May 23

The main focus of this week’s class was group work centered on the Misunderstood Minds video series.  My group (Sherry, Farnoush and I) were tasked with reviewing chapter 1, 6 and 7.  The videos brought to mind the importance of early detection of learning disabilities and appropriate/effective interventions.

We saw how learning disabilities can be difficult to detect/diagnose, especially in younger children.  At times children suffer from a learning disability, but can excel and be exceptional in most areas of learning.  Nathan from the first video was a very bright young man who was very successful and bright, but had a lot of trouble learning to read (even recognising the alphabet).  This speaks to the stigma associated with learning disabilities and the fact most people see those with learning disabilities as “stupid”.  Here was a very smart young man who could not read.

In the later videos we saw how students with learning disabilities were likely to struggle and disengage with school.  This often leads to problems with truancy as well as alcohol and drug problems.  Trying for many years and being continually unsuccessful naturally leads students to want to give up and quit school.  It is sad how long it can take to diagnose learning disabilities and get students the supports they need.   

May 16 Inspiration

Sonya's M.Ed. Graduation

This week was a pretty exciting one for our household.  My fiancee Sonya graduated from her M.Ed. program at a university from the Bedford area that will remain nameless (I’ll just say that it rhymes with Blount Blaint Blincent J).  She completed a cohort offered through CCRSB in Supporting Learners with Diverse Needs and Exceptionalities.      

Karen Morrison Article

One of the first things that stood out to me when reading the Morrison article were the barriers for the effective implementation of assistive technology.  As with any initiative, teachers' attitudes play an important role.  Even when the attitudes are good however, a lack of comfort and training can stand in the way of effective implementation.  All too often we will be given a new tool or program without the necessary amount of instruction.  For instance, this year I was provided with a Mimio, but was not given any professional development or even any instructional strategies.  This has definitely slowed my progress. 

Morrison goes on to talk about the importance of selecting the proper technology for a given student.  A circular saw is a great tool, but not for cutting your lawn.  Throughout the past couple of classes we have spoken at length about the importance of proper planning and assessment when it comes to matching technology with a student. 

She also speaks to the importance of leadership within the school when it comes to assistive technology.  Ass with any type of programming, it is important to have various levels of leadership from the administration to special education teachers to classroom teachers and educational assistants.

Finally Morrison addresses the importance of proper funding and commitment on the part of the school and teachers.  Money must be available to purchase appropriate forms of technology once they have been identified.  Once the technology has been purchased it is important to keep making use of it and finding ways to integrate its use into the classroom (as well as the students' lives outside the classroom when appropriate).

Scherer Table

This table continues along the lines of assessment of Assistive Technology.  It seems like a nicely organized tool for evaluating whether or not a particular assistive technology is appropriate for a given student.  It is similar to a rubric, which most teachers would be familiar with and comfortable using.  It has an easy setup and a provides a clear visual representation of the assessment process.  This is definitely something I would feel comfortable using.

May 9

This week our class featured three presentations focused on Assistive Technology Assessment Models.  We were all asked to prepare a power point presentation describing four models and three of my classmates presented their power points for the class.

The four I choose were:

The SETT Framework http://www.joyzabala.com/
Education Tech Points http://www.educationtechpoints.org/
The Chambers' Consideration Model
The HAAT Model http://www.teachingat.info/constructs/human.html

All models had their individual approach, but all four involved a team approach that takes into account the needs of the student, the strengths of the student and the environment where the student is functioning.  It is important for the appropriate technology to be matched with the student and the process should include periodic reviews to ensure the technology is still appropriate.

Assistive Technology in the Workplace

As teachers, our focus is typically on students in the classroom, and that makes sense.  While looking through youtube videos I came across the one below that addresses the topic of assistive technology in the workplace.  I think it is excellent that new technology allows students to be more successful in class.  I am also excited to think that technology helps them gain independence in their adult lives and gives them the ability to support themselves in the workforce. 

May 2

This week’s class began with two excellent presentations.  We were given a solid description of the challenges students face and were shown a number of interesting apps.  I am always impressed by the presentations my fellow M.Ed. students are able to create.

I learned a number of interesting and valuable things during this class.  When having students work with iPad apps and other assistive technologies, it is important to have a preferred activity to do afterward in order to ease the transition away from the iPad.  One of the presenters referenced the distinction between the technology being a tool as opposed to being a toy.  Learning should involve fun, but fun has to involve learning.

I also found it interesting to hear about how students on the Autism spectrum sometimes relate better to virtual reality than actual reality.  This makes sense because my wife has a cousin with Autism and he really enjoys little videos on DVD or his iPad and is much more interactive with them then he is with other people.  It is too bad that this type of interaction does not always transfer to real life.