[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Deirdre,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your sample SETT plan with us. I have mentioned the value of the SETT model in previous replies, and how it allows you to identify specific interventions for this child. From completing the initial sections, you were able to identify samples of the different interventions that would be suited to this child at all three levels. As you have said, the SETT plan and the Student Support Plan should be complementary of one another and there should be a clear correlation between the targets outlined in the SSP and the suggested approaches in the SETT plan.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Arlene,

Thank you for your post. You have listed a huge number of areas that a specific learning difficulty like dyslexia can impact upon. What is fascinating (and also, extremely difficult) about dyslexia is how specific it is to an individual, and how it can show up so differently in children within the same class. Thankfully, there are so many online tools and apps that can assist children with difficulties from across the ‘dyslexia spectrum’. The ‘ReadWrite’ pens are great, and I love how discrete they can be and when a child learns to use them properly, they can be so effective. I haven’t hear of ‘Doodle Maths’ before but it certainly warrants an investigation based on your post.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Deirdre,

Thank you for your post. The Immersive Reader really comes into its own and begins to add serious value when a child enters the upper primary classes and secondary school. When the complexity and length of written text increases, children with learning difficulties can begin to struggle and develop negative dispositions towards reading. The easy-to-use nature, as well as its multiple features, makes Immersive Reader a ‘no brainer’ to use. The ability to identify different parts of text and colour code them is another important feature. The ‘picture dictionary’ is a feature which may also be of particular use to students with English as a second language.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Sharon,

Welcome to the course and thank you for your detailed post. I think splitting the types of AT into three separate categories is an effective way of getting us to identify the specific intervention (and the level of intervention) required. In terms of the DLF, I think the use of assistive technology really speaks to the first standard and statement you have listed. ‘Fostering active engagement’ is something we all want to see. In an SET or special school setting, it can be the use of assistive technologies that allows for this. The DL Planning website is a brilliant resource, and is certainly a ‘must visit’ in advance of updating your digital learning plan.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Megan,

I think Teams and OneNote combined have huge potential in terms of the sharing of resources at a whole-school level. Aladdin is excellent for communication with parents and general school administration, but is nowhere near as interactive as Teams for staff interaction. The huge benefit of using a LMS like Teams is that multiple people can be involved in the process, and there is potential for ideas to be added, commented on and amended. All in all, it creates a much more collaborative environment, where people feel like they have a genuine say in the direction of school/curriculum policy (rather than simply having it sent to them on Aladdin).

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Megan,

Welcome to the course and thank you for your post. I like the way you used Sway to create your Australia quiz. I understand how you feel that PowerPoint is easier to use and navigate, but this potentially could be borne out of greater familiarity. Sway certainly creates that more striking and visually appealing look and is quite ‘polished’. Forms is a great assessment tool, and as you have said, it could be used as a homework tool. It may be particularly useful in a ‘flipped classroom’ approach, and could be used to ensure students study or read-up on a topic prior to introducing it in class the following day/week.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Eoin,

I think you have highlighted a really excellent and important point around the principles of Cosán. The new class that most teachers will get each September have different needs, interests and personalities. What worked well in the previous year may not work well with the new group of children you will receive. Therefore, we must be reactive to this, and identify the professional development needs that will meet these interests. Ensuring we maintain high standards in the profession is essential to meeting the evolving needs of the education system.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Eoin,

Thank you for your post. For those with moderate learning difficulties (and often, also mild general learning difficulties), the use of systematic phonics instruction is often difficult to implement. Assistive technologies are particularly useful in this regard. Tools like Immersive Reader and Dictate enables pupils to aurally decode and orally express their thoughts. As you have mentioned, this all happens with frustration levels kept low. The knock-on effect of this is that children can often develop an interest in text/reading, where they previously were put off by the struggle that it caused.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Damien,

Thanks for sharing your quiz, which showcases your skills in designing a Google Forms quiz. The quiz is certainly topical for those in the senior primary classes. You are correct to say that it can remove the stress and anxiety from written tests, and that it can cater to a number of different learning styles. The incorporation of a video clip is one example of this, and you have included it within your own quiz. This assists children who may find it difficult to read excerpts or chunks of text.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Catherine,

I’m delighted that the course has equipped you with more knowledge, confidence and skills in relation to learning difficulties such as dyspraxia, dyslexia and dyscalculia, as well as the various assistive technologies that can help each. PowerPoint Live is such a powerful tool, and can work in particularly effective ways with EAL students. In terms of numeracy, Top Marks is an excellent resource, full of engaging content. However, I also love to use the myriad of virtual manipulatives that can be found on the Toy Theatre website.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

Thank you for your post. Your suggested outline for using the Microsoft Lens is excellent, and really showcases how technologies can help bridge the gap between pupils that has been created by a learning difficulty. As you have said, dyslexia can impact on a child’s numeracy development. as well as literacy when they reach the senior classes. So much of senior maths requires pupils to decipher word problems, and a literacy difficulty can really impede them. Once they know how to use the assistive technologies outlined, they could really work to their strengths and continue to make progress, in line with that of their peers.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Maebh,

Google Drive is such a powerful tool, and with the 100TB storage per school domain, it is something which effectively offers unlimited storage. Using it effectively has so many benefits, and the Applied Digital Skills steps are a great guide. I find ‘Drive for Desktop’, which can be downloaded on the settings cog at the top right of the Drive home screen excellent. The moves your Google Drive onto your desktop, and you can save items directly as you would to documents on your computer. Having this functionality removes the need to use the web browser and takes some steps away from the saving/uploading of files.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

Welcome to the course and thank you for your detailed post. It is clear that you have engaged deeply with the DLF and have offered many suggestions for the ways in which the use of assistive technologies can be ‘mapped’ to different statements and standards. I particularly like the ‘leading and supporting a culture of innovation and improvement in using using digital technologies’. As reflective practitioners, it is that ‘improvement’ and ‘innovation’ that will allow us to provide more relevant and engaging learning experiences for our students. The use of digital technologies (and assistive technologies, in particular) is one way in which we can achieve this.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for your post. Kahoot! is certainly an engaging learning tool, which could be used very effectively for the case study you have chosen. Keeping the pupil engaged and interested in the learning is crucial for progress to occur. Ed Puzzle is a tool which I personally love using in any setting. The ability to rename the video or remove the original title is something that can be very useful if you want to use it for research purposes. ‘Variety’ is so important and you have referenced this in your post. Ensuring the children in our schools have access to varied tools and varied learning experiences is so important to their overall progress and development.

[Eoghan O’Neill]

Hi Aoife,

Thank you for your post and for outlining your approach to meeting the needs of a pupil with dyscalculia. This is a challenging learning difficulty to overcome, and the research out there related to it is very much in its infancy (especially when compared to specific literacy difficulties, like dyslexia). The use of concrete materials and manipulatives is a key component of any maths lesson in an SET setting. There is also the scope to use some virtual manipulatives if the concrete approach is stagnating – these can be found on Toy Theatre and The Math Learning Centre.

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