Steven's Centers Video

Steven is a 4 year old in my P.P.C.D class who loves working at the table and playing in centers. When I started to work with him on this project I was unsure how this would turn out, but looking at the finished product and seeing how excited Steven was when he heard his own voice on the computer I can say it was a rewarding experience. I did have to help quite a bit with the computer aspects but Steven was a very willing student and was still very involved in the process.
I think that besides hearing himself in the recordings Steven's favorite part was creating "Steven's Blog" and picking the background. Everyday he came into class he would tell me, "computer, computer!" Even though I could not get very high tech with this project I am happy that we created something that Steven was proud of.

Assistive Technology

The plethora of technology available to assist students with disabilities is amazing. Disabilities are no longer keeping students from getting an education. Some of the technologies that we got to see in the disabilities services room on campus included the following.

In the first picture we have a machine that makes Braille. Each letter is a certain letter combination that punches the raised dots on the special paper.
The next machine prints out Braille in large quantities.
Picture three is of a computer screen that reads text books to students with vision problems or learning disabilities. The students can choose the voice and the speed of the reader.
Picture four is two messenger devices. Students who are deaf can converse easily with others without having to write everything out. The computers work like instant messengers.
The next picture is a listening device. It is basically a sound amplifier that the students can use to listen to lectures.
The sixth picture allows students to see notes written on a dry erase board in their class or better see handouts, etc.
the last picture is that of an adaptive mouse for individuals with a limited amount of movement. Using this mouse is easier because if fits in the hand better and requires little movement.

These are all great devices for individuals with disabilities, but some of them were pretty expensive.

Part 2

"Steven" was really excited to be recorded and really got into it. It took a few trials to get a good recording but he was totally okay with working on it, even if we had to do a lot of do-overs. Some of the other students wanted to hear themselves talk too so we kind of got a little off task and let the others record their voice as well, but it was still fun for the students.

I modeled for the student how to use the recorder and he was able, with practice, to do it on his own. We used my Ipad to do the recordings and he loved playing with the new technology. When it came to using the computer he needed a little more help and direction.

Putting Technology to Use in the Classroom Pt. 1

I am in a P.P.C.D class this semester, working with students ages three to five. They are at all levels cognitively so I had to put some thought into what I could help my student create that he, or any of the other students could use again. The student I will be working with I chose because he is my biggest talker and enjoys working in school. During the school day, we really try to engage the students in as much conversation as possible to develop their speech. We want all the students to be able to express their needs and desires verbally.
For this project my student will record himself saying what he wants for snack with several options, how he is feeling, with several options as well.
 I want ______ please.
 I am feeling _______ today.
For the second part of the project we will take pictures of all of the options. With help my student will create a slide show of the pictures and voice threads and link it to the student's own blog named Steven's Blog. I created a permission form that allowed me to use his voice and post it on a blog.

Creating a Social Story

Creating Social Stories is a skill that all special education teacher should have. They can even be utilized in the general education setting, like most special education strategies. They are told from the first person point of view. Social Stories can be made for a particular student or for a specific situation, including (but not limited to) cleaning up, lining up, proper behavior in the cafeteria, to achieve desired behaviors, and to stop disruptive behaviors. I have used social stories frequently this semester, mainly with one of my students who does not like to put away his toys. Before he starts to play we read the story together, then when it is time to clean up we read the main points again. This helps him to make the decision to clean on his own.
One problem I see with students with disabilities is that they do not know what to do when they start to feel overwhelmed. In this social story that Elizabeth Griss and I created zeroed in on this issue. When there are loud noises and the student cannot concentrate, instead of having a meltdown the student can ask the teacher for a break. The teacher will have already established a break routine with the student and can just nod to the student without any disruption. In our social story the student likes trains and music, so the break consists of choosing one of those options for break-time.

What are our responsibilities and resources regarding copyright knowledge in education?

As teachers we will be using many materials from all different sources and we must know what is and is not legal when it comes to copyright laws.It is all too easy to just make copies or take pictures from the internet whenever we need them. However, there are certain steps you must take first to ensure you are crediting the correct person and even have permission to use the material because once something is on the internet it is automatically copyrighted

There are many resources on the internet that can help when determining whether it is ok to use material in your class or on the internet. One way to double check yourself before you use anything is the acronym PNAM, which stands for; the purpose of use, the nature of use, amount of work you need, and the market. It is much easier to just take what we need from where we find it, but if we do not take the proper steps there can be major repercussions.

There are websites that are made for use in the classroom. Pics for learning is a site filled with pictures that can be used freely. Teachers pay teachers is a site where teachers post their own works available for free download or purchase. there are worksheets, smart board tools, power point presentations and unit plans for all sorts of lessons for all grade levels.

Using videos in the classroom

With the growing availability of technology it is becoming easier to integrate it into the classroom, and in most cases increase your student's success. There are many resources available to teachers, and as a special education teacher, I know I will be using some form of technology daily in my lessons. As a student teacher I have already seen how many different ways technology can help my students in P.P.C.D.
Video technology is widely used in all grade levels and classes in the form of power points to youtube/teachertube videos. In my project plan, my partner and I have come up with a video presentation that will show a very useful strategy that is mainly utilized by special education teachers, but can be helpful for any teacher as well. These are stories written for students with a particular behavior in mind that the teacher is trying to modify.
The point of view of this video is first person point of view to coincide with the point of view of social stories. The student recognizes certain situations that may result in poor choices and is reminded how to handle such situations by reading a social story made for him.
The dramatic question will be answered in the social story, it is the reason for the story. "How should I react when I feel overwhelmed?""What behavior is expected of me?"
No teacher wants to see a student upset and would much rather provide students with a way they can self regulate their behaviors. Seeing a student use a strategy to calm down instead of act out would make any teacher proud, giving us the emotional content.
The gift of voice is so important in any movie, and ours is no different. We will see a student get frustrated, read a social story and then know how to handle the same situation when it happens again. The students voice will play a big part.
In most movies, the soundtrack gives clues as to what may happen, give insights to the character's feelings and build anticipation. In our video we will be simulating a classroom for students with special needs as such there wont be an abundance of sound apart from the narrating.
The point of a social story is to address a specific behavior so the story itself is short and to the point. There is no reason to draw it out, and due to most student's short attention spans, the longer the story the less likely the story will work.
The pacing, or rhythm, of the video will be played out in real time. The total time a student (or teacher) recognizes a situation in which a social story is needed, the reading of the story, and the modified behavior is not very long making it possible to show every step.

EdTech eBook Review

I thought that this ebook was very interesting. It went over a lot of different types of technologies that we can incorporate into our classrooms and into our lessons as well. I have been skeptical about whether I would use the technology we have learned about thus far in my classroom because I will be in special education, but this ebook showed me a lot of other technological tools that I know would make a big difference in my student's learning.

I especially liked the section on Ipads. I have used a Kindle Fire in my P.P.C.D (preschool program for students with disabilities) classroom and was amazed at the level of attention and the duration of attention of all my students. I was able to work with one group on color identification and another on motor skills by popping bubbles. Being able to bring that kind of technology into the classroom is not available to all classes, but if you do have the opportunity this ebook is a great place to learn the best ways to make the most out of it.

How can I use blogs in my classroom??

While looking through the Warlick website I saw some interesting posts, but wasn't convinced about using blogs in the classroom until I saw the video about .99 repeating equals 1. this video was really neat and the author did a great job. The video is her drawing and writing with different color sharpies while explaining the reasons that .99 repeating equals 1. the drawings are set up to go faster than normal because she wouldn't be able to go that fast in real time, but she speaks clearly and is easy to understand. The concept is something I had never considered but the way she put it, it made sense. It also gave me an idea about how to use blogs in the classroom.

I am a special education major, so depending on the age group I teach I may just use the blog as a way to let parents know what is going on in the classroom at all times in case their child is sick or they just want to stay informed. 

Speaking from a teacher in a general education classroom, I could use it as a way to upload videos of concepts that students need more instruction on. After assessments, if there are some students that need just a little extra practice and guidance I can just upload a video like the one in the link of me reteaching a concept. Our time in the classrooms is so valuable that I won't be able to take the time and reteach every lesson that a student needs, so this can be a helpful tool that they can use at home or at school during a time like centers.  

Inquiry and Project Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning is a strategy to use in the classroom that involves students in their own learning and encourages questions. It steers students away from just memorizing facts that the teacher lists and starts discussions. Along with project-based learning in which students are encouraged to explore their interests through research, students are no longer just sitting in their desks copying definitions and forgetting everything they learn the minute the test is over. Instead, they are learning with a more hands on approach that takes their own interests into consideration and puts everything in real world perspective through research.

In the unit that takes a look at how we impact our world, students will look at the big picture and how our choices effect our environment through research and observations. They will take that information and answer questions like; how they can be good citizens to help out their own community, how is our world effected by pollution, and how can we all work together to improve our planet.

These question will all evoke their own set of question that the students will look into using several forums of media and their own observations. The information gathered by the students during this lesson will bring the outside world into the classroom and will ignite problem solving skills.