[Denise Connell]

Marie,I had forgotten about the Maths Dictionary.I think that would be a very useful tool for our pupils with dyslexia and our EAL students as language can be such a barrier for som epupils in the class.I’m looking forward to trying that tool out in September.

[Denise Connell]

sharon I like your idea of the importance of review meetings with all the stakeholders involved with the pupil.Sometimes we can use an AT tool and not evaluate it’s success after.I’m going to be more cogniscence of that step next year in relation to the AT tools chosen for my pupils and ask the questions termly..Did we feel that tyhis AT suited the pupil.Was it motivating for him? Did we see improvements in his self esteem,work ethic,independance?

[Denise Connell]

I love that Maria.using a topic the pupil is interested in.I too do gardening with some of my pupils in Special Ed.I like the idea of using microsoft word,followed by Dictate and Immersive reader.this would be highly motivating for my pupils and build their confidence and self esteem.Speak Coach could be used to present their planting experience to their class.

[Denise Connell]

Sabrina I agree.I wasn’t aware of the accessibility tools in Microsoft 365 and I don’t think any of my staff have either.And they are mostly free and accessible in every room on our ipads.There are so many apps available now and many are quite expensive and we are not privy to their efficacy.It is reassuring on this course that we are being given suggestions of AT that have been tried and tested by real teachers in Ireland ex. Speak coach etc.

[Denise Connell]

I agree Marie,I definately needed to upskill in AT.I found the SETT Model very interesting and applicable especially when filling out the SSPs.The Digital Leaner framework will be very useful>one of my pupils was advised to use At but no specifics were given in her report.this framework will help me plan an individualized programme for her.

[Denise Connell]

Part 2

The school Development Planning section of the inclusive Educational Framework highlights the need for collaborative thinking around the use of AT in our schools.I know in my school that teachers are using a wide variety of AT but in isolation and not shared with the entire staff.We haven’t had a staff discussion on the use of AT in each of our rooms and the efficacy of the various tools.This course has opened my eyes to the importance of AT in the 21st century to prepare our pupils for life long learning.both class and SEN teachers need to collaborate more and perhaps create an inventory of the tools being used successfully in classrooms.I’m hoping to share my knowledge from this course with my staff in September and maybe during croke park hours we could upskill on our knowledge of Microsoft 365 and the many really good accessibility tools that are available free of charge and that are accessible in each room.

The importance of the SSE process cannot be understated.As a whole school community we need to gather collective information on tools currently being used and research other tools to enhance our pupil’s learning in this digital age.The time is now! We need to reflect on how we are preparing our pupils for the knowledge based economy.CPD will have to be more targetted and shared appropriately.I’ll be looking forward to giving speak Coach a trial to upskill on my own presentation skills!!  Remembering that 1 size doesn’t fit all will be at the forefront of my mind as I return to school in September and begin using the SETT Model in my room. I hope to bring the information I have received back to my staff and try to encorporate AT in a more directed and intentional way into my lessons,to allow all my pupils participate fully and reach their potential.

Part 1

A small 2nd class literacy/maths group x4 pupils.Vocabulary development,reading fluency and accuracy,sight word reading,writing stories to express their creativity and thoughts,phonics .Number work 1-100,Place value,addition & subtraction within 100: 2 digit no’s including renaming

The tech resources I would use:

• Immersive reader: read aloud,picture dictionary,line focus,word highlighting,rate of speech,voice settings,text size and preference,spacing function,syllables function,parts of speech,grammer option
• Reading coach: to improve accuracy rate in reading,practice word reading & pronunciation practice of mispronounced words,wpm info,listening to the word read out,being able to customize the text to suit,changing pronunciation prompts to sensitive
• Dictate: to talk instead of type their stories,insert symbols,letters and numbers into their stories
• Balabolka: text to speech programme
• ipad accessibility functions:live text new feature
• Write about this: to kickstart writing activity
• Starfall .com: phonics
• Learn with Homer: ipad phonics practice
• Articulation Station: ipad how letter sounds form words
• Reading rockets Literacy Apps
• One note: write a maths problem & maths assistant solves step x step
• Maths Duel: 2 players.Very motivating & fun
• Microsoft Maths Solver App
• Topmarks:maths activities
• Nrich maths: activities

 

 

[Denise Connell]

Sabrina I totally agree with you about the importance of the SSE,encouraging a whole school approach as opposed to a piece meal approach which is quite common I think.I suppose schools are such busy places and resources and money are limited but we have to prepare our pupils for a knowledge based economy.Of course the tools we use will be customised to suit individual children as 1 size doesn’t fit all.

[Denise Connell]

Part 1   The  SETT Model helps the SET to match a pupils identified needs with specific tools.It can be used in conjunction with the SSP in a collaborative and structured way.It encourages teachers to gather and organise information on a pupil of concern,guides collaborative decisions about services that foster the educational success of students with difficulties.The SETT Framework considers the pupil/student,the enviornment,the tasks required for active participation  and activities of the enviornment and  the tools needed by the pupil to address the tasks.Fundamentally it guides teachers to choose the correct technology to suit an individual pupils strengths & deficits so he/she can fully participate in the learning enviornment in an inclusive enviornment.It’s not a one size fits all approach!

The Model forms a basis for AT assessment .A where to from here structured plan for the pupil selected.

S=Student:

• Focus on their current strengths and limitations cognitively,academically and in the social & emotional areas
• What are the other students doing this student needs to be able to do?
• How does the pupil learn best?
• What has worked well and not so well?
• How are the pupil’s social & emotional skills?
• how does the pupil feel about his/her learning at present? what might help them to feel more confident and motivated?

E= Enviornment:

• What are the significant characteristics of the student’s learning enviornment ie. classroom arrangement,instructional arrangements,materials being offered,support available from staff.Maybe some of these need rearranging or tweaking to create the optimum learning enviornment for the pupil?Could tech support the child further?

T=Tasks:

• What are the instructional expectations for all pupils in the learning enviornment? What are the gaps between the pupil’s performance and the expectations and what tasks are essential for the pupil to experience success in maths,literacy,organisation,etc.Sometimes the tasks need to be broken down and visual supports used ex. RUCSAC to help the pupil understand what’s asked of him/her.There are many,many demands put on pupils,it can be overwhelming for some!

T=Tools:

• The steps above are vital before appropriate tools are even considered for the pupil.Tools of course not products! Now we consider what devices and services might help the pupil access and participate more successfully in the language programme?
• It’s worth exploring first,what tools have already been tried and the efficacy of those and what additional tools might be used to motivate the pupil’s performance .
• How will the tools provide an equitable enviornment for the pupil in meeting the learning outcomes.
• Low, medium and high tech solutions are available at this stage.
•  Low might include: graphic organisers,pen grips,adaptive paper,visual timetables
• Medium might include: adio books,a tablet,adapted keyboards
• High might include:  text to speak software like book creator,Immersive reader/read aloud function,digital picture dictionary
• We must remember to trial the inclusive tech selected  and evaluate it in the intended enviornment to make sure it suits the pupil it has been selected for.
• When using the SETT Framework,gathering the data,making decisions and learning to ask the right questions is vital  as the starting point.It’s also important to remember that the efficacy of the  tool chosen will have to be revisited     on a regular basis to make sure it’s still meeting the needs of the pupil.

The SETT Framework              supports very well the SSP process.It is a very useful guide to insure that whatever AT is chosen for the pupil is the most appropriate one,having collaborated with the class teacher,the SET,the parents,outside agencies,the pupil himself/herself,the SNA so that a holistic picture is available  and agreement is reached on how to best support the pupil.

The aim of SETT is to make the pupil’s learning experience inclusive,therby supporting independance,increasing self estemm and motivation.Including the pupil in the process gives agency and a sense of control an empowerment to the pupil.It’s not about introducing an AT tool randomly to the pupil.It’s a process through the SETT Framework with eyes firmly on the best tool for the particular student,making sure there’s evidence to back up the efficacy of it.

Part 2

I’m looking forward to using the SETT Framework in the coming year to enhance my practice in embedding AT into my learning & teaching.This course has opened my eyes to what’s available for free on Microsoft word.The collaborative emphasis is very powerful in this process too ,two heads are better than 1!,to build up a complete picture of the pupil under the SETT Model.

SETT Framework Plan

Pupil  aged 8 with dyslexia and a speech & language disorder/pronunciation/articulation difficulties, receptive & expressive language deficits

1.Student:

• Review her SSP,outside agency reports,school reports,parental input,previous teacher’s info.Current abilities & weaknesses
• This pupil has good verbal skills despite mispronunciations
• Her expressive language is good
• Loves praise and is motivated
• It’s difficult at times to understand her when she’s speaking
• Finds decoding very difficult
• Reading level is below 6 years
• She’s aware she’s behind in comparison with her peers
• Absence from school is regular
• Updated assessments have highlighted difficulties in reading fluency & accuracy,vocab deficits,phonic deficits,speech & language

2. Enviornment:

• In second class
• Daily withdrawal for literacy support & SLT support,both small group and 1:1
• Inclass support also for creative writing
• No whiteboard available in SET,there is one in her classroom.Internet excellent.ipads available but only shared with the entire school!
• Visual supports being used,magnetic letters,age appropriate shared reading,graphic organisers,wait time given,repetition of instructions practiced,

Tasks:

• Listening and following instructions
• Practicing and lots of repetition of Speech & language concepts,sound articulation,grammer targets,sentence structure targets etc
• Reading fluency & accuracy
• Vocab development
• Dolch words  & corewords & dictation (Michael Culligan) repetition

Tools:

• Levelled readers,graphic organisers,magnetic letters,SLT programme & visual supports, individual whiteboard activities,visual supports for decoding reading,alphabet formation visualsImmersive reader to improve her reading fluency & comp,using line focus,font adjuster,read aloud function,highlighting of words,slower rate of speech font spacing etc.showing her the syllable work,picture dictionary & parts of speech will be very motivating for her and increase her independance . Reading coach is another option for her.These tools will have to be taught.

Immersive Reader will be introduced.

Read aloud also.

Articulation Station App for pronunciation & articulation

Learning Alley audiobook reader

Introducing these over a period of weeks and seeing which suit her best having consulted with her and trying them out at home with her parents!

Above done in the SET’s room

Imbedding in the classroom with teacher and SNA support

All above will be reviewed when needed ie termly

Hopefully over a matter of months there will be an increase in the pupil’s confidence and independance.She will hopefully feel more included in reading activities and in expressing herself verbally.

Pupil will learn how to access these and how to use them independently.

 

[Denise Connell]

Part 2  “Teaching is such a complex craft that 1 lifetime is not enough to master it”.I totally agree with this quote,as a teacher since 1990.The principles of cosan the national framework for teacher’s learning  affirm the value of teacher’s learning and acknowledge finally the full range of learning activities that teachers upskill in for their own benefit and for their students.In my personal journey CPD has played a yearly role over my 35 years in the profession.It’s reassuring to see the principles acknowledge teachers as autonomous and responsible learning professionals and recognising the importance of teacher’s having access to rich & varied learning opportunities.It’s refreshing to see that it’s a flexible framework and also facilitates teachers in identifying and pursuing relevant learning opportunities.On a personal note I think that there are so many courses available now for CPD that it can be hard to distinguish the quality and how research based the information is.CPD courses are also done during teachers personal time and at their own cost.It can be expensive and it’s rare that a school subsidizes these courses.Teachers goodwill can only go so far I feel,as someone who has spent years and years upskilling, enriching my knowledge to support the pupils on my caseload.I can remember in 1990 receiving my first CPD in introducing computers to the classroom.We received the books and did the course without there being any computers in the school at the time!!Funding CPD s needs to be looked at and perhaps a school deciding what CPD upskilling may be needed for the whole school for a particular year, separate to an individual teacher’s personal interests.

Part 1

Microsoft 365 tools offer a range of features that can make learning more accessible for pupils with dyslexia.I’m looking forward to using the Immersive Reader when I get back into school in September with a pupil with dyslexia who loves baking.Making Chocolate chip Cookies will be the recipe. I’ll open the recipe in Immersive Reader by clicking the Read aloud button.We’ll read it together encouraging her to follow along.Using features like highlighting key words & measurements we’ll customize it  ie. increase font size,change font to comic sans as it’s easier for pupils with dyslexia to read, increase spacing,add visuals.I’ll pause and ask comprehension questions ex what ingredients do we need? How long do we need to bake the cookies?We’ll then gather the ingredients and begin baking together following the steps from the reader.The activity combines reading skills with practical skills so it’s enjoyable and educational and highly motivational.this will show her understand the relevance of reading in daily life.This activity will broaden her vocab,improve her comprehension and ultimately make reading fun.

 

[Denise Connell]

You have all made some excellent points regarding the accessibility tools that are already inbuilt into Microsoft 365 and they are free to use. This module has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of the accessibility options & features like Immersive Reader,Dictate and Sharepoint.I would have used Book creator in the past,but it’s not free to use!I can see how Immersive Reader would improve access to  texts for my pupil’s with dyslexia, through the read aloud feature, the highlighting of text, the opportunity to vary the reading rate, text font, voice settings, voice selection even breaking words into syllables, exploring parts of speech of words, offering picture clues and translation services. Immersive reader can be adapted to suit our pupils reading needs and can be so individualized and customized.I can see how this programme would increase confidence and promote independant & collaborative work ex. on projects.For those who struggle with writing Dictate is a great option!Writing as the pupil speaks allows the child to instantly see their progress.Unfortunately I wasn’t able to access the information on Sharepoint.The video didn’t seem to be working! As Niamh mentioned the read aloud option in Immersive reader would be a great support to our EAL pupils around vocab development & meaning,thereby increasing their accessibility to texts in the classroom and the sense of achievement that they can follow what the class are doing with a little modification!I love the picture dictionary feature especially  and being able to change the font and spacing size,especially for pupils who struggle with too much print.I really enjoyed this module and learned alot of useful information to bring into my SET room in September.

[Denise Connell]

The SETT Framework is a very practical document to match a pupil’s needs with specific tools. I would use it as a basis to identify a pupil’s strengths and learning needs  educationally, emotionally and cognitively at the beginning of the school year and the appropriate AT tools that will address  those strengths and needs. Reviewing all her records, reports, SSP’s, report cards and meetings with her previous teachers re what worked well ? what didn’t ? would be my starting point.The enviornment where my pupil learns will also be taken into account.Where does she work best ex. small group,1:1,wholeclass,in the mainstream room or SET room.Does she need any AT tools to support her in these settings?Does the classroom setup suit her?I’ll then consider what AT tools are currently being used,are they successful?Low,medium or high tech considerations?  Next I’ll consider the tasks where she’ll be successful and what tools will support this as I already mentioned.Motivating my student and providing an equitable enviornment for her to meet her learning outcomes will be so important.I want her to become an engaged thinker,active learner,global citizen and that she will be able to participate fully in society and the economy as stated in the Digital Strategy for schools 2027.

[Denise Connell]

I found Module 1 very informative especially around it’s potential to support the challenges pupils with SEN face accessing the curriculum successfully. The reminder that any decision making around AT must be child centred at it’s core is paramount.Using the DLF domains and standards is an excellent tool for the school staff to reflect on as Sabrina mentioned as part of the SSE process to evaluate the digital vision, infrastructure etc throughout the school, at the beginning of the year especially. Reflection on current practice, strengths and weaknesses and what improvements can be made are vital in this process. It’ll help teachers to take ownership of their use of AT. The standards in the DLF and the learner outcomes can really support us teachers to use  AT effectively to support & access learning outcomes ex. ensuring our pupils are motivated, actively engaged in purposeful meaningful activities, while supporting their independance.Again as Sabrina mentioned a reminder of the categories of AT low,medium and high and the many examples given in this module are very useful and validating too for us teachers who sometimes feel overwhelmed and in my case perhaps trying to catch up with  the speed of Tech advances.I’m looking forward to focusing on how I can bring the knowledge from this module into practice in my SEN room next year and share the knowledge as part of the SSE.

[Author]

Posts