What skills and tools am I going to carry with me into the future? Why did I choose these particular tools?
My students love to use computers. Recently when I was supervising them alone, eight of my kids were deep in concentration in front of a computer. There they sat, all in a row. Laughingly I said to them, "Hey, are you guys having a good time?" Only one of them answered. Looking at them clicking away on their key boards I noticed how content they seemed. I also saw what nice guys they are. The kids were using Starfall, pbskids.org. or Google. They Google all sorts of things, from trains to Listerine. Clearly computers are potentially a powerful teaching tool for my students.
The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, along with several other web sites, would be wonderful for my class. Websites like these can teach concepts very cleanly and efficiently. While I am busily making PowerPoint slides using clumsy drawing tools, time is fleeing. What I am doing has already been done, and better than I can do it.
I have to keep searching the internet, investigating promising websites, and implementing immediately. What NLVM does with fractions is fantastic. It serves up the essence of fractions better than anything else I have ever seen.
Then there are blogs. I am considering communicating to my parents through a blog. The first five years I taught special education I sent home weekly newsletters. But as my job kept growing, this became harder and harder to do. The newsletters were discontinued in favor of email communications to specific parents. No doubt the families that I am serving would be interested in a blog about their child's week at school.
PowerPoint Shows have been an important part of my program for the past few years. I intend to investigate Apple’s Keynote Software. I have heard that it has powerful animations. The animations available in PowerPoint have been fine so far, but occasionally they seem inadequate. In teaching the children how to tell time, a clock with moving hands was needed, but using PowerPoint for this was painful and time consuming.
There will always be new software, materials, and approaches. At times keeping abreast of major developments in the computer world has seemed daunting. Other times it’s been fascinating. Twas ever thus. Sometimes we hang on white knuckled, other times we ride with our hands off the bar, arms straight up, with the wind in our hair. I guess I will always be somewhere in between. I appreciate how fascinating teaching and computers are but sometimes I have to brace myself for the wild ride.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
AAC Devices and Special Needs Students
Some special needs students, including those who have autism, need help in communicating. When verbal communication is delayed or impossible, alternate means of expression need to be provided. Sometimes only paper and pencil are required. Other times a portable computerized communication device is necessary. The important point is that all children must be able to communicate and IEP teams must work together to make this possible. Fortunately there are tools available for assessing students’ communication abilities and needs and places to go to learn about AAC devices.
A good place to start is with “The Assistive Technology Continuum”. It could be posted in prominent places around school and in locations where IEP meetings take place. It should also be printed for distribution at IEP meetings. It provides a great summary.
The Assistive Technology Consideration Guide for IEP Teams can also be used for annual meetings or whenever there is a communication problem that needs to be addressed. Another tool, from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning, is the Assistive Technology Evaluation Report Checklist. This is part of a longer document that contains lengthly and thorough check lists pertaining to communication. The Assistive Technology Evaluation Report Checklist is at the end of this paper and is available through my website.
SETT stands for Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tool. It is a form that helps to determine a student’s strengths and needs. It is a clean and simple document that outlines information pertinent to a child’s education. It too is available through my web site.
For a longer and more in depth look at communication and AAC there is the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI). It would be wise to have copies of the WATI for every SDC, RSP, psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and principal. Additionally there could be three other copies for the staff to share that would be available in the staff room in a location where they wouldn’t become buried and forgotten.
For team members who have decided that a dynamic display device is needed, but who don’t know which dynamic display device to buy, the following web site is recommended: AAC devices. This url was obotained from an email message sent to QUIT, the list serve group.
If everyone is approached in the right way, with respect and calmness, more can be accomplished. When information is provided to the team that clarifies the student’s needs and the capabilities and features that the AAC devices have to offer, the chances for netting the right device for a student increases.
A good place to start is with “The Assistive Technology Continuum”. It could be posted in prominent places around school and in locations where IEP meetings take place. It should also be printed for distribution at IEP meetings. It provides a great summary.
The Assistive Technology Consideration Guide for IEP Teams can also be used for annual meetings or whenever there is a communication problem that needs to be addressed. Another tool, from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning, is the Assistive Technology Evaluation Report Checklist. This is part of a longer document that contains lengthly and thorough check lists pertaining to communication. The Assistive Technology Evaluation Report Checklist is at the end of this paper and is available through my website.
SETT stands for Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tool. It is a form that helps to determine a student’s strengths and needs. It is a clean and simple document that outlines information pertinent to a child’s education. It too is available through my web site.
For a longer and more in depth look at communication and AAC there is the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI). It would be wise to have copies of the WATI for every SDC, RSP, psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and principal. Additionally there could be three other copies for the staff to share that would be available in the staff room in a location where they wouldn’t become buried and forgotten.
For team members who have decided that a dynamic display device is needed, but who don’t know which dynamic display device to buy, the following web site is recommended: AAC devices. This url was obotained from an email message sent to QUIT, the list serve group.
If everyone is approached in the right way, with respect and calmness, more can be accomplished. When information is provided to the team that clarifies the student’s needs and the capabilities and features that the AAC devices have to offer, the chances for netting the right device for a student increases.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Virtual Realities, Avitars, Holograms, Interactive Programs
Virtual realities, avitars, holograms, and interactive computer programs have become a part of the landscape. For some teachers this is scary. Incorporating these innovations into the school day will not be easy. How is this going to be handled?
I plan to let my curiosity, steadfast determination and wholeheartedness do the job. Once activated these habits create a blur of activity from which progress and useful products emerge. Because the world regularly presents unsettling changes we have all developed methods of coping that have had plenty of time to improve. My coping mechanisms work well because they fit with my personality. By nature I am curious, obsessive and enthusiastic.
In the late 1970s I was a digitizer for a flight simulation company, Singer Link. Using data base software I made computer generated visual displays for flight simulators. I was graphing real world objects in a three dimensional coordinate system, x,y,z. It was simple algebra plus a little trigonometry. I digitized control towers, runways, jeeps, helicopters, terrain, farm houses, and other parts of the scene. Second Life, the avitar program, reminds me of this. The visuals look very much like those I helped create at Link. When the avitar in Second Life flies toward objects and the objects pop in, I think to myself, oh I guess the hardware or software couldn’t handle so many objects and that is why they pop in instead of appear in a realistic way. We had the same situation at Link. I am tremendously curious about the visual scenes used in SL. My curiosity makes it easy for me to familiarize myself with Second Life.
When it is difficult to explain some of the new computer innovations being used at school to the parents of my students, I will summon my resolve. With enough time and energy I know we can come to an understanding. My enthusiasm is always ready and waiting to help too. In fact at times enthusiasm is a problem. Very few people appreciate gushing eagerness. I will curb the passion as needed but still let it do its job.
I plan to let my curiosity, steadfast determination and wholeheartedness do the job. Once activated these habits create a blur of activity from which progress and useful products emerge. Because the world regularly presents unsettling changes we have all developed methods of coping that have had plenty of time to improve. My coping mechanisms work well because they fit with my personality. By nature I am curious, obsessive and enthusiastic.
In the late 1970s I was a digitizer for a flight simulation company, Singer Link. Using data base software I made computer generated visual displays for flight simulators. I was graphing real world objects in a three dimensional coordinate system, x,y,z. It was simple algebra plus a little trigonometry. I digitized control towers, runways, jeeps, helicopters, terrain, farm houses, and other parts of the scene. Second Life, the avitar program, reminds me of this. The visuals look very much like those I helped create at Link. When the avitar in Second Life flies toward objects and the objects pop in, I think to myself, oh I guess the hardware or software couldn’t handle so many objects and that is why they pop in instead of appear in a realistic way. We had the same situation at Link. I am tremendously curious about the visual scenes used in SL. My curiosity makes it easy for me to familiarize myself with Second Life.
When it is difficult to explain some of the new computer innovations being used at school to the parents of my students, I will summon my resolve. With enough time and energy I know we can come to an understanding. My enthusiasm is always ready and waiting to help too. In fact at times enthusiasm is a problem. Very few people appreciate gushing eagerness. I will curb the passion as needed but still let it do its job.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Feedback on My Website Design
The culmination of my work in the areas of education and technology will be a website that includes all of the projects and assignments completed during my study. The skeletal organization of this website was discussed with a colleague who is the technology manager of a K through eighth grade school in East Palo Alto. This person also teaches a computer class for middle school students at that same school.
The first two comments my colleague made related to general items that are characteristic of all websites created using Google: the search box and site map. My colleague likes to see these things. He also commented that while it is nice to have links to all of the different projects, he is rarely interested in blogs. Regarding my inclusion of graphic organizers, he mentioned that these used to be called visual aids.
Regarding my plan to devote one web page to each of my EDSE 241 assignments, he mentioned that if all the information doesn't fit on one page, it would be nice to have a page that is an index page. He went on to say that people sometimes actually have a page that is just a page of links (a link page) that links to other things created and that points to things other people have made.
As to my idea to make work sheets and activities part of my website, he said, "I think it is really nice to share work sheets and activities. It's great to have a place for that."
His parting remarks were:
"A great deal of the time websites don't get maintained. Things are put into websites and then they are there forever and often the information is no longer correct because of the passage of time. This is more of a personal warning to you."
My colleague has offered food for thought and useful advice which I intend to use.
The first two comments my colleague made related to general items that are characteristic of all websites created using Google: the search box and site map. My colleague likes to see these things. He also commented that while it is nice to have links to all of the different projects, he is rarely interested in blogs. Regarding my inclusion of graphic organizers, he mentioned that these used to be called visual aids.
Regarding my plan to devote one web page to each of my EDSE 241 assignments, he mentioned that if all the information doesn't fit on one page, it would be nice to have a page that is an index page. He went on to say that people sometimes actually have a page that is just a page of links (a link page) that links to other things created and that points to things other people have made.
As to my idea to make work sheets and activities part of my website, he said, "I think it is really nice to share work sheets and activities. It's great to have a place for that."
His parting remarks were:
"A great deal of the time websites don't get maintained. Things are put into websites and then they are there forever and often the information is no longer correct because of the passage of time. This is more of a personal warning to you."
My colleague has offered food for thought and useful advice which I intend to use.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Options for the Creative Person
There are a multitude of online computer tools that can be creatively used for teaching, collaborating, and parent training. Here are just a few of the more obvious ones.
Storynory.com is a website that offers readings of children's books, complete with corresponding pictures. Google Book Search allows a person to search the text of a book for specific words and phrases. If one remembers reading about a particular subject in a book and would like to reread it, Google Book Search makes this quick and easy. Google Scholar can help in writing a research paper. It does an Eric (Education Resources Information Center) search and provides research papers on line.
Over the past 13 years, while I have been teaching children with special needs, I have made several teaching aids. Some of these inventions could possibly be patented. Specifically I am referring to my number column sliding board and my numerous flip boards.
Picasa, another Google option, would be great for sharing photos of teaching materials. Photos of students is a possibility, but would be handled differently. In the past I have had parents who requested that photos of their child not be shared with others. However acceptable photos can be uploaded and then made available for parents, students and any other interested parties. Picasa can be linked to your Google account.
Google Docs options could also be used. PowerPoint Shows (except for videos) can be uploaded and made available on the internet. Google Docs is very open and fluid and allows for total collaboration. Bookmarking can be handled by Google notebook.
Audio books on iTunes offers books being read aloud. They can be down loaded and listened to at school or at home.
A podcast can be downloaded for free. The podcast can be created using audacity, a free audio editing program. In addition podcasts can be created with GarageBand, a MacIntosh program available from Apple, but not for free. There could be podcasts of running records taken to check for reading levels and progress. Podcasting is also great for IEP documentation. Some teachers use it periodically to document suspected problems. A recording could be used to demonstrate potential speech delays.
When it is difficult or impossible for team members to come together to discuss work, members could open a circle or engage in online collaboration. In other words they can have a meeting over the internet.
These are only a few of the many options available for free from Google. The more they are used the better they will be understood and the easier they will be to use. No doubt, as with Word and PowerPoint, they will become very familiar and much needed over time.
Storynory.com is a website that offers readings of children's books, complete with corresponding pictures. Google Book Search allows a person to search the text of a book for specific words and phrases. If one remembers reading about a particular subject in a book and would like to reread it, Google Book Search makes this quick and easy. Google Scholar can help in writing a research paper. It does an Eric (Education Resources Information Center) search and provides research papers on line.
Over the past 13 years, while I have been teaching children with special needs, I have made several teaching aids. Some of these inventions could possibly be patented. Specifically I am referring to my number column sliding board and my numerous flip boards.
Picasa, another Google option, would be great for sharing photos of teaching materials. Photos of students is a possibility, but would be handled differently. In the past I have had parents who requested that photos of their child not be shared with others. However acceptable photos can be uploaded and then made available for parents, students and any other interested parties. Picasa can be linked to your Google account.
Google Docs options could also be used. PowerPoint Shows (except for videos) can be uploaded and made available on the internet. Google Docs is very open and fluid and allows for total collaboration. Bookmarking can be handled by Google notebook.
Audio books on iTunes offers books being read aloud. They can be down loaded and listened to at school or at home.
A podcast can be downloaded for free. The podcast can be created using audacity, a free audio editing program. In addition podcasts can be created with GarageBand, a MacIntosh program available from Apple, but not for free. There could be podcasts of running records taken to check for reading levels and progress. Podcasting is also great for IEP documentation. Some teachers use it periodically to document suspected problems. A recording could be used to demonstrate potential speech delays.
When it is difficult or impossible for team members to come together to discuss work, members could open a circle or engage in online collaboration. In other words they can have a meeting over the internet.
These are only a few of the many options available for free from Google. The more they are used the better they will be understood and the easier they will be to use. No doubt, as with Word and PowerPoint, they will become very familiar and much needed over time.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
New Ideas
This fall has been productive. Thanks to a San Jose State University class, EDSE 241, many new abilities and procedures have been acquired. Borrowing a common adjective used to describe educational meetings and trainings,our SJSU instructor often remarks that her course is a "make and take" experience. Here are just five of the new ways my teaching has changed.
First and most importantly the curriculum is now being watered up instead of being watered down. State standards are being unpacked to the extent they can be taught to children with special needs. Practically every day a concept or curricular component is modified without diluting it to an unrecognizable point. At IEP meetings goals are written with this new perspective.
Second there is a blog (MrsDuvalRoom12.blogger.com) for my class. To date there have been three postings and two comments but with the holidays and the presidential election coming more will follow.
Third, iGoogle is being used to enable easy access to websites when not at home or in a place that allows internet access. In this electronic age it is an excellent idea to be able to have the means to go online. Having favorite website url addresses available makes using the internet away from home very efficient.
Fourth, teacher made assignments, which are both important and common place in special day classes, are being improved by the use of water marks and visual coding. The visual coding is helpful for the students. When they see a familiar picture in the header of an assignment, they feel comfortable. They recognize the part of the curriculum the work sheet is from.
And fifth, PowerPoint Shows have gained importance as a teaching tool. With the new features learned this fall, short PowerPoint Shows, between five and ten minutes in length, are becoming more powerful teaching tools.
This has been a fruitful fall.
First and most importantly the curriculum is now being watered up instead of being watered down. State standards are being unpacked to the extent they can be taught to children with special needs. Practically every day a concept or curricular component is modified without diluting it to an unrecognizable point. At IEP meetings goals are written with this new perspective.
Second there is a blog (MrsDuvalRoom12.blogger.com) for my class. To date there have been three postings and two comments but with the holidays and the presidential election coming more will follow.
Third, iGoogle is being used to enable easy access to websites when not at home or in a place that allows internet access. In this electronic age it is an excellent idea to be able to have the means to go online. Having favorite website url addresses available makes using the internet away from home very efficient.
Fourth, teacher made assignments, which are both important and common place in special day classes, are being improved by the use of water marks and visual coding. The visual coding is helpful for the students. When they see a familiar picture in the header of an assignment, they feel comfortable. They recognize the part of the curriculum the work sheet is from.
And fifth, PowerPoint Shows have gained importance as a teaching tool. With the new features learned this fall, short PowerPoint Shows, between five and ten minutes in length, are becoming more powerful teaching tools.
This has been a fruitful fall.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Graphic Organizers
"Graphic organizers" is a popular buzz phrase in education. It is a new name given to many old and familiar tools. Graphic organizers are pictures, graphs, tables or other visual representations of concepts, schedules, plans or other abstractions. Because I have been teaching children who have autism, graphic organizers have been a part of my world for a long time.
The children have not yet mastered the concepts of nouns and adjectives but they are making progress.
Graphic organizers have always been used in our classroom in the form of TEAACH schedule boards. In addition graphic organizers are used to show math concepts. Addition of fractions, in problems having common denominators, also use graphic organizers. The following graphic organizer is part of a PowerPoint Show in which blue fractional pieces are animated. The blue rectangular pieces move to the spots above the numbers on the number line as they are counted or added.
Collaboration with other specialists can be streamlined through the use of graphic organizers. Recently the topics for discssion at a student's IEP meeting were summarized in a table format (another graphic organizer). This helped the team to see at a glance what needed to be accomplished. In our classroom a graphic organizer in the form of a diagram of our classroom was used to assign aides to students during written academic work. There are many uses for graphic organizers in special education.
Children who have autism are greatly helped by seeing what is being discussed. If the picture provided has fewer words, all the better. In an effort to stimulate the children to write more we have been using a graphic organizer, or a table, to generate phrases composed of an adjective and a noun. For some reason the children are very enthusiastic about naming adjectives and nouns.
The children have not yet mastered the concepts of nouns and adjectives but they are making progress.
Graphic organizers have always been used in our classroom in the form of TEAACH schedule boards. In addition graphic organizers are used to show math concepts. Addition of fractions, in problems having common denominators, also use graphic organizers. The following graphic organizer is part of a PowerPoint Show in which blue fractional pieces are animated. The blue rectangular pieces move to the spots above the numbers on the number line as they are counted or added.
Collaboration with other specialists can be streamlined through the use of graphic organizers. Recently the topics for discssion at a student's IEP meeting were summarized in a table format (another graphic organizer). This helped the team to see at a glance what needed to be accomplished. In our classroom a graphic organizer in the form of a diagram of our classroom was used to assign aides to students during written academic work. There are many uses for graphic organizers in special education.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Assistive Technology (AT): What and When
Students having autism are precocious computer users but fledgling communicators. While they are whizzes with cell phones and iPods they are unable to tell their teacher ”I already did that assignment.” Children with autism appear to follow, for the most part, what they hear but they have difficulty responding. For some reason they are unable to organize what they want to say, retrieve the needed words and then speak. Assistive technological (AT) devices can help.
As a child communicates his brain develops and he establishes habits of being and thinking. During this time of development, the more language the better. AT devices can speed up a child's ability to communicate and in so doing improve his intellectual development too.
But what AT devices should be used and how? How do we determine this? Fortunately help is available through the use of Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) forms. In particular these are the WATI forms that I would use:
o WATI Assistive Technology Consideration Guide
o Referral/Question Identification Guide
o Pertinent WATI Student Information Guides
o Environmental Observation Guide
o Environmental Observation Summary
o WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Technology Checklist
o WATI Assistive Technology Trial Use Guide
o WATI Assistive Technology Trial Use Summary
These forms are available from Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI)
The WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Technology Checklist, sixth on the above list, will always be in a state of flux as more and more technology is developed.
As a child communicates his brain develops and he establishes habits of being and thinking. During this time of development, the more language the better. AT devices can speed up a child's ability to communicate and in so doing improve his intellectual development too.
But what AT devices should be used and how? How do we determine this? Fortunately help is available through the use of Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) forms. In particular these are the WATI forms that I would use:
o WATI Assistive Technology Consideration Guide
o Referral/Question Identification Guide
o Pertinent WATI Student Information Guides
o Environmental Observation Guide
o Environmental Observation Summary
o WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Technology Checklist
o WATI Assistive Technology Trial Use Guide
o WATI Assistive Technology Trial Use Summary
These forms are available from Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI)
The WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Technology Checklist, sixth on the above list, will always be in a state of flux as more and more technology is developed.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Socially Competent Students
The children in my class are in grades three, four and five. They are sweet, intelligent and interesting children who have a significant amount of autism.
There is a great deal I can do to make the students in my classroom socially competent. Eventually they will use the behaviors they practice while at school when they are at home and other places too. My aides and I have a significant amount of influence. The children's ways of interacting with us will become the way they interact with their parents, siblings and others.
The students' behaviors will be an outgrowth of the activities and interactions that take place at school. These comings and goings are designed to be necessary, genuine, natural, and pleasant.
When working with my students it is important to remember that they are aware of many, if not most, of the same things we are. This makes it critically important that school experiences be genuine and natural. Countless times I have been advised to "sabotage" an activity in order to force a communication from a student. For example, it has been suggested that we give a child everything he needs to paint a picture except a paint brush. We are told to set up a child like this and then wait for him to ask for the paint brush. I feel very sorry for children in these circumstances. They know that the grown-up intentionally did not give them a paint brush and they understandably sit there mute. These situations breed confusion and mistrust.
As much as possible school should make sense to students. The adults must strive for greater empathy for the children framing what they say and ask to aide the children's understanding. This doesn't mean that the students need to understand the 'why' of school tasks. As long as the undertaking is reasonable, the students will accept it. For example, it is perfectly reasonable to teach students that every week they will compose sentences for spelling words. If the work load is reasonable and praise is provided when the assignment is completed, this becomes a part of the student's world, making him a little more typical and adding to his day a reasonable language activity.
Even though my students have a significant amount of autism, it has been possible to establish procedures and activities that offer opportunities for communication and interactions. For example the format of the last slide of their morning PowerPoint Show is a thematic picture with the words 'the end'. Immediately after the PPT show there is a quiz called the PowerPoint Show Quiz in which the children are asked what picture was shown with the words, "the end". When my students were much younger the quiz was multiple choice, using pictures. Over the months we have graduated to a quiz that looks like the attached image. Please note that the class is also thinking about state capitals.
In addition every day the children ask an adult for a penny which they put in a plastic zippered bag kept in their three-ring binder. After they have ten pennies, they trade them for a dime. This is a fairly reasonable activity that allows for comments such as, "How much money do you have now?" "Please put the pennies in one pile and the dimes in another". "Please get out your three-ring binder." "Please take all the money out of your plastic bag."
Most Fridays the children write and mail a letter to their parents. This offers a host of opportunities for communication. For example: Did you remember to bring a stamp from home? Please bring a stamp to school this week. There isn't enough time to go to the mailbox today because of the assembly.
Teaching aids having interesting mechanical parts also help to foster communication. The number-column board, in which numbers on Masonite slide down into the ones, tens, hundreds and thousands columns is one example. The adult can ask "What column are you going to put that number in?" "You'd better empty the tens column it is getting full." "Oh look, the same digit is in the ones and the tens columns."
Lessons and activities designed to support IEP goals and objectives also reinforce language development. There is no reason to use fabricated and confusing situations. Just teaching the children to ask for a pencil or eraser when one is needed is good therapy for communication.
Despite the fact that there are ample opportunities to teach students social competence, there are habits one can fall into that retard progress in this area. It is infinitely easier to give a student something that you know he is going to need than it is to wait for him to ask for it. Often we can anticipate what is going to happen and we have the urge to be proactive. Normally this attitude in our work is productive. Teaching social competence to children who have autism is fundamentally different.
We need to be natural and genuine and avoid the obvious setups recommended in the past, establish routines that offer many opportunities for our students to comment or ask, and then we have to keep ourselves in check, holding ourselves back from automatically handling the entire communication ourselves. We are skilled and quick communicators and we need to help the children to become more like this. We need to clamp down on that helpful maternal instinct that says, "Here, let me do that for you because I like you so very much." Instead we need to control ourselves and let our students practice telling us what the date is today, what the weather looks like, what the Word of the Week is, What the Addition Fact of the Week is, what the Morning Message says, how many synonyms there are in the thesaurus for today's word, and so one. At the grade school level there are tons of opportunities for students to interact or report something. We only need to set up the expectations and routines and then control ourselves and watch the children become more and more communicative.
In addition to communications and interactions based on school assignments and activities we work directly on the children's social skills. However this is much more difficult to facilitate albeit equally or more important. It is also a subject for a separate blog.
There is a great deal I can do to make the students in my classroom socially competent. Eventually they will use the behaviors they practice while at school when they are at home and other places too. My aides and I have a significant amount of influence. The children's ways of interacting with us will become the way they interact with their parents, siblings and others.
The students' behaviors will be an outgrowth of the activities and interactions that take place at school. These comings and goings are designed to be necessary, genuine, natural, and pleasant.
When working with my students it is important to remember that they are aware of many, if not most, of the same things we are. This makes it critically important that school experiences be genuine and natural. Countless times I have been advised to "sabotage" an activity in order to force a communication from a student. For example, it has been suggested that we give a child everything he needs to paint a picture except a paint brush. We are told to set up a child like this and then wait for him to ask for the paint brush. I feel very sorry for children in these circumstances. They know that the grown-up intentionally did not give them a paint brush and they understandably sit there mute. These situations breed confusion and mistrust.
As much as possible school should make sense to students. The adults must strive for greater empathy for the children framing what they say and ask to aide the children's understanding. This doesn't mean that the students need to understand the 'why' of school tasks. As long as the undertaking is reasonable, the students will accept it. For example, it is perfectly reasonable to teach students that every week they will compose sentences for spelling words. If the work load is reasonable and praise is provided when the assignment is completed, this becomes a part of the student's world, making him a little more typical and adding to his day a reasonable language activity.
Even though my students have a significant amount of autism, it has been possible to establish procedures and activities that offer opportunities for communication and interactions. For example the format of the last slide of their morning PowerPoint Show is a thematic picture with the words 'the end'. Immediately after the PPT show there is a quiz called the PowerPoint Show Quiz in which the children are asked what picture was shown with the words, "the end". When my students were much younger the quiz was multiple choice, using pictures. Over the months we have graduated to a quiz that looks like the attached image. Please note that the class is also thinking about state capitals.
In addition every day the children ask an adult for a penny which they put in a plastic zippered bag kept in their three-ring binder. After they have ten pennies, they trade them for a dime. This is a fairly reasonable activity that allows for comments such as, "How much money do you have now?" "Please put the pennies in one pile and the dimes in another". "Please get out your three-ring binder." "Please take all the money out of your plastic bag."
Most Fridays the children write and mail a letter to their parents. This offers a host of opportunities for communication. For example: Did you remember to bring a stamp from home? Please bring a stamp to school this week. There isn't enough time to go to the mailbox today because of the assembly.
Teaching aids having interesting mechanical parts also help to foster communication. The number-column board, in which numbers on Masonite slide down into the ones, tens, hundreds and thousands columns is one example. The adult can ask "What column are you going to put that number in?" "You'd better empty the tens column it is getting full." "Oh look, the same digit is in the ones and the tens columns."
Lessons and activities designed to support IEP goals and objectives also reinforce language development. There is no reason to use fabricated and confusing situations. Just teaching the children to ask for a pencil or eraser when one is needed is good therapy for communication.
Despite the fact that there are ample opportunities to teach students social competence, there are habits one can fall into that retard progress in this area. It is infinitely easier to give a student something that you know he is going to need than it is to wait for him to ask for it. Often we can anticipate what is going to happen and we have the urge to be proactive. Normally this attitude in our work is productive. Teaching social competence to children who have autism is fundamentally different.
We need to be natural and genuine and avoid the obvious setups recommended in the past, establish routines that offer many opportunities for our students to comment or ask, and then we have to keep ourselves in check, holding ourselves back from automatically handling the entire communication ourselves. We are skilled and quick communicators and we need to help the children to become more like this. We need to clamp down on that helpful maternal instinct that says, "Here, let me do that for you because I like you so very much." Instead we need to control ourselves and let our students practice telling us what the date is today, what the weather looks like, what the Word of the Week is, What the Addition Fact of the Week is, what the Morning Message says, how many synonyms there are in the thesaurus for today's word, and so one. At the grade school level there are tons of opportunities for students to interact or report something. We only need to set up the expectations and routines and then control ourselves and watch the children become more and more communicative.
In addition to communications and interactions based on school assignments and activities we work directly on the children's social skills. However this is much more difficult to facilitate albeit equally or more important. It is also a subject for a separate blog.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My Influence
Good or bad, many teachers leave an imprint on their students. Since my students are usually with me for four years it would seem that my influence would be considerable. However since all of my students have autism, the impact I have on their lives isn't necessarily what one would expect. My students' autism has a direct effect on their awareness of people and what people say and do to them in particular. Sometimes my students are even unaware of the names of their classmates, even though they have been with them for years. This year one student did not return to my class and a new student was added to my class. These two students look somewhat alike. Another one of my students calls the new student by the old student's name. It seems that unless a person greatly exaggerates their feelings or intentions my students don't notice. Therefore subtle slights or acts of favoritism might not be observed.
When my students were first placed in my class they were oblivious to typical grade school expectations. Behaviors that should have been automatic were completely absent. Even though the children were very sweet and interesting, they knew nothing about promptly coming to circle time, sitting quietly and listening during circle time, and staying in circle time until they were excused. They were similarly unaware of most school expectations.
I am deliberately leaving my mark on my students. My students obviously need to learn and practice a school attitude and I have been giving it to them. After being with me for a little more than three years they promptly come to circle time when signaled to do so, listen to the teacher during whole group activities, learn new information at school, and know that the reading, math and language lessons they do at school are important and fun. In fact, they have learned that school is a good place to be; a place that is interesting, comfortable and enjoyable. They are learning what school is and that they like school. The parents of my students have shared with me that their child likes to come to school. My aides and I have all noticed the progress the children make.
When my students were first placed in my class they were oblivious to typical grade school expectations. Behaviors that should have been automatic were completely absent. Even though the children were very sweet and interesting, they knew nothing about promptly coming to circle time, sitting quietly and listening during circle time, and staying in circle time until they were excused. They were similarly unaware of most school expectations.
I am deliberately leaving my mark on my students. My students obviously need to learn and practice a school attitude and I have been giving it to them. After being with me for a little more than three years they promptly come to circle time when signaled to do so, listen to the teacher during whole group activities, learn new information at school, and know that the reading, math and language lessons they do at school are important and fun. In fact, they have learned that school is a good place to be; a place that is interesting, comfortable and enjoyable. They are learning what school is and that they like school. The parents of my students have shared with me that their child likes to come to school. My aides and I have all noticed the progress the children make.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Technologies for Mainstream and PowerPoint
There are several methods of instruction used in my Special Day Class that would benefit mainstream children, especially English Language Learners. I would gladly collaborate with my general education colleagues to implement these practices. For example I use Writing With Symbols, Mayer Johnson's software that provides pictures for words as you type, for my students' spelling words. In addition I have numerous story picture books with companion musical CDs. The texts of these books are lyrics that are professionally performed. My class enjoys listening to the CD while they look at the pictures in the book. There are also musical CDs for which I have made corresponding and supporting pictures on five by eight cards. These visual supports highlight the lyrics and the language concepts taught in the songs. My students love helping with the five by eight cards by putting them in a standard pocket chart.
In the area of math, specifically teaching place value (one, tens, hundreds and thousands), I could help mainstream children by loaning their teacher our number column sliding board (NCSB). The NCSB is a large contraption, 21 by 45 inches, that has four number columns made from pine cap molding. Numbers on Masonite are slid down into the columns. Wooden plugs at the bottom of the columns stop the numbers. Students put numbers in the columns and then read the numbers. After all of the columns are filled and all of the numbers have been read, the plugs at the bottom are removed and the numbers fall into a basket. This aid adds an interesting mechanical aspect to the task of learning to read and understand four-digit numbers.
PowerPoint is especially powerful in teaching math. By using PPT animations mathematical concepts can be explained or taught wordlessly. Math is a language in and of itself. Thinking about mathematical concepts often requires no words. The concepts exist without language. Children having average cognition are perfectly capable of understanding and enjoying basic math concepts such as addition, subtraction and fractions. However when there are language delays, it is impossible for them to learn these concepts through teacher explanations, even when supported with hand drawn pictures on a white board or chalkboard. Children with autism simply cannot attend to such presentations. However, with clean, well thought out PPT slides, these types of concepts can be learned quickly and easily. My students even demonstrate great interest and satisfaction when learning math through PowerPoint slides.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
More Technology
It would be great to use some of the tools in my classroom that were taught in my EDSE 241 class the last time we met . In particular it would be good to have my students respond to a questionnaire handled by Word. Using the check box form field, drop down form field and the text form field would all foster language development. With carefully chosen questions this could be a very beneficial activity.
But what about software? My husband and I purchased nearly all of the computers that are in my classroom. This made it possible to be fast, to have control and to get what we wanted. My classroom aides purchased a used iMac for the children too. They are very generous with the children. In many ways they are fantastic.
We have six used iMacs, an HP windows machine, an old district windows machine and a macMini used to run PowerPoint Shows. The macMini is strictly off limits for the children, however they have free reign over all of the other computers.
Word isn't on any of the computers that the children use in the classroom. Putting it on one of the old iMacs wouldn't work for two reasons. The iMacs are pretty old and the children wouldn't understand why they suddenly have to do as instructed when using one of their computers.
A language rich questionnaire for the children could be put on one of the computers in the library, which is adjacent to our classroom. The children use the library computers only with adult supervision and only for specific assignments.
Maybe it is time to buy another computer for my classroom, a new iMac, with a flat screen. I have been told many times that grants are available from the Santa Clara School Foundation. They meet monthly. Maybe it would be wise to write a grant proposal for a computer that would handle current Word software.
It is difficult to keep up with technology's demands. We have a great deal of technology for my students already (6 iMacs, 1 HP tower, the macMin, an iPod, and the MacBook Pro which I use for everything I need to do) yet every year we need more. It is an interesting pressure. In a big way I enjoy the technology.
But what about software? My husband and I purchased nearly all of the computers that are in my classroom. This made it possible to be fast, to have control and to get what we wanted. My classroom aides purchased a used iMac for the children too. They are very generous with the children. In many ways they are fantastic.
We have six used iMacs, an HP windows machine, an old district windows machine and a macMini used to run PowerPoint Shows. The macMini is strictly off limits for the children, however they have free reign over all of the other computers.
Word isn't on any of the computers that the children use in the classroom. Putting it on one of the old iMacs wouldn't work for two reasons. The iMacs are pretty old and the children wouldn't understand why they suddenly have to do as instructed when using one of their computers.
A language rich questionnaire for the children could be put on one of the computers in the library, which is adjacent to our classroom. The children use the library computers only with adult supervision and only for specific assignments.
Maybe it is time to buy another computer for my classroom, a new iMac, with a flat screen. I have been told many times that grants are available from the Santa Clara School Foundation. They meet monthly. Maybe it would be wise to write a grant proposal for a computer that would handle current Word software.
It is difficult to keep up with technology's demands. We have a great deal of technology for my students already (6 iMacs, 1 HP tower, the macMin, an iPod, and the MacBook Pro which I use for everything I need to do) yet every year we need more. It is an interesting pressure. In a big way I enjoy the technology.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
New Tools
Wednesday in my San Jose State University class, EDSE 241 Computers and Special Education, we learned about several new tools that I can envision using. Some of the tools would be good for professional development, others as teacher tools, and still others as a device to use with parents and children.
The text to speech feature would make proof reading research papers, done as part of my professional development, easier and more effectual. Sometimes it is difficult to see where a word has been omitted or where some other mistake has been made. If the computer were to read aloud my paper, such errors would be easy to catch.
Many teacher-made work sheets are used in my classroom so that the format of assignments can be controlled. For these assignments it would be good to put a picture in a header as a visual cue. This picture would serve as a signal to the students. To prevent any confusion over authorship a water mark could also be used.
For up to date input from parents I could make computer questionnaires that use check boxes and drop menus. Many of the parents of my students exchange email with me and would be comfortable taking a questionnaire like this. They are already computer literate and are comfortable using computers for a variety of purposes.
The text to speech feature would make proof reading research papers, done as part of my professional development, easier and more effectual. Sometimes it is difficult to see where a word has been omitted or where some other mistake has been made. If the computer were to read aloud my paper, such errors would be easy to catch.
Many teacher-made work sheets are used in my classroom so that the format of assignments can be controlled. For these assignments it would be good to put a picture in a header as a visual cue. This picture would serve as a signal to the students. To prevent any confusion over authorship a water mark could also be used.
For up to date input from parents I could make computer questionnaires that use check boxes and drop menus. Many of the parents of my students exchange email with me and would be comfortable taking a questionnaire like this. They are already computer literate and are comfortable using computers for a variety of purposes.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Future
Blog #2
Blog Topic #2: Knowing that my students’ futures are going to be incredibly intertwined and linked with a variety of technological needs I plan to help my students use technology to communicate and to function better. With the right education they will be able to use technology to meet some of their needs.
My students, nine boys in grades three through five, all have autism. While they have never been given any instruction in school on how to use computers, the internet, or computer games, they are very computer savvy and they all very much enjoy using computers. By watching each other, contemplating how the adults in the classroom use computers and by experimenting on their own they have learned how to Google, download games and images and use many fun web sites. They are completely comfortable and quite bright where computers are concerned.
The areas in which they need help are communication and interpersonal relationships. And like everyone else, they of course need an education.
Technology is being used to give them an education. PowerPoint animations are used to teach them math concepts, vocabulary, spelling, plus much more.
The fact that technology is going to play a major role in people’s lives weighs heavily in their favor. They will be able to obtain much of what they need through the internet. Online they can purchase air line tickets, books, music, clothes and movie tickets. It will be easiest for them to negotiate on line. It is both quick and efficient and it allows them to sidestep awkward or confusing social situations. They will even be able to make friends on line or have a second life if that is what they want.
Instead of technology being an obstacle, my students may be able to use computers to their advantage. Currently I have a student who keys unfamiliar words he hears or sees into a hand held spelling device which he then takes to a computer where he can Google the word in question.
There may even be employment opportunities in the technological world of the future for some of my students. When I was the same age as my students no one had ever heard of computer programming. Yet as a young adult I worked at Lockheed as an entry level programmer. Are there going to be jobs in the future, technological jobs, that will be a good fit for some of my students?
The kids in my classroom are intelligent and energetic. They simply have a unique mode of operation and different perspectives. If they receive a sound education along with the basics of communication and people skills, the technological world of the future might be a reasonable place for them.
Blog Topic #2: Knowing that my students’ futures are going to be incredibly intertwined and linked with a variety of technological needs I plan to help my students use technology to communicate and to function better. With the right education they will be able to use technology to meet some of their needs.
My students, nine boys in grades three through five, all have autism. While they have never been given any instruction in school on how to use computers, the internet, or computer games, they are very computer savvy and they all very much enjoy using computers. By watching each other, contemplating how the adults in the classroom use computers and by experimenting on their own they have learned how to Google, download games and images and use many fun web sites. They are completely comfortable and quite bright where computers are concerned.
The areas in which they need help are communication and interpersonal relationships. And like everyone else, they of course need an education.
Technology is being used to give them an education. PowerPoint animations are used to teach them math concepts, vocabulary, spelling, plus much more.
The fact that technology is going to play a major role in people’s lives weighs heavily in their favor. They will be able to obtain much of what they need through the internet. Online they can purchase air line tickets, books, music, clothes and movie tickets. It will be easiest for them to negotiate on line. It is both quick and efficient and it allows them to sidestep awkward or confusing social situations. They will even be able to make friends on line or have a second life if that is what they want.
Instead of technology being an obstacle, my students may be able to use computers to their advantage. Currently I have a student who keys unfamiliar words he hears or sees into a hand held spelling device which he then takes to a computer where he can Google the word in question.
There may even be employment opportunities in the technological world of the future for some of my students. When I was the same age as my students no one had ever heard of computer programming. Yet as a young adult I worked at Lockheed as an entry level programmer. Are there going to be jobs in the future, technological jobs, that will be a good fit for some of my students?
The kids in my classroom are intelligent and energetic. They simply have a unique mode of operation and different perspectives. If they receive a sound education along with the basics of communication and people skills, the technological world of the future might be a reasonable place for them.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Great Websites for My Students
Ever since I started teaching special day classes in 1996 I have lobbied for a meatier curriculum with goals aligned to general education standards. My program is designed like this and has been very successful. We have seen consistent progress from motivated and happy students. Hearing “water down – wrong – water up” in class the first time we met was reassuring. I need support. It gets lonely out there on the front line when life skills are overemphasized at the expense of everything else.
CAST's eReader software, used to help a student complete a reading assignment using spoken voice and synchronized highlighting features as the student tracks words on a page, would be useful for at least one of my students. I would like to know how to get my student started using this.
CAST UDL Book Builder would also be nice. I was advised to use Firefox instead of Safari for this feature, which was easy for me to do.
Don Johnston's Write:OutLoud software, used to engage students in the task of writing by using auditory feedback would also be beneficial for some of my students. I would like to find out more about this too.
eTrekker's interface, a search engine environment free of distracting advertisements and extraneous information, might be handy for some of my students. We Google items of interest often in my classroom. It would be great to learn more about eTrekker.
Tappedin.org mentioned file sharing. Maybe this website will enable me to share with other educators some PowerPoint Shows I created to teach math concepts.
CAST's eReader software, used to help a student complete a reading assignment using spoken voice and synchronized highlighting features as the student tracks words on a page, would be useful for at least one of my students. I would like to know how to get my student started using this.
CAST UDL Book Builder would also be nice. I was advised to use Firefox instead of Safari for this feature, which was easy for me to do.
Don Johnston's Write:OutLoud software, used to engage students in the task of writing by using auditory feedback would also be beneficial for some of my students. I would like to find out more about this too.
eTrekker's interface, a search engine environment free of distracting advertisements and extraneous information, might be handy for some of my students. We Google items of interest often in my classroom. It would be great to learn more about eTrekker.
Tappedin.org mentioned file sharing. Maybe this website will enable me to share with other educators some PowerPoint Shows I created to teach math concepts.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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