The second part of the class today was spent learning some of the Assistive Technology that is available. I had the option to discover the benefits of Start to Finish books. These books allow students to practice decoding and word recognition skills, allow for an increase in fluency and comprehension skills as well as building new vocabulary and background knowledge in context. The accompanying tests also require students to use inference skills.
These books allow students the option to have entire passages read to them or single words that they may not know (single sentence vs. single word support). The cloze tests can be multiple choice in nature or fill in the blank with choices provided. The student need only click on their answer. There is also a fluency section which will record student responses up to 3 minutes in length.
Various options also allows teachers to meet individual students' needs including options such as page sounds, read all, testing, sounds for tests, different test types, scanning capabilities (for students with single-switch input) that allow for various scanning speeds, scanning with speech and highlight colour. Each book is accompanied by a folder of the various art in the book which can in turn be used in a powerpoint presentation. Also included is a Co:Writer 4000 custom topic dictionary which makes it easier for struggling writers to write book reports and story predictions. Lastly, test results can be placed on file and then printed out for running records.
We also learned about Choose It Maker, Bailey's Book House, Classroom Suite and lastly Kurzweil. The last portion of the class was spent learning about the numerous capabilities of Kurzweil and its various toolbars. There are 4 different toolbars available in Kurzweil and they are as follows:
1. The Main Toolbar
2. Th Reading Toolbar
3. The Study Skills Toolbar
4. The Writing Toolbar
The main toolbar allows students to use a dictionary to find the meaning of a word. There is also a synonym option. Simply click in front of the word in question and select the desired option. You can also hook up to the web from this toolbar.
The reading toolbar (yellow in color) allows you to change the voice of the reader, the pace, the reading unit (word, sentence, paragraph, etc) which is important for bubble notes, the speed at which the text is read, the screen magnifier, thumbnails and the ability to jump to different pages.
The study skills toolbar (green in color) allows you to highlight information in several colours, erase highlights, add sticky notes, voice notes, footnotes, text notes and bubble notes. However, when adding bubble notes you must remember NOT to answer the question!!
Lastly, we learned that there are 3 ways to save documents after scanning. Files can be saved as .kes (which cannot be typed in or changed), .doc files (which will change the format although these could then be put on flash drives and then used in any text to speech program) and .mp3 files which can be used with iTunes.
One final thought that was expressed in the class is that attention to task is the gateway to learning. The assistive technology that we learned about today certainly increase that requirement.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Video: "The Secret Life of the Brain"
In class #2 we watched the PBS video entitled "The Secret Life of the Brain". What an amazing video!! In the video we were introduced to a couple of kids: Katie and Michael. Katie had relentless firestorms in her brain and as a result, had her left hemisphere removed. Michael also had the left part of the brain removed after having countless daily seizures. What really struck me were the number of seizures that Michael would have in a day. Prior to surgery, on a good day, he would have 50, 60 even 70 seizures a day; but, on a bad day, that would increase to 300-400!!! Post-surgery, Michael was cured of his seizures although half of his body was paralyzed. He had to relearn how to walk and talk however, he is now within normal limits for his age in the area of spoken speech. It was discovered that there was more plasticity in the brain than originally thought.
These two students remind me of a former student in our school. She too used to have numerous seizures. Two summers ago, she had brain surgery in BC. For the first three months of the school year, we noticed a remarkable improvement in her. Her seizures had all but disappeared. Unfortunately, this did not remain the case. Each week she seemed to increase in the number of daily seizures and in their length. After they would stop, she would have to go and lie down for a 1/2 and most days would end up going home. She was scheduled for another brain surgery late this past summer and we will anxiously await the results. It is so crucial that she be able to experience the things that her classmates are experiencing as she had missed out on so much of her childhood. Now in grade 10, it would be nice for her to have those same opportunities.
The video also described how complex reading is in the brain. Different parts of the brain are used based on your age and what you are reading (ie, if you are reading Chinese characters). In all, there are 17 regions of the brain involved in reading!!
It was also interesting to learn that dyslexic children remodel their own brain. They may even use their right hemispheres to read.
So why was it important to watch this video? Here are 2 main points:
1. Experience can change the connections in the brain and Assistive Technology can do that.
2. When we make that AT match, we need to remember the sequence of what is going on and the tasks involved in the reading process and to find out where the difficulty is taking place.
These two students remind me of a former student in our school. She too used to have numerous seizures. Two summers ago, she had brain surgery in BC. For the first three months of the school year, we noticed a remarkable improvement in her. Her seizures had all but disappeared. Unfortunately, this did not remain the case. Each week she seemed to increase in the number of daily seizures and in their length. After they would stop, she would have to go and lie down for a 1/2 and most days would end up going home. She was scheduled for another brain surgery late this past summer and we will anxiously await the results. It is so crucial that she be able to experience the things that her classmates are experiencing as she had missed out on so much of her childhood. Now in grade 10, it would be nice for her to have those same opportunities.
The video also described how complex reading is in the brain. Different parts of the brain are used based on your age and what you are reading (ie, if you are reading Chinese characters). In all, there are 17 regions of the brain involved in reading!!
It was also interesting to learn that dyslexic children remodel their own brain. They may even use their right hemispheres to read.
So why was it important to watch this video? Here are 2 main points:
1. Experience can change the connections in the brain and Assistive Technology can do that.
2. When we make that AT match, we need to remember the sequence of what is going on and the tasks involved in the reading process and to find out where the difficulty is taking place.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
More information
Who knew there was so much involved with reading?? It's something that we often take for granted as it is so detailed. This only escalates when we add in the writing component.
The video that we watched was quite informative. At one point, they mention Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP. My husband's aunt has RP so I found it interesting to learn a little bit as to what causes it. The video mentions that rods die away and as a result the images we see never get to the brain. RP is an inherited disease so it is something that my family should be aware of and know more about. Due to her RP, my husband's aunt uses a modifies keyboard for her computer. She attached white stickers with black letters to help them to stand out. Also, the layout of her email is white text on a black background to help her read it. I will try to attach a picture of her keyboard to give you a visual.
6 Levels of Phonemic Awareness
1. Knowledge of nursery rhymes
2. Matching the sounds in words
3. Syllable splitting
4. Blending Sounds
5. Phenomic Segmentation
6. Phenomic Manipulation
The following graphic was from Dr. Maria Scherer:
Photo of Dr. Scherer:
I must say that I am looking forward to learning how the technology works. Wordmaker and Kurzweil here I come!
The video that we watched was quite informative. At one point, they mention Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP. My husband's aunt has RP so I found it interesting to learn a little bit as to what causes it. The video mentions that rods die away and as a result the images we see never get to the brain. RP is an inherited disease so it is something that my family should be aware of and know more about. Due to her RP, my husband's aunt uses a modifies keyboard for her computer. She attached white stickers with black letters to help them to stand out. Also, the layout of her email is white text on a black background to help her read it. I will try to attach a picture of her keyboard to give you a visual.
6 Levels of Phonemic Awareness
1. Knowledge of nursery rhymes
2. Matching the sounds in words
3. Syllable splitting
4. Blending Sounds
5. Phenomic Segmentation
6. Phenomic Manipulation
The following graphic was from Dr. Maria Scherer:
Photo of Dr. Scherer:
I must say that I am looking forward to learning how the technology works. Wordmaker and Kurzweil here I come!
Making Sense
So I just realized that the following post may not make sense at times. I had it all nicely typed out when my 27 month old decided to "help". My apologies in advance. I tried to restore it but I think there are thoughts that I had originally included that are now missing.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Living in a State of Stuck
The first point that I found interesting in ths chapter is that a person-centered approach needs to be used when matching a student with AT. In order for the appropriate use of the technology, there are a number of factors that must be met: readiness and motivation on the part of the user/caregiver and a positive social climate that will value its use.
I was quite shocked at the abandonment figure that was given - 8 to 75% depending on the device!!!! How sad that the numbers can be that high. However, I know firsthand how easy it can be for a junior high student to stop using the technology. Last year, we provided an AlphaSmart for a student in our school. We (the school) showed the student and his parents how to use it although its use was
shortlived. The student simply didn't want to use the technology.
Photo of an AlphaSmart
The factors that influence the use or non-use of more optional assistive technologies (not essential to the user) can be viewed as follows:
1. The characteristics of the Milieu or setting(s) in which the assistive technology is to be used,
2. The pertinent features of the individual’s Personality, temperament, and preferences
3. The salient characteristics of the assistive Technology itself.
While technical comfort and skills are necessary, it is also important to consider one's cognitive skills, in addition to his/her temperament and personality. A quote that I found relevant was the following: "Assistive technology use, however, usually requires the person to admit that he or she cannot, and possibly never will, do a particular functional task independently. It means admitting a loss or
functional limitation, and this can be distressing." (p. 9)
An assistive technology is abandoned or discarded when:
1. It does not improve functioning beyond what the person is currently using or
alternatives that the individual judges as being better or easier.
2. Servicing and repair were difficult to obtain and/or were very expensive. (It is important to have a back-up system!!)
3. The device performed unreliably.
4. The person felt uncomfortable, insecure or embarrassed using it
It is important that the right balance be reached to avoid being stuck!
I was quite shocked at the abandonment figure that was given - 8 to 75% depending on the device!!!! How sad that the numbers can be that high. However, I know firsthand how easy it can be for a junior high student to stop using the technology. Last year, we provided an AlphaSmart for a student in our school. We (the school) showed the student and his parents how to use it although its use was
shortlived. The student simply didn't want to use the technology.
Photo of an AlphaSmart
The factors that influence the use or non-use of more optional assistive technologies (not essential to the user) can be viewed as follows:
1. The characteristics of the Milieu or setting(s) in which the assistive technology is to be used,
2. The pertinent features of the individual’s Personality, temperament, and preferences
3. The salient characteristics of the assistive Technology itself.
While technical comfort and skills are necessary, it is also important to consider one's cognitive skills, in addition to his/her temperament and personality. A quote that I found relevant was the following: "Assistive technology use, however, usually requires the person to admit that he or she cannot, and possibly never will, do a particular functional task independently. It means admitting a loss or
functional limitation, and this can be distressing." (p. 9)
An assistive technology is abandoned or discarded when:
1. It does not improve functioning beyond what the person is currently using or
alternatives that the individual judges as being better or easier.
2. Servicing and repair were difficult to obtain and/or were very expensive. (It is important to have a back-up system!!)
3. The device performed unreliably.
4. The person felt uncomfortable, insecure or embarrassed using it
It is important that the right balance be reached to avoid being stuck!
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