Monday 25 November 2013

Technology Applications and the Cognitive Process

I had the opportunity to present to admin council last spring about educator use of technology.  I had recently come across the work of Ruben R. Puentedura, who has examined how we can stack the use of technology onto Bloom's taxonomy of learning.  I felt that particular opportunity was a good time to look at how technology can be used or infused in the classroom, while projecting Puentedura's SAMR model up on the wall.  I approach many teacher PD presentations with this model in mind. Technology can be used in the classroom, but it can also be infused in ways that allow learners to explore, create, collaborate, and blow down the walls of the classroom in ways that wouldn't otherwise be possible without technology.
This past fall, I had the opportunity to listen to a keynotes presentation at the Manitoba School Library Association's SAGE, delivered by teacher-librarian Kathy Schrock, who has woven Puentedura's SAMR framework throughout her website. Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything is a goldmine of resources on  literacy, assessment, and technology- many of the targeted areas of our school division's strategic plan.  If you are interested in both the SAMR model and the use of the iPad, Android, and Web 2.0 tools in instruction, then please have a look at her Bloomin' Apps page.  I would also recommend perusing the rest of her webpage for countless resources, rubrics, and links that you can use tomorrow.

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Writing IEP Goals for Students that Use AAC

We are upon IEP season, which means we are busy coordinating and hosting meetings for our students and are thinking of ways to support students across the span of the school year.  If you are already working in collaboration with your school's Speech and Language Pathologist to develop goals for students on your caseload that have a communication device, it would be worthwhile for you to review this document which provides some guidelines for creating IEP goals for AAC users.  It has a list of considerations for you to use when formulating a goal that you would like to have your team assist in supporting the student who is an AAC user.  Robin Parker and Carole Zangari have developed this amazing document that you may want to consult, along with your division's Speech and Language Pathologist, to consider some ways to further your student's progress and development with AAC use.  See a few other resources on their blog page.

Great Blog for You

If you are a resource teacher working with a student who has communication needs and you haven't started following Robin Parker's PrAACtical AAC blog, I would highly recommend it. Parker's posts on Wednesdays are themed, Watch it Wednesdays and today's post has all to do with considering ways that you can build communication opportunities into your students' daily routines.  When I clicked on the link to the YouTube video, I was directed to a great collection of video resources that you could use with students who have a variety of disabilities or social concerns.  Check out the Watson Institute's YouTube Channel here if you are interested in watching some short and valuable videos to support students with whom you are working.