Class # 10!

Visually Impaired

Visual impairment (or vision impairment) is vision loss (of a person) to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive correction or medication.

Assistive Technology available:

1. Magnifiers

Visually impaired individuals will often use magnifiers to assist with reading and viewing. This device allows for independent viewing of material that would otherwise be too small to see. Magnifiers are ideal for a wide range of individuals, from young students to the elderly. One challenge of using this device in a classroom is that it is bulky and students may not bring it to class as needed. It may also cause a problem outside of the home, such as at the grocery store, for the same reason. 

2. Optelec ClearReader+ OCR Reading and Scanning Device

This user friendly device offers high quality, multilingual voice output and fast optical character recognition (OCR) and text-to-speech recognition technology for the visually impaired. The intuitive portable reading assistant captures any printed material such as letters, newspapers and books, and reads text aloud using a naturally sounding voice. This device costs 2245.00$! And this is in US funds. 

3. JAWS for Windows

This popular screen reader works with your PC to provide access to today’s software applications and the Internet for those who are blind or have low vision. Its multilingual synthesizer, Eloquence, speaks through the computer’s sound card, reading out information from the screen. This program is quite expensive, at 700.00$! 

Ariadne GPS App

Cost: $5.99

Description:

Like a Guide Dog, this high tech assistive technology app supports individuals who are visually impaired by enhancing their ability to be mobile. If you have VoiceOver activated on your device, you will be able to know the street names and numbers that are around you by touching them. You can also explore a different region than the one around you by telling the app the street and the city. If you add your favorite points to the app database, you can be alerted when you get closer than a certain distance to one of them.

Targeted Population:

This app is completely accessible using VoiceOver and gives you access to information that are normally unavailable to people using the speech synthesizer and can be therefore especially useful to blind and partially sighted people. 

Strengths:

- Aids in eliminating an enduring travel barrier experienced by individuals who are blind and visually impaired.

- Provides a vast amount of location information sighted people have access to when traveling by virtue of simply being able to look around.

- With this tool, a blind person can conduct geographic research for a place to live, to go to school or to work, completely on their own.
Limitations:
- Technology is not always accurate and sometimes might be unreliable.
- Requires learned skills and/or support to learn how to use the app.
- Delay with relaying information on location.

SayText App

Cost: Free

Description:

SayText is a high tech assistive technology device that scans text within any image, such as a medical form or restaurant menu, and reads it aloud. Center the document under the iPhone camera and double-tap the "Take Picture" button. Then raise it slowly: a beep indicates that the entire document is in the phone's frame. It will scan the image and then read it out loud.

Targeted Population:

Any individual with a visual impairment disability would benefit from using this app.

Strengths:

- Provides compact scanner at the tip of your fingers.

- Allows individuals with visual impairments the ability to access text.

Limitations:
- Difficulty lining up the image to the phone in order to scan the image accurately.

MANO Portable CCTV

Cost: $595.00

Description:

Mano is a high tech assistive technology tool users can easily carry in their pocket. Its 3.5" TFT screen will still allow you to view font easily and clearly.  With this portable CCTV you get all the additional features and quality for the low price.  An angled stand gives you optimal, ergonomic reading as well as comfortable space for writing or signing checks.



Targeted Population:

All individuals with visual impairments would benefit from the features this assistive technology offers.

Strengths:

- Size and accessibility.

- Requires limited technology skills to use.

Limitations:

- COST$$$

Video: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Article # 1:

AIM for Digital Equity

By Gayl Browser and Joy Smiley Zabala

This article is written by Gayl Browser and Joy Zabala. Both of these women are pillars in the world of technology education for students with disabilities. Their backgrounds in this field offers valid insights in this article and they make great points on UDL in the classroom. 

"Ensure that your instructional materials are universally designed to be flexible, accessible, and usable for 
students with and without disabilities."

The article discusses ways to increase equity for struggling readers and other students either with or without a reading LD diagnosis. AIM stands for ACCESSIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, which are instructional materials provided in a variety of formats. They made an important point of acknowledging that there are many existing barriers found in a typical classroom. Relying solely on the printed word is still a reality for most schools in North America. 

By incorporating a technology-rich educational environment, teachers are providing beneficial strategies for ALL students, not only struggling learners. An example of this can be found in Dylan's story. When Dylan was struggling of understand what he was reading in his math textbook, his teacher demonstrated to the whole class how to access the audio version of their textbook, not only Dylan.  

  

Offering AIM materials does not simplify or diminish the learning outcome, rather they make them achievable. AIM materials does not imply mean an IPP is needed. The UDL model allows for these strategies and methods to be used by the whole class. 

"Technology-savvy teachers can integrate digital text and other 

accessible formats into classroom routines and activities in ways 

that generally do not require major shifts in their instructional practices."

Although these strategies and materials would benefit more than learning disabled students, Browser and Zabala note that there are problem areas.

1. Not all students have access to these materials. 
2. Not all versions of digital texts are the same as the printed version.
3. Most students do not the necessary technologies.  

They also give three suggestions to teachers to help eliminate barriers as we move forward into digital education:

1. Increase you awareness of the current resources available to you ~ Many classroom are already equipped with digital resources without anyone's knowledge. We need to know what we already have at our disposal. 
2. Educate yourself about AIM ~ In order to help your students, you must first have technological, pedagogical, and content awareness of digital tools in order to instruct with digital tools.  
3. Increase collaboration ~ Many hands make light work. Use the human resources at you school to help increase digital awareness and materials. 

Class # 9

AAC ~ Augmentative and Alternative Communication

First this class assignment, Mary and I worked together. The assignment was to investigate AAC and post our findings to our whiteboard. Here is a screen shot of our final product:

AAC is all forms of communication (except for verbal) that are used to communicate needs, wants, thoughts and ideas. 

AAC is used by anyone who cannot rely on their natural speech to communicate, whether because of a birth-related issue or due to medical/accidental reasons, such as ALS or stroke victims.

There are three crucial elements for effective communication:

1. Having a communication partner

2. Having a common language

3. Joint attention




There are many ways to communicate using AAC. Here are a few examples:

• Communication apps
• Painting
• Sign language
• Signals
• Cue cards
• Gestures
• Drawings
• Singing
• Dancing
• Music
• Puppets
• Photos
• Objects of reference
• Cartoon bubbles
• Communication cards
• Communi-bands...

TYPES OF AAC DEVICES

I adore this video! It is a true representation of the power of AAC. Non verbal children have so much to share and are incredibly intelligent. Lianna Bryant is a prime example of the beautiful personality trapped in a seemingly unaware body. 

Class # 8

The Writing Process

Since I am a French Immersion teacher, I have not had many experiences teaching student with severe learning, physical or mental disabilities. The topic for this class was very personal for me as it is a common struggle for many of my students and a reoccurring dilemma for me; THE WRITING PROCESS. 

As it stands right now, my school offers French Immersion, but not French resource. In the past, students who were flagged has having difficulties would transfer out of the program. In recent years years I have noticed that more and more students are continuing their education in French even with a diagnosis of a learning disability or even when placed on an IPP, which I think is fantastic. The problem is that I have no support and find it difficult to balance all of the needs in my classroom, especially when it comes to writing. I have students at every level of writing and struggle to tend to their needs. 

For most students, the writing process is as simple as the diagram above. Basic rules allows them to organize their thoughts and writing into an easy to follow plan, resulting in a strong writing piece. This past class has really opened my eyes to the actual frustration that coincides with a writing disability. In class tonight, we were asked to start writing a letter to our school board to ask consideration for buying iPads for the classroom. While writing the letter, we had to think of the steps we were taking while completing the task. As I started to write I thought more about word choice and organization, knowing my audience, and brainstorming. It was not until other classmates started to share their process that I heard "where's my pencil?", "where's my paper?" "I can't see" or even thought about lighting, core muscle control or pencil grib. Those processes had never even crossed my mind. Unreal!

Then we were asked to switch hands and write about our summer. I was never so frustrated! I knew what I wanted to say, but it was taking forever to get my thoughts to paper. My hand was cramping up and I was becoming very discouraged. I was very pleased when we were told to stop early. I guess what I realized is that I take the simplicity of writing for granted and have never considered the actual difficult task writing can be for some students. I was VERY eye opening and overwhelming. More importantly it was inspiring!

During this class we also investigated tools used to improve handwriting and increase productivity during assignments. The following video, entitled "Sharpening up on Pencil Skills" demonstrated how simply using your core muscles properly and having proper posture can have a dramatic effect on written output. 

The second video entitled "Low Tech AT for Handwriting" listed tools used to improve penmanship. These tools ranged from basic to complex. 

This diagram represents the complexity of the writing process...

Classes 6 & 7

The Reading Process

"Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated." 

- Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_(process)

As we have all know, reading is a complex task. During classes 6 & 7 however, reading difficulties were put under the microscope and I have taken a lot of new information and knowledge from those classes. No matter the grade level or subject matter, reading difficulties are an obstacle presented in my classroom every year. I know have a great list of apps for READING REMEDIATION I plan to use for my students.   

- Reading Rainbow
- Raz-kids
- IXL
- Reading HD
- Ready to Read
- Grasshopper Apps ~ 123 Genius, ABC Genius, ABC Ninja
- Red Rocket Readers

 As someone who has never struggled reading, the process can be taken for granted. The diagram to the left displays a ten-step process children must master before becoming fluent readers. All it takes is one issue with any of these steps to cause a problem in their progress. With the help of assistive technology, children with reading difficulties can now participate in reading activities with their class and also independently.  

Class # 5

Assistive Technology Assessment Models

Critique:

This is the first time seeing these assistive technology assessment models. In my opinion, I find more similarities with all five models than I do differences. Since there is such a variety of AT available, accompanied by even more apps, bells and whistles ranging from free to VERY expensive, I'm happy to see guidelines put in place to help decision-makers (parents, teachers, student, school, etc) make informed choices about which technology would be best for each individual situation. Whether assessing a cognitive or physical need, each of these models collects extensive details about all aspects of the students life. One piece of technology might be suitable for student A, meanwhile be completely useless to student B, even if at first sight they appear similar in terms of academic needs.  Here is a breakdown of all five models. 

SETT Framework:

The SETT framework was created to provide guidelines for school-based program planning teams to ensure they are pairing students’ needs with appropriate assistive technology based on the following criteria:  Student                                                                                                                                   Environment                                                                                                                          Tasks                                                                                                                                     

Tools

Joy Zabala designed this widely used approach for collaborative decision-making in AT. Without the full cooperation of the entire school program planning team, critical mistakes can be made in regards to providing the best possible options for a particular student.

Some elements the team will analyze (student, environment, tasks & technology) include:

STUDENT-What are the student’s needs, why aren’t they being met? Knowing strengths, needs and preferences.

·         What does the student need to do?

·         What are the student’s special needs?

·         What are the student’s current abilities?

ENVIRONMENT- Are there adequate supports?

·         What materials and equipment are currently available in the environment?

·         What is the physical arrangement? Are there special concerns?

·         What is the instructional arrangement? Are there likely to be changes?

·         What supports are available to the student?

·         What resources are available to the people supporting the student?

TASKS - What tasks does the student need to accomplish?

·         What activities occur naturally in the environment?

·         What is everyone else doing?

·         What activities support the student's curricular goals?

·         What are the critical elements of the activities?

·         How might the activities be modified to accommodate the student's special needs?

Tools – What assistive technology might fit best?

·         What no-tech, low-tech, or high-tech tools should be considered when developing a

system for a student with these needs and abilities, doing these tasks, in these

environments?

·         What strategies might be used to invite increased student performance?

·         How might these tools and strategies be tried out with the student in the customary

environments in which they will be used.

H.A.A.T.

H.A.A.T., which stands for “Human Activity Assistive Technology”, was developed by Cook and Hussey and based on Bailey’s “Human Performance Model.” The components of the HAAT model are (1) Activity, (2) Human, (3) Context, and (4) the Assistive technology.

• Activity refers to self-care, work/school and play/leisure.

• Human refers to the doer or operator and considers the abilities and skills of the individual, as well as the level of skill or ability (i.e. novice or expert).

• Context refers to all aspects of where the activity is being performed: the setting (environment), social context (with peers, strangers, family), cultural context, and physical context.

• Assistive Technology includes all the interfaces that enable human performance to improve, both hard technologies and soft technologies.

MTP – Matching Technology to Person

The Matching Technology to Person model recognizes the immense technology options people with special needs are faced with. Even though there might be a perfect tool for a certain need, it may not be used appropriately or even go unused when personality preferences, social characteristics or environmental support are not considered. In order to properly match technology to person, data must be gathered and all aspects of the student’s life must be considered.   

L.A.P.

The LAP,  or Lifespace Access Profile, developed by Williams, Stemach, Wolfe and Stanger (1994), has two assessments for evaluation physical needs. The Lifespace Access Profile Upper Extension is for individuals with physical needs but not significant cognitive delays. The Lifespace Access Profile is for individuals with severe or multiple disabilities. It assesses five domains: physical resources, cognitive resources, emotional resources, support resources, and environmental analysis. Each domain has a series of rating scales for students’ abilities and preferences, and support services available.

Copley and Ziviani (http://stfx.worldcat.org/oclc/4900741410),  in their research paper,  Use of a Team-Based Approach to Assistive Technology Assessment and Planning for Children With Multiple Disabilities: A Pilot Study,  use LAP and LAPUE as the instrument in their study.

Education Tech Points (ETP)

http://www.educationtechpoints.org

Education Tech Points was developed by Bowser and Reed

 Navigating the process: Educational tech points for parents

Bowser, Gayl; Reed, Penny. The Exceptional Parent28.11 (Nov 1998): 28-36.

The process follows the following steps: Referral, Evaluation, Extended Assessment, Plan Development, Implementation, and Periodic Review. It takes into consideration student's current levels of performance, maturation process, learning disability, and changes in the educational environment.

Class # 4

Group Webinar Presentations

Group 1: 

Keisha & Donalda

New Apps for Learning Disabilities

I enjoyed listening to their presentation, as they gave a detailed descriptions of all the apps they found useful. It still boggles my mind at how many of these amazing apps are either FREE or can be bought at a very low cost. Their school survey showed a  huge difference in the amount of technology being used at each school. It's amazing at how two schools can be so different. 

Group 2:

Mary, Courtney & Amy

Top Free Apps in Special Education

I liked the way the group presented their apps, they divided the apps into a table by appropriate age and grade level. It was a nice presentation that introduced my to CANVA.com. It's the first I've heard of this site but I'm excited to use it in the near future. I enjoyed learning about Science 360, Pocket Pond and Dragon Dictation apps. I feel as though I've been cheated not knowing about these apps before. 

Group 3:

Evelyn, Evan, Karen, Nicole

Apps that Enhance Performance of Individuals with Extreme Autism

I've never had the opportunity to work with a student with severe autism, so most of these apps are completely new to me. I was very impressed by the capabilities of these apps, but also shocked by the cost! For instance, Proloquo 2 Go costs 219.00$, that really surprised me. I was taken by Pictello, an app to help follow directions. This app appeared very functional and easy to use.

Group 4:
My group

Group 5:
Victor, Janice & Sheri
Executive Function
I found this presentation very interesting because it applies to many students I know from school. I personally have a few students who has very little self- and impulse-control. The apps they identified really peeked my interest. I'm looking forward to trying Photo Mind, Take a Chill, and Shreddar. I feel as though taking the time to introduce these apps in the classroom would have an amazing impact on their ability to focus and control blurting out in class.

Group 6:
Dawn
Exciting New Apps for LD 
Something that really stuck with me from Dawn's presentation was the short video clip she shared of Piper. She said "From first to eighth grade I was taken out of normal, regular classes to be taught in a different way..." Her statement meant a lot to me since I currently have students leaving to work with specialists instead of staying with me. I find they returned lost and not knowing what going on. It's difficult for everyone. This course has already changed the way I view teaching using the UDL model. There's no reason why ALL my students can't be learning at the same time.

Group 7:
Angela, Lacee & Christine
New Apps for Learning Disabilities
I found it interesting how the group members gave their presentation a personal touch by describing their own school setting and their personal use of technology in their classrooms. Even though this topic has been presented four times, I found it interesting to hear their views on current technology and their current situation. It still amazes me at how different some schools can be.