[Ciara Egan]

For the purpose of this assignment I am focusing on one student that I teach who has autism and is based in the Autism Classroom. This student is 9years old and in 3rd class but is currently accessing the curriculum at a senior infant level.
For literacy I will use visual supports and graphics to spark interest in reading material. I will use interactive storybooks and immersive reader to assess comprehension and for reading practice. For development of phonics I will use interactive games on apps/websites such as starfall. I will also use apps such as ABC tracing and phonics to encourage and develop handwriting skills.
For maths/numeracy, this child is a kinaesthetic learning so alongside concrete materials I will use interactive maths skills, virtual manipulatives and problem solving activities. She responds well to praise and getting positive feedback so I will introduce some games where she can earn rewards through apps such as Kahoot.
Having completed the five modules of this course I can now see the advantage of technology in the classroom and how essential it is that we have a whole school plan in relation to technology that if reviewed and updated often. Introducing technology to the classroom is one thing, and teachers must be given the time to get used to it in their classroom but the technology must be of benefit to the pupils and we will only truly know how beneficial it is by reviewing its use regularly. Technology updates and changes regularly too so it is important that teachers keep up to date with these changes and review how these changes be implemented in the classroom

[Ciara Egan]

I agree Monita and Michael, we need to embrace technology and make it more of the norm in our everyday life. I find when the studemts only have access to technology once in a while they get get a bit carried away with it and not use it correctly.  I feel if it is used more everyday then it becomes an effective resource that enhancing the learning in the classroom.

[Ciara Egan]

Part 1:
The SETT framework allows teachers to create a child centred plan for the children they are teaching. Combining teacher observations, tasks and assessments with the student support file the SETT framework can help the teacher to design and implement lessons most suited to the learner.
S stand for student: here must take time to get to know the student, it is important to gather background information from the students file/parents/past teachers but it is also essential to chat to the child and get to know them.
E is environment. Where are you going to be working with this child? What is environment is most suited to the child and where can the child best achieve what is being asked of them.
T is for task. What are we asking the child to do and why. Assess learning.
T is for tools. What tools (digital, manipulate, etc) will be used in order for the child to reach their full potential/succeed at the task that has been set for them.
Part 2:
Student is a nine year old girl with ASD. Currently attending second class but accessing the curriculum at senior infant level. High sensory needs and requires a lot of regulation throughout the day. Loves to dance, sing and is highly motivated by praise and a “good” note going home to mammy at the end of the day.
Environment: the child attends the ASD class but joins in with her mainstream class for some subjects. In the ASD classroom the child with work at her station or occasionally she will opt to work in the withdrawal room. She also likes to work while sitting on the ground.
Task: the child struggles with learning phonics, high frequency words and reading. Her understanding of maths is at a basic level, she is still learning her numbers to 20 and struggles with addition past 10. For the purpose of this lessons we will work together on her some phonics blending. I will introduce the lesson with some phonics songs to revise letter sounds while sitting on the floor. We will then use magnetic letters to blend sounds and form small words. I will then type some CVC words into the Immersive Reader programme with the help of the student. She will then listen back to the words using the audio device. Lastly we will play an interactive phonics game on the tablet.
Tools: phonics songs on interactive whiteboard, magnetic letters and white boards, Immersive Reader, Audio device, Starfall.com. Assessment: teacher observation and task (starfall game).

[Ciara Egan]

I agree Sharon, the SETT Framework allows us to create a child centred plan including but not relying soley on the use of technology.  I like how you state in your lesson plan that you are aiming for the child to become an independent learner, I think this is very important for the child in terms of confidence and self esteem.

[Ciara Egan]

Part 1: For this activity I am focusing on a child with ASD in third class but with the educational ability of a senior infant. In an effort to be inclusive, the child will take part in an Oral language lesson with the full class based on sea lions. I will then take the comprehension activity from the third class activity book and alter it using Immersive Reader. I will take three or four main points from the text, spacing the words and sentences in a clear way so the child can read them or follow along to a recording of my voice reading the text. The text will also be on a coloured background. Some pictures will supplement the text in order to spark interest and broader understanding. Key words will be highlighted in the text. The children will answer questions based on the text in two ways. There will be two tick the box questions to be answered where the child will have to use their computer mouse skills to select the correct answer and there will be two higher order questions that the child will answer orally using the audio. I will also use Share Point to reinforce learning at home. I will give a homework based activity on sea lions and use it as a platform to share information between the child and home as well as with their peers in their class.
Part 2: Cosán: The principles of Cosán highlight to us as teachers the importance of continued professional development. Someone once said to me “everyday is a school day”. I was young at the time and perhaps did not fully grasp what this adult meant. Now that I am older, and teaching a number of years, I can safely say I know exactly what that person meant. The world is forever changing and education must change with it. Unlike some other professions, perhaps, teachers (the humans!) are education. Our knowledge and experience shape the next generation. We have a responsibility to equip the nest generation with everything they need to live a fulfilled life and function in the society they are living in. As teachers, it is hard to keep up with the changes and developments that are out there, all we can do is our best to upskill, but we owe it to our students, and to the teachers who went before us and paved the way for us. It is also quite exciting and empowering to upskill and keep up to date with developments in our profession.

[Ciara Egan]

Hi Michael, I think this is a lovely idea for your student as it is giving him the time and space he needs to regulate himself and relax but it is also educational.  This is a very children centred approach.

[Ciara Egan]

This module was most informative. Many things stood out for me. Beginning with one size does not fit all and you have to give children a chance to get used to technology before you can fully decide if it is working or not for that pupil. I guess you could sum it up as you must be patient with it at the beginning and reap the rewards later.
I loved Immersive Reader. What a wonderful tool. I have worked with many children who have found textbooks too distracting. & I have to agree with them. Some books are overloaded with information and graphics/pictures that can overwhelm even the most able student. I love the idea of being able to upload text, highlight important/relevant material, single out certain lines or paragraphs of texts, etc. I think this makes the text book so much more accessible, especially for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
I also enjoyed learning about Sharepoint. Working in the autism classroom children I often find that some children find retaining information difficult. This will be a wonderful tool for me to be able to set up work for children to listen back to or to revise at home.
I also found the examples of some high tech assistive technology very informative. One element of using the laptop that my students find difficult is using the mouse. I hope to look further into a trackball mouse or joystick mouse as I feel these could really be beneficial to a number of my students.

[Ciara Egan]

I have to agree Sabrina, I really was blown away by the amount of user friendly technology we already have at our disposal on Microsoft 365.  I can see Immersive reader being very useful to me in the autism classroom, I have one student in mind that I feel will really benefit from it.

[Ciara Egan]

Module One has been very informative for me. I am teaching in an Autism Class and a number of my students use some form of assistive technology in their day to day school life and others don’t use anything yet. I am not the most tech minded person myself and so felt the need to up-skill in the area of Technology and school.
The stand out point to me in this module is that the technology must be suited to the child. I would have been guilty of selecting a product I thought was suitable and just assuming the child/children could manage it or figure it out. My approach in future will be different.
I found the SETT framework an excellent tool for making decisions around technology in my classroom and in the school in general. It provides very clear structured approach, keeping the child at the centre. It is so much more than the piece of technology, it is the child, the environment, the task(s) being asked of the child. It ensures the child is receiving the best support from that piece of technology and given the opportunity to succeed.
The Digital Learning Framework is also a valuable piece of documentation for the school. It provides a valuable structure that will help schools to evaluate current practices and plan for future development. At times, I must admit, I have been guilty of bringing a piece of technology into a classroom and using it frequently or not at all but I have never reflected on this and made a plan for the future so I will certainly be engaging more with the Digital Learning Framework going forward.

[Ciara Egan]

I am similar to you Marie, I felt the need to up-skill in the area of Technology.  I am new to working in the Autism Class having thought in Infants for the last number of years. Some children in my class are well established with forms of technology and others have nothing.  And I’m in the middle with a lot less information that I thought I had hence the reason I am here now.

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