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I really liked your point about the reading difficulty sometimes being the actual barrier in maths word problems. It is easy to assume that a child is struggling with the maths when they may understand the concept but are having difficulty accessing the language in the question. Using Immersive Reader to read the problem aloud could allow them to concentrate on the maths itself. I also hadn’t thought about using the Picture Dictionary for mathematical language, which could be really useful, particularly with younger children or pupils who find maths vocabulary difficult.
For this assignment I thought about a small group of Second Class pupils I might work with in SET who need additional support in both literacy and numeracy. The children would have different strengths and needs, so I would not expect the same technology to work equally well for everyone.
For literacy, Immersive Reader is probably the tool I am most likely to use after completing this course. Features such as read aloud, line focus, changing text size and spacing and the picture dictionary could help pupils access texts more independently. I would also use Dictate for children who can explain their ideas orally but find handwriting or spelling a barrier. Microsoft Reading Coach is another resource I would like to explore further for reading practice.
For numeracy, I would use simple interactive maths activities alongside concrete materials. OneNote Math Assistant could be useful as children progress, while programmes such as Kahoot could also be used for quick, visual assessment and revision. With younger pupils I think it is important that digital activities do not replace practical maths but are used alongside it.
One of the main things I am taking from this course is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to assistive technology. The resource needs to be chosen around the child and the task and then reviewed to see if it is actually helping. At a school level, I think this links well with School Development Planning and SSE. Rather than simply buying more technology, we need to look at what we already have, how effectively it is being used and where staff may need further training or support.Part 1
I found the SETT framework useful because it makes you stop and look at the child and the actual difficulty they are experiencing before deciding what technology might help. I could see it fitting very naturally alongside a pupil’s School Support File.I would start with the Student by looking at their strengths as well as the areas they are finding difficult and getting their own views where possible. The Environment is also important, particularly in a junior school, as I would want to consider how the child manages in both the mainstream classroom and SET setting and what supports are already available. Looking at the Task would help to identify exactly where the difficulty is occurring. For example, a child may have very good oral language but find reading, spelling or handwriting difficult, so the barrier may be in recording their learning rather than understanding the topic.For assessment, I would use a range of information including teacher observation, samples of work, reading and comprehension activities, spelling and writing samples, discussion with the pupil, class teacher and parents, and any assessment information already available. I would then trial the chosen support and review whether it is actually improving the pupil’s independence and access to learning.The outcomes and targets could be recorded and reviewed through the School Support File, rather than seeing assistive technology as a once-off solution.
Part 2
For my sample SETT plan I chose a Second Class pupil with good oral language who finds reading fluency, spelling, handwriting and organising written work difficult. I chose this profile because it is the type of difficulty I could realistically come across in SET.The tools I selected included Immersive Reader and Dictate in Microsoft Word, along with simple supports such as a visual checklist, word bank and graphic organiser. Immersive Reader could help the pupil to access text through read aloud, line focus, syllables and changes to text spacing, while Dictate could allow them to record their own ideas without handwriting or spelling becoming the main barrier.What I like about using the SETT approach is that the technology comes at the end of the process rather than the beginning. The plan starts with what the child can do, what they find difficult, the environment they are working in and the task they need to complete. I would also want to review the supports after a period of use rather than assuming that because a particular tool was chosen it must be working. Pupil feedback and increased independence would be important parts of that review.
Link to SETT plan:
https://1drv.ms/w/c/71bbe056a93a2377/IQDlWkXPN7MPSpq_Z3BBJ9WpAcxpYYh-UJkIplahWhNF8fY?e=pAD0AQI really liked how you used a mixture of practical and digital supports rather than relying on technology alone. The phonics songs and magnetic letters seem like a lovely way to get the child engaged before moving on to Immersive Reader and Starfall. I also think your point about working in the environment that suits the child best is really important, especially with sensory needs. It shows how the SETT framework can help us look at the whole child and not just the learning difficulty.
I really agree with your point about using the technology to remove barriers rather than simplifying the learning for the child. I also liked what you said about pupils becoming confident enough to use the tools themselves, as that independence is really important. Like you, I had used Immersive Reader before but had never really explored all of its features. This module has made me realise how much is already available to us within Microsoft 365 without needing anything extra. I also agree that some of the best CPD is the practical kind where you come away with something you can actually use with pupils straight away.
Part 1
i looked at a traditional daily use actity. For this activity I chose a second class pupil who has good oral language and lots of ideas but finds it difficult to organise and record these ideas in writing. I created a simple “My News” activity in Microsoft Word with prompts such as Who? Where? What happened? and How did you feel? to help the pupil organise their thoughts.The pupil could first talk through their news and then use Dictate in Word to record their ideas rather than having handwriting and spelling getting in the way. Once the piece was completed, we could use Immersive Reader to listen back to it together. Features such as line focus, text spacing and read aloud could help the pupil follow the text and notice anything that does not sound right.I think this would allow the pupil to concentrate more on sequencing, vocabulary and sentence structure while also helping them to become more independent. Over time I would gradually reduce the prompts as their confidence improved. I also like that the finished piece would still be the pupil’s own ideas and words, with the technology simply helping to remove some of the barriers to getting them onto the page.
Link to activity:
https://1drv.ms/w/c/71bbe056a93a2377/IQBa2eDzELWYTIv2xmmYHyu6AVaYL8yHiyrLU8Wg6gqj8_k?e=XnEdnWPart 2
I definitely think teachers are lifelong learners. Teaching changes all the time, whether through new curriculum approaches, technology, different pupil needs or simply through reflecting on what works and what does not work in our own classrooms.
I liked the idea in the Cosán framework that professional learning is a journey rather than something that is ever really finished. It also made me think about how much teacher learning happens informally. It is not always about attending a course. We learn through working with colleagues, trying something new with a pupil, sharing ideas and reflecting on our own practice.This course itself is a good example for me. I had used technology in SET before, but I had not realised how many accessibility features were already available within programmes such as Microsoft 365. CPD gives us the opportunity to explore these things properly and then decide what could genuinely improve learning for the children we teach. I think this is especially important in SET, where the needs of pupils can be so individual and we need to keep adapting what we do.
Just to add to my earlier reflection, I can also see the SETT framework being very useful alongside a pupil’s School Support File. Working in a junior school, I think it would be important to build up a full picture of the child using teacher observation, samples of their work, discussion with the class teacher and parents, and more formal assessment where appropriate. This would help us to identify exactly where the difficulty is before deciding on a support or piece of technology. The support could then be reviewed regularly to see if it is actually making a difference for the child. I think this also links well with the Digital Learning Framework, particularly around improving learner experiences and developing teachers’ practice.
This module made me realise how many accessibility features are already built into the technology we use in school. I found Immersive Reader particularly useful. I knew about the read aloud function, but I hadn’t realised how many other options were available, such as line focus, changing the text size and spacing, breaking words into syllables, the picture dictionary and translation. I can see these being really useful in SET, especially for children who find reading difficult or who can become overwhelmed by a full page of text.I also liked Dictate and can think of children who have plenty of ideas but struggle to get them down on paper because of handwriting or spelling difficulties. Being able to dictate their ideas could allow them to show what they know and work more independently.Another thing I took from the module was that we do not always need to buy new equipment. Sometimes changing accessibility settings, using a different mouse or adapting the equipment we already have could make a big difference. Working in a junior school, I think these small changes could be especially useful.For me, the main message was that the technology needs to suit the individual child and the particular difficulty they are experiencing, rather than using technology simply because it is available.
I really liked your idea of the older SET pupils showing younger children how to use Immersive Reader during buddy reading. I think that would be great for their confidence as well as helping the younger children. I also hadn’t thought about the background colour option as an alternative to coloured overlays, but that is such a simple change and could make a big difference for some children. Like you, I wish I had explored Immersive Reader properly before now as there are so many features in it that I can see being really useful in SET.
<span style=”font-family: ‘Calibri’,sans-serif;”>This module made me think a bit more about how we choose assistive technology for individual pupils. I found the SETT framework really useful because it starts with the child, their environment and what they are actually being asked to do, before looking at the technology itself. I think that is important because sometimes it is easy to focus on what is available rather than what the child actually needs. I can see the SETT framework working really well alongside a pupil’s School Support File, especially when we are trying to identify what the difficulty is and what support might make a difference. Working in a junior school, a lot of the supports we use can be quite simple, such as visual supports, graphic organisers, adapted writing tools or just changing how a task is presented. It was a good reminder that assistive technology does not always have to mean expensive equipment. i also found the link with SSE useful. It made me think about how we use technology across the school and whether it is actually helping children to take part and learn more independently. For me, the main message from the module was to start with the child and their needs, and then decide what support or technology will help.</span>
I really agree with what you said about the needs being so different depending on the age of the children. As you said ,moving from Junior Infants to 5th Class SET will definitely bring a different set of needs and I think the SETT framework will be really useful for that. I also liked the reminder that assistive technology doesn’t have to be something expensive or high-tech. Sometimes the simple supports we already use can make a huge difference. Like you, I think the main thing is starting with the child and what they actually need, rather than starting with the technology.