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I have chosen to focus on a child with dyslexia.
It is important to teach children with dyslexia skills in a wide range of Assistive Technology so that they can realise that there are many mediums through which they can express their ideas and so that they can develop their learning and confidence. These technologies will go a long way in helping a child with dyslexia to reach their full academic potential.Speech to Text would allow the student to focus solely on the content of their writing, without having to think about the spelling aspect. This would be hugely beneficial as they would be better able to express their thoughts and to present them in a coherent way through the use of this Programme. The spell check element would allow them the opportunity to identify and self-correct spelling errors.
Immersive Reader is an excellent resource for pupils with dyslexia. The following features of this Programme would be helpful in aiding a pupil with dyslexia to achieve success in a reading task: aspects such as the ability to increase font size and to control line length, the ability to increase spacing , being able to break words into syllables and being able to identify parts of speech. The line focus option would be hugely beneficial to students with dyslexia, as would the picture clues.
Reading Coach would help the student to practice the correct pronunciation of the words that they find difficult to read.
Powerpoint is a great programme for students to use when completing projects. This programme would be beneficial for a pupil with dyslexia as they could be encouraged to include content such as videos and images as an alternative form of expression, rather than relying so heavily on written content.
Learning Alley and other audiobook readers would allow a pupil with dyslexia to access texts that may otherwise be a chore for them to read. They allow these students to gain enjoyment from a book or a piece of writing that may have been too difficult and may have caused stress for them if they had to read it themselves.
Flipgrid would allow pupils with dyslexia the opportunity to give a video response to a task set by the teacher, allowing them to focus on the content of their answer, rather than having to provide a written response.
I have previously used a C-Pen reader with a pupil who I have taught who has dyslexia. This form of AT was useful for activities such as comprehension tasks, as the student’s main focus could be on understanding the content and answering the comprehension questions correctly.
Maths Assistant would be hugely beneficial for a student who is dyslexic as it would show the method for working out the Maths problem. It can also be used in conjunction with Immersive Reader which would allow the pupil to concentrate on how to solve the problem, not how to read it.
Allowing the student to use a Programme such as Excel to create charts and graphs would also be a positive use of Assistive Technology for a pupil with dyslexia.
All of the above will help in supporting inclusion and will aid the removal of barriers to education for pupils who have dyslexia within the school, in line with the aims that are outlined in the Inclusive Education Framework.
Reflection on how best to help a student with Dyscalculia:
A student with Dyscalculia may need an alternative means of assessment that is best suited to their needs. This may be one in which they are encouraged to use manipulatives or illustrations to demonstrate their understanding. They need multiple mediums when topics are being explained and some of these should allow them the opportunity to revisit the explanation given eg. teacher notes and videos. Learning tasks should be engaging, with adequate supports or scaffolding made available to them. Provide opportunities for hand on activities and once they have grasped the concept, allow them the opportunity to explain this concept to others in a small group setting. Ensure that the student has an adequate knowledge of Mathematical language through repetition and revisiting. All of these measures will be effective in teaching a child who has Dyscalculia and will help them in reaching their full potential.
Part 1: A Student Support File contains many factors, each one vitally important in compiling a clear plan for any child with Special Educational Needs. The SETT Model would be a beneficial guide in helping to inform the content of a Student Support File. It is essential to reflect upon both the strengths and weaknesses of the pupil, considering both academic and physical factors. This will allow the teacher to identify areas that need to be included as targets for the child, as well as identifying whether any physical needs need to be supported too eg. if a child is visually impaired. An assessment of the learning Environment of the child, both in a whole class setting would be beneficial as it would allow teachers to plan in a way that is realistic in that particular setting eg. identifying whether working independently or in pairs would best suit the child and being aware of the equipment available. Setting realistic tasks based on the individual targets in the pupil’s Student Support File is essential. Finally, identifying the best type of tool and the appropriate level of support for each individual child is crucial if the tools are to be beneficial in helping them to achieve success in their learning. These tools can be used as a means of assessment for the child eg. Khan Academy, which gives feedback to the teacher about how the child is performing in the Mathematical topic that they are working on. Therefore, the SETT would definitely be a very useful aid in compiling a Student Support File for a child.
Here is the link to my SETT lesson plan in Google Docs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12uV82QN1qUBt_6MT35HIum6zkl3f8lOjLCAtJGfEfDk/edit?usp=sharingAbsolutely, Jennifer. This picture makes it very clear that we are all so different and we all have our own individual strengths and weaknesses. One size most certainly does not fit all and teachers need to be acutely aware of this. We need to be aware of the necessity to adapt our teaching style so that the needs of our students are met. This is crucial if we are to help each and every child to reach their full potential.
Part 1: My lesson is appropriate for a pupil who I teach who has difficulties in the areas of expressive and receptive language. Using the dictate function to produce a piece of writing in a Literacy lesson would greatly help this child as it would allow him to focus solely on the content of his written piece. He could then use Immersive Reader to read his text back to him, but could use the function that allows him to listen to it being read at a slower speed. This would allow him the extra time needed to process the information and would, consequently, allow him better opportunity for self-assessment. In One Note, the ‘reading view’ would further eliminate distractions and would also make it easier for the student to focus solely on the task at hand. These AT supports would undoubtedly be hugely beneficial to this child in helping him to produce a piece of writing and, additionally, would most definitely have a positive effect on his overall self-confidence, which is so important for children with Special Educational Needs.
Part 2: ‘Cosán’ highlights the need for teachers to be on a continuous pathway or journey of personal self-development. It identifies that there are various means by which teachers can learn: by both formal and informal means, personal or professional, individual or collaborative, internal or external to the school. Conferences, seminars and webinars, reading articles, mentoring other teachers and attending evening courses are some examples of the CPD carried out by teachers.
It is essential that teachers are lifelong learners as new research is being done all of the time, discovering new and improved teaching methods in all areas of the curriculum. New technologies are constantly being developed, many of which would greatly enhance the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. For these reasons, CPD for teachers is essential.
Immersive Reader is an invaluable tool in aiding pupils with Special Educational Needs. The benefits of this programme are as follows: It can read a text aloud, line by line. It has a picture dictionary function which gives visual clues to readers if they need help to read a word. You can change aspects of the format of the text such as line spacing, font size and background colour, making it easier for some readers. It will translate a word to a different language, which will assist students for whom English is not their first language. It is built into Programmes such as One Note, Microsoft Teams and Office Lens.
Immersive Reader can be customised by prioritising the features that will best meet the needs of each individual student. It can assist in the teaching of Grammar as it identifies parts of speech. This Programme can also help children with auditory processing difficulties because the text can be read aloud to them at a slower speed. It can even be used as a tool to assess fluency with the Reading Coach facility. This element tells the pupils the correct pronunciation for words, it breaks words into syllables to help the reader to read it, and it gives a visual prompt as a clue. The Reading Coach assesses accuracy, time spent reading the text and correct words per minute, while also identifying and then teaching words that were read incorrectly.
The Edge Browser allows access to the above beneficial tools as it has Immersive Reader as a feature in it’s browser.Dictate is a very beneficial tool which would greatly benefit pupils with SEN, especially those with dysgraphia. It would make it much easier for a student to create a body of text. Additional beneficial features are that it can translate for pupils who have English as an additional language. The accessibility setting is very useful as it will check that the document is fully accessible for you pupils.
One of the main benefits of One Note is that it can be logged into anywhere. One Note has lots of accessibility features such as Dictate and Immersive Reader. It allows the use of spellcheck for those with spelling difficulty. Also, the ‘reading view’ setting makes distracting tabs disappear so that the reader can focus fully on the text that they are reading.
Sharepoint is an excellent resource in the teaching of children with SEN. It allows the teacher to condense large texts. Students can replay this at home. It can break down information, include diagrams and assessments designed by the teacher. The teacher can attach elements such as videos, images links. You can use a divider to divide your topics up. One of its best features, however, is that the student can replay this at home, so, if they have struggled to fully understand a concept during the lesson, they can revisit it at home.
I think that, sharing my knowledge of these Programmes with the SET team in my school and with other staff members would be very beneficial to the school as a whole. The use of elements such as Immersive Reader in a whole class setting on the interactive whiteboard would be beneficial to the class as a whole.
The use of resources such as trackball mouse for those with limited mobility in their hands, adaptive switches and keyboard shortcuts can also be very beneficial in aiding a person with Special Educational Needs to achieve success through the use of ICT.
Assistive Technologies are an invaluable means of allowing children with Special Educational Needs greater opportunity to achieve success across the Curriculum. Their role in supporting children with SEN in accessing the various subject areas should not be underestimated.
The reliance on ICT when schools were closed during the Covid pandemic opened our eyes to the many and varied possibilities for incorporating technology in learning.The SETT Model offers practical guidance in assessing the appropriate Assistive Technology in any given situation. It states the need to firstly look at the student and to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in all areas of the Curriculum, as well as being aware of any physical or communication needs the child may have. It highlights the need to assess the learning environment in terms of looking at the classroom, the teaching materials and also the structure of the lesson ie. whether the lesson requires the children to learn in a whole class setting or in small groups. It requires an awareness of what the task is and what you expect the child to achieve in order to succeed at their level. Finally, the SET teacher, in collaboration with the class teacher and the child’s parents, (ie. the IEP team) will consider what tools are necessary based on what level of support that is deemed necessary ie. low tech, mid-level or high tech support.
These guidelines will be an invaluable tool in school self- evaluation. As is the Digital Learning Framework for Primary Schools. This document provides helpful guidance on targets relating both to teaching and learning with Assistive Technology. It highlights the importance of collaboration with other teachers, sharing information on current practices with each other, in order to reflect upon and improve their performance in this area. The Framework also provides guidelines for those in a management role, relating to effective practice. This will undoubtedly help schools to reflect on their current practices and to identify areas that they can improve.As the ‘Digital Strategy for Schools’ highlights, “having an education which is fit for the digital age is essential”. It promotes inclusion for all, in particular, for those at risk of educational disadvantage and for those with Special Educational Needs. It identifies technology as a means of supporting the teaching, learning and assessment of the student. It provides support to schools in completing self-evaluation in this area. It is essential that we, as teachers are aware of the importance of AT so that we can ensure that these standards are upheld in our schools.