Interactive Whiteboard Apps

Students with a Learning Disability struggle to get their thoughts and ideas out to the world.   Using apps that let students express themselves in a variety of ways will more likely leverage learning strengths and sustain interest.  Check out the following video to learn about two useful Interactive Whiteboard apps.  

How to use Sight Words Pro to create a word list to develop reading automaticity

Sagonaska students use word lists to develop automaticity with high frequency words.  Reading automaticity happens when a student is able to read a word without having to think about it.  In this video, we explain how to use the app, Sight Words Pro, to create word lists.  

Using tech to organize our thoughts and show our thinking. Book Creator demo

Sagonaska Using iMovie

A small group of students (Quinten, Mason, Noah, and Thomas) displayed their tech. skills in the creation of short video capturing some of the best moments of Sag in 2018. For many weeks these students have captured pictures and short videos with their devices, and transferred them to iMovie to create a collage. Students developed their understanding sound editing by capturing interviews, and seamlessly adding them to the underlying track of the video beautifully. Not only do these iMovie skills open avenues of opportunities these student will use for culminating assignments next semester, but it allows them to be creative in displaying their school pride.

Here is a link to the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwNHxip3_3Q&feature=youtu.be

Using Technology Effectively at Sagonaska

This week in learning circle we discussed the importance of using our technology effectively. Students were asked to reflect on their current use of technology and were given key advice on different ways of managing their organization through their devices to be more organized and less distracted learners. Today we consolidated our learning with a Kahoot, in which the students were tested on what the strategies they have learned this week. 

Google vs Microsoft

Students who are retuning to a school board that uses Microsoft Office 365 may find this resource useful for determining parallels between O365 and Google.

Video Demonstrations of Apps for Learners

Happy 2017!

Here are some videos that highlight the major features of the various apps our learners use to support their learning.

Hey World :) If you have a wish for an app review or questions about any of the apps I've covered, please let me know!!

Many students have developed amazing ways to capture and create content using technology. Students are using technology to leverage their understanding of content and what's more, students are sharing their created content with the world! This idea still fascinates me, but I'm sure is commonplace for students nowadays.

Let's ask our students why they want to use technology and maybe even, dare I say, how to use it? But please let us not say, "Put that device away." Instead, how about, "How will you use your device and can you show me?"

Happy learning :)

Prizmo

Explain Everything

Inspiration

Shadow Puppet Edu

Apps for Learners (updated)

I have updated this resource (again), but that's technology, forever changing. It amazes me how well our students adapt to this change. I'm feeling more and more that mobile technology is simply the new pen to paper, and that's okay. Many students have adopted this change and reach for their device to explain their thinking, collect information or submit created content. Just like introducing a child to a pen or pencil, though, they must be shown how to hold it and use it effectively to get their thoughts and ideas on paper. Technology is no different. Although many students have exceptional navigational skills with technology, tailoring those skills to support and thrive in a collaborative learning environment is something that must be considered and taught.

These apps are not answers to deliver and teach curriculum, but enhance a collaborative, engaging learning environment that is full of excitement and wonder. 

Happy learning :) 

Using Mobile Technology? Great! What's Your Model?

Mobile technology needs to exist in education. The focus shouldn't be on 'apps', but rather, the focus should begin with the learner in mind. What are their needs? Once established, create a collaborative goal, involving both learner and learning team. Just as important, consideration must be given to the ideal model for all learners that have access to technology or at least recognizing the challenges and benefits of the current model that exists within your learning environment. Here's an infographic that was created using easelly (http://www.easel.ly/) that looks at the different mobile technology models that exist in a learning environment.

I believe access to technology, regardless of the model, is an amazing thing! I also believe that the independent model (BYOD) is the model we should all be striving for. I have 'suggested' a few apps that we have tested and used with our learners in the infographic. They are not to be considered as the 'best apps of all time', but ones that won't crash and are a good starting point based on your current model. Technology should support students in life and not just school. If the model we are teaching doesn't apply to life after school, maybe we should reconsider our model.  

Free Webinar for Parents - ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

FREE WEBINAR: 

Lead with Pedagogy, follow with Technology

Presented by: DJ Cunningham

1. Wed, Apr 20, 2016 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM EDT

In this interactive webinar, DJ Cunningham will help educators understand how to utilize assistive technology in the classroom to enhance student engagement and learning.  DJ Cunningham has been a user of Assistive Technologies for the past 10 years and has trained hundreds of students and led numerous training workshops. 

Participants will learn more about Google Read&Write and Google Apps for Education.

Participants will also leave with helpful resources and access to a cloud based tool. 


Click here to find out more information about this FREE webinar on the LD@school website!  http://ldatschool.ca/

Book Creator App (IOS) Demonstration

The student notebook is a gateway to new worlds of discovery and wonder. Wouldn't it be nice if students had access to endless blank pages they could fill with drawings, images and videos to capture their thoughts and ideas, and for it to be completely accessible? Well, that idea is a reality with the Book Creator app...

Exporting with Readiris

Great Apps for LD Learners

All of the students and staff at Sagonaska use personal, mobile technology to support our learning and to help us organize and navigate our daily routines and lives.  People are always asking us what apps are best for students with learning disabilties.  There are no magic apps out there that work for each and every student, and technology is changing at such rapid pace, but we do our best to share apps with our students that help them to demonstrate their knowledge in alternate ways.  These apps, along with many of the built-in assistive features, help our students share their true potential and level the playing field for our learners.  Check out this graphic created by Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, to see some of these applications or contact us to learn more about how we use personal devices in our classrooms. (see contact information below)

geoff.mortaley@ontario.ca

anne.truaisch@ontario.ca

Dictation and Speak Selection on iOs Devices

Once again, Geoff Mortaley has created a simple demonstration of how to turn on Dictation and Speak Selection on iOs devices.  Our students use the features on a daily basis to support their learning.  In this short clip you will see how to activate and use these assistive features, as well as hear some tips for use.  Watch and learn the basics of Dictation and Speak Selection!

Personal Devices as Assistive Tools Webinar! WATCH NOW!

Last Monday, we offered an after-school workshop for parents and teachers who wanted to learn more about how our students are using their personal devices as assistive tools. Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, demonstrated some of the basic built-in supports that are available on iOs devices, as well as several apps that our students are using to access text, create digital products, and demonstrate their learning.  We offered the workshop via ADOBE CONNECT and were able to record the session for those who could not attend. Please click the link below to watch part or all of our 45 minute webinar!

Click here:  PERSONAL DEVICES AS ASSISTIVE TOOLS WEBINAR

Google Read and Write - SPEECH RECOGNITION

Take a look at how to add Google's new free Speech Recognition add-on to your Google account! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Google Read and Write, it is an extension that can be added to your Google account and one of its basic (and best) features is text-to-speech! This means when you are using Google Chrome or Google Docs, you can have the words on the screen read to you (just like Kurzweil)! If you have a Gmail account, you can download the full tool bar for free (this includes word prediction, highlighting tools, etc) but you will lose many of the features after 30 days. The good news is the text-to-speech feature will remain.  If you are an educator, you will be able to keep the full tool bar indefinitely!

This video created by Geoff Mortaley, however, demonstrates how to add another cool feature to your Google account, Speech Recognition.  The Speech Recognition add-on is free and it allows the user to dictate into a microphone and the text will appear on the screen.  It works like Dragon or Siri, and in our experience, it is pretty accurate.  If you, or your student or child, loves to use Google Docs, this is a great alternative to some of the other speech-to-text software options out there.  Watch how Geoff demonstrates how to add it to your account and how it works!

Readiris

Readiris is another app, similar to Prizmo, that can be used to scan and read text to our students. The main difference, however, is that Readiris allows you to bring in pictures and Prizmo doesn't.  This is great for our students if they need to capture a picture of a text book in Science, Social Studies, or Math, for example, where there are many diagrams, maps, illustrations, etc.  Watch the video created by Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, to see how easy this program is to use.  Once you have taken a picture and scanned the text, you export it into a word processing app and have it read to you.  Geoff models how to do this step-by-step and shares how to trouble shoot if a problem arises.  Technology isn't perfect, but as Geoff says, minor glitches should not be a deal breaker! Text is accessible to our students now in a way that wasn't possible before and we are leveling the playing field for all students with LD.

PRIZMO

Prizmo is an excellent OCR or Character Recognition app for iOs 8 devices. If you aren't sure what OCR or Character Recognition means, to put it simply, it will take a picture of text and have it read to you through your device.  It's really amazing and life changing for our students.  Now any text in the real world or in school is just a click away from being accessible.  Here's how it works! You take a picture of the text that needs to be read, the app scans it, and then reads it back to you.  You can also export it as EDITABLE text to another word processing app, like pages.  From there you can have it read to you or use the built-in dictation software, Siri, to add text or edit the piece.  Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor created this easy to follow video that demonstrates it's use!

EXPLAIN EVERYTHING

Explain everything is an app our students use to create and share projects.  This app basically works like a whiteboard type screen and it allows the user to insert pictures and videos from their camera roll, write or record text and move objects around, all while recording in real time.  In the end, this project can be captured as pictures, videos, or even templates.  This is an easy app for adults and children to learn and the end result can be shared using a number of methods (e.g., air dropped, shared through Google Drive, exported as an MP4, etc.) This app is such a great tool for our students because it allows them to capture and share their knowledge or expertise on a subject with accessibility features that are built right in.  Our students can record their voice or use Siri to dictate written text.  Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, created this video to highlight some of the basic uses! Enjoy!