check out this fun game

http://www.freetetris./game.php

Final Reflection for Assistive Technology Access to Literacy

My husband (the wise and patient man that he is) has been saying for years that I should be spending more time learning my way around computers especially now that I am a teacher. As of three weeks ago my computer skills were: using microsoft word, google and email.....nothing beyond that. I had no idea what I was in store for. To my defense I've always felt that there was something off between myself and anything technologically based. For example, I don't ware a watch because it doesn't work  on me; have you ever heard of that before? Yesterday afternoon our class went to Patty's for lunch. I was one of the last ones to pay using my debit card and for some reason the apparatus(the thing you insert your card into) went all finiky. When I asked what the problem was the lady said she had no idea why it was acting up but it was nothing I did (it did work eventually). Those are just two small examples and I could write about even more. Thank goodness my car will let me drive it. Anyway, my day has come, it's time to move on and push forward...I know I'll be the better for it. Sometimes I would find myself overwhelmed in class and at home with my learning curve. I was like a fish out of water in a sense. From now on when someone says they feel like they're drowning I'll understand what they mean (and feel very bad for them). Over the past three weeks I thought about how students feel when they too feel overwhelmed with new learning. I think this experience has help me to grow in a number of ways even beyond what I've learned. My husband cautioned me when I enrolled in this course, not that he didn't think I couldn't learn it but because of the emotional stress it would cause me...oh well I hope I've succeeded. I know I have "miles to go before I sleep," (one of my favourite phrases) when it comes to learning and using technology, but I really look forward to it.
Now that I see the value in technology, especially in the way it supports students who are otherwise left out of the learning process, I am highly motivated and charged to continue my journey. As stressful as this whole process was and is for me I'm looking forward to more. I will start at the very basics of how and why computers work the way they do. Maybe I'll even try wearing a watch again, who knows.

I really enjoyed both the recorded and live Elluminate sessions. It would be nice if more universities would sign on to this form. It would provide access and open doors to people who who can't attend classes. I'm thinking about the mom who stays at home with her kids but would still like to continue her education, or for someone who is unable to navigate around physically. It is also a good form for a very shy and introverted person. I see many positive things about it and would like to take a course that way myself. Everyone did such a wonderful job on their blogs, you should all be proud. I learned a lot and you all have wonderful research skills. These blogs will serve as a great resource for educators, parents and anyone who works with children and I would highly recommend teachers taking this course.
Thank you Barb for bringing this invaluable information about technology and literacy into the schools and the world. Look at all the students who can now be included in the learning process with these tools.
I hope everyone has a wonderful summer.
P.S  now I'm looking for APPs for everything...I wonder if there is one for cleaning house

Researching The Writing Process

I've been doing a lot of research about the writing process and technology the last couple of days in preparation for my new blog. I'm just thinking about how much fun students can have learning this very difficult task. To think about the iPod. That something you can fit in the palm of your hand is capable of doing so much The technology available to help struggling writers or any writer for that matter is amazing. The tremendous number of resources available in literacy for Learning Disabilities is heart warming. It's hard not to get caught up in the research but I have get the blog finished. Oh well lots to do this summer. I will have to learn to use the tools themselves and then really see what they can do.

I am also learning more about how the internet itself has become such a wonderful classroom. Live in the Elluminate Classroom proved that for me. What an amazing experience. I really love how you can start and stop the program while in progress, everyone learns at a different pace so that is very important for me. The recorded sessions were informative, what a neat way to learn about the Apps. The demonstrations were great. I enjoyed being live and adding those cute little happy faces..fun, fun.

I thought this was a neat diagram illustrating different kinds of literacy

 Here is a link to the Canadian Learning and Literacy Network 

http://www.literacy.ca

Jeremiah Learns to Read

I love this children's book because it illustrates that it is never to late to learn read. It is a wonderful read aloud.

I found this site while doing some research. It discusses ways in which students learn (auditory, visual etc.)

Writing Task Analysis

This morning I spent time referring to my notes and looking at Barb's writing task analysis in preparation for our last assignment. No wonder some students get so overwhelmed and shut down when expected to do a writing assignment (even though they themselves are not aware of the processes and skills involved to perform the task of writing). I myself had no idea what a complicated process writing is, however, I think being aware of this monstrous task will enable me to step back and take a closer look at any student displaying writing difficulties. I was especially struck by the emotional component of writing but I completely understand it now. This is great knowledge for us teachers to have.
Thank you Barb, this is wonderful and exciting stuff.

Our three favourite apps

It was hard to narrow down our favourite  APPS because they are all amazing in their own way. Shelly and I decided to go with these three.

Grammar Jammer teaches students grammar and mechanics in a fun and entertaining way. It uses rhyming songs and animated pictures to illustrate and define parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, pronouns etc. It also teaches how to create and build sentences while incorporating the proper use of punctuation.

ABC Tracing allows students to to trace letters on the screen. It is designed for the emergent learner and helps to promote letter recognition and sounds. To erase, the child touches the eraser or shakes the
device. Lots and lots of fun.

Farm Animals is an APP that supports early readers in word to picture recognition. Each sentence is constructed of only two words. The underlined word matches the picture supporting comprehension.
Tap the animated picture and a real life picture appears including its definition, again supporting comprehension. There is no audio component which is wonderful for those students who do not like sound because of sensory issues.

Having fun with my new draw program

Exploring with Kurzweil 3000 Elluminate Live Day 2

What a fun morning I had learning to use Kurzweil 3000. I was really disappointed that for some reason I couldn't get Kurzweil to work on my computer. Thank you to Joe for navigating the program and also to Nancy for helping me work out a couple of technical things. Our group worked on the article called Time Travel. It's reading level is geared toward junior high school. It talks about time travel and black holes which was very interesting. The text was easy to access and work in. We used the help button a number of times which was very helpful. This program offers many things. I love how you can use the settings and tools to individualize instruction. I hope to have the opportunity to use it in the classroom someday.

Before Assistive Technology

After Assistive Technology

finding nemo - short term memory loss

Day 2 Online Elluminate Session

Thank you again for the very interesting and informative session today. I feel I am gaining a better understanding of AT and its value. Inclusive Education is about reaching all learners and this new technology is making it possible. These programs are fun, engaging, educational and lots of fun. Again it was neat learning through Elluminate. I was able to download lots of great apps. After the session I visited these web sites.

I also took a look at these other sites. For some reason I am not having luck engaging the play button on the you tube videos I've looked at so my blog probably looks boring for now.I will continue to work on this.

Star fall
There is a wide range of activities (including videos) for the early and emergent learner focusing on developing language skills. The program is very user friendly making it possible for students to explore independently.

Earobics--- lots of activities supporting early reading and language skills of various skill levels. I could have played here all day.

PBSkids-----lots of activities and videos for a variety of skill levels. I played the Cat in the Hat game, it was fun.

Raz-Kids--- online leveled books. I viewed the vidoe which was a level e book. The non fiction story had both a video and audi component. Both visual and auditory learners would love this site.

Tumble Books----A nice variety of ebooks with animated talking pictures for all reading levels. I was able to download it on my iPad.

Sac Browser---- It was nice to find a site geared toward Autism. There is a lot to explore which I plan to do when I have more time.

Tech tools-----Lots of interesting activities to explore on this site to support reading and writing including audio books. A great site to look at with more time.

I down loaded an app called Small Talk on my iPad. The screen presents you with a word or a phrase whatever you want with a matching picture, when you tap the screen twice a mouth appears and pronounces the word or phrase. This would be a good app for Aphasia.



After watching Barbara's demonstration on the Proloquo2Go I wanted to find out more about the product. This device would allow a wide range of students to both learn and demonstrate their learning. As Barb mentioned this morning it would support students faced with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, non verbal learners and apraxia. With Proloquo2Go students can learn to read, write and communicate on a daily basis at home and school with a simple tap. I hope I have the opportunity to use Proloquo2go some day. There is nothing more rewarding than to see a child's face light up when they feel that sense of accomplishment.

Alexicaon
I was able to download this app for free. This program would benefit non verbal learners with literacy skills. It could also be used to assess receptive language. The sound board illustrates real pictures with text. A word bank is created as each word or phrase is selected.

Tap To Talk
I would use this device with a non verbal student in order to communicate their  needs. Both pictures and text are presented on the screen. There is an option to use text, sound or both. I could envision myself having a wonderful conversation with a student using this device. It is now on my iPad and ready to go.

Apps To Support Reluctant Readers

 This program is designed for any early reader.  It is a three letter spelling program where the child is presented with a visual, letters and a template in which they are required to drag and drop the letters into the correct space. When the letter is selected a voice pronounces it and when all three letters are chosen the voice then says the word; spells it again reinforcing the sound and the spelling of that word. What I like about this program is the child cannot spell the word incorrectly as the dragged letter automatically goes to the correct space where the letter is already represented. This program would support early literacy with letter sound recognition and also fine motor skills development. I selected this program because it is a fun, interactive and engaging way for learners to develop skills needed prior to reading.





Tumblebooks are books that can be found online and are geared for many reading levels.  They are animated, voice activated talking read along books where sentences are highlighted as they are spoken. Each page is filled with visuals and the talking characters tell the story.
These books would help support reluctant readers and teachers in many ways. They can also serve as a read aloud in the classroom. They are good examples of how to read with fluency. Because the sentences are highlighted as they are spoken the reader can develop word recognition, spelling and sentence structure. Teachers could also design activities around comprehension. These books would also be great for a visually impaired learner and a strong audio learner as the story is read aloud to them.

This is an animated program that teaches language through rhymes and songs. It focuses on grammar and parts of speech. Each lesson begins with a song where the sentences are illustrated as the song progresses. The song illustrates and defines a specific part of speech for example, a noun. After the song the reader is presented with a quizz in the form of a sentence and asked to touch for example the noun in that sentence. The correct answer is rewarded with positive reinforcement. If the wrong word is selected it is xed out and the right word is then highlighted.
I think this would be a good program because understanding of parts of speech and sentence structure develops comprehension. It is a fun and interactive way to engage those who need a more stimulating environment in which to learn.





The name of the book is, I Like Sticks. The book is an interactive way to teach reading and word recognition and decoding. The reader and the teacher can select three different ways to interact with the book. The student can either read the book independently, or it can be used as a read aloud. The words are highlighted during the read aloud. This book can teach word recognition, punctuation and  fluency while telling a story. The pictures are of real people and things which some students find engaging. This book can also be used to develop comprehension.
This Cat in the hat ebook has three options in which the student can engage. The 'read it myself option' allows the reader to interact with the text at his/her own pace. It has an audio component where when the words are touched they are both highlighted and spoken. Depending on the task at hand the student can touch each word in the sentence in order or touch the individual words. There is also a 'read to me,' and 'auto play,' option which for some reason I couldn't activate. This interactive program would support a reluctant reader who already has some reading and language skills however may need to be engaged in a stimulating manner. It would further develop vocabulary and the read aloud option would allow the student independence. The teacher could also teach comprehension skills around the story.


Sentence Builder is an interactive and fun way to teach children how to create a sentence with both an audio and visual component. The child is presented with a picture and asked to create a sentence by selecting from a variety of words to be put into the right sequence. Upon finishing the sentence the child can activate the select button. If the sentence is not constructed properly a voice says, 'you'll get it next time.' If the sentence is correct the voice reads it and says that it is correct. There are a number of levels in which the child can achieve. The would be good for a child who already has a developed vocabulary of words and is learning to construct sentences. I would use this program with students who are strong auditory learners.

The title of the book is Read Me Stories. It is a collection of e-books that have both strong audio and visual components. The reader selects a story and the words are highlighted as the story is read aloud. There are also talking pictures which are activated when touched which teaches students cause and effect. Arrows appear to prompt when it is time to turn the page. I would use this app in the classroom to help support reluctant readers develop vocabulary and fluency. It would also support both strong audio and visual learners.


 ABC is a wonderful program to help readers develop sight words, build vocabulary and spell. A word is presented on the screen while two bees are holding the words that say spell and say. You choose either option and the bees spell the word or say the word. You then select an arrow to move to the next word. This is a great way to engage reluctant readers in the reading process. The bees do all the work and the students have all the fun.



 Farm Animals is part of a series of levelled reading books. In this book the pictures of the farm animals are both real and animated. Under the picture is a sentence made up of two words. The word that matches the picture is underlined. There is no audio component to this program at least not the one I uploaded. I would use this to allow students to  match pictures to words and develop word vocabulary. A visual learner would would benefit from using this program.


 This e-book has no audio component but each page has text and an animated picture. When underlined words are touched the picture automatically turns revealing the definition of that word as well as a real life image of the picture. At the end of the story comprehension questions are posed. This e-book would  appeal to a strong non verbal visual learner.





Creating this collection of apps was a real challenge for me. I had technical difficulties a number of times.  For some reason I lost all of the pictures of my apps and I had to retrieve them again. Anyway here they are.

Other Apps Shelley P and I looked at:
The Human Anatomy
Who am I
ABC's easy as 123
Crossword
Toddler Shapes
Pictoral-Letters in pictures





Day 1 in the Elluminate Recorded Classroom
I have to say that was a great learning experience and a lot of fun.  I was nervous at first but it was relaxing in the end. What a wonderful, flexible way to learn.  I also really enjoyed Barb's shopping list and the picture of her grandson. The demonstrations were informative and interesting. I was thinking about my friend who teaches in the learning centre and how she would appreciate all the apps. I do plan on sharing them with her. I know our focus has been on reluctant learners and learners with reading disabilities thus far but I think all kids in the classroom would benefit from several of these apps.. When Barb mentioned the notion of student's lives being transformed and changed with a simple click and a swipe I became a little emotional because that is what it is all about, helping students gain their independence while learning about the world around them. 

Day 2 Task Analysis created by Shelley and Barb

This was a fun and interesting way to map out what you've learned. I would love to use this program in the classroom and I know students would enjoy it to. It is amazing to know what is involved in the reading process and the challenges many students face. I enjoyed working with Shelley doing this assignment as she is very fluent operating the computer, while I still have a lot to learn.

Day 1 journal entry Assistive Technology...Access To Literacy

I enjoyed my first day in class. I now have a new appreciation for "struggling readers," after doing the Task Analysis. To think about the many challenges some students have to overcome in order to read is disturbing and very sad. However, it is exciting to know that Assistive Technology has  found many ways to help students learn and to illustrate their learning. As a teacher I look forward to discovering and working with these tools over the next few weeks.

I know I am supposed to import something from the itunes store or internet that has some relevance to what i learned from class today but I am having technical difficulties. I am giving up because it is getting late and i can't even spell anymore.