Case Studies

Book Creator is an amazing app.  It can be used for so many things for all grade levels.  One of the Case Studies used Book Creator to focus on a Grade Primary reading.  The student had pictures of their monthly reading and site words.  Th student read the stories and recorded their own voice.  Students enjoy this activity and it is a good feedback tool.

Writing Support
Writing process for students in Grade 2/3.  ELT support.
Cowriter, Book Creator, Clicker sentences were the main apps used for the case study.  The iPad is a tool used to motivate the students to write.  Co-writer provided immediate feedback and a chance to fix the errors when a word did not sound right.  The students were excited to have word predictions.
Hideout phonic(fun way to learn short vowels)s, Phonics genius (vowel combinations), Fun rhyming (supports spelling) these were quick 5 minutes activities they used at the end of the writing and reading activity.

The fab four of reluctant writers due to challenges in fine motor, executive function, memory retention ,word attack/spelling/phonological awareness.  Co-writer and word prediction software would be excellent for the fab four.
Co-writer increased the number of sentences, sequence, readability and motivation in the students.

 

How to help High School students with LD.  Well, we can use iPads but are the students using them properly?  We need to train how to use the iPad,  what do you use for your DA.

Training for the kids is very important.  What is proper etiquette?

This is a great website that talks about  iPad use.

Pages is used to aid in spelling and written output.  Claro pdf and Readiris

Claro pdf is an app I wan to use with my Junior High students.  I have to make sure that the students have it an it app on their iPad.  ClaroPDF light is free and only 1.99 for the full version.

Here is a little video to help use ClaroPDF.

 LEARN TO READ LIBRARY That a peak.  This is a 9.99 app that students love!

Touch Write

LiveScribe

Talk Typer

Free speech to text dictation software in a browser.

Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

As you can see from the presentations their are applications and tools that are good go to resources.  Book Creator, CoWriter and of course the iPad are the most popular.  It was interesting listening to the presentations and relating the information to the articles that we read earlier in the course.  The talk of the iPad - Breaking New Ground in Special Education is so true.  The iPad allows us to use Universal Design for Learning in our teaching environment because the iPad is becoming the tool that can"customize" student's learning.  The article states there is a revolution going on in special education but I feel they were the first to figure out what a great tool the iPad can be for students and teachers.  The SSRSB is implementing the TELP program which will make UDL more of a reality in our classrooms.  "The Shift in Assistive Technology" is absolutely wonderful for those students and teacher that need the organization. I know as a teacher, that teachers in 3 different learning environments, the iPad is a tool that I use to keep organized and prepared.  The idea of TELP will take away the "negative stigmatism that is attached to students that use the tool for assistance."  Now every student will have an iPad in their hands and the Universal Design for Learning will be at the students finger tips.  Thanks for a great course!

iTunes U

Book Creator is an excellent tool to use to create social stories for students or to get the students to create their own book.  Elaine showed a great example of a publication on "My zones" in book creator.  Another great aspect of book creator is that you can publish the book to ibooks.
Readirus
Take a picture of the assignment and open it up in readirus. Readirus
Convert any paper document, image or PDF into editable and searchable digital files.

Claro PDF Motivation is low and the engagement has increased.






We need to understand what is involved in the writing process.  This will help us understand where the gaps are with our students.
Inclusion of students
Curriculum is accessible to all students when you are designing your lessons.

Clicker Sentences;
Great for early learners.  This is a written output for emergent literacy learners.
We are developing reading and writing output. It will read aloud and will give the student a model sentence.  Therefore, the student can listen to the sentence to hear if the sentence is correct.
The top right hand corner is were you can develop the model sentences.  You can place the words in sentence order, random or guided order (error less writing).
You can email of print the document from the app.  Int he email section you can attach clicker document, attach text as file or paste text into email.
Learning Grids is specific for teachers.  It is located in learninggrids.com and it has sentences created based on subjects. 
The folder on the left hand side you can make a sentence set by adding.  Tap on the sentence set and you can develop the sentences.
ClickerDocs
Students use the range of writing support tools available to create written work.

Students that are no verbal you can use Proloquo2go. This app is very portable and easy to use. This is for augmentative communication and written output.
With Prologuo2go you can now imessage, text and email.  This is an excellent addition for the program.  Students who are non verbal will be able to use this to communicate.

Symbol Support
This is an app that adds symbols and speech to text.  This would be great for social stories, step by step instruction, schedule planner.  You can open the document up in system support viewer.

Garage band
This could be used as a voice recording system.  They can be email, airdrop and and send to itunes, facebook, SoundCloud and Youtube.

BookCreator
Book Creator can be another option for students to demonstrate their knowledge.  You can take the pictures and video within the app.  You can do text to speech within book creator which is very beneficial to students that have difficulty writing.  You can email it to yourself and use it in iTunesU course manager which will open up in iBooks.
Add photos, videos, and you can draw pictures.
You can copy and paste a text and it will apply the images.

iBooks textbooks (Enhanced textbook)
Videos are close captions
ibooks are interactive
Voice over for students who are blind.
Definition option within the text and the web search option
Text to speech
Any sections that you highlight are exported and study cards can be used.
These can be emailed as well.
Information is always current with the updates

iReadWrite
This is a good App for homonyms such as their, there, and they're.

Pages is our go to word processing app.  this is good for developing content.  You have options such as newsletters.  Cowriter export into Pages.
Share

Keynote
Great for LD and autistic students.  Pages are listed on the side and is not very clustery.

 

Explain Everything is excellent for Math classes.  You can get students to create lessons to show their understanding.  I would like to use this as an assessment tool in my Physical Education class.  Other ideas for this app is to use it as a teaching tool for a substitute in my French class or a how to video for a skill.

 

UDL guideline examples
Visual

iTunesU
Here is a great tutorial on how to create a class.

Amazing Apps from Amazing people!

What an amazing group of resourceful people.  It is so true that you learn from others while doing.

It was great to see the number of apps and how they are used.  Understanding the specifics of each app really helped me break down the reading process and understand the gaps that reluctant readers experience.  The following are apps that we reviewed in class;

Meet Millie 
Learning with Homer
The Cat and the Hat
Comixology 
Timbucktu Magazine
ABC photo touch app - grasshopper app
Little Writer
Rhyming Words
Little Speller
Duck Duck Moose
Superhero Comic Book Maker
Educreations Interactive whiteboard
vbooks PDF
Madlibs
Super WHY?
Aesop's Quest
Reading Timer
Pictello
Bitsboard

Timbucktu Magazine and Dr. Seuss were my favorite apps. 

We went from the reading task analysis to the writing task analysis.  We were asked to pick up a pen and write a paragraph with our non dominate hand.  Here is my example;

Writing with my left hand was very difficult.  It was very awkward to hold the pen and to feel natural while writing.  As you can see from my writing sample I forgot capitals and even spelling.  I found myself searching for simple words and sentences to write.  I was so focused on getting something on paper that I did not think of the final product.  I focused on getting the task done the easiest way possible.

Then we were asked to write a paragraph but using notes on our iPad.  This process is very similar but less fine motor skills as their is no pencil to grip but we still must be seated properly, find the keys, and press the right letters. We  still have the entry level skills including the knowledge base, vocabulary, and formulate the ideas before writing, however the fine motor control element has changed.

CoWriter's word prediction helps struggling writers with correct spelling and grammar. CoWriter has topic dictionary for hundreds of topics.  It also has the option of creating your own topic dictionary from the web.  CoWriter is an excellent tool for students with low level literacy skills.

Other tools that struggling writers can use are Dragon dictation and the speech to text option on the ipad.  There are may features on the iPad that can help struggling writers.



 

Apps for Reluctant Readers

Apps for Reluctant Readers

 

Starfall ABC App is an interactive program that works on letter recognition and phonetic skills through videos and animations. 

 

Starfall Learn to read App has 13 different books to choose from with spelling games that they can use for practice.  Starfall is an excellent resource for reluctant readers.  It provides children the opportunity to practice their phonics and phonemic awareness. 

Starfall's website is an excellent resource for students to practice their reading with phonics.

www.starfall.com 

 

Kidspiration is a resource that students can use to strengthen word recognition and vocabulary. Kidspiration works with beginning sounds, listening comprehension and early reading comprehension.

A quote from an educator using Kidspiration.

 "I incorporate visual learning strategies with my students who have ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorders. Grouping and organizing using mind maps comes more naturally and creates a multi-sensory approach to learning. Students using Inspiration find writing and learning easier, it is the most effective and direct way for them to get the work accomplished."

http://www.inspiration.com/Curriculum-Integration/Kidspiration

RazKids App is an interactive resource that allows for differentiated reading instruction.  Students can hear examples of fluent readers; students can practice reading skills and check for comprehension through an interactive quiz.  All students especially English language learners, benefit from RazKids.

 

RazKids also has a great website that you can use. http://www.raz-kids.com/ 

Reading Aphasia is an App  that helps students who struggle with reading comprehension.  The App has activities that work on reading comprehension skills for word, phrase and sentence understanding.

 

Montessori Crossword App helps students struggling with phonic combinations when reading.  The App uses picture cues and audio to help with word recognition. 

Word Retrieval helps students with word-finding difficulties.  The app improves the students’ abilities to recall already known words.  The program uses sentence completion, opposite meaning and convergent and divergent naming in flashcard and word challenge games.
 (9.99) 

The Land of Me - Story Time is an interactive story telling app.  The students create their own story by choosing one of three heroes, story lines, and endings (happy, sad, or funny).  The stories are short an simple.  These interactive stories peak the interest of the reading.

   

Brush of Truth is and interactive book App for students between 8-12 years of age.  Students are in control of the ending of the book.  There are 65 decision points and 20 different endings.  The App is interactive and students have more owner ship to what they are reading.  

 

Write to Read App encourages students to read by creating books.  Write to Read makes the connection between letters and sounds.  The student experiments with writing what he or she hears and the App makes the corrections.  Students get to compare what they wrote which is "building the basics to their reading".

 
Read To Kids App is a tool that works on fluency of reading.  Students are the narrator and record the entire story. This App is great for all students and if the correct level is selected all students can experience success.

Phonics Genius is an app that works on phonics and word patterns.  As a teacher you can customize word list for students.  The students can also record their own voice so when they are working with the flash cards they can hear their own voice.

Toontastic is a free app where students get to create their own cartoon and write a story and publish their cartoon. Toontastic is a great tool for students in Junior High that are reluctant to read. 






The See.Touch.Learn. app.is a great app for students that need help with the basic colors, slight words, and it is a great app to practice phonemic awareness skills.  The app allows you to record questions for your students.  You can ask them to point to the object that rhymes with tall. 

Reading Raven target Phonics and Decoding for students that are ages 3 to 5 or for older Students that struggle with these target areas.  The app allows students to record simple sentences which aids in the fluency of reading.

Dr Seuss's ABC readable book app has 3 options Read to Me, Read by Myself, or Auto Play.  The Dr Seuss books are excellent for word recognitions and students love to read these books.

Shmoop is an app that is like Cole’s Notes. It has different books that are used in Junior and Senior high classrooms. It provides story overviews and chapter summaries as well as study questions and quizzes.




Zinio: This is a magazine reader app with most number of magazines available for reading.  You can do text to speech with the zinio app as well.  

Reading For Kids: 100 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Read
This is an app with creative ways to help encourage kids to read. This app offers one hundred ways for parents/teachers to help encourage their children to become life-long readers. Ideas range from spurring on new readers by making a special trip to get their first library card, to inspiring teens by encouraging them to comment on news websites and blogs. 

Infuse Learning is a student response system that has an audio feature.
Breaking down the language barrier in the classroom with differentiated learning.  It is an excellent tool for junior high and senior high classes.  I use it in my Physical Education where, in a lot of cases, students do not have a teacher assistant.  Infuse Learning is a tool that I use with all my students, however students that have difficulty reading can use the audio button to read the questions and answer choices. 

Task Analysis of Reading

 

Task Analysis of Reading
The reading process is very complex. Everything that has to happen before a student is ready to read is unbelievable.  I know when teaching a student in the physical education setting we are able to point out students that have difficulty in the classroom but there is always the mystery of WHY?  How and why students become reluctant readers is very intriguing.  Reading "How the Special Needs Brain Learns"(Sousa, 2006) has answered a lot of questions about my struggles with reading.  The statement " Reading is probably the most difficult task for the young brain to do" says it all.  Then incorporate the social, cultural and physical causes of reading problems and you have 50 percent of our students who have reading difficulties.  Teachers need to understand how the brain learns to read.  The Phonological and phonemic awareness in beginning readers is very important.

http://specialappsspecialkids.blogspot.ca/2013/07/apps-for-reluctant-or-struggling.html