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I really like your suggestions Danielle, especially the focus on preparing children for life beyond school. I work with students who can have strong verbal communication but struggle with literacy and numeracy, so I can see how these technologies could make a real difference. I particularly like your idea of using Kahoot! and Edpuzzle for practical skills such as money, shopping and budgeting. Making learning relevant to everyday life can really help build confidence, independence and motivation.
For this activity, I would consider a group of students in a primary school setting who have different communication, literacy and numeracy needs. In line with the Inclusive Education Framework and the School Development Planning approach, technology should be selected based on identified student needs and used to support participation, inclusion and progress across the curriculum.
For literacy, useful resources could include iPads and laptops with text-to-speech and speech-to-text functions, interactive phonics apps, digital books, audiobooks and visual writing supports. AAC devices and communication apps can support students who have difficulty communicating verbally, while word-prediction tools can help students develop independent writing skills.
For numeracy, online interactive maths games such as Topmarks, IXL and Mathletics are excellent resources. They provide engaging opportunities to practise number skills, mental maths, addition, subtraction and multiplication. These resources can be differentiated to meet individual needs and allow students to practise skills at their own pace. Technology can therefore support confidence, independence and inclusion across the curriculum.
These resources should be introduced following assessment, monitored for effectiveness and reviewed as part of the school’s ongoing planning process.Part 1:
The SETT model is a good model because it provides a clear, structured way to understand a child’s individual needs before deciding on supports or assistive technology. It is particularly useful because it focuses first on the child’s strengths, needs, abilities, preferences and goals. The model then considers the different settings in which the child learns and identifies environmental barriers. It examines what the child is expected to do and where difficulties occur and then only after considering the first three areas does the SETT model explore appropriate strategies, supports or technology.
This makes the model child-centred rather than technology-centred. It also encourages collaboration between the child, teachers, parents and external agencies.
When used alongside a School Support File, the SETT model can help teachers organise existing information, identify gaps in assessment, and make informed decisions about interventions. Most importantly, it helps ensure that supports are appropriate and linked directly to the child’s needs and educational goals.Part 2:
Student: Alan, 10 years old, 4th class
Alan is an enthusiastic learner who enjoys practical activities, technology and working with his classmates. He experiences difficulties with reading comprehension, extended writing and following lengthy, multi-step instructions. Alan works best when instructions are clear and broken into smaller steps. He also benefits from visual supports, extra processing time and opportunities to demonstrate his learning in different ways.Goals:
• Increase independence in classroom tasks.
• Improve reading comprehension and written expression.
• Increase confidence and participation in learning activities.Environment: Alan is in a mainstream classroom with approximately 25 pupils. Noise and distractions can affect his concentration. He has access to support from his class teacher and the special education teacher. A quieter workspace, visual timetable and access to a laptop/ipad are available.
Tasks: Priority tasks include
– Following multi-step instructions.
– Reading and understanding texts.
– Planning and completing written work.
– Organising ideas.
– Demonstrating knowledge during assessments.
– Completing independent classroom activities.Tools: Potential supports include
– Text-to-speech for longer reading tasks.
– Speech-to-text for extended writing.
– Visual checklists and task planners.
– Graphic organisers for planning ideas.
– A laptop or tablet for written tasks.
– Headphones where appropriate to reduce distractions.Assessment & Review: The effectiveness of each support should be monitored through classroom and SET observation, work samples, student feedback and progress records. Information from Alan’s School Support File should also be reviewed. Supports should be put in place, evaluated and adjusted regularly in collaboration with Alan, his family, teachers and outside agencies.
Hi Orla, I really liked your SETT plan, especially the focus on assistive technology. I work with a child who also uses an AAC device, so I understand how important it is for the device to be available consistently and used as a genuine means of communication. I think having Sam’s dedicated iPad with his AAC app with him at all times is particularly important, as it allows him to communicate his needs, make choices and participate in activities. The noise-cancelling headphones are another useful tool for reducing sensory overload. Overall, the devices selected are practical, purposeful and closely linked to Sam’s individual needs.
Hi Monita, I completely agree. Teaching has changed dramatically, especially with technology, and continuing to learn is essential if we are to prepare children for an ever-changing world. CPD gives us opportunities to develop new skills, reflect on our practice and stay relevant. After 25 years, your experience really highlights the value of lifelong learning
Part 2: I believe teachers are lifelong learners because there is always something new to learn, improve or reflect on. From reading about Cosán during the course, it has helped me understand that professional learning is not just about completing courses, but about developing as a teacher through reflection, collaboration and experience. CPD is important because it keeps teachers up to date with new approaches, technology and the changing needs of children. Personally, I see CPD as an opportunity to build my confidence, learn from others and improve my teaching practice. Continuing to learn allows me to become a more effective and reflective teacher.
This activity is designed for a 2nd class child who experiences difficulties with literacy, particularly reading and spelling. They also have difficulty organising their ideas and remembering multi – step instructions. The child responds well to visual supports, short instructions, sentence starters and opportunities to use technology. She is more confident when she can demonstrate her knowledge verbally or through pictures rather than relying solely on written words.
Breaking the activity into small steps reduces the cognitive load and slows the child to experience success which will feed into her confidence. The use of visual prompts and sentence starters support language development, while speech to text and images provide the child with an alternative way of demonstrating their knowledge.
Activity:
1. the child will create a short PowerPoint presentation called My Amazing Animal. She will choose an animal they like and create 3/4 slides about this animal. The first slide will include the animal’s name and a picture. The following slide will contain simple facts such as where the animal lives, what it eats, how it moves, and one other fact that the child finds interesting.
2. To support this child, the teacher can provide a simple template with headings and sentences starts such as … My animal lives in…. It eats…. It can…. And an interesting fact is….. The child can use pictures or speech to text rather than having to type everything independently. The teacher can also provide the child with a word bank of associated vocabulary.
3. The child can finish by presenting their slides to the class or recording themselves speaking about their animal. This provides the child with an opportunity to develop oral language, communication confidence and presentation skills.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z8tgatsFFmLq4G1tVWSGChnBYyaUemAR/view?usp=drive_link
One child I work with only received a laptop in Term 3 of last year and was still becoming familiar with using it as part of her learning by the end of the school year. Looking at literacy from a numeracy point of few, she finds word problems in maths particularly difficult, mainly because she can struggle to read and understand what the question is asking. I think features such as Immersive Reader could be very useful for her, as it would allow her to have the questions read aloud to her and help her focus on the mathematical aspect of the task rather than the reading. The laptop could also be adapted further by using text enlargement or magnification where needed. She also finds the standard track – pad difficult to use. Introducing an external mouse, or an adapted mouse if necessary, could help to make navigating and interacting with the laptop easier for her. These adaptations could support her independence and allow her to engage more effectively with both literacy and numeracy tasks.
Hi Sharon, I have a child on my caseload who struggles with word problems in maths. She has recently received a laptop, so I am hoping to encourage her to complete more problem – solving activities on it during the coming school year, using features such as Immersive Reader to support her understanding of the questions.
<p data-start=”310″ data-end=”970″ data-is-last-node=”” data-is-only-node=””>Your comment about the technology we already have in schools really caught my attention. We have so many children who may not currently be receiving additional support but who could benefit from simple adaptations, such as enlarging text or exploring the accessibility features already available on their devices. I think there is real value in showing children the different adaptive options and allowing them to choose what works best for them and supports their learning. Sometimes, the simple act of showing a child how to make these changes can make a significant difference to their independence and ability to access their learning.</p>Having worked in special education for the past four years, I have seen how assistive technology can make a real difference to a child’s participation, confidence and independence. Over the past year, I have experienced first-hand the benefits for children with reading difficulties through the use of C – Pens and the Read and Write programme. These tools have helped children on my caseload become less dependent on adult support and have given them greater opportunities to access learning and complete tasks independently.
Before introducing these technologies, I worked closely with the SENO to identify which tools would best meet each child’s individual needs. Using the SETT model alongside the student’s support file, we considered their strengths, needs, interests and preferred ways of learning. We also considered the environment in which the technology would be used. For example, one child in an autism class required support with communication, and after considering their needs and environment, an AAC communication device was identified as an appropriate tool. For another child with dyslexia who experienced difficulty decoding words, a C – Pen was considered more suitable to support access to text.
Over the past two years, we have also recognised the importance of including assistive technology within our School Self – Evaluation process. Reflecting on our current practices has allowed us to identify both strengths and areas for development. One area for improvement was developing our knowledge and confidence in using assistive technology effectively. This has encouraged me to complete this course and further develop my practice, so that I can better support children to become confident, independent and successful learners. This also links to the Digital Learning Framework, especially the standards around using digital technology to support all children in their learning. I would like to build my confidence in using assistive technology so that I can help children become more independent and get the most out of their learning.Hi Melissa,
I have one child on my SET caseload with dyslexia who started using a C Pen at the start of the last school year. By June, it has really helped with her reading, especially when she comes across unfamiliar words. It has also supported her understanding of word morphology by helping her recognise and break down words into smaller parts, making it easier for her to decode and understand new vocabulary. By the end of the school year, she was a lot more confident reading independently with her mother also reporting the same.