July 20th - Last Class

Today in our last class we produced an iMovie explaining our main take away from the class. 

1. Assistive technology is unlimited out there. What ever the need of the student there is probably something out there that would assist or enhance their ability to achieve a task.

2. Assistive technology can be life changing. Technology that allows you to communicate with others opens up opportunities to the might not have been there before.

3. Assistive technology doesn't have to be high tech or expensive. With creative thinking and many ordinary things can be extraordinary.

4. If you're unsure of what is out there and how to help a student, reach out to the experts in your board and school. 

July 20th - Assistive Technology for People with Cerebral Palsy

Assistive Technology for people with Cerebral Palsy 

This video blew my socks off as it demonstrates how augmentative and alternative communication technology can provide a medium for people with cerebral palsy to communicate. In the video it also brings to light how people often perceive a person and their ability base on their disability. Disability discourse portrays people with a disability negatively bases on presumed competencies. This video show how disability discourse is not the reality for people with a disability.  

July 19th - Book Creator Presentations

In today's class we presented our final assignment, Book Creator: 20 Classroom Ideas. There were so many fantastic ideas that groups developed on ways to use Book Creator. The activities were developed across a range of subjects that would allow for differentiated instruction. When activities are accessible in a wide range of mediums it creates a more inclusive learning environment. 

Joy and Nike

Welcome Book - Created a book for new staff and students to access to inform them about the school

This would have relieve anxiety for those transitioning to a new school. Some of the things included were introductory book of school staff, school rules, Eye Spy activity, library inventory, student led portfolio, social stories, etc.

I really thought the table of contents linking the different books to the page. Also, the idea of creating a book the reviews the technology within the school. This would allow for more accessibility and awareness.

John and Laurie-Ann

Language matching activity, creating a science book (picture of animal and sound they make), Social Studies - their daily routine linked to sound clip and another sound clip in another language, creating a family album - sound describing the family member, creating a glossary connecting visual concepts with other languages (picture with sound bite in another language), highlighting key words in a mathematical problems for LD students. Visual journal (where would you go in a hot air balloon). Sharing traditional practices and cultures in the province. Books that the students are able to choose their own direction.

Alicia and Holly

Our Journey through Primary

Writing samples of students writing that shows their progressing, Show and Share - what I learned, Learning to speak a different language, mental math, social skills - adding thinking bubbles where kids to put what the person in the picture is thinking.

Joanne and Tracey

Job Interview Skills

Creating resumes, what you don't say says a lot - body language (creating videos of positive body language), go around school to see and interview people with different jobs within the school, interview references (videos of their references - people talking about the students positive job skills), volunteer scrapbook, how to guide on personal hygiene routine, storyboards of your work experience.

David and Susanne

Visual schedules class yearbook pictures, research poster, making predictions, illustrate your writing, social stories, Math - explain work as you go (watch how to video), visual dictionaries, make up their own game, how to perform a sports skill, picture books (multiple languages)

Chelsea and Christine

I spy - picture of dog with person's lips superimposed onto picture giving the directions, how to wash your hands, touch to hear French vocabulary using pics and audio, Show and tell news report, beginning middle and end activity, punctuation book - used with video scribe app. Acting out a favorite part of a book, artist biography, safety guide for a task or situation, fractions

Rachel and Terry

Space scrapbook, Elevator pitch (quick presentation) communication skills, mitosis (science), organizational behavior presentation, multiplying integers, Marketing - presenting their project to dragons, 2 minute rant (ela), spreadsheets - explain the steps to use a spreadsheet, excel - 24hr weekly calendar for time management, transformations in Cartesian grids (gr 12 students explain how to recognize different transformations to gr 9 students)

Michelle and Shari

Newspaper, interactive cookbook, class trip reflection, student portfolio, life cycle book, interactive non-fiction book, create a class book (use all students), interactive word wall, Recycling book, exit ticket (show what you learned), how to video of yoga poses, collaborative book on culture, math journal, family tree, emotions,  

Chris and Jill

How to book to create a grilled cheese sandwich, counting with animals, exploring the solar system, my family vacation, my family tree, challenges that friends can make, my culture book, poetic devices in pop culture, the rock cycle, learning about the provinces, monitor stages of seed growth, my explorer book, create math riddles, 

July 18th - Book Creator Options

The Book Creator assignment really opened up my eyes to the possibilities that technology is making possible. One app can easily used across multiple curriculum to engage students to be active participants in their learning. The accessibility options that many platforms, especially the iPad has creates a learning environment that considers all learners' needs. Book creator was engaging to use and I believe students would have a lot of fun using it while achieving the same curriculum outcomes. The ability to integrate and interact with multiple apps allows for students to use the assistive technology that is best aligned to their learning needs 

July 17th - Accessibility Options

Android Accessibility Options

Androids have many accessibility options that would be beneficial to a variety of people with diverse impairments. 

• People with visual impairments would benefit from varying font size and screen brightness. They would also benefit from the talk back option, text to speech, speak password and colour inversions and contrast options.  
• People with hearing impairments would benefit from the caption option.
• People with motor impairments would benefit from touch and hold delay, switch access, and pointer speed.
• People who are non-verbal would benefit from the speech output options.
• People with learning disabilities would benefit from spell checker and speech input services.
• People with English as their additional language of options to switch to their own language.

Chromebook Accessibility Options

Chromebooks have many accessibility options that would be beneficial to a variety of people with diverse impairments.

• People with visual impairments would benefit from varying cursor size and higher contrast. Also the onscreen keyboard could also be of use. ChromeVox could be used to hear options that they select. There are numerous extensions that would be helpful. 
• People with motor impairments would benefit the sticky keys option and the keyboard auto repeat option.
• People with learning disabilities would benefit various extenions like CoWriter and Google Read & Write.
• People with English as their additional language of options to switch to their own language.

iPad iOS9

Hearing Accessibility - There were lots of similar options to other platforms such as subtitles/captions. The two that I have not seen before was the ability to sync with Bluetooth hearing aids and the prefer audio descriptions.

Physical Access - There seemed to be a lot of options within options. The switch control options would allow you to customize based on the individual.

Siri - This technology is like the technology that you would see in movies growing up. Being able to vocally communicate with a technology benefits so many people. The options of speech to text and text to speech are extremely helpful for students with learning disabilities.

VoiceOver - This options is extremely important to visually impaired and blind people. This allows people to independently navigate their own devices. 

Mac Laptop/PC

Like the other platforms there are many options for peoples' diverse needs on both the Mac and PC. The accessibility feature on the Mac that jumped out at me was the braille feature. The laptop can be used with a braille display.

July 14th - Alternate Access: Powerlinks, Switches, EyeGaze

Station 1: Powerlink

Powerlink is a device that allows you to activate electrical appliances with switches. When using the devices requires the users to have minimal movement with their hands, arms, legs or neck. The various types of switches would allow the user the choice, a tap, a squeeze or knock switch.The user could be achieving a variety of things using this assistive technology. They could use it to communicate, for independence, social experience or environmental control. This task could be integrated into a students IPP, with life skills goals, memory recall tasks, independence goal or gross motor control goals.

10 Ways Powerlink Can Be Used

1. Saying hello
2. Playing games
3. Making choices
4. Controlling the environment
5. Giving directions
6. Turning on tv
7. Sounding a buzzer/timekeeper
8. Counting
9. Answering/asking questions
10. Truning on cooking appliances

Station 2: EyeGaze

EyeGaze requires the user to be able to visual track. The setup of Eyegaze to an individual user seem simple and quick. The team supporting the student would probably consist of OT, PT, AT support, student services teacher at school, class teacher, admin and family. The team would need training on how to troubleshoot problem that arise, how they can apply EyeGaze to various task.

10 Educational Activities To Do With EyeGaze 

1. Recognize letters/numbers
2. Identify sight words
3. Create addition sentences
4. Research topic
5. Create sentences
6. Identify animals with names
7. Journaling
8. Socialize with peers
9. Making choices
10. Communicate

Station 3: Switch Accessible Apps

The advantages of this being offered on the iPad is that the iPad is very accessible and could be used to do many other things that the student may need support with.

10 Switch Accessible Apps for the iPad

1. Bumper Cars
2. Shhh!
3. Five Sharks Swimming
4. Five Little Aliens
5. Lost Little Penguin
6. Catch the Cow
7. Racing Cars
8. Train Tracker
9. Sentence Match: Who is Doing What?
10. Go Talk Now

Station 4: Scanning Activity on Laptop...Dell/onscreen keyboard scanning, hover with Trackball

Our group discussed that the hover over option to select a cell would be good for students with weaker fine motor control. They would be able to use the tracking ball with minimal hand dexterity and use the keyboard. There was also word prediction as you typed which would be useful for student who need encoding support.

Station 5: Alternate Keyboard

The alternate keyboard does support some student and their needs. The visual contract of the key would be beneficial for students with hearing impairments or sensory issues. The larger key would allow for more accurate striking for students with fine motor difficulties. The negate that came to mind was the portability of it from class to class. A laptop can be folded up and transported in your hands easily. When you add a keyboard then a bag or container would probably be required to transport it from class to class. Some of the accessibility options that the alternate keyboard has includes;

1. large mouse cursor
2. high contrast mode
3. sticky keys
4. screen magnifier
5. onscreen keyborad

Google Read & Write will read documents or websites aloud (reading disability students), show meaning of words (developmental disabilities), translate text into other languages (EAL Students) and can be used to turn speech to text (Writing disability students).

Station 6: Android Accessibility/Google Play

The android did not seem to be as user friendly. This might only be because I'm use to the iPad expect it to work in a similar way. There were many accessibility options including; talk back, switch access, captions, large text, high contrast, speak passwords, text to speech output and touch and hold delay. 

Apps to Enhance the Use of Android

1. AAC Talking Tabs
2. Speech Assistant
3. Yes No Your Way

Station 7: Videos of Students Alternate Access Devices

This video show a girl using AAC to have a conversation with her peers about a book. I chose this video because it show how AAC allows the student to participate in an activity that is common in many class along side her peers. 

Assistive Technology in Action - Meet Jared

Josh's Story - How AAC dramatically changed his schooling to a positive experience. 

July 13th - AAC in Various Platforms

Today in groups we explored AAC in various platforms. We looked at the ACC available in the Microsoft Store, Google Play, iTunes, MacIntosh, and Chrome Web Store. While completing the task of finding five AAC for each, it became very clear that not all are create equal in the world of augmentative and alternative communication. 


Chromebook AAC Wordle

Microsoft AAC Wordle

Google Play AAC Wordle

MacIntosh AAC Wordle

iTunes AAC Wordle