illiterate AND SO ON? Isn't it far cheaper to turn them into productive tax-payers? Full-cost accounting, folks.

I'm so glad that I've taken these courses. I've seen improvements in the lives of my students because of things I've learned from Barb. Since using Co:Writer, one of my students has been producing the most meaningful writing in her life. She spent years writing reams of jibberish so the adults would think she was hard at work and leave her alone. For her last project--on the Middle Ages--she wrote a play about a princess, assigned roles to her classmates and directed them in a performance! A transformation. Every child should have this opportunity to shine--to demonstrate what they know and can do.

The encouraging thing about these courses with Barb is how teaching professionals are fired up to spread the word and make a difference. Kind of like being in Dumbledore's Secret Army. We're there, but don't tell admin. Yet.

Thanks to Barb and my classmates, especially Michelle and Kari. It's been a great course! And a great degree! Course Ten, and no longer counting!

Goodbye, Acadia! It's been a slice.

Case Study Presentations

Michelle - Logan
Another moving presentation from Michelle! She told us about Logan, a Gr. 3 student at her school that she taught last year. We all diagnosed Asperger's, but apparently none of the specialists have yet.

She used Pic Collage and Pocket Pond.
Pic Collage enabled him to show his learning, and Pocket Pond calmed him down. And they worked!

Adele - She talked really fast, and I couldn't make out most of what she said.


Kari - Justin
This Gr. 2 boy has ADHD, fine motor difficulties and learning issues. He also has problems with violence, aggression and anxiety. Kari used a Whiteboard app and Hand Writing Without Tears on her (tablet). He increased his sight vocabulary!

HWWT uses high-tech to teach low-tech

Heather  - Ben
Gr. 5 boy with LD and negative self-image. She tried text-to-speech, Dragon Dictation and Typ-O. He produced great results, boosting his self-confidence. He'll be taking an iPod Touch to middle school.

This is word prediction with  Typ-O

Amy Sarg. - T
Amy did her study on a 5-year old boy with no known learning difficulties. (She's not teaching this term!) She used iPhone apps ABC Tracing, ABC Magic (one of my favourite series!) and Sound Sorting Beginning Sounds. He was very motivated and engaged. I would be too.

Smile! It's Preschool University!

Shauna - C
A 13-year old girl with LD and ADD. She is very reluctant to use technology in front of other people. She uses Kurzweil at home, but won't use it in school. Shauna introduced her to Dragon Dictation on the iPad. Her writing improved. But as I well know, Dragon Dictation only works with good wireless.

Apparently this is what Dragon Dictation looks like. If I can ever make it work, I'll know for sure.

Jeff - R
A very interesting Gr. 12 boy! He's got ADHD, is socially isolated, and does very little actual school work. BUT he's smart enough to hack the school's network. So he's not allowed on the computers. That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? He has a divergent skill profile-low in writing, high in verbal.

Jeff introduced him to Inspiration, and he suddenly did more work than he had done all year. He even passed some kind of foolish Geography summative that is not at all conducive to students with writing disabilities. We all think that alternative methods of assessment need to be accepted.

Inspiration. R's was on nuclear weapons.

Rebecca -
Becky introduced us to an incredibly cute 8-year old boy in Gr. 2. He has ASD and with it, communication problems. He would love to have more friends, but isn't really sure how to make them. She used Tell Me About It, Word Bingo, Visual Timer, and one of my personal favourites, Book Creator. Apparently, his receptive vocabulary is better than everyone thought! Funny that.

Behind this ridiculous graphic, there is apparently a great app: Tell Me About It.

Anne -
Anne told us an incredible story about a 17-year boy with severe non-verbal ASD. He and his mother have moved from Nova Scotia to Alberta and back to find the best education for him. His adjustment to life in Nova Scotia is still pretty rocky. The family is lucky to have Anne as a support. Turns out that they had an iPad they weren't using. Anne showed them several apps, including Book Creator, Pocket Pond, Jigsaw Puzzles and My Brushes. What he really needs is Proloquo2Go. I hope that Anne talks mom into it.


Alana - Rex
A boy with ADHD in a 3/4 French Immersion class. He's on meds, and doing better. Alana introduced him to Co:Writer, Kidspiration and Comic Life, as well as TumbleBooks and Into the Book.

Jenn  -
Jenn told us about J (not my J, hers), a boy in Gr. 8. He's SLD, but is no longer on an IPP. Very disorganized. She tried Google Calendar, but it offered too many choices. I've often thought that choice was over-rated. She moved on to Soshiku Mobile, a website. It was much more straightforward and also free. She noticed some improvements--he's now aware of school assignments now, which is more than he did before! It starts somewhere.

Soshiku

Jackie - One disadvantage of finishing my degree--I'm going to miss the sisters!
We learned about TinyEYE, "The World Leader in Online Speech Therapy Telepractice." I never knew there was online speech therapy telepractice, let alone that the world leader is in Canada--Saskatchewan. What a great idea! Especially for rural schools. Instead of SLP driving all over hell's half-acre, they can see more clients--from home. Student A did well with TinyEYE. Cool.











Amy St. - Justin
Justin has a mild form of cerebral palsy. He's being using Raz-Kids, an online subscription program that includes a full-service reading program. Therefore not free. He moved up four reading levels! That puts "not free" in perspective. He also likes the Smart Board.

A Raz-Kids book

Janna - K
K is a 16-year old student at Sacred Heart. She has LD, a Verbal Learning Disability and ADHD. She's very anxious, but resistant to professional help. She needs to be at a different school, but that's another story. Janna is her tutor. They've used Tools4Students, gFlash+Flashcards and Tests, and Google Maps. K is very anxious about getting lost when away from home or school, so Google Maps reassures her. Thanks to Janna for sharing K's drawings with us. Yet more proof that people with LDs can be really, really talented.















Jill - Ashley
Okay, so Jill wins the cuteness contest. Well, actually, Ashley does. She a Gr. 1 student--who's already had a tough life--in a tiny rural school. (Jill won that contest, too.) Ashley is a severely delayed rote learner with few concepts that she is able to demonstrate. She's getting ELT, SLP and Resource. Jill introduced her to Book Creator, which produced an incredible increase in word concepts. And my new addiction--Toca Boca. I even love saying it. Toca Boca is a series of apps that encourage expressive and receptive language. They explore everyday life and promote fine motor skills. Themes include cooking, going to the doctor and getting your hair cut. Ashley quickly became skillful at using these apps, which helped her increase attention to task, motivation, engagement and language development. Can't argue with that.

Then I got to see former colleague, SLP Renana Joy, in a spiffy Apple video, talking about Toca Boca!

Toca Boca! Toca Boca! I can say it all day. Toca Boca!

Great way to end the day!

The Haptic Chair & other finds

The Haptic Chair enhances the experience of listening to music for people who are hard of hearing. It was developed by a multi-disciplinary team at the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Singapore. Using speakers that convert audio information into vibrations, hard of hearing users experience music through touch and bone conduction of sound.

More importantly, they look happy.

Haptic Chair

Look here for information on the haptic chair, and more videos.

The haptic chair has also shown promise as a boost to speech therapy with children who are hard of hearing. And apparently it's just plain fun. Check here.

Kari's Find:

Assistive Technology Clocks Tech Tips.
Products to let people with hearing and visual impairments know what time it is. I like the one that makes your pillow vibrate. I could use that.


Michelle's Find:

Interpretype: I even like the name.
A single system that facilitates communication among deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people. Includes face-to-face messaging and video remote sign language interpreting, 

Switches

How to access the world one (or two) movements at a time

Colourful switches of many sizes and shapes provide access to electric devices for people with very limited physical capabilities. A PowerLink device can be hooked up to many kinds of appliances. The PowerLink can be programmed to turn devices on and off in different configurations, for example, for set lengths of time.

PowerLink - Control Central

Squeeze switch

Ideas for using switches

• paper shredder
• pencil sharpener
• electric toothbrush
• foot bath
• juicer
• blender
• coffee machine
• nail dryer
• overhead projector
• bingo ball tosser



Switch-adapted digital cameras








• ice cream maker

Jelly Beamer Twist wireless switch - colour-coordinated!

Single switch access to the iPad. And it's Canadian technology!

Inventions from Our Classmates

Baster Pencil - (Amy Sargeant) makes the pencil larger, for students who find the pencil too small to hold.

Squeeze Bottle Pencil (Shauna) - similar to above, but the pencil is in a squeeze bottle. She added sand to weight it.

Easy-Grip Magnetic Letters (Becky) - glued suction cups to magnetic letters, to make them easier to grip. They can be attached to a magnetic strip.

Spongy White Board - (Jeff) Sponges on the bottom of a white board to elevate white board off a desk. Could be put on an angle.

Spatula Scissors - (Janna) - replaced handles with spatula ends. Can be clamped to a table for easier use. Could be helpful for student who only uses one hand.

Dice Buddy - (Jill) - Put dice in a transparent container. Easier to toss, and you don't lose the dice.
Swim Buddy - (Jill) - Print out a page of Board Maker, and put it in a large plastic bottle. A waterproof AAC.

One-Handed Marker Pull - (Amy Strong) - Put clay into the bottom of a container, and stick marker caps into it. Students can pull the marker itself out.

Popsicle Painter (the sisters, Jackie and Jennifer) - Buy a popsicle-making kit. Glue foam to the stick part. Glue play fruit on handle for easier grasping.

Popsicle Painter

Measure Assist - (Anne) - Glue a bathroom squeegee to a ruler or protractor.

Skater-X - (Alana) - Glue a dinosaur to a play skate board for easy play. Attach a ring to the dinosaur for easy gripping.

Floater - (Heather) - Attached to items that are in danger of falling into the water.

Our Dollar Store Invention - Sticky Tray!

Why does everyone called it the Dollar Store, when it's really called Dollarama? I guess Dollarama is the teacher's dollar store of choice.

Michelle, Kari and I met up at the Dollarama at Bayer's Lake, where we found around 40 ideas for items to use with students. We limited that list to 16, see post below, "Shopping for Grades."

Our invention idea was inspired by two-way suction cups. We got a tray to be our base, and then we tried our suction cups on a plate, bowl, board book and puzzle. It works! The plate stayed securely on the tray, as did the bowl and board book. The only glitch was the puzzle--it was too "papery," and didn't stay stuck. Apparently one needs shiny surfaces for this invention.

The package of suction cups also comes with three hooks, which could be used to hang items on the side of the tray.

This invention is perfectly suited for students with the kind of gross motor difficulties that might make them knock things over, for example, CP. Another application might be for students who deliberately knock things, but aren't strong enough to pull off the suction cups. For example, a four-year old. See below.

Please contact us for orders. Pricing to be determined.

Suction cups on the bottom of the plate

Suction cups on the bottom of the book

Kari's son using the book on the tray

The puzzle was too "papery"

Adapting Toys for Children with Physical, Sensory, Cognitive Disabilities

The student that I have in mind is a 11 year-old girl with cognitive delays. She has difficulty with fine motor skills, especially writing, but even with some every day tasks.

I was looking for crafty toys that would help her practise her fine motor skills. She is attracted to girly-themed toys, but most kits aimed at her age group contain too many parts for her to keep track of, and the parts are too small for her to handle effectively.

Craft kits that would be easy enough for her to use physically are too young thematically. Although she will sometimes play with Dora or Hello Kitty items, I would prefer to discourage that for social reasons.

From my own perspective, the themes she's attracted to reinforce female role models by emphasizing make-up, fashion and skinniness. (She likes Monster High--the girls are cheerleaders called "fear-leaders." I'll say no more.) So I was also looking for alternate female role models.

Description general:

I love Playmobil! High quality toys that encourage creative play. Suitable for wider range of ages than Fischer-Price.

I chose a City Life kit, which features a woman veterinarian. While it does say ages 4-10 on the box, there is no age-range written on the kit itself, so the box could be tossed and the kits could be used for older students with a similar profile. The pieces are sturdy, washable, attractive. The smallest pieces are around 2 centimeters long, which makes them longer than many items in the "girly" craft kits. I chose this kit because my student is also fascinated by animals.

Disability Category:

Physical              - some fine motor difficulties
Sensory               - none
Communicative  - limited vocabulary, speech not always clear, social difficulties with peers, prefers younger children

Cognitive            - below average, tendency to perseverate

Store:                   Toys R Us Express, Halifax Shopping Centre

Toy Company:     Playmobil

Price:                    $10.99

Box Age Range:  4-10

# Pieces:              37

Washability:        Yes

Storability:          Comes with carrying case

Directions:          Comes with graphic-only directions. Some assembly required, but rather intuitive

Play Locations:   Home, school

Adjustability:      n/a

Levels of Play:    Creative

Batteries:             No

APPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Description	Figures and accessories. Female veterinarian, three animals (dog, cat, hamster), examining table, set of drawers, medicine bottles, instruments, and lots of bandages.
Physical Skills	Moving pieces around and manipulating them. For example, the dog's and cat's heads can move.
Play Ideas	Creative play. Could also be used to reinforce oral language, for asking the student to describe scenarios she creates with the kit. She could then write about them.
Adaptation Ideas	Student has mentioned the deaths of pets in the past. Using the kits might help her work through some of these incidents.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

yes	Durable
yes	High Contrasting Colours
somewhat	Tactilely Stimulating  - Only one kind of material, but various textures
yes	Visually Stimulating - attractive, clear features
yes	Wide age range - simple to use, but not as childish-looking as similar items
yes	Open-ended - stimulates creative play
yes	High quality, but not too expensive
yes	Detailed - enough detail, but not too much, for student in question
yes	Hands on approach to learning
no	One-piece unit - 37 pieces, but there is a case

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESSES PROMOTED

yes	Fine motor - pieces can be moved or taken apart. The vet's hair can be removed and traded with other Playmobil figures. If you're into that.
yes	Problem solving - if used to answer questions
yes	Finger and hand control and dexterity - some pieces are smaller, and require dexterity, for example, putting the bandages on the animals
yes	Self esteem - promotes positive play
yes	Sequential thought - if used to tell stories
yes	Turn taking - if used with other children
yes	Spatial relationships – over, under, on, off Student could place objects in relationship to each other, for example, on the examining table, in the drawer,  in the vet's hand
yes	Life Skills Taking care of animals, putting on bandages, using stethoscope
yes	Social Interaction Could be used with other children, peer or younger. This student enjoys playing with younger children.

Playmobil can be used for stop-motion animation!
Featuring another Playmobil vet kit.