http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker/guide.htm
https://www.learninggrids.com/us
The process of becoming familiar with both Cloze Pro and Clicker 5 during class last week left me thinking about ways to get this information out to the rest of the staff. As I read through posts created by others, it seems to be a common dilemma or challenge with many of us. As with most of these applications- doors are opened for students that have the potential to be life changing when it comes to communicating and overall school experience.
I have taken some time to explore a few related sites to try and become a bit more familiar prior to the assignment this week. I have just posted a couple of sites that I found had some pretty relevant information and applications for the two programs...
One very exciting thing that I see linked with Cloze Pro and Clicker 5 is that they appear to be Smart Board ready- this would be a huge benefit to the staff at my school as we have made the commitment to have Smart Boards in our classrooms. It is always nice to be able to build upon our capability to program for all students using the technology we have enthusiastically purchased for our school.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Something for my ADHD!
I found myself fixated with the tasks in class tonight! Somehow I actually had the energy and concentration to follow a task through! I felt like the combination of figuring out the main concepts of the reading by Margaret J. Kay, Ed. combined with the creative task of communicating ideas through "Inspiratiion" was a nice combination!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Reading Remediation Applications -November 5th
Having the opportunity to use applications ourselves is a nice way to introduce remedial options for our students. Although I work in a high school setting, I found there were still programs presented that would be useful for a number of students I work with. In thinking about the elements that need to be in place for AT to be successful, I do think that one element I would be cautious of for some of these programs is the age of the student and whether or not the graphics and tasks would be appropriate.
I have had conversations with teachers at the high school level about the time frame in which we think about concept in context versus the understanding individual terms of reference and then trying to piece words together to make meaning...
I know I am not making this very clear so I will try again..I feel that at the high school level as we prepare students for life after school, the focus needs to be on understanding the idea behind a paragraph that a student may encounter vs. spending large amounts of time reading individual words and understanding them, piecing sentences together and then determining the meaning of that paragraph. I think that prior knowledge and word recognition are key... I was sitting in class wondering where that shift takes place for students? Is it a high school thing or is it more determined based on the needs of the individual student. Somehow I think it must be a combination of the two. If that is the case, these remediation tools will have mixed applications at various levels but obviously many that we reviewed seemed to have a younger appeal and context.
I have had conversations with teachers at the high school level about the time frame in which we think about concept in context versus the understanding individual terms of reference and then trying to piece words together to make meaning...
I know I am not making this very clear so I will try again..I feel that at the high school level as we prepare students for life after school, the focus needs to be on understanding the idea behind a paragraph that a student may encounter vs. spending large amounts of time reading individual words and understanding them, piecing sentences together and then determining the meaning of that paragraph. I think that prior knowledge and word recognition are key... I was sitting in class wondering where that shift takes place for students? Is it a high school thing or is it more determined based on the needs of the individual student. Somehow I think it must be a combination of the two. If that is the case, these remediation tools will have mixed applications at various levels but obviously many that we reviewed seemed to have a younger appeal and context.
Kurzweil Presentations
So, I have accepted the fact that I am far behind when it comes to blogging! I have decided not to look at other posts for now as I am happy in my own little blogger world and can't get stressed out by looking at all of the highly intelligent and techno-savvy students in our class! :)
Speaking of techno-savvy... the Kurzweil presentations were a great eye opener to the capabilities that lie within the program. We all have so many variables in what e do every day but when it came down to the presentations it was easy to tie the AT theme in to what we do. Whether a classroom teacher, PST or other type of educator we can all relate to and apply Kurzweil to a "client" or clients that we support.
What I think makes our group special is that diversity mentioned. We are just beginning to realize the potential of the program and I was happy to see the various applications that everyone presented.
I think that we all come to the table each week with all of our personal experiences and the nice thing was that even if we teach a level that was not applicable to a particular package being presented, we could still relate in some personal way.
As a new Mom I was sitting there thinking about the importance of using these tools with my daughter as she grows. I was also thinking as a PST at the high school level of the students that would benefit from so many of the packages presented. It was great to understand the applications at various levels of mastery and also to think about learners as individuals with varying profiles.
I would like to note the feeling of navigating a whole new world when Ian and Paula went ahead with the Mac application. There were things on screen that I felt were much more user friendly (easily located and applied) than out PC application of Kurzweil. I can see where students in Ian's class are motivated to develop their own "products" by way of web design etc. with the license that he gives them to be in control of their learning.
Very interesting!
I think that the key to Kurzweil for me is having time to explore and apply. I hope that as you practice and use the program the time that it takes to create packages like the one that Ceri and I worked on would be greatly reduced. Otherwise I am not sure that I feel I would have time to do the program or the students justice with the program in the role of PST.
Speaking of techno-savvy... the Kurzweil presentations were a great eye opener to the capabilities that lie within the program. We all have so many variables in what e do every day but when it came down to the presentations it was easy to tie the AT theme in to what we do. Whether a classroom teacher, PST or other type of educator we can all relate to and apply Kurzweil to a "client" or clients that we support.
What I think makes our group special is that diversity mentioned. We are just beginning to realize the potential of the program and I was happy to see the various applications that everyone presented.
I think that we all come to the table each week with all of our personal experiences and the nice thing was that even if we teach a level that was not applicable to a particular package being presented, we could still relate in some personal way.
As a new Mom I was sitting there thinking about the importance of using these tools with my daughter as she grows. I was also thinking as a PST at the high school level of the students that would benefit from so many of the packages presented. It was great to understand the applications at various levels of mastery and also to think about learners as individuals with varying profiles.
I would like to note the feeling of navigating a whole new world when Ian and Paula went ahead with the Mac application. There were things on screen that I felt were much more user friendly (easily located and applied) than out PC application of Kurzweil. I can see where students in Ian's class are motivated to develop their own "products" by way of web design etc. with the license that he gives them to be in control of their learning.
Very interesting!
I think that the key to Kurzweil for me is having time to explore and apply. I hope that as you practice and use the program the time that it takes to create packages like the one that Ceri and I worked on would be greatly reduced. Otherwise I am not sure that I feel I would have time to do the program or the students justice with the program in the role of PST.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Kurzweil and the Can of Worms....
Yes, you read it right! After the time spent learning about the applications and opportunities presented by Kurzweil last night it was time to do some investigating at school today. As I am fairly new to the school, I do not have a handle on the "where" and the "whom" when it comes to assistive technology and programs in our building.
Interestingly enough, one of my peers from class was on a similar mission and we revealed something that says a lot about what is needed in terms of technology and programs and consideration for identifying person(s)responsible for overseeing the location/use of such applications in a school setting.
Thus, the can of worms has been opened. Much to my delight, there were two of us "working the case" and by the end of the day we had recovered one under-utilized flashdrive- so much so that the password is no longer readily available- and one missing hard drive-the ONE that contained Kurzweil in our Learning Centre...
The class on Wednesday was a bit of a wake up call for me. Although I was aware that Kurzweil existed in my school, I had no idea the options and opportunities that it holds for so many students and teachers.
The whole experience (class and one day of investigative work :) does leave me wondering how we hold trained individuals accountable for ensuring that the assistive technology in our schools is utilized to its utmost potential? Does being trained carry any responsibility with it? Are we responsible for building capacity with the staff while working to strengthen programs for students using what we have learned? What happens if the PST or classroom teacher has a student that would benefit but because of level of comfort or lack of time to plan etc. they "choose" not to use this tool?
Perhaps this issue needs to be considered when it comes to annual performance evaluations for school staff? Looking specifically at what training staff members have received and what they have done to enhance teaching practices or strengthen programming for students directly... I guess then the consideration of how to measure that comes into play and arguably so as how do we measure effectiveness, success? It is personal and subjective and so... the can of worms will remain open for tonight...
Perhaps my peer and I will have success reinstating Kurzweil to its rightful place -assisting students, in the coming days at LRHS... more to come! :)
Interestingly enough, one of my peers from class was on a similar mission and we revealed something that says a lot about what is needed in terms of technology and programs and consideration for identifying person(s)responsible for overseeing the location/use of such applications in a school setting.
Thus, the can of worms has been opened. Much to my delight, there were two of us "working the case" and by the end of the day we had recovered one under-utilized flashdrive- so much so that the password is no longer readily available- and one missing hard drive-the ONE that contained Kurzweil in our Learning Centre...
The class on Wednesday was a bit of a wake up call for me. Although I was aware that Kurzweil existed in my school, I had no idea the options and opportunities that it holds for so many students and teachers.
The whole experience (class and one day of investigative work :) does leave me wondering how we hold trained individuals accountable for ensuring that the assistive technology in our schools is utilized to its utmost potential? Does being trained carry any responsibility with it? Are we responsible for building capacity with the staff while working to strengthen programs for students using what we have learned? What happens if the PST or classroom teacher has a student that would benefit but because of level of comfort or lack of time to plan etc. they "choose" not to use this tool?
Perhaps this issue needs to be considered when it comes to annual performance evaluations for school staff? Looking specifically at what training staff members have received and what they have done to enhance teaching practices or strengthen programming for students directly... I guess then the consideration of how to measure that comes into play and arguably so as how do we measure effectiveness, success? It is personal and subjective and so... the can of worms will remain open for tonight...
Perhaps my peer and I will have success reinstating Kurzweil to its rightful place -assisting students, in the coming days at LRHS... more to come! :)
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