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As a teacher in a special school dealing primarily with autism the use of technology within the classroom has been hugely beneficial.
There are excellent supports for literacy and numeracy, NCSE being the main source for documents. To further support the curriculum we use whiteboards, with apps and resources such as top marks and starfall.
Kloog app is one I have not heard of but I will be using. There are other apps that look to be very useful also.
Microsoft have so many accessibility tools, I was not aware of most of these but they are very useful tools.
The SETT model is something I feel will be very beneficial for us when implementing a student’s IEP, it is something we do already but to have the structure and focus I feel will be very effective as it focuses on each student. So before the IEP is written up, addressing the four areas that are identified and getting everyone involved will hugely benefit the child and their progress.
Cosán, is a proposed framework for teachers’ learning. I have not previously heard of this document. This document allows teachers the autonomy to address what they feel will help them to be better teachers, what is important for me to address as a teacher in a special school would not have the same relevance for a teacher in a mainstream setting. The teaching profession is a journey of life long learning and we owe it to ours students to engage in CPD throughout our Career
I am so glad that I have now discovered the immersive reader and I can definitely see how it would benefit my class as a whole. I work in a special school and the levels vary quite drastically, from ASD to Down syndrome. Not only are the levels varied but how these students learn also varies dramatically.
The lens/focus tool will be very helpful and being able to edit the text, change background colour etc is an excellent feature. I am not sure if the Dictate tool is too advanced for our students but it is one that I will definitely try and if it works for them it will be amazing as they find verbal communication easier that written. I will definitely try this with my students in the coming school year.
As a teacher in a special school, the use of assistive technologies has been nothing short of amazing. It has changed the learning path of so many student, enhancing their lives both at home and in school. The technologies that are now available ranging from high tech to low tech play a part in all areas of te curriculum.
We have all ranges of abilities in our school from moderate to severe, so non-verbal children now have means to communicate. A communication device for such children is a life line for some of our students and there is the option of the eye gaze for children that that can’t use the ipads. This is revolutionary and is opening so many doors for our students.
In the school as part of our school self evaluation we have a good digital learning plan in place, we use low tech resources such as PECS, visual schedules, first/next boards, we also have whiteboards and Ipads in all classrooms. We are updating this constantly and the main areas for improvement are the sharing of resources between teachers and pupil profiles.
Using the SETT model will be fundamental for us as a school to improve matching our students needs with the appropriate tools.
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: Hind Madurai, sans-serif;”><span style=”font-size: 12px;”> The potential benefits of assistive technologies within the classroom is both vast and gratefully received. As someone who works in a special school with a huge variety of needs, on a daily basis we range from using </span></span><span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>low tech such as visual timetables and worksheets to</span><span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: Hind Madurai, sans-serif;”><span style=”font-size: 12px;”> high tech, using communication devices. This is a relief for </span></span><span style=”font-size: 12px; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif;”>teachers working in this field as we now have the </span><span style=”font-size: 12px; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif;”>opportunity</span><span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: Hind Madurai, sans-serif;”><span style=”font-size: 12px;”> to reach learners in ways that were not possible before. To see a non verbal child using a communication device successfully if life changing for both the child and their family.</span></span>
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: Hind Madurai, sans-serif;”><span style=”font-size: 12px;”>Having a digital learning framework has been very beneficial during planning sessions for out use of AT within the school. It is there to help not just students but teachers and the school as a whole.</span></span>
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”> and how this can impact on the school self-evaluation process.</span><br style=”box-sizing: inherit; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;” /><span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>They will consider which of the standards from the Digital Learning Framework that they could address.</span>