Final Refleciton

After completing this course I now know that there may not always be a simple solution when supporting our students' literacy challenges.  I now know the complexities of the tasks and skills needed to be a successful reader and writing. Before assistive technology can be implemented for user, AT and environment need to be considered. Consideration of these three factors will increase the likelihood of success for the student.

It’s important to remember that while there’s lots of AT available to support our students’ needs, we shouldn’t provide AT to replace skills the student is capable of performing. Learned helplessness of a student can be an even bigger challenge to address with regards to their learning.

Finally, the student needs to be giving ample training and practice using the AT to ensure its success. If independence and presumed competence with the AT is given before it is displayed, the AT could end up just being a wasted opportunity. 

LAST DAY - Presentations

Christine
Student - Lily -Gr 3
Lily is a student that I think every teacher knows in their school. Students often struggle writing, producing a written product by transferring her thoughts to writing. I think that the AT that you match with your student work well with the student. The comparisons of her before and after work samples clearly support the use of this AT moving forward.

Amanda
Student Y - 17 years old
Google Read and Write - Speech to text
Since the student transferred schools where support was greater and AT has now changed would definitely take time to transition. Allowing and supporting that transition would definitely go a long way in building a strong rapport with the student.  Since the student is quieter, it's important to teach self-advocacy still so they won't go unnoticed.

Katie
EAL Student - Gr 4 - EAL
I thought you did a fantastic job matching the AT to the user. As we learned in this course it not just about the AT it's about the user, AT and environment.  His writing samples with AT really demonstrate how with it's use enhances the student's work.

Kareen
Student Rebecca's
Your case study clearly demonstrated how important it is to allow student to show what they know in a multiple of mediums. Adobe Spark engaged her level of interest and allowed her to produce a high quality product.

Teresa
James - Gr 5
The student's writing product clearly shows how one piece of the writing process can impact the overall product. As you discussed in class the writing process is very complex. I'm glad you were able to facilitate the student's AT needs using the SETT framework.

Abby
Madison - Gr 3 -
Raz-Kids is a great tool that students can use throughout their elementary year. I think it's interactive enough to engage reluctant readers, while gathering important data to track their progress. Going from French immersion to English is a transition but seeing Abby's progress over the short period of time using Raz-Kids I think she will make the transition fine.

Cathy
Student A - Gr 12
Your student showed some behaviours of learned helplessness. I think this happens often when we try and provide supports for struggling students. I think it important to monitor and re-evaluate student's strengths and challenges to provide appropriate programming and supports. Work samples of before and after AT with writing clearly showed the enhancement AT facilitated.

Damion
Brady - Gr 8 -
The stigma that is often associated with AT support is really too bad. Hopefully this student sees how AT improves his quality and quantity of writing and will embrace it. As he will be going to university, AT supporting his writing will allow for an easier path to success.

Sue
Kymber Gr 2 - I think the problem of students not expanding and supporting their ideas is very common. Providing students to build these skills at an early age will help strengthen the literacy skills. Providing students with a picture vocabulary may help build their vocabulary to which they will use it in their writing. When a student has strong oral language skills, voice to text could allow them to expand their writing.

Katie
Colby - gr 10
When a part of the writing process becomes a road block, AT should be provided. With a student who's spelling and handwriting are creating that barrier, speech to text was a good match for the user.

Sara
Blake - Gr. 8 - Language based LD, ADHD, disorganized
Using Google Read & Write certainly helped your student in the writing process. When a student is unable to encode words to a point where word prediction software, voice to text was a good next step. Wi-Fi is so important though as your student show how frustrating it can be with AT doesn't work as it should.

Jolene
Gr. 10 ADHD (inattentive type)
Your case study was heartbreaking. Seeing how trauma has impacted you student emotionally and cognitively really emphasizes how complex our jobs can be. I think your use of AT and choice of topic showed that the student is still capable to produce word in the right environment.

Alison R
Student K Grade 4
Your use of AT with a non-verbal student is one area where I think AT can be so transformative.
The AT allowed for greater output and supported the students fine motor challenges.

Alison
Liam - Gr. 4
Your case study showed how building vocabulary with the use of PECS can be instrumental in strengthening communication stills. I think with more time your student would benefit immensely.
There's always a learning curve when introducing AT to student. I think your reflection of what you could differently, "keep instruction short and to the point" A new task a student is trying to perform often comes with new vocabulary.

JOB WELL DONE EVERYONE!!!!

Article Review - Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Two Sides of the Same Coin

This article made me reflect on either day one or two of our course when we discussed universal design for learning. In that class, we discussed how UDL was not just planning of the masses but rather the outliers. The article is saying that UDL and AT go hand and hand. Without AT your lesson are not universally designed. UDL creates a learning environment that is contusive for ALL learners. A learning environment where students’ strengths and weakness are accounted and accommodated to ensure the path to success is clear. The one thing that really has stuck with me during this course is digitize…..digitize……digitize.

How a simple task as educators that we can complete that makes learning and literacy accessible to many. Many, who without it are stuck at a barrier waiting, waiting for their turn to learn. 

CAST - Universal Design for Learning

Day 5 - Extended Look at Google Read & Write

Today we got to see how extensive and powerful, Google Read & Write can be used as a learning tool to support students' learning. The extension used in the Chrome browser seems to be universally designed. Functioning to support a diverse learning population.

I could see why schools would be attracted to this product as it offers a lot, especially with the Department of Educations's $2 student license. It can target students with reading and writing LDs, with the text to speech and speech to text options. Also, the simplify, vocabulary, fact finder, dictionaries and all the other options would benefit many of the challenges students incur.

I could see how someone would quickly recommend this extension believing it would help the student without doing an AT assessment to match the user. I have seen this happen with other AT used in schools. Knowing that a particular AT has helped one student, it is often quickly suggest when another student needs support who has a similar profile. While it mostly likely will be a trail and error process in finding the AT which is most compatible with the student and their needs. As educators still need to be mindful of our recommendations and put our students in the best opportunity possible. If we recommend AT without an assessment, it could further hinder the students' learning. Prolonging the process of finding appropriate AT or give the student a negative experience with AT which turns them off from it. If you're going to do something you might as well do it right.

http://www.techpotential.net/assessment