Day #5: Wednesday, July 9th

Highlights from Assignment #1 Presentations:

I thoroughly enjoyed today's presentations of the AppSmash assignment. I've included some notes from each of the presentations of innovative ideas that I may be able to use in my own practice.

Angela & Jonathan:

-kids doodle was used as a background

-used imovie to combine two videos, and then combines two tellagami avatars using Pic-Play-Post

Ashley & Ainsley:

-used a creative theme (curly hair) for this app smash

-introduced “EduCreation” and integrated use of “Sock Puppet” app

Shauna & Liz:

-very creative use of imovie for an introduction to UDL, use of the imovie trailer- user friendly for students because there is a template to use

Greg & Kate:

-Use of a video that demonstrated sorting waste as an intro to the concept of Presuming Competence

-used Ferris Bueller and Star Trek videos- use of humour to reinforce concept

Janet & Lindsay:

-used a voice over to explain the graphic organizer that was created in Kidspiration

-greatly contributed to understanding of the organizer

Simon & Eleanor:

-Garage Band app used to change voices and integrate music into presentation

-introduced Stephen Hawking video introduced (link to this video here)

-an alternative to Kidspiration App- Popplet

Ashley F & Natalie:

-use of video scribe to draw their personal picture on title slide

-use of tellagami integrated into Pic-Play-Post with still images posted along bottom of video

-Explain Everything app (explore this further)

Candace & Meagan:

-use of umbrella metaphor for Assistive Technology

-introduced app called “Download” to save videos to ipad to incorporate into Book Creator

-in Color Splash they removed the color in an image and added color to the tools used to learn

Christie:

-video app was used with a kidspiration organizer drawn over the title (unique effect)

-Kids Doodle to create images, and then put into imovie

-Douglas Biklen—included quotes from his interview and link to the video

-used example to demonstrate Presumed Competence (blog from mother of a child who is non-verbal)

-many links to video, blogs and websites to support the concepts, would provide interactive experience for students exploring a book created using this app

 

Following the presentations, we watch a video entitled "The Myth of Average". 

 

The Myth of Average- Video (a Ted Talk)- video notes

• Performance depends on the fit of the student with the technology
• Pilor metaphor- created material for “average pilot” (no such thing as average student)
• Jagged side profile – relate to learning of students
• Accommodate all learners- use accommodations for diverse learners
• Drop out rates are increasing, despite high intelligence in some students
• Learning environments are still designed for the average student
• Example: vary in memory, language, knowledge, reading, vocabulary, etc (all students have jagged learning profiles)
• Learning environments created on average will not nurture individual attention
• The average hurts everyone
• Average destroys talent—hard to nurture talents
• Ex: textbooks at one level (reading is a barrier for some)
• Education has gone digital- what do you want the technology to be?
• Need to use it to create flexible learning environments – doesn’t have to be expensive (i.e. language translation,  support for reading, vocabulary)
• Example: Billy- made adjustments to the strategies (nurturing individuals strengths)
• How do we get the adjustable seats for learning to all students without overspending?
• Suggestions:  ban the average, design to the edges

Adjustable seat in my classroom:  I accommodate a range of learning styles and abilities in my classroom by recognizing and encouraging strengths of students, represent information in many ways, encourage a variety of ways for students to represent their knowledge.

The Pic Collage that I created that represents the significant ideas that I took from this talk...

                                         

Today’s Article:

“Learning from Text” by Dave L. Edyburn focuses on issues that are associated with reading difficulties from grade 4 and beyond, and ways that we can use technology to enhance the learning of these students.  Edyburn discusses the notion of remediation vs. compensatory approaches and how we decide which course of action should be used with students.  While it is widely accepted that compensatory strategies are used with students with reading difficulties starting in grade 4, several remediation strategies continue to be used for students, in the form of programming adaptations. Some of these include:  re-teaching information, using alternative teaching methods, breaking tasks down into manageable chunks, one-on-one assistance, etc. These strategies may also be considered compensatory strategies for those students who require this type of assistance in order to understand concepts or demonstrate their understanding. 

Many students with whom I work in the Resource setting receive compensatory strategies to support deficits in reading and writing.  As mentioned by Edyburn, few guidelines are available to inform decision-making about assistive technology for learning.  In my experience, the use of assistive tech or other compensatory strategies are provided for students who require the support in order to be successful in their coursework.  For example, a students with a reading disability who requires a text-reader program in order to read a textbook for his history class will be permitted to use this type of AT.  While our school board does not require students to have a documented disability in order to receive compensatory strategies (or adaptations), I have heard that there are school boards in Newfoundland that will not permit support for students without a psychoeducational assessment providing documentation of a disability.  

 

Click here to view a related article that includes a Taxonomy of Text Modification Strategies