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<p class=”MsoNormal”>The SETT framework allows student support teams to match instruction to a student’s specific priority needs. The School Support File provides background on strengths, challenges, and past interventions. Professional reports provided by Educational/Clinical psychologists, OTs, Speech and Language Therapists, etc. provide diagnostic information and specific recommendations to inform the SSF. In addition to the inclusion of parent and school input, a complete picture is then created of the SEN child and his/her specific needs and the most appropriate manner in which those needs are addressed. The team then uses the SETT framework to select appropriate technologies for the child to meet those needs.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RG_lI_cGPHbwreDaocy9hE3iwPWXOdum/view?usp=sharing</p>
In line with the School Development Planning section in the Inclusive Education Framework, this lesson reflects the goal of enabling the pupil to access the class curriculum to the best of their ability and to embed these skills across many other similar learning tasks both in school and at home.
Lesson Title: Word-Based Addition of Fractions
The goal of this lesson is to teach a SEN pupil who has learning difficulties (a diagnosis of both Dyslexia and Dyscalculia) how to perform word-based addition of fractions, using appropriate technology tools and resources, to enable independent problem-solving both in the classroom and at home.
Initially, the teacher must ensure the pupil’s iPad is set up with the necessary applications: Microsoft 365, Khan Academy, Microsoft OneNote Math Assistant, Immersive Reader, Reading Progress Tool, Google Lens, Jungle Fractions, Just Fractions and Fraction Basics free Apps.
The first step is to discuss the concept of fractions using real-life examples (e.g. pizza sharing using concrete materials), followed by explaining the goal of the lesson: to add fractions using word based problems. The use of the iPad with Google Lens (for scanning and digitising problems from ‘Busy At Maths’ class textbook) should be demonstrated and taught to enable the pupil to capture fraction-based word problems themselves.
Use of iPad Apps, Jungle Fractions, Just Fractions and Fraction Basics to practice addition of fractions through interactive exercises should follow. The teacher should provide guidance as needed, emphasising the visual representation of fractions.
The pupil should then use Google Lens to scan a fraction-based word problem from their textbook. Next, they should be shown how to use Microsoft OneNote Math Assistant to assist in breaking down the problem into manageable steps. The teacher should encourage the pupil to use Immersive Reader for better comprehension of the problem statement as required.
The teacher will then review the pupil’s independent work, addressing difficulties as that arise, and emphasise the importance of practicing word-based addition of fractions. To encourage the pupil to continue using the technology tools for further practice at home, the teacher will assign additional fraction-based word problems using the Microsoft 365 platform (i.e. the maths assistant in One Note), and recommend Khan Academy’s relevant courses for extra practice and home support which can often be tricky especially when parents inform teachers that they learnt maths in the past in different ways and find it difficult to support their SEN children at home.
Microsoft’s Immersive Reader is a potent tool that can significantly support pupils who require additional support in the area of literacy. For teachers, this inclusive software is a priceless resource because it offers a variety of features that cater to various learning styles and abilities.
The Immersive Reader has text-to-speech capabilities that let students who struggle with reading or have visual impairments hear the text read aloud to them. This improves understanding and motivates reluctant readers to interact with the material on their own. The tool also aids bilingual students by offering simultaneous text translation into multiple languages ,which will be particularly useful for our new EAL pupils. The Immersive Reader also offers the option to customise text appearance to suit personal preferences.
For students with dyslexia or attention issues, the ability to customise font size, spacing, and background colour reduces visual stress and improves focus. The ability to break complex words down into syllables, which promotes phonemic awareness and helps students who have trouble decoding, is another essential quality. The syllable highlighting feature helps students understand word structure, which enhances their reading and spelling abilities.
Additionally, the Picture Dictionary feature promotes vocabulary growth by connecting words to appropriate pictures. This helps students with learning disabilities and delayed language comprehension by improving word comprehension and memory. The read-aloud and highlighter features of the Immersive Reader also aid comprehension by enabling students to follow along visually while listening. This strengthens the relationship between spoken and written words.
In conclusion, Microsoft’s Immersive Reader is an adaptable and inclusive tool that can greatly aid literacy. For students with a range of abilities and needs, its text-to-speech, customisation, syllable highlighting, picture dictionary, and comprehension features create an engaging and accessible learning environment will support students experiencing literacy challenges in our primary school classrooms.
Module 3 :
Activity Title: “Numeracy Word Problems with Immersive Reader”
Activity Description: In the “Numeracy Word Problems with Immersive Reader” activity, my SEN seven-year-old pupil with severe dyslexia will embark on a journey to solve written math problems using the Immersive Reader tool within Microsoft 365. This activity aims to enable her to access the 2nd class Numeracy Irish primary school curriculum, specifically focusing on reading written math problems during regular class time in the classroom environment, with my “in class” support (as SET).
Activity Steps:
1. Introduce my student to Immersive Reader in a 1:1 setting : Begin with a brief introduction to the Immersive Reader tool on an iPad i.e. show how it can read text aloud, highlight specific parts, adjust text size and background colour to suit my pupil’s requirements to make reading easier.2. Preparation: Before math class, I will “screen shot” the relevant pages from the pupil textbook onto pupil’s iPad.
3. Engagement with Math Problems: During math class, the pupil will use the Immersive Reader to read the written math problems independently and SET will be available to provide any necessary support or clarifications.
4. Interactive Problem Solving: After reading the problem, the pupil can use discuss it with the SET and also use the Immersive Reader to re-read specific parts of the problem if needed.
Relevance to Student’s Needs: This activity is tailored to address the specific learning needs of the pupil with severe dyslexia. Here’s how it is relevant:
1. Accessibility: The Immersive Reader tool provides features such as text-to-speech and focus modes, which help the student with dyslexia access written content more easily, making the math problems less daunting.
2. Independence: The activity promotes independent reading and problem-solving, building the student’s confidence in handling written math problems on their own.
3. Classroom Inclusion: The activity takes place in the regular classroom setting, fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring the student is not singled out while receiving valuable support from the SET.
4. Curriculum Alignment: By focusing on math problems aligned with the Irish primary school curriculum, the activity ensures the student can actively participate in class activities and keep up with the curriculum. Overall, “Numeracy Word Problems with Immersive Reader” is a creative and inclusive approach that leverages technology to empower our pupil with dyslexia to thrive in the math classroom, supported by both technology and the dedicated assistance of the SET.
Cosán Framework
The Cosán Framework for Teachers’ Learning is based on the principles of reflective practice, professional competence, and lifelong learning.One of the key strengths of the Cosán Framework is its focus on reflective practice. The framework encourages teachers to reflect on their practice and to identify areas for improvement. This reflective process is essential for teachers to develop their skills and knowledge and to improve their teaching practice.
The framework also emphasizes the importance of ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. This is critical for teachers to keep up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in their field.
Another strength of the Cosán Framework is its flexibility. The framework is designed to be adaptable to individual and school contexts. This means that teachers can use the framework to develop their skills and knowledge in a way that is relevant to their own teaching practice. The framework also allows for different approaches to be developed, which is important for promoting innovation and creativity in teaching.
Are teachers lifelong learners?
Yes, teachers are lifelong learners. The concept of lifelong learning is central to the teaching profession. Teachers are expected to continuously develop their skills and knowledge throughout their careers to keep up with the latest research and best practices in their field. This is essential for teachers to provide the best possible learning experience for their students.Why is CPD so important?
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is important for teachers because it helps them to keep up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in their field. CPD provides teachers with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge, which is essential for improving their teaching practice and providing the best possible learning experience for their students. CPD also helps teachers to stay motivated and engaged in their profession, which is important for their overall
well-being and job satisfaction.The potential of A. Tech. to help people to work around their challenges, to enable them to learn, communicate and function better, whilst also playing to their strengths can be achieved by careful, purposeful selection of appropriate A.T. following SETT framework to guide the process of matching student needs with specific tools at the planning stages.
In terms of particular practical outlines, I find it useful to relate to my own work SET in relation to particular students at present. I chose this course to improve my knowledge in this area and I noted the special education and accessibility resources for remote learning made available by Microsoft in their ‘Microsoft Learn Educator Centre’ as being of particular interest to me and my SEN pupils. The Minecraft Ed. game based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration and problem solving in an immersive digital environment which can be used across the primary school curriculum in any grade level, lends itself to ensuring that my students ‘buy into’ these learning experiences as they already love the Minecraft environment. This approach to teaching improved group social skills will hopefully help the pupils to listen to each other as they build worlds individually at first and then progress to building worlds together and then be supported to modify their work together as small groups and later on as a whole class.
Our SSE process is to focus on our whole school improvement of pupil digital skills as we are purchasing a class set of laptops to equip our school computer/technology classroom. The skills acquired from engaging with the Microsoft resources in a positive and enjoyable manner will improve SEN student engagement and generalize skills learnt in small group setting to whole class scenarios. In addition, it will improve general I.T. confidence, which will in turn improve the outcomes of specific I.T skill targets for the pupils noted in our SSE.
In addition, working within the DLF of a shared vision of how technology can meet the needs of all learners and more specifically my SEN pupils, the new skills should provide positive outcomes in term of learner outcomes (improving the enjoyment of learning and motivation to learn) and learner experiences in the promotion of positive respectful digital interactions. Teachers’ individual practice of responding to individual needs of pupils and collaborative practice will also be addressed.
