Feeling Great about Day 8!!!
July 14th, 2016
Some days are just really lovely! I got to work with Joanne and Nike all morning! We watched a video that was lovely and didn't make me noticeably weepy! We ate chocolate!!!
Video Take Away Thoughts
- It takes a large and collaborative team to meet student needs
- Focus on the long term development of skills that he will need throughout his life
- Authentic and rich inclusion is to the benefit of everyone within the classroom
- There is such enormous power in forming connections and attachments to one another
- There has been amazing developments and these students could have had access to so much more technology now. I wonder how these students are doing now? Has Joy been using Prologo2go as an adult?
Station 1
Anything with a plug-in can be turned on or off! Students could use a blender, mixer, microphone, music, tv, video, computer, video games, classroom fan, buzzers and anything else that needs electricity. It requires some motor targeting ability or hand-over-hand support. The squeeze switch would require grasp. They would need limited sensory abilities, some sight, and touch. This would provide them an opportunity to be a high value member of the classroom community service they became linked to high value events or items.
Station 2
Dell laptop
This requires a great deal cognitive ability to use effectively. The on screen keyboard
Had great colour contrast and the keys were large enough to easily see. Hovering was great with no clicking to select with a variable time options. This eliminates the secondary action of clicking after isolating the letter you want. Scanning would great for someone with vision strengths and difficulties with motor.
Station 3
Wireless switch access to play games.
This can used as a pair and can used by people with large motor skills, has spastic movement and visual skills. This provides great opportunities for social communication! Some of the greats available are: the lost penguin, switch access trainer, big trucks, sensory room,Shh!, Hidden Grid, Switch Mazes, Smarty Pants, Sensory Electric, Switch Accessible Puzzles and so many more! I could have played games all day with this switch (which is true of me most days) and I can imagine the kiddos lining up to spend time with someone using these.
Station 4
Eye Gaze
Amazing! This would allow a student with visual tracking to be able to word processing with an on screen keyboard, use AAC programs to communicate (is there something like P2go for laptops?) play games experience authentic social interactions and they can scroll and select with their eyes! The team would need to include OT, SLP and AT. Joanne even found a tablet version that students could use on the move (pays to have awesome teammates!).
Station 5
Chromebook and large format, high contrast keyboard
The keyboard would be large and difficult to move between locations. The Read and Write function was awesome! I have never used it and it is pretty mind blowing! I loved the highlight and transfer function that moved selected words to an individual dictionary entry page with images and everything!
Station 6
The Acer tablet was still in use with another group so my group looked at the accessibility options on my Samsung tablet. I was shocked at how many options there were! Vision options like voice assistant, dark screen, spoken passwords and magnification options. Hearing options included subtitles, all sound lock and left/right sound balance. There were dexterity and interaction options like universal switch controls and tap and hold options as well as interaction control options. Compared to the apps selection in the Chrome Web Store yesterday, the apps seemed to be both numerous and relevant (not a bad combo!)
Station 7
My group came up three YouTube videos that present a broad spectrum of augmented, alternative communication experiences.
I have ended my day pretty much in awe of the options, technology and innovation that lays in the world just waited for us to bring it to our students...and also wishing Joanne had taken me to the beach
Great work Tracy. The beach sounds great:) Switch scanning too requires great physical, cognitive and visual capabilities ...especially attention to task! Don't forget to imbed the youtube videos so we can watch them right from your blog:) easy to do in your post toolbar
ReplyDeleteThe links are all active (and actually take you to the right website!) Thanks for the idea to make our websites accessible this way :)
DeleteAH.... you are so sweet, Tracy... and you brought the chocolate too...I see a visit to the beach in our future....and not a virtual one, but an actual one.
ReplyDeleteYou are a super ans supportive partner!
DeleteIf anyone needs me I will searching for flip flops and sunscreen.