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There is a vast range of Assistive Technology, both free and paid, available to support the learning of children in modern classrooms. Children with Additional Learning Needs stand to benefit most from these resources and tools, in order to help them overcome barriers to progression in an outdated education system, designed for with a one-size-fits-all mentality.
For the purposes of this task I will discuss a child in 6th class who has Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and English as an Additional Language.
My experience of working with this child is that she has already found ways to utilise freely available AT using her laptop and phone. Her parents had spoken to me about concerns around her use of her phone to complete homework but when I had a chat with her about it she was able to explain that she was using her phone to read content for her and to read (and solve) Maths sums.
At a low tech level we were already using an array of visual resources and she also had access to a calculator as per the Educational Psychologist’s recommendations. She was learning to touch type using TTRS. However, I can imagine how much she would benefit from the use of Math Assistant in OneNote and what a difference this would make to her in terms of being able to see a breakdown of how to solve any Maths problem, rather than just finding an answer online or having to wait for the class or support teacher to go through everything with her the next day.
In terms of both her Dyslexia diagnosis and the fact that she was learning English as an Additional Language I can see that Immersive Reader would make her life so much easier, allowing her independence in terms of her learning and renewed confidence about her abilities as a learner. The facility to type with her voice would have been invaluable. Additionally, her parents found it hard to help her with her homework as they didn’t have much English, however they spoke both Arabic and French and the translate facilities of Immersive Reader would have made that process so much more accessible to all of them. It would have also really benefitted her to have the option of changing font size, spacing etc. Syllable division and the picture dictionary with translate option would also be great for this child. I believe this child would also have enjoyed and benefitted from MS Reading Coach and Search Coach.
The SETT model is an aid for teachers and support staff in planning appropriate AT implementation in line with a child’s strengths, learning needs and requirements as identified collaboratively for the Student Support File.
Attached is a SETT plan based on a five-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, whom I worked with last year. I’m looking forward to using this model to reassess and fine-tune his access to AT in the coming year, both during SET time and in the mainstream classroom.
The SETT model is an aid for teachers and support staff in planning appropriate AT implementation in line with a child’s strengths, learning needs and requirements as identified collaboratively for the Student Support File.
Attached is a SETT plan based on a five-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, whom I worked with last year. I’m looking forward to using this model to reassess and fine-tune his access to AT in the coming year, both during SET time and in the mainstream classroom.
Part 1:
I currently work with a boy who is going into second class. He has Dyslexia, DLD and ASD. He is exceptionally able in Maths but lacks confidence and proficiency in reading, which makes accessing Maths challenging for him at times. Maths is a highly regulating activity for him and gives him a great sense of achievement but it is disempowering and frustrating for him when the literacy aspect of problem-solving components create a barrier to accessing the content. We have previously used a variety of strategies from reading the material for him to creating personal Maths sight vocabulary books but I can see how using Immersive Reader will offer him renewed independence in respect to this, particularly as he has recently gotten an AT Microsoft laptop. My plan is to use the screenshot feature alongside immersive reader to enable him to independently access his Maths problems. We will also use this tool when working on his independent reading. He dislikes using his reader pen and his parents find it challenging to get him to read at home therefore I will pass on the information regarding immersive reader to them in order to encourage him to listen to the content at home before reading with me the next day during his SET time.
Part 2:
The Cosán Framework was established with the concept of life-long learning in mind. It promotes continued professional development opportunities for teachers whilst recognising and trusting that teachers are best equipped to ascertain their own areas of need and how best to address up-skilling and development and are committed to doing so. As someone who likes to feel empowered and ready to meet the priority needs of my pupils I feel that this flexibility is key to the success of such an initiative.
As a teacher I definitely consider myself to be a lifelong learner and feel that if I’m not learning I’m not growing and expanding personally or professionally. I work in a SET capacity and each year I meet new pupils with unique learning profiles and always feel a desire and a need to learn more in order to meet their needs to the best of my ability. I learn from my pupils and in order to make myself a better educator. During the last academic year, I worked with a pupil with Down Syndrome for the first time. I found this to be a very rewarding learning curve. I learned so much from this pupil, his family and his support team. I visited a special school for Mild GLD to get guidance, which was inspiring and informative. However, I also undertook a CPD course to equip me with more in-depth understanding of DS and how best to support this child’s learning and well-being in our school context and in my role as his SET teacher. I found the CPD aspect of my learning to be hugely beneficial and my teaching practices were honed as a result of this new learning. The course in question also inspired me to undertake further training in Lamh and in the Sensory Experience, all of which are building blocks towards making me a more attuned and effective teacher.
Immersive Reader is an invaluable tool for teachers to use in the classroom to improve engagement for every learner, irrespective of learning needs. Utilising tools such as Immersive Reader imbedded in teaching throughout the school/classroom normalises the use of AT to support different learning styles and challenges. It also increases pupil familiarity and confidence to use and explore AT independently and collaboratively. Immersive Reader functions allow for the adaptation of text to support readers of every level and are greatly beneficial to those with sensory impairment, Dyslexia and EAL considerations. The facility to be able to listen to a scanned text or translate material immediately promotes inclusion and independence by increasing access to material and improving the accessibility of tasks for all learners. Scanning Maths problems, to be read aloud is a hugely valuable aspect of this AT as reading can prove such a barrier even in Maths for children who struggle to access the content due to reading limitations. Likewise Dictate provides support to pupils who struggle with the mechanics of writing or proficiency in literacy, allowing them to prepare, draft and record their ideas without the stress and laboriousness of writing or typing. This is also a fantastic tool for teachers to use in planning for teaching and learning, communicating with caregivers and outside professionals etc.
In my position as a SET teacher I work with children with a variety of support needs, all of whom would benefit from the use of these fantastic innovations. I would foresee using Immersive Reader to personalise the reading experience in line with pupil needs, building on reading comprehension skills and improving confidence and fluency. One of the children I work with has DLD, Dyslexia and DCD and despite being an exceptionally able and highly motivated learner, finds it challenging and frustrating to represent his ideas in writing. He would benefit from having text read accurately to him (and being able to listen back to it in his own time and at different speeds), from being able to ‘type’ hands-free and from being able to access word meanings and alternatives as well as support around grammar. Competence in the use of these tools would greatly improve the learner experience for this pupil.
Assistive technology has the potential to open up education to learners of all needs in a variety of new ways, fostering innovation, collaboration and inclusion and improving outcomes, by providing tools which enable learners to overcome many common barriers to learning. Assistive Technology is of particular benefit to learners with additional and diverse learning needs but is important for all learners.
I was interested to discover that Assistive Technology covers more than just ‘High Tech’ options and includes any devices, tools or equipment which enable learners to function better in the learning environment. I look forward to exploring more options in each category in the coming year.
The SETT model is an extremely useful aid for teachers and support staff to use in conjunction with the Student Support File in choosing the most suitable types of Assistive Technology for each learner/ learning context. It is hugely important to take an individual’s learning profile, strengths and needs into consideration prior to selecting and implementing Assistive Technology.
The Digital Learning Framework is an invaluable tool for supporting schools in ensuring they are providing sufficient access to appropriate AT and imbedding AT across the school and that learners facing additional challenges have access to the AT that best supports their specific needs.
Some of the Digital Learning Framework standards I am most interested in addressing in my own context (SET) include:
1.1Standard: Pupils enjoy their learning, are motivated to learn and expect to achieve as learners
2.1Standard: Pupils engage purposefully in meaningful learning activities
3.3The teacher selects and uses teaching approaches appropriate to the learning objective and to pupils’ learning needs
4.1Standard: Teachers value and engage in professional development and professional collaboration