Post #2 May 26

Today we used the software program, Proloquo2go. This program is light years ahead of the cumbersome devices that I can remember using when I was a learning Center teacher 8 years ago; it is definitely superior to PECS. Anyway, the user interface seemed user friendly. The visual appeal of the program cannot be overlooked. Students with verbal communication difficulties will find this program very helpful, I think. Of course we had to keep in mind the characteristics of our students like physical abilities, sensory/perceptual abilities, linguistic abilities and cognitive abilities of the studetns we were designing these phrase for. Once again I will ask the question, why is this program not available in every Learning Center? I found with this program that the options for use are almost unlimited. The library of images and phrases to compose sentences was excellent when trying to come up with a visual label to accompany a sentence. The ability to import images from the Internet was helpful as well when we couldn't find an appropriate image in the library. The most challenging part for me was to "step outside" of myself and try to put myself in the place of a young person who had communication challenges that I may never have to deal with. So many things are taken for granted in terms of social cues, body language, cues and hidden meanings that are embedded in our pysche. I absolutely agree that a lack of verbal communication instantly assumes a lack of intelligence. Another challenging aspect of this program is the different layers of communication that can be used. To say that it was time consuming is an understatement. I found that my group easily used 2-3 hours to plan and compose the phrases that our students were going to use. Th second part of this weeks post includes some of the apps availaboe for AAc applications and general communication for children. The first program that I looked at was One Voice- an AAC program that I found to be similar to Proloquo2go. The price is comparable to Proloquo2go and the ease of use was simialr. I did like the left menu that allowed the user to easily search for a phrase or caregory.

The second program I chose to look at was Looktel Money reader and Recognizer. These programs allow users with visual impairments or blindness to identify cans, packages, ID or credit cards, DVDs, and denominations of currency. Users can store images of objects in a library or database, and then simply point the iPhone's camera at an object and the phone will recognize and describe the item instantly. A barcode scanner is also included to provide additional labeling help.

Against Assistive Technology Video

Here is a video challenging the assumptions regarding using AT.

first blog

This is my first attempt at a blog, relatively painless so far. Assistive Tech and its application has always been an issue that is important to me. Without seeing the posts from other teachers in the course, the ability to teach to all students in the classroom is a goal of most teachers, I think. I am currently in a regular classroom setting teaching Geography 10 and Global Geography 12. Within the confines of this classroom, I typically am dealing with a few students who may have learning disabilities and usually some students on an IPP. In my Global Geo class, there are four students on an IPP, 3 who are autisitc, of which one is an ESL student as well. To state the obvious, reaching these students can be a challnge, particulary when two of the autistic students do not verbally communicate. The first class in this course has been an eye opener for me. Why do we not have one of these handheld devices for all diverse learners in our classroom? It would make sense to make these available to have some hope of engaging these students. I will relate the story of one of my students and the challenges that he presents; perhaps these is a solution. This student showed up in my classroom about a month into the semester. He is autistic, does not speak English very well and is only attending as a means of "auditing" this course and getting used to the routine of going to this particular school. His verbal communication is very limited and he is prone to aggressive behaviour especially when an unexpeted event occurs in his routine. I have noticed that his ability to draw is amazing, he is definitely gifted in this area. I have been told that it is not necessary to provide him with any activities in the classroom and he is allowed to enter and leave the classroom when he wishes. Instead of babysitting this student, I would rather find things to at least peak his interest in something related to geography. In this situation, a mobile device like an Ipad would be beneficial. Would an App like Dragon Dictate be useful? Are there applications available that would allow him to use his gift in a way that is meaningful in a geography classroom? Is there an APP for that? Anyway, I do not see the situation in the classroom changing anytime soon and it will probably get worse in the near future pending cutbacks. Would it be practical to have mobile devices for all students on an IPP?