Session 3&4 - May 26, 2012

Today we continued looking at Prologuo2Go. We spent a good part of the day setting up an account for an imaginary student. Only by going through that exercise did I realize how hard a job it is! There are so many questions that need to be answered. Our student was good with three-step directions, so we tried to keep our screens no more than three deep. 

Proloquo2Go

 

Right from the beginning, questions arise—how to set up the home page? Should we create a set for each milieu (our choice), or should our home page comprise sentence-starters, or topics?

Since our student had “some” fine motor/visual discrimination issues, we decided to go for the middle ground with text and icon size, and voice speed. The larger the visuals, or course, the fewer choices on one screen. So you'd better pick questions that are pretty darned specific.

I realized during that presentations that we had done a pretty good job in our group with needs, wants and questions, but we needed to think more deeply about interactions. How do we promote two-communication of a social nature? How can we use tools like Proloquo to support relationships?

In some ways the exercise would be easier with a real student. Once you got started, you could fine-tune the choices. (Wouldn't it be great if there was a stats function that recorded how many times a user used each button?) The whole process can be rather time consuming, and requires a commitment to followup so that the user's communication stays current, fresh and frequent.

I'm impressed by the symbols in Proloquo. It's amazing how well they express their meaning, especially the verbs, adjectives and adverbs, which are not so easy to get across in pictures. That said, I think that using real photos whenever possible would facilitate communication and individualization. As long as you take good pictures! (We chose “Bridges” for our student's science project because he could see it to take a picture; but no zoom on the iPad! Our bridge was really, really far away.)

What the MacKay Bridge really looks like

Session #2 - May 5, Afternoon

"Communication is the successful connection between two or more parties, that conveys a message with content understood by both, using a method accessible by both." --Michelle, Kari, Adele.

3 Essentials of effective communication

Communication partner

Common language

Joint attention

Assistive technology?

Blogger has changed since the last course! I'm coping, though. I even edited the HTML of my template! Woh! (I wanted to change the default font--I'm a Georgia woman.) Needing a fun gadget, I decided to find something new, although I do love that fish tank. So I chose Real Time Earth and Moon phase. Sorry that it's advertising. Enjoy anyway.

Proloquo2Go is awesome! My home page is going to say:

Ms. Megann is busy right now.

Well, then, go look for it!

Later.

Soon.

Session #1 - May 5, Morning

Here we are again! Back at the NS Community College in another Assistive Technology course with Barb Welsford. We're in a different room, but it still has a nice view of the Halifax Harbour. The windows aren't as big, but at least it wasn't foggy!

We started with the Pic Collage app (free!). Here is my group's. Michelle is headed Portugal, Kari to China, and I'll be home with my ukulele. Sipping red wine.

Pic Collage would be a great app for several kinds of assignments:

• All About Me
• Countries
• Favourite books
• Animals
• My School

If students have access to iDevices outside school, they could also use Pic Collage for:

• My Vacation
• My Family
• My Neighbourhood

BIG IDEAS

• AT is about providing ACCESS to a task and improving performance of an individual with a disability.
• Training, training, training
• Mac is da bomb.

IN WHICH ADELE LEARNS NEW THINGS ABOUT iPADS

• They can be accessible to blind people.
• You can tap them with your tongue.

How Do You Choose the Technology? ASSESS:

• skills and needs of the user
• user's experience with technology
• milieu – people, place, home, school, teachers,
• tasks that the user is being asked to perform
• characteristics of the technology itself, for example, ease of use, cost, availability

Continue to assess for change over time. The user, milieu, tasks and technology will keep changing,  so the "fit" may need to be adjusted.

BUT IT'S SO EXPENSIVE!
We spent some time talking about how some of today's mobile devices are cheaper than older technology, as well as being more effective, portable, functional, accessible, inclusive, and flexible. Wow, is that all?

I don't know how expensive Bliss Boards were, but, boy, they were big!

ADELE ANSWERS:
Any assistive technology is cheaper than a lifetime of dependence, institutionalization and unemployability. Plus, humans are better off without those things.

And then there's that Universal Design thing. These technologies have potential for all learners, including "typical." And we don't find out what they all are until we implement the technology.

BUT, if your school board is not convinced, BYOD.
(Bring your own device. <SIGH>)

AND FINALLY, THOSE SQUIGGLY SQUARES, OR QR CODES
I'd put one here, but I can't see the advantage of a QR code over a link in a web page. But out in the world!--that's another story. They're on posters, signs, flyers, business cards, menus. Actually, I've never seen a QR code on a menu, but why not? They could be linked to the ingredients or history of a dish. Or a photo of it! Instead of googling food terms on my iPhone, I could be directed to a site chosen by the restaurant.

So how could you use them in education?

• scavenger hunts (following directions)
• send student around the school to measure things
• instructions for centres
• background information on a hand-out

Jess gets free advertising on my blog, just because she has a pretty QR code.