[James O Donnell]

For children with literacy and numeracy difficulties it is my opinion and experience that some of the following apps have been very effective in increasing their learning, ability to be independent and motivation to learn. Children’s buy in and engagement with an app has been my measure of how I can possible use it to best effect. The Inclusive Education Framework states that “engagement will heighten an awareness of the Professional development needs of staff within a school. It will also help staff to identify the areas of Special Education provision that are most needed for the school and to apply for appropriate support in those areas”. This in turn will create an environment of sharing of resources to best educate children with similar learning needs.

Kahoot can and has been an excellent resource for creating personalised learning frameworks and offering children a choice in learning. I have in the past created the same learning objective using difference visuals and offered the choice. Children can log into either quiz and participate, this have helped also with some children who can be very rigid with regards to colours displayed, sounds etc.

Over the last year I set about using this seesaw app to its maximum, it provides excellent resources from other teachers but also allows for great creation of work by school, teacher and children. It is very easy to navigate and it has helped greatly to provide a link between reading and writing for me in my classroom. It has also helped to engage parents in some activities that children are learning. Parents being involved has helped further the learning and allowed children to show their learning in an informal way. Where there have been barriers to writing it has allowed me to use voice recordings to show evidence of work. It has allowed children to read and listen back to their work.

Edpuzzle is not something I have used but do plan to incorporate it into my work this coming year along with Miro for creating task plans in visual and written format to allow for independent learning.

[James O Donnell]

The SETT model provides a very clear approach on how to be effective with resources and look at teaching from a problem solving approach with the resources available.  Combing this model and the Student support plan can be very useful in looking at targets for learning and how and when they will be achieved. It also provides for a good framework of reflection on practice. Some resources while very useful for one child might prove ineffective for another. This would help with handover of children’s learning to future teachers and support staff. It also allows for a cost effective approach to resources in a classroom where there is not a finite budget.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS3YqBz1SmnnBTbLxXr_fpHd2KLOMmE3833QlKRVQuc/edit?usp=sharing

[James O Donnell]

Part 1

I have used Microsoft powerpoint to make personalised social stories to help with children in my class and their travel to and from the classroom to swimming. I have a number of children in my class who have obstacles to speech, English as a second language and moderate learning difficulties which requires to use of picture prompts and lamh sign language. In assisting them I have used social stories in the past and found these to be very beneficial in reassuring a child in the process we are undertaking, where they can expect support and the expectation on them to wait or be patient at various points in the day’s activities. Using powerpoint to create the stories has also meant that the stories can be personal and more interesting, while increasing their engagement with the activity by having clearer expectations.

Can I share the link to this presentation through email as I am having difficulties getting it to attach here.

Part 2

I believe that good teaching comes from focusing on your own learning and personal development on a regular basis. Regular up skilling fosters a mentality of striving for better and a mindset and realisation that we live in a constant learning environment for children and adults. Self reflection allows for more honest assessment of your own work and its impact on those in our care as teachers.

[James O Donnell]

I am a novice with Immersive reading but finding it to be a fantastic tool. It’s very easily accessible and I feel it would empower some of the children I teach to become more independent learners.
I could envisage the read aloud service providing a good option for some (though maybe with earphones due to self consciousness). Allowing them to be more independent and keep pace with more of their mainstream peers and hopefully increasing motivation for learning.
For the children I have that don’t have English as a first language I think the picture vocabulary dictionary is brilliant providing for better communication and understanding.
I teach children with autism and I think the immersive reading allows them to become better independent learners and to follow pathways of interest to them. I think it would form a part of class work and possibly homework initially to learn the process of using Immersive reader in an effective way, allowing for exploration and for parents also getting an understanding on their child’s new tools for learning.

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