December 10 Presentations

Last night of the course and last night of the presentations. The presentations that I was able to witness tonight were solid and very informative. Unfortunately due to illness I was not able to stay past the first two presentations and I very much wanted to be there to support and encourage my fellow classmates, espcecially my pod mates. Overall it was a very informative course and I definitely learned a lot about AT and the programs that are out there. I find that the more hands on we are able to be with respect to AT and the programs that we are going to be working with our students on in school the better out understanding will be and the better prepared we will be to do our job. After all I am very much a hands on learner just like my students and we all need to dive into what we are working on to find out what it is all about. It should be interesting to see how the second course of AT unfolds.

December 3 Presentations

First night of presentations and the bar has been set and set high. It was interesting to see how different people work with the same program and introduce information to the rest of the members. Paula and Ian gave their presentation on a remarkable young man whom is well loved by staff and students alike. It is interesting to see as well how much and how little certain AT changes over the years. All presentations were well presented and very informative. Well done everyone. Looking forward to seeing the presentations for next week.

Clicker 5

Nov. 26, 2008

Tonight in class we were expected to create our second assignment in pods. There were four of us in our pod and we created an ebook autobiography, an autobiography grid on Mary and then the test we had to create we tied it back to the ebook autobio. It is very interesting to see how these items can be used together to extend one assignment that you may have your students working on. It is also very interesting to see the dynamic of our group working together based on the fact the there is little background between us and the only way that I know my group is from class. We all get along well together and work well together and that says a lot. I definitely learned a lot from this evenings class, not only how to use Clicker 5, how to set up a grid to extend on Clicker 5 and how to create a test based on the same, but how it could be used inconjunction with what you are covering in class.

November 19, 2008 Technical Difficulties

Technology isn't it great? Unless you are experiencing difficulties with the technology that you are using and then it is aggravating, frustrating and causes more problems than you can stand. A good website that was brought to our attention tonight is http:/udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com. This website is full of free ideas and resources that teachers can use in their classes in order to help their students. We are always looking for resources that we can pass along to teachers in order to make their lives easier, programming easier and help those students who need it most. Looking at Clicker 5 and what it can do for our students, especially in the area of being creative, is overwhelming. Getting to know more about these types of programs is wonderful because it is opening up a whole new world for me that I have very little experience with. Not only will this help my students it will also help me in delivering the program to my students.

November 12, 2008 Inspiration Concept of Article

November 5, 2008

A shorter class this evening. It is nice to have a little surprise like that once in a while. We are able to look at different types of AT programs in class tonight. Earphonics, Start to Finish Books (Which I think should be used in every class for students who experience difficulties with reading regardless if they have been diagnosed with a language based LD or not), Simon Sounds it Out and Word Maker. What I like about these programs is that it will engage our students and hopefully keep them interested in the learning process. When we introduce a computer program (regardless of the program, as long as it has the learning potential for the student)it is a wonderful opportunity to see how the student(s) is going to react to the program, what their interest level will be and if it is something that they will indeed continue with. I have had such an experience this past week when I introduced a computer program to my students and their reaction was amazing. They really enjoy the program, the learning games that it has and they want to get it for their own computers at home. This is what teaching is all about.

October 29, 2008 Class

Presentation Night

Stress! Am I ready? Who wants to go first? Put it off as long as possible? It is the same thoughts that our own students have. Especially those who fear failure, ridicule, negativism and those who are extremely critical on themselves with regards to no matter what you do you will never be good enough or do work good enough to be satisfying. Looking back on my presentation and what I did not say and do I feel that I could have done much better and that is extremely disheartening. We were responsible for placing material that we would use in our classes into a Kurzweil document and structure it around students that we work with and how we would present it to our students to maximize their learning experiences. It definitely is a learning experience. Am I an expert on Kurzweil now, NO, not by a long shot; however, I do know more now that I did before and with practice and guidance I will become comfortable and more knowledgeable and be able to present it to students who need this program.

October 15, 2008

Kurzweil Programming

This evening we were working on Kurzweil for the entire evening. We are expected to complete our first assignment focusing on how best to present a package of information to a student using the different components of the program. It sounds easier than it appears. Having no technological background things can get complicated and overwhelming very easily. However, when you compare it to book learning and the structure of a regular course where everything focuses on listening and reading from a text then this course will appear easier. I am definitely learning something from this course, the question is how soon will it go from short term memory to long term memory and how soon it will become second nature or easy to complete without the frustrtion and feelings of being overwhelmed.

Wednesday, Oct. 8

Kurzweil: the ins and outs. Learning how to use Kurzweil, how we are able to use the different aspects of the program, how the program would benefit our students was the structure of the night. It is very interesting and different to learn how to use a new computer program. I am very weary when it comes to technology because I am not the technological inclined. Therefore with my learning style I need to be a hands on learner in order to discover the ins and outs of it and store it in long term memory. Seeing something, like a lot of students that I have dealt with just will not cut it. We need to be hands on learners to do the best that we can. Listening to someone, like our students often tell us is that this does not make sense, it is not interesting, and the students have a tendency to tune out. However, when we make it interesting, get the students involved and work hands on with what we give them we provide them with a maximum learning opportunity.

Chapter 8 - Assistive Technology

Making sure that you place the correct technology in the right hands at the right time under the right circumstances is what it all boils down to. This saying goes for everything - not only education but in life as well. The right book in the right hands at the right time, same goes for what we need in life and what we want to get out of life. There are many different situations, circumstances and issues that play a factor in making sure that individuals with areas of difficulty receive what they need and the training they need to be able to function properly. I have found that to be the case personally over the years, if I am not provided the correct and necessary training for what I have been faced with then I am not able to function at full capacity. How do we expect individuals who are really faced with challenges to function under these circumstances without giving them the necessary tools to cope.

September 23, 2008 Reflection

Going into a new course and not knowing what to expect can be intimidating. You are constantly worried about how you will do in the course and how you will be able to understand the material being covered and how it can be applied to what you do as a professional. Entering class tonight and going through the course outline in order to discover what we were expected to do made me feel more comfortable. I am hoping to gain a great deal of understanding regarding different kinds of Assistive Technology which can be utilized within my program. If tonight was any indication what we are in for it will prove to be a very enjoyable, educational experience.