Wikis in Plain English from the Common Craft Show

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach blogged this video today and it's worth sharing. It's a non-digital explanation about wikis that anyone can understand.
Watching it, I realized that the explanation works for Google Docs and Zoho Writer as well. Hope this helps!

The Next Generation of Smart Pens

Check this out! (This link was sent from an AT listserve that I belong to.)

LiveScribe is a product in development that takes paper-based computing to new levels. It's not a free product but looks like it has incredible potential for students who struggle with note-taking, organization and/or memory issues. Here's the company's description of one of their products:

Never miss a word – One of the key applications at launch for the Livescribe platform is called “Paper Replay,” which allows total recall from lectures, meetings or conversations by simply tapping on your notes. When used to take notes during a discussion or lecture, the smartpen records the conversation and digitizes the handwriting, automatically synchronizing the ink and audio. By later tapping the ink, the user can replay the conversation from the exact moment the note was written. Notes and audio can also be uploaded to a PC where they can be replayed, saved, searched or sent.

Create, share, and collaborate – Other applications will use the power of the Internet to enable personal expression. Handwritten messages can be sent as emails. Animated, hand-drawn “movies” can be posted and shared online. Spoken messages can be recorded, linked with written notes and emailed directly from a notepad.

Watch the company video here. Does it look cool or what? And seems reasonably priced for under $200.

They have a few other products in development that you can check out. The website says it will be available in the fourth quarter. I can't wait to get my hands on it to test for some of the students with whom I work.

One Thumb to Rule the World

Here is a video showing how Mike Phillips, a teenager with spinal muscular atrophy who can only minimally move his thumb, is able to independently play World of Warcraft. Assistive Technology turns disabilities into abilities. Would you want to challenge Mike in this MMPORG?

Watch some of the other videos on the Assistive Ware website, "Explore the Frontiers of Assistive Technology." They are impressive and truly demonstrate that all things are possible. Assistive technology removes the barriers once again!

Who Decided This Was Good Teaching?

There are many students in our classrooms who struggle with reading grade level material due to decoding, fluency or automaticity issues. Too frequently, I hear of teachers who read text to these struggling learners as an accommodation strategy, not just once, but throughout the day.

There are many students in our classroom who struggle with producing written work according to teacher expectations due to difficulties with the mechanics of writing, executive function issues, poor legibility or a variety of other issues. Too frequently, I hear of educational assistants who scribe for these struggling learners as an accommodation strategy, not just infrequently, but throughout the day for all written work.

Who started this trend? And, why? Is this good teaching? An effective instructional method? What is the educational rationale for this?

If you can sense my frustration, it’s because this is happening too often in our schools and this must stop!

The availability of technology makes dependence upon adults for accessing materials and demonstrating what students know unnecessary. Students can be taught how to use text-to-speech to hear the text read to them and they can listen repeatedly as needed without asking an adult to read it to them again if they didn’t get it the first time. In addition, research shows that reading skills improve when text-to-speech is combined with highlighting each word as it is read. Makes sense to me!

Allow students to gain control through accommodations and bypass strategies that support their strengths. Federal special education laws require a free, appropriate education for all students. I ask you, is having an adult read content to you "appropriate?" Picture yourself in a middle school or high school classroom dependent upon adults to read you a book chapter or directions on a handout or whatever. How would YOU feel?

When we encourage adult dependence, we are allowing our struggling readers to fall further behind. We are encouraging learned helplessness. Is this good teaching?

It is vital to provide exposure to grade level text in a multi-sensory format that promotes independence. Otherwise, the opportunities to read are lost with devastating long-term consequences. Learned helplessness often results with reluctance to explore any text. The gaps between the readers and non-readers increase and by middle school and high school it is very difficult to recapture those lost opportunities.

Similar issues with scribing. A few years ago, I worked with a student who was a senior in high school. A paraprofessional was assigned to work with her since early elementary grades to help with content acquisition (she had difficulty with reading) and to scribe for her (she had difficulty getting her thoughts on paper). She was ready to graduate and yet could not even write a paragraph! What had been done to her? The paraprofessional couldn’t continue working with her after graduation! The educational team failed her....

A great disservice could have been avoided by offering effective interventions that promoted independence instead of dependence.

Can we agree to put an end to this pervasive practice?

Technology supports exist which provide a variety of options to promote independence. Use them in your classrooms! Now, this IS good teaching!

Classroom Participation - Leveling the Playing Field

Yesterday, I talked with my son about the classroom discussion regarding the assigned reading from "Grapes of Wrath," by Steinbeck. (He downloaded the book from Bookshare.org and reads it using Kurzweil 3000.) You see, although my son uses assistive technology to independently access the curriculum, he still struggles with demonstrating what he knows. Classroom participation? He prays he doesn't get called on and I don't think he was called on more than twice in last year's English class! This year, I'm not sure. He likes this English teacher better but Mel Levine's quote that I referenced on a previous blog, certainly applies here. (Avoiding humiliation at all costs.)

So, how do kids like my son participate in class discussions? How do we include all learners in thoughtful analysis and synthesis of material when they want to avoid humiliation? How do we provide a classroom environment that supports their need for more time to process the questions and think through their answers? Exchange of ideas is a crucial element in the learning process and these students are missing out on an important part of learning.

Did you say....use blogs? Of course!

This is just one more reason to employ blogging in the classroom because it offers a vehicle for involvement, participation and discussion for students who struggle with processing, executive functions, vocabulary, or are just shy and quiet. Blogs provide a forum for discussion by leveling the playing field - there are no teacher favorites, students have as much time as necessary to post their reponses, they can respond without interruption (or fear of humiliation) and they can use grade level vocabulary because they have time to process information. They can also use text-to-speech to edit their work prior to posting. This is an example of effective differentiated instruction.

Do teachers get that?

Baby Steps

Finding it difficult to take the time to learn all the wonderful free tools that are available? It might be beneficial to think in terms of taking baby steps, small chunks of time to explore resources that are new to you.

I’m inspired by Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog to create a list of five new things to learn. (of course, he recommended 23, but we’re talking Baby Steps here!)

Take 15 minutes each day this week to learn about these five resources. Model lifelong learning by becoming a lifelong learner yourself.

1. Explore the interactive links at ReadWriteThink.org

You knew readwritethink.org was an excellent website. Now take advantage of the free, online resources which provide a number of engaging activities for your students.
Go to ReadWriteThink.org > click Student Materials (on left) > click any activity in the Student Materials Index > click “visit this interactive tool at….”

2. As an alternative to rubrics, create your own Checklists

(often more helpful for our students that benefit from linear information) at www.4teachers.org (And I just read Alfie Kohn’s article, The Trouble with Rubrics and find myself agreeing with what he has to say.) At the 4Teachers website, click PBL Checklists > then in English or Spanish and customize using their templates. This is an awesome tool for providing the structure that benefits many students.

3. Explore TeacherTube

There are just-in-time tutorials, as well as teacher created videos that you can use in your classroom.

4. Explore the “Power Of Color” in Microsoft Word with your students

Format > Background > choose any color. Play with text color and background color combinations to see if different students have preferences.

5. Simplify Typing Your Name

Tools > AutoCorrect Options > Add your initials in the “Replace” box > Add your name, title or whatever in the “With” Box. Click OK and the next time you need to type your name, type your initials, hit the space bar and Voila! Your full name appears! Another possibility: I use this all the time when typing my blog address – I type “TES” and hit the space bar and my blog URL appears. It’s all about efficiency!

Just some ideas to get you started. If this is helpful, I'll add five more next week. Let me know what you think.

Tech Tips in TeacherTube

I've been having fun creating "How-To" videos and have uploaded three of them to TeacherTube. They are all centered around using technology to promote Universal Design for Learning in our classrooms to reach EVERY learner.

Check them out as well as a wealth of other teacher created videos. Here's the link to my videos but you will have to set up an account to view them. Let me know what you think - I value comments and suggestions!

(If you sign up to set up a free account, you have a chance to win a laptop - one person is randomly selected every month. If that's not a reason to join, then join for the videos you will now be able to access!)

International Conference on Second Life and All Things Education

Save the date - May 25!

The Second Life Best Practices in Education Conference will be held for the entire 24 hours on May 25, 2007. It will highlight everything an educator needs to know about teaching, learning and researching in Second Life.

If you've been reluctant to explore the possibilities, set aside some time on this day to learn from the experts. Here's another opportunity to model our own committment to lifelong learning to our students.

Don't miss out!

Even students in elementary school are hanging out in virtual worlds (webkinz, Club Penguin). Ask them about their experiences! On the Club Penguin website, there are a number of testimonials. This one in particular struck me and I share it with you:

I want to thank you and the inventors of Club Penguin for the extraordinary opportunity the game has given my 11-year-old son, Nicky, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. The game has allowed him to practice his social skills and meet other kids through conversation and fun in a non-threatening, non-judgmental environment…”
- Melissa R., Oakland CA

Is this another tool to consider when thinking about assisitive technology for our students with disabilities?

Anyone else have experience with Club Penguin? Any thoughts?

Quote for the Day

"From the moment a child gets out of bed in the morning until she is safely tucked in at night, there's one central mission: the avoidance of humiliation at all costs. We have to be so careful not to subject them to public humiliation." — Dr. Mel Levine

Does your classroom environment promote dignity, respect and self-confidence (the opposite of public humiliation)?

The end of the school year is upon us. Much time has passed to understand the children in your classroom. Have you identified strengths in each of your students and capitalized upon those strengths for success during the school year? Have you recognized the uniqueness of each student in your classroom? Do you realize that every child wants to be seen as successful and competent?

Put yourself in the shoes of the student who struggles with ......organization.... or attention.....or writing...... or reading......or math.....or social skills......

Have you embedded supports that will prevent public humiliation and compensate for learning diversities? It's not to late to impact a child, to build upon the inherent motivation within each of the students in your class.

Look for some blog posts in the next few days, about free technology supports that address each of the areas of struggle above.

Using Technology to Raise the Achievement of All Students

Those of us working in the Assistive Technology field often look for tools that will improve professional practice. This can include new technologies for our students but it can also include resources that serve to identify where we need to concentrate our personal resources. The Using Technology to Raise the Achievement of All Students project is a major initiative of CoSN (The Consortium for School Networking). They have developed a valuable tool that can improve technology integration and facilitate learning for ALL students. Their website explains their admirable goal:

The goal of this initiative is increased achievement and success for all students through the unlimited and effective use of accessible technologies.

It is our core belief that accessible technologies and the close collaboration of assistive technology (AT) and instructional technology (IT) services at the school district level will enhance and facilitate learning for all students – those with disabilities and those without disabilities.

As part of their mission, they have created an online self-assessment tool that allows one to obtain immediate feedback for school district analysis in six areas - Vision, Communication and Collaboration, Infrastructure, Funding, Professional Development, and Instruction and Assessment. These areas are believed to be critical to ensuring that students have access to technologies that support engagement with the curriculum and promote learning. The survey takes less than ten minutes to complete and provides instantaneous analysis, comparison to other school districts that have completed the survey and resource information. It is possible to quickly determine where your district strengths and weaknesses are.

Gather your tech team and your administrators and complete the online survey. Analyze the results and explore the resources for best practices. Move your district forward through collaboration and evaluation. There is so much that can be done and this tool will help you identify the areas that require district energy and resources to improve learning opportunities for ALL learners.