[Edith Kearney]

Part One: For this assignment I should choose a pupil who has autism, one who is academically capable but who has difficulty with organisation, processing instructions and working on their own. On the basis of my experience, such pupils generally understand the learning but have problems because of the amount of information given to them, changes in routine or not knowing where to start with a task. In my opinion technology can be very useful in such cases provided that it is introduced carefully and is used consistently.

To promote literacy I would use technology to make written information clearer and easier to access; if a pupil finds themselves overwhelmed by a large amount of text I could offer them shorter sections of the information in digital form and let them go through each section at their own speed. Immersive Reader would also be useful in cases where a pupil needs assistance with accessing written material on their own.

I was especially interested in the Microsoft Reading Coach in this module since it could be useful for pupils who need extra reading practice but who may be uncomfortable reading aloud in front of others. It would allow them to practice on their own and get feedback in a more private environment. In some cases, lowering the pressure associated with a task makes a significant difference to pupils’ confidence and their readiness to take part.

When it comes to written work, I should use tools like OneNote to help the pupils organise their ideas and to divide a big task into smaller ones. Rather than having to deal with one long piece of work, they would have a clear sequence to follow. It would also be useful to record voices for those pupils who find it easier to explain their thoughts out loud before writing them down.

When it comes to numeracy, I would make use of interactive and visual materials to help pupils who learn better by seeing mathematical concepts presented in various ways. Kahoot! could be useful for revising number facts or mathematical vocabulary, but I would have to be careful about the competitive or time-pressure aspect since it might have different effects on different pupils; some children might find it motivating but others might find it stressful.

The module also included tools like Wakelet and Edpuzzle, which I thought would be useful for organisation and for independent learning; Wakelet would enable me to collect the resources needed for a particular topic in one place, while Edpuzzle would allow a pupil to pause and replay an explanation as many times as necessary. This would be especially beneficial for pupils who require extra processing time.

The one thing I have learned from the course as a whole is that there is no single piece of technology which will be suitable for every pupil. I wouldn’t introduce all of these tools to a single child. Rather, I would first determine a particular difficulty and then select one or two resources that might be of some help. After that, I would allow the pupil to gain confidence in using them and afterwards check whether they had in fact improved the pupil’s access to learning and their independence.

In my opinion technology can be especially useful for pupils with special needs since it offers them structure, predictability and various methods of accessing information; the key point is that it should be used to support the pupil, not turn into another task for them to deal with.

Part Two: This module’s section on School Development Planning caused me to consider more closely how digital technology is used throughout the school. Although as a SET teacher I might come across a particular tool which works very well with one of my pupils, the pupil will get much greater benefit if they can also use that support in their main classroom. It is therefore very important to ensure consistency.

In my opinion, School Self-Evaluation is a useful approach for examining digital learning since it prompts schools to spot a area in need, collect evidence and then check if any changes have actually led to an improvement. Instead of simply introducing new technology just because it is available, I believe we should ask ourselves what problem we are trying to solve and whether the technology is aiding us in solving it.

There is one aspect of school that I would like to see improved that is the use of the accessibility features which are already at our disposal. During the modules I have become familiar with a variety of Microsoft tools which could be of benefit to pupils having different needs. For instance, Reading Coach would be useful in the area of literacy, while other Learning Accelerators such as Search Coach and Speaker Coach could provide support to pupils as they grow up and become more independent learners.

I believe as well that it is very important for staff to work together. It is possible that teachers are already making use of good resources in their individual classrooms, even if other members of staff are not aware of this. Informal sharing of such ideas or discussing them at staff meetings could help in developing a more consistent approach without requiring each teacher to carry out individual research into every new programme.

The thing I am most concerned about is introducing too many digital tools at the same time. Since there are such a variety of apps, websites and programmes on offer, this can be rather overwhelming for both students and teachers. It would be more effective for a school to select only a small number of useful tools, ensure that the staff know how to use them and then assess the impact of these tools.

In general, this module has taught me that digital learning should be incorporated into overall school planning rather than being introduced separately in individual classrooms. By means of the SSE and the Digital Learning Plan, schools are able to find out what is already working well, where further development is required and how technology can be used to make learning more inclusive and accessible for all pupils.

[Edith Kearney]

Part One: The way in which this module has been completed has enabled me to gain a better understanding of how technology can in a practical and individualised manner support literacy and numeracy. Since I am a SET teacher I work with pupils who have considerable difficulties in areas such as reading, spelling, written expression and numeracy. A point that became clear to me during this module is that technology should not be used just because it is available; it must have a clear purpose and should be selected on the basis of the individual pupil’s needs.

The SETT Framework offers a helpful approach to this issue. It prompts us to give careful consideration to the difficulty the pupil is having before deciding which kind of support might be of use. I would combine this with the pupil’s School Support File since this would enable me to form a more clear picture of their strengths, their needs and the barriers they are facing in the classroom.

For instance, I could look at a student who has severe dyslexia and yet possesses good oral language abilities, even though they find reading and written tasks very difficult. Prior to bringing in any technology, I would collect information by observing the student in class, examining their work, carrying out reading and spelling assessments, and having conversations with the student, the class teacher and the parents. I would also investigate whether the student understands the material better when it is given orally rather than in written form. This would allow me to determine if their difficulty in accessing written material is stopping them from demonstrating their real level of understanding.

I would examine the learning environment and the tasks that the pupil is required to carry out. Since a child with dyslexia might find long worksheets, written instructions and a lot of text overwhelming, making small adjustments such as dividing the tasks into shorter sections, giving the instructions orally and using visual aids can already make the work much more manageable.

After having looked at these areas, I would next choose those tools which could be useful. I would certainly take Immersive Reader into consideration, since it enables pupils to hear text read out loud and to access the written material in a more manageable form. Audiobooks could also be useful in helping a pupil to engage with age-appropriate books without their difficulty with reading limiting their understanding or enjoyment.

When it comes to written work, I think that speech-to-text or Dictate would be suitable for students who have clear ideas but who have trouble putting them down on paper due to difficulties with spelling or handwriting. I also favour the possibility of students listening back to their own work by using text-to-speech, since this might help them to spot mistakes and become more independent when editing.

I looked at various numeracy resources such as Khan Academy, GeoGebra and the Math Assistant in OneNote since they could be very helpful for students who learn better when a concept is explained visually or broken down into smaller steps. Although I would still make use of concrete materials and direct teaching, the digital resources would offer pupils with another method of carrying out practice and reinforcing their learning.

In general, the SETT Framework would enable me to make sure that technology is being used for a specific purpose and that it is actually helping the pupil. I would regularly go through the School Support File procedure to check whether the pupil is becoming more confident and independent, and if a resource is not proving helpful I would be willing to switch to another one rather than keep using it just because it had already been introduced.

Part Two: Sample SETT Plan

Student
The student is in fifth class and has severe dyslexia; they are now working at about the first percentile in terms of reading. Although they have strong oral language abilities and can take an active part in class discussions, they have a great deal of trouble with reading, spelling and written expression.

A pupil may feel frustrated when confronted with a lot of text and could therefore steer clear of activities that require independent reading or long writing tasks. They absorb information more effectively when it is explained in speaking terms or accompanied by pictures.

Strengths:
* Strong oral language
* Good listening skills
* Enjoys visual and practical activities
* Good ideas when answering verbally
* Responds well to one-to-one support
* Motivated by technology

Areas of need:
* Reading accuracy and fluency
* Decoding unfamiliar words
* Spelling
* Sentence construction
* Written expression
* Working independently
* Confidence when completing literacy tasks

Environment
The student is involved in both the regular classroom and the SET environment. In the regular classroom they have difficulty accessing worksheets, textbooks and written instructions by themselves.

The pupil benefits from:

* A quiet working area when completing difficult literacy tasks
* Reduced amounts of text on a page
* Large, clear print
* Visual supports
* Instructions broken into short steps
* Verbal instructions alongside written instructions
* Additional processing time
* Consistent use of the same supports in both the classroom and SET setting

Digital resources should, where possible, be provided in both settings so that the pupil may gradually develop greater independence in their use of them.

Tasks
The pupil needs to be able to:

* Read and understand short pieces of text
* Follow written classroom instructions
* Build and read simple sentences
* Complete comprehension activities
* Spell high-frequency words
* Record ideas in writing
* Complete literacy activities with less adult support
* Access age-appropriate curriculum content

The primary obstacle is that the child’s problems with reading and spelling stop them from demonstrating what they really understand.

Tools
Both low-tech and digital methods would be employed.

Microsoft Immersive Reader
It could be employed so that the pupil can listen to the written text and have access to the material in a clearer form. It might lessen the pressure of having to decode each word separately and instead enable the pupil to concentrate more on understanding.

Microsoft Dictate / Speech-to-Text
It would be possible to promote written expression by letting the pupil express their ideas orally. The pupil could then go over the written version and make alterations with some assistance.

Text-to-Speech / Read Aloud
The student had the possibility of listening to their own writing, which might enable them to spot any missing words or sentences that don’t make sense.

PowerPoint
Simple activities involving pictures, coloured words and short sentences could be designed, in such a way as to aid sentence building and reading practice without making it too stressful.

Audiobooks
Audiobooks would enable the pupil to access stories and curriculum material that are suitable for their age without their reading ability preventing them from understanding.

Low-tech supports
* Word banks
* Visual prompts
* Sentence starters
* Writing frames
* High-frequency word lists
* Coloured overlays if appropriate
* Tasks broken into smaller steps

Assessment and Review
The pupil’s progress would be monitored through:

* Teacher observation
* Reading assessments
* Spelling assessments
* Work samples
* Comparison of independent and supported work
* Pupil feedback
* Level of adult prompting required

One target could be:
For five of the six opportunities, the pupil will read and understand a short piece of text on their own, using the agreed literacy supports and then answer three questions related to it.

A second target could be:
The pupil will write a simple paragraph containing at least four sentences with minimal help from adults in four out of five cases, using visual planning support and speech-to-text where suitable.

The plan would be regularly reviewed as part of the School Support File; if a tool is aiding the pupil in becoming more confident and independent it would continue to be used, but if it is not having a positive effect then the support would be modified or replaced.

Reflection
The fact that I have carried out the SETT Plan has served to strengthen my belief about the need to consider each pupil as an individual when deciding upon any specific resource. Since every pupil is different, and even those who have the same diagnosis can have quite different strengths and requirements, something that is extremely effective for one child might not be suitable for another at all.

A key point that I’ll take away from this module is the importance of pinpointing the specific difficulty the pupil is having. For instance, a pupil might have great ideas and be able to answer questions in speaking but find it hard to show these in writing. Here, the problem may not lie in their understanding of the subject but rather in the process of spelling, handwriting or organising their thoughts. Assistance from technology like Dictate could help eliminate that barrier and thus provide a more accurate account of what the pupil actually knows.

I also found the variety of literacy and numeracy resources to be useful. Although I had already been using certain digital resources with my pupils, the module has brought to my attention some further tools that I would like to look into more closely. I plan to use Immersive Reader, audiobooks and the built-in accessibility tools more in relation to literacy, while resources like Khan Academy and OneNote Math Assistant could offer extra help with numeracy.

At the same time, I believe that technology shouldn’t take the place of direct teaching since students still require specific instruction, chances to practise their skills and assistance from their teacher. In my view, the advantage of technology is that it offers an alternative means of accessing learning and helps students to access work which would otherwise be too difficult or frustrating.

In the future I will be more careful to check whether the technology I am using is in fact making a difference by considering if the pupil needs fewer prompts, can carry out more work on their own and feels more confident in class. This module has made it clear to me that effective assistive technology is not about having the most advanced tool but about finding the right kind of support for each individual child.

[Edith Kearney]

Part one: I would design a Microsoft PowerPoint activity called Visual Sentence Builder for a 5th Class pupil with severe dyslexia who is currently performing at approximately the 1st percentile in reading. The purpose of the activity is to develop basic sentence construction and reading confidence while reducing the amount of text the pupil has to process independently. The presentation uses large, clear print, simple language, pictures and colour coded words to support understanding. Each slide focuses on one small step, allowing the pupil to work at an appropriate pace without becoming overwhelmed.The activity begins with a picture and introduces a small number of words associated with it. The pupil then matches words to pictures before arranging the words into a simple sentence. Audio narration can also be added to the PowerPoint so that instructions and key vocabulary can be heard as well as seen. This is particularly relevant for a pupil with severe dyslexia because it reduces dependence on decoding written instructions and provides an additional auditory pathway for learning. The activity is differentiated to the pupil’s individual needs by limiting the amount of text, using repetition, providing visual cues and giving immediate opportunities for success. The overall aim is to build vocabulary, sentence structure, reading confidence and independence in a supportive, low-pressure way.

Part two: As a special school teacher, I believe that I am a lifelong learner because every pupil I work with has different strengths, needs, abilities and ways of learning. My experience has shown me that there is no single approach that works for every child. This is why the principles of Cosán, the National Framework for Teachers’ Learning, are particularly relevant to my role. Cosán encourages teachers to engage in ongoing professional learning, reflection, collaboration and development throughout their careers.Working in a special school has made me more aware of the importance of reflecting on my own practice. I regularly need to consider what is working well for an individual pupil and what I could adapt or improve. Professional development helps me to develop my knowledge of areas such as autism, dyslexia, communication difficulties, sensory needs, assistive technology and differentiated teaching. CPD gives me opportunities to learn new strategies and bring them directly into my classroom.I also recognise that CPD is not only about attending formal courses. I learn through working alongside colleagues, sharing ideas, observing others, discussing individual pupils and reflecting on my own experiences. These informal learning opportunities are extremely valuable in a special school environment.For me, CPD is important because it ultimately benefits the pupils I teach. When I develop my own knowledge and skills, I am better equipped to create an inclusive, supportive and engaging learning environment. Cosán has reinforced for me that professional learning is an ongoing journey. As a special school teacher, I need to remain open to learning, adapting and improving so that I can respond effectively to the changing and individual needs of every pupil.

[Edith Kearney]

Completing this module has given me a different perspective on the technology we can use to support pupils with additional needs. In my role as a SET teacher, I have mainly been using Google with pupils, including children with dyslexia. While these tools have been useful, the course has made me realise that Microsoft 365 could offer some additional features that may be even more beneficial for their learning.

One of the tools that stood out to me was Immersive Reader. For pupils with dyslexia, being able to hear text read aloud, change the font and layout, and remove unnecessary distractions could make accessing written work much easier. I also think Dictate could be very helpful for pupils who know what they want to say but find writing, spelling or handwriting challenging. It could allow them to get their ideas down without becoming frustrated by the physical act of writing.

The course also encouraged me to look at the technology already available in our school in a different way. Small adjustments to accessibility settings, or using different types of keyboards, mice or touchscreens, can sometimes make a big difference to a pupil’s ability to participate in a lesson.

I was also interested in the possibilities of using SharePoint to give pupils access to learning materials outside of the classroom. Being able to return to resources, complete practice activities and use accessibility tools when needed could help pupils become more independent and take greater ownership of their learning.

Overall, I feel this course has opened my eyes to the range of support that Microsoft 365 can provide. I will definitely consider using more of these features with my pupils, particularly those with dyslexia, as I feel they could complement the approaches I have already been using with Google and provide pupils with more ways to access and engage with their learning.

[Edith Kearney]

I agree. As a SET teacher, this module has encouraged me to think beyond the needs of the individual pupil and consider the wider school context. While identifying appropriate support for each child remains essential, it has also highlighted the importance of embedding assistive technology within whole-school practice. Using the School Self-Evaluation process to take a whole-school approach can help schools identify areas for development, promote consistency in the use of digital supports and ensure that all pupils have access to the tools they need to engage and succeed in their learning.

[Edith Kearney]

I really enjoyed the first module, as it gave me the opportunity to reflect on how assistive technology (AT) can support pupils in a practical, meaningful and inclusive way, particularly from a SET perspective. Working with children with dyslexia has already provided me with a great deal of insight into the importance of assistive technology and the positive impact it can have on children with special educational needs. Through my experience, I have seen how the right tools and strategies can help pupils overcome barriers to learning, build confidence and become more independent in their work.

One aspect of the module that I found particularly useful was learning about the different levels of technology integration: low, medium and high tech. This highlighted to me that effective assistive technology is not necessarily about using the newest or most advanced device. Instead, it is about identifying the individual needs of the pupil and selecting the most appropriate support. Sometimes, simple low-tech strategies can be just as effective as more sophisticated digital tools, particularly when they are used consistently and appropriately.

I also found the SETT framework (Student, Environment, Tasks and Tools) to be an excellent way of approaching decisions around assistive technology. It provides a clear and structured process while keeping the pupil at the centre of decision-making. Rather than focusing on the technology first, it encourages us to consider the learner, their environment, the tasks they are required to complete and, finally, which tools may best support them.

The module also reminded me of the wide range of digital tools available to enhance teaching and learning. However, having access to these tools is only one part of the process. They need to be introduced thoughtfully, used consistently and monitored to ensure they are genuinely benefiting pupils. The Digital Learning Framework provides a valuable structure for schools to reflect on their current practice and identify areas for development. Through School Self-Evaluation, schools can identify priorities for assistive technology, provide relevant professional learning for staff and evaluate the impact these supports have on pupil learning, participation and independence.

Overall, this module has reinforced my belief that assistive technology is about removing barriers and giving every pupil the best possible opportunity to succeed. My experience of working with children with dyslexia has shown me how valuable AT can be, and this module has further developed my understanding of how it can be used to support children with a range of special educational needs. It has encouraged me to reflect more deeply on my own practice and to consider how technology can be embedded naturally into everyday teaching to promote inclusion, independence and positive learning outcomes for all pupils.

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