Class 4 Reflections

The webinar presentations shared A LOT of very useful information about iPad Apps that can support the diverse learners in our classrooms.  I appreciate the effort each group put into sharing what they felt were the highlights of the webinar viewed.  Below, I have highlighted Apps, insights, and connections I made while listening and viewing the presentations.

New Apps for LD - Keisha and Donalda

I could really relate to Keisha and Donalda's excitement about the FREE Paperport Notes App!  It provides a great option for those students that have difficulty with output and/or organization, and possibly a motivating tool for students who simply prefer tech to paper/pencil tasks.  The option to scan documents, like worksheets, so that students can complete it on the iPad is excellent, and the voice to text option and recording option are added bonuses as well.  I am excited about incorporating this App into my classroom, and I have already shared it with my colleagues!  I also really appreciated when they said, "Technology opens up a wealth of new opportunities and support for all students, not just those with learning disabilities".  This perfectly sums up why Paperport Notes, and many of the other Apps discussed as well, are excellent tools that promote active engagement of all learners in the classroom and beyond - wherever the mobile technology takes them!

Top Free Apps in Special Education - Mary, Courtney and Amy


I really liked the way these ladies incorporated fluidsurveys.com as a method for collecting their data!  Although I haven't done so yet, I intend to incorporate this into my classroom soon.  I really think it has great possibilities for the classroom!   One App shared that stood out for me was PocketPond. It was identified as being helpful for students with autism, with sensory processing difficulties, and as a calming strategy for students with behavior issues.

Apps that Enhance Performance of Individuals with Extreme Autism - Evan, Maralyn, Karen and Nicole
     



This group shared a lot of interesting apps that are helpful for students with autism.  They talked about apps like Touch Trainer, which is designed help anyone who is learning about touch screen technology.  It also helps teach fine motor skills, and cause and effect.  Fluid2 is a great app that is similar to Pond Pocket.  It is useful for calming, transitions, and self-regulation.



New Apps for LD - Michelle, Jeremey, Clarissa and Joey

I really appreciated this group's discussion about the swift change in technology.  The iPad has only been around since 2010 - and what an amazing impact it has had on education!  I also appreciated their acknowledgement of the fact that there seem to be 'have schools' and 'have-not' schools, and the need to remedy this issue before this excellent technology can really be embraced and used to help develop the learners in all of our classrooms.  It really is a tool that is accessible to all, and once the technology is in place it is important to have support (AT consultants, mentors) to help integrate it into the classroom.  A few times people have mentioned (and I agree!) how overwhelming it can be to learn about what's out there - SO MUCH - and it is imperative that supports continue to be in place to help us keep up with the newest and most useful technologies available to our students.  This is a difficult task for educators to do in isolation and without expertise in the area.  With the proper technology and supports in place, we can then truly ensure that students are "not only using it - but using it to learn"!

Executive Function - Victor, Janice and Sheri
"Our students don't just want mobile learning - they need it!"  This group defined executive function as "a set of mental processes that help to connect past experience with present actions and situations".  They shared a variety of apps that can assist students with executive function difficulties - including those with ADHD, ODD, autism, and various forms of LD.  One app that I thought was especially interesting, and also different from many of the others shared, was the Shredder app.  I can really see this app being helpful for certain students.  I think having a student who is experiencing frustration or sadness write down their thoughts and shred them could be very therapeutic!  I am excited to try this when the situation arises where it might be useful.  I also think it is something I could talk about in Health class as a way for managing stress or relationship problems.  Another app they mentioned, that I already like to use in my classroom, is the iMovie app.  In the winter, I had all of my class engaged in creating iMovies for science class.  My students were really excited about it, and they were all over the school making their movies - and the only comments I got about this were about how engaged the students were in what they were doing!  It was wonderful to see!