Tonight we spent much of the class learning how to use ReelDirector. ReelDirector is an app that is easy to use and great for managing and editing video clips. This app would be an excellent way for students to explain, present and illustrate their learning. This is a great app for reluctant writers. This is also a great tool to promote cooperative learning in the classroom. There are endless possibilities for this app.
Bill, Connie and I played around with this app for an hour. We filmed 4 separate clips then edited, modified and rendered them into a short video called the Appsolutely Amazing IPods. Take a look!
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
CLASS # 4
For the first part of this class some students used the first 30 minutes searching and placing recommended apps on their blogs. Some of us were able to use this time to play around with the app Pictello. Afterwards, everyone had the opportunity to present their favorite app. I presented Blackboard Lite. Here are a few other that were recommended by our class: No fear Shakespeare, Audio Books, I scroll, Text to speech, Tap Speak, Flash Card Deluxe, Model me going places, Speech Tutor, Over Drive Media Console, Shakespeare in bits and Brb's favourite, Cookie Doodle.
After the presentations, we had a closer look at Pictello. This is a very interesting and handy app that is easy to use for both teachers and students. Basically, you choose a title, add a pic, add a voice, add another page, add a pic, add text, etc until your story is complete. It's that easy! If you are a visual learner like me you can watch this VIDEO that explains the steps. Below are a number of ways we brainstormed how Pictello can be used in a school setting:
After the presentations, we had a closer look at Pictello. This is a very interesting and handy app that is easy to use for both teachers and students. Basically, you choose a title, add a pic, add a voice, add another page, add a pic, add text, etc until your story is complete. It's that easy! If you are a visual learner like me you can watch this VIDEO that explains the steps. Below are a number of ways we brainstormed how Pictello can be used in a school setting:
PICTELLO
* How to sign out a book
* Steps to play a game
* Teaching kids to get ready for home
* How to ride the bus
* Order lunch
* How to play safe
* Asking questions in class
* Fire and Isolation drills
* How to move from class to class
* How to eat in the cafeteria
Afterwards, Bill and I worked together using Pictello to create a social story for Fire Drills. This was fun and we think after it is refined, it may be useful for students who are unfamiliar and/or anxious with such events. We then spent some time sharing our story with the rest of the class.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Apps to Consider
Dragon Diction is an app designed to help students recognize words spoken as text. Students can speak and then observe the spoken words written as text. This is a good app with students struggling with text. This will eliminate some of the frustration that struggling readers and writers may have. This is a great compensatory strategy. (FREE)
Bookster is a fun app for kids learning to read. Bookster is a read-along storytelling app that reads to kids, records and plays their voices, and teaches vocabulary along the way. Designed by educators to help kids of all ages develop literacy skills, Bookster makes beginning to recognize and read new words fun and easy for even the youngest of readers. (FREE)
Oh the Thinks that you can Think-This app allows children to use their imaginations by giving them a chance to imagine it themselves, and ultimately, leading the child to tap the colorful dancing question marks and see the story appear. There are three ways to read this omBook (Oceanhouse Media digital book) 1. Read to Me- listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read. 2. Read it Myself-read the book in its traditional form. 3. Auto Play-plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Great for younger children! ($3.99)
BIG Contacts-This is app designed to help those who cannot see small print. This is for anyone who has trouble reading default text. You can you can use this app whenever you want to read text, send an email, or send a text message. ($0.99)
ABC Pocket Phonics Lite- is three apps in one that can teach kids the following: Letter Sound, Letter Writing and First Words It teaches readers how to sound out and spell over 170 frequently-used words. There’s about 20 words in the Lite version. The lite version is a free app that can be used to teach children who are beginning to learn how to read. (FREE)
Kids Books - The Reading Bug- This is a great little story app. It is a story about a little chameleon that is out to catch a new kind of bug: the Reading Bug! You become part of his journey as he travels his neighborhood trying to find someone to help him catch it. It Features: Automatic navigation and narration, child voice, adult voice or silent for self reading, automatic or manual page turn. This app will help early readers make connections between the words they hear and see. ($0.99)
Quick Voice-This app allows you to record your voice and share it with friends, parents and teachers. It can be used as voice recorded reminders or autitory responses to assignments and or assessments. It gives struggling students another option to express their knowledge. (FREE)
School Blackboard Lite-With this app a student can draw and write in chalk on a blackboard. This can be used for students to write text, create drawings, compute math etc. It has some neat features such as the ability to manually erase; rotate your drawing and it can use a variety of sizes of chalk both black and white. It is a fun app that allows students to be creative and offers an alternative to pencil and paper. (Free)
Everyday Mathematics® Addition Top It- This is a fun game app that allows students to practice their math skills while playing a game with a partner. Players take turns drawing two cards, finding their sums, and then comparing the sums. Players score points for correctly finding their sum, identifying the greater sum, and for having the greater sum. The player with the most points at the end of 8 rounds wins! Visual and audio reinforcement of correct and incorrect answers help players master addition facts and comparison skills. ($1.99)
Kids Clock Challenge Lite - This is a fun application that teaches students how to tell time while playing a beat the clock type game. Each 60 second challenge shows an analog clock. Pick the correct time from the digital clocks as quickly as you can to increase your score. The more accurate and quicker you are the higher your score. The High Score Challenge motivates kids to be the best and rewards them when they reach the top of the Leader Board. This is great for kids who are struggling with analog clocks. (FREE)
Bookster is a fun app for kids learning to read. Bookster is a read-along storytelling app that reads to kids, records and plays their voices, and teaches vocabulary along the way. Designed by educators to help kids of all ages develop literacy skills, Bookster makes beginning to recognize and read new words fun and easy for even the youngest of readers. (FREE)
Oh the Thinks that you can Think-This app allows children to use their imaginations by giving them a chance to imagine it themselves, and ultimately, leading the child to tap the colorful dancing question marks and see the story appear. There are three ways to read this omBook (Oceanhouse Media digital book) 1. Read to Me- listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read. 2. Read it Myself-read the book in its traditional form. 3. Auto Play-plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Great for younger children! ($3.99)
BIG Contacts-This is app designed to help those who cannot see small print. This is for anyone who has trouble reading default text. You can you can use this app whenever you want to read text, send an email, or send a text message. ($0.99)
ABC Pocket Phonics Lite- is three apps in one that can teach kids the following: Letter Sound, Letter Writing and First Words It teaches readers how to sound out and spell over 170 frequently-used words. There’s about 20 words in the Lite version. The lite version is a free app that can be used to teach children who are beginning to learn how to read. (FREE)
Kids Books - The Reading Bug- This is a great little story app. It is a story about a little chameleon that is out to catch a new kind of bug: the Reading Bug! You become part of his journey as he travels his neighborhood trying to find someone to help him catch it. It Features: Automatic navigation and narration, child voice, adult voice or silent for self reading, automatic or manual page turn. This app will help early readers make connections between the words they hear and see. ($0.99)
Quick Voice-This app allows you to record your voice and share it with friends, parents and teachers. It can be used as voice recorded reminders or autitory responses to assignments and or assessments. It gives struggling students another option to express their knowledge. (FREE)
School Blackboard Lite-With this app a student can draw and write in chalk on a blackboard. This can be used for students to write text, create drawings, compute math etc. It has some neat features such as the ability to manually erase; rotate your drawing and it can use a variety of sizes of chalk both black and white. It is a fun app that allows students to be creative and offers an alternative to pencil and paper. (Free)
Everyday Mathematics® Addition Top It- This is a fun game app that allows students to practice their math skills while playing a game with a partner. Players take turns drawing two cards, finding their sums, and then comparing the sums. Players score points for correctly finding their sum, identifying the greater sum, and for having the greater sum. The player with the most points at the end of 8 rounds wins! Visual and audio reinforcement of correct and incorrect answers help players master addition facts and comparison skills. ($1.99)
Kids Clock Challenge Lite - This is a fun application that teaches students how to tell time while playing a beat the clock type game. Each 60 second challenge shows an analog clock. Pick the correct time from the digital clocks as quickly as you can to increase your score. The more accurate and quicker you are the higher your score. The High Score Challenge motivates kids to be the best and rewards them when they reach the top of the Leader Board. This is great for kids who are struggling with analog clocks. (FREE)
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Assistive Tech Class #3
Tonight, we spent some time presenting our task analysis of reading which we completed on Inspiration. We also got to watch and listen to others talk about the process, struggles, connections and benefits of completing the assignment. It was comforting to hear that other groups were making similar connections and their maps were quite similiar in nature. I think that the assignment gave me a greater understanding of how and why readers may struggle and the many different areas in the process that could be potentially disabling to a specific student.
Afterwards, we began to look at the different apps available on I Tunes that might be useful to struggling and reluctant readers. We learned how to manipulate and download an app that we may find useful for future intervention with students.
Afterwards, we began to look at the different apps available on I Tunes that might be useful to struggling and reluctant readers. We learned how to manipulate and download an app that we may find useful for future intervention with students.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Task Analysis of Reading
During our last Assistive Tech class we paired up and did a task analysis of the reading process. Stacey and i worked together using Inspiration 9 and mapped out the different steps that take place when we read.
This was not an easy task by any means. We take for granted as readers and don't usually think about the complex process of reading. It is our intent to map out the process and discover where students have difficulties and then use assistive tech adaptations to aid in the process.
This was not an easy task by any means. We take for granted as readers and don't usually think about the complex process of reading. It is our intent to map out the process and discover where students have difficulties and then use assistive tech adaptations to aid in the process.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
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