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Monkey Preschool Lunchbox

 Little Writer,

But can it enhance real life experiences by helping maximize activities of daily living? Clearly, it can.  Together, developers, Apple, educators, and our government are helping pave the way for more breakthroughs in technology to come. For the special needs community and children born today with disabilities, the future seems especially bright.

Warringa Park School, a special needs institution in Hopper's Crossing, Victoria, Australia, has a list of apps which have been particularly successful in teaching students who have special learning needs.

Mad Addition, Mad Subtraction and Mad Multiplication help students learn math and have fun while doing it. Red Fish 4 Kids assisted students in learning how to spell.

Hold an introductory session with your students when introducing a new tool. Use the tool yourself first before putting your students in front of it. Have a plan for collecting student work. Communicate with other colleagues that may want to use the resources as well. Manage time with the resources wisely. Set goals for work completion with your students. Communicate with

your administration about how and when you will be using shared technology.

This article contains the following sections: Getting Started Integrating Technology Across the Access Spectrum Getting to "Seamless" Integration Tips for Shared Hardware Creating a Professional-Development Plan Hardware and Equipment Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment The Role of Digital Citizenship

If your class has an interactive whiteboard and projector: Try interactive websites such as BrainPOP. Dig in to Scholastic's whiteboard activities page. Show online videos related to the lessons. Explore virtual math manipulatives. Check out the native software that came with the board. Use the videoconferencing tool Skype to connect beyond the classroom.

Getting to "Seamless" Integration To begin to move your tech integration to the point where it is "seamless," consider these questions: What skills are applied to nearly all tools (e.g., saving a file, naming a file, finding a file, logging in and out of accounts)? Have your students mastered these basic skills? How many different tools will you introduce this year? How many is too many? How will technology help your students better understand content -- will it push them to a deeper understanding that could not have been achieved without technology? What level of integration do you want in your classroom by the end of the school year? What specific steps must you take to achieve that goal? What is a realistic goal based on time and resources? For more on levels of technology access and what that means for tech integration, read this blog post: "What Does 'Technology Integration' Mean?" You can also check out the outstanding Technology Integration Matrix produced by the Arizona K12 Center. It provides guidance on different levels of tech integration based on readiness and current practice, and offers links to sample lessons.

Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment One of the most exciting aspects of bringing technology into your classroom -- and into your students' hands -- is the enhanced opportunity for timely and meaningful feedback. Quick Checks: If you want to know if your students grasp enough of a particular concept before you move on, you can use tools such as Poll Everywhere, Socrative, or Mentimeter to get a quick snapshot of the class. By creating a short quiz or open-ended response question using one of these tools and having your students use an internet-enabled device to answer, you can get quick and easy feedback that will help inform your instruction. Personalized Feedback: Through the use of course-management tools such as Edmodo, Schoology, or Moodle, it is now possible for teachers to provide personalized feedback quickly and efficiently to their students. All three tools provide the ability for teachers to leave personalized comments and notes on student work, and they provide a messaging service for students who may want to send emails with questions or concerns about the course.

Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment

If you have access to a handful of mobile devices: Have students create videos using the Animoto app Record group discussions using a voice recording app. Have students record themselves reading aloud for fluency checks. Assign student-created comics using the Puppet Pals app. Offer e-books for required readings. Upload and access course content using the Edmodo or Schoology apps. Conduct research. Foster skills practice using apps specific to subject area. Collaborate using apps like Whiteboard.

Students learn in different ways

The iPad can provide visual, audio and tactile learning; reaching many students’ learning styles.

The iPad is often used as an individual tool in isolation

But please, don't put the child in a quiet place and just hand them an iPad without a true purpose. Let's get creative with its use. How to use an iPad in the classroom with a group? A couple of thoughts - Teacher directs, students watch.  Teacher directs, with iPad in the middle of the group and students touch with instruction.   Teacher instructs and iPad is passed between students. Use as part of your lesson, part of your center activity.   Teacher instructs and the students use, independently or in a team situation.    Team learning situations. Hand a group of students an iPad with a purpose. 

Most of us will not have enough for all our students for a while.

ideas

ideas

be careful to not have the iPad become what we have seen so many computers become in education: a glorified toy.

What are some of the benefits we are seeing? We are seeing that the iPad often encourages interactivity. Students will share a lot of what they're doing, ask each other "How did you do that?" or, "Oh, look what I did!"  They want to problem solve together. It encourages group discussions between the students. They tend to help each other a lot more.  It is affordable, comparatively speaking (see below.)  

For special education students, some are saying it is the best tool that has ever been designed. Here are a few reasons why we might prefer an iPad over a desktop computer: Ease of access – no need to be able to operate a mouse, a switch or to need to sit a certain way. The iPad can easily come to the student, be placed where they need it and the touch required is extremely friendly. (Not for all!! Remember, this is very individual.) Simplicity of programs – from very basic to more complex, many apps are design to be user friendly. For the moderate to severe population of students the amount of simple apps is huge, plus they are extremely inexpensive and visually draw students in. Simplicity of use - many who cannot understand how to operate a computer, can understand how to operate an iPad. (Even your grandmother!) Low cost of programs – compared to the cost of software programs for a computer, there really is no comparison (unless you consider the abundant amount of free programs available on the Internet. And yes, please continue using those!). There are apps designed specifically for our population (see other postings to right). Designing apps for education has become quite the market. The amount of apps designed specifically for special education has grown so much that there is now a category for it that stands alone in the iTunes Store. Assistive Technology and Communication Apps are available that help to make this a tool for access support, not just a tool for learning (i.e. audio books, word prediction, visual prompts, etc.) It can be loaded with many adaptive technology gadgets and programs, thereby reducing the need for multiple devices. Talk about UDL (Universal Design for Learning)! This is a tool that can level the playing field for many. There are apps that are inexpensive and exciting to increase vocabulary, sight words, math facts, reading comprehension, organizational skills, and drawing skills, just to name a few.It can be very educational and in the classroom, this is what we want: exciting, fresh, innovative teaching tools. Built-in accessibility tools such as zoom and high contrast display make this a tool to support visually impaired. The built-in VoiceOver screen reader works as well on the iPad as on the iPhone. For our VI population, the options are growing and growing. (However, it may be the iPhone that is the best solution for those with significant vision impairments.) Programs such as Dragon Dictation is free, no paper and pencil needed if one can speak clearly, for writing text messages, e-mail, maybe documents. (Must have Internet/WiFi connection for this to work however and it is not the best option for longer texts.) The brilliant screen of the iPad which creates and supports visual interest - with the ever improving HD colors which are bright and the HD video and/or camera- tools at our fingertips that can be pulled into our educational artillery in so many new and innovative ways.  The right case can make it much less indestructible. More and more tools are being developed to help with access. (Mounts, switch access, adaptive styluses, etc.) Light weight (iPad = 1.5 lbs.) Instant Response/Instant On/Fast Processor. Consider this: Combine the touch screen, ease of use, and cool factor of the iPad and you have a pretty interesting format for communication device

AT is intended to enhance performance of an individual with a disability.  It is why we have to carefully match what we recommend to the user's strengths and needs.  The iPad cannot do that on its own, it is the recommendation of the appropriate Apps that ultimately improve the performance of a student.  Thus, the iPad itself is not the Assistive Technology it is the Settings and the Apps, the case, the special stylus, that offer enhanced performance. Improving performance of a student with a disability through AT (Apps or otherwise) means looking at the student, identifying the task that needs to be performed and identifying where the student will use the AT - i.e. the environment, effects of time etc

This is a list of iPad pros, from a student’s point of view (wish I knew the student’s name so I could reference her. My apologies!):

iPads with Moderate to Severe Students:

Videos worth watching:

Articles worth reviewing:

Now go out and make this tool a wonderful addition to our educational world!

iBooks is stacked with materials to help you teach practically any subject.

they’re great interactive experiences.

Elementary school iPad apps (Palm Beach)Middle school iPad apps (PalmBeach)High school iPad apps (Palm Beach)

Edmodo:

Social Learning

Grockit

Learning

Useful Tools

Lesson Planning and Tool

These tools can help you to stay connected, organized, and increase the ease of building multimedia lessons and learning tools. Evernote: Capture great ideas, photos, recordings, or just about anything else on your Evernote account, access it anywhere, and keep it organized. A must-have tool for lesson planning. Twitter: There are so many ways Twitter can be used in education. Teachers can connect with other educators, take part in chats, share their ideas, or even use it in the classroom to reach out to students. Google Education: Google offers a number of great edtech resources for teachers, including email and collaborative apps, videos, lesson plan search, professional development, and even educational grants. Dropbox: Easily store, share, and access any kind of data from anywhere with the easy-to-use and free Dropbox service. Diigo: Diigo lets you treat the web like paper-based reading material, making it simple to highlight, bookmark, take notes, or even add sticky notes. Apple iPad: One of the most widely used, though expensive, tech tools being used in today’s classroom is the Apple iPad. With a host of educational apps being developed for the device, it’s become a favorite of teachers and students alike across the nation. Aviary: Aviary is a suite of tools that make it easy to edit images, effects, swatches, music, and audio or to create and modify screen captures. Jing: If you’re teaching kids about tech or just about anything else, a great screenshot program is essential. Jing is one great option that allows teachers to take screenshots as images, record up to five minutes or videos then edit and share the results. Popplet: You and your students can use Popplet to brainstorm ideas, create mindmaps, share, and collaborate. Google Earth: From geography projects to learning about geological processes, Google Earth can be an amazing and fast way to show students anywhere in the world. DonorsChoose: Need funding for a classroom project? You can get it through this site that hooks up needy teachers with willing donors. SlideShare: With SlideShare, you can upload your presentations, documents, and videos and share them with students and colleagues. Even better, you can take advantage of materials that other have uploaded as well. LiveBinders: Like a real-life three ring binder, this tech tool allows you to collect and organize resources. Much better than a binder, however, the site also comes with tools to connect and collaborate and a virtual whiteboard. AudioBoo: Through this tool, you can record and share audio for your students or anyone else.

Learning These educational tools can help you to make lessons fun, interesting, and more effective. Khan Academy: Many teachers use this excellent collection of math, science, and finance lectures and quizzes to supplement their classroom materials. MangaHigh: MangaHigh offers teachers a wealth of resources for game-based learning in mathematics. FunBrain: If you’re looking for a great collection of educational games, look no further than FunBrain. On it, teachers can take advantage of fun tools for math and reading. Educreations: Educreations is an amazing online tool for the iPad that lets teachers (or students) create videos that teach a given topic. Perfect for studying or getting students to show off their knowledge. Animoto: Animoto makes it simple to create video-based lessons or presentations for the classroom and to share them with students or anyone else. Socrative: Available for computers, mobile devices, and tablets, this student response system engages students through games and exercises on any device they have on hand. Even better, teachers can easily assess student progress and track grades. Knewton: Adaptive learning has been a hot topic in recent months, and with Knewton it’s something that any teacher can access and use. The site personalizes online learning content for each student according to his or her needs. Kerpoof: On Kerpoof, students can get creative with their learning with games, interactive activities, drawing tools, and more that are both fun and educational. StudySync: With a digital library, weekly writing practice, online writing and peer reviews, Common Core assignments, and multimedia lessons available, this site is a fully-featured tool for teaching and learning that can be a big help in the classroom. CarrotSticks: On this site, teachers can take advantage of a wide range of math learning games, giving students practice while they have fun.

new tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education, which can make it hard to keep up with the newest and most useful tools even for the most tech-savvy teachers.

echnology and education are pretty intertwined these days and nearly every teacher has a few favorit

Edmodo: Teachers and students can take advantage of this great tech tool, as it offers a Facebook-like environment where classes can connect online. Grockit: Get your students connected with each other in study sessions that take place on this great social site. EduBlogs: EduBlogs offers a safe and secure place to set up blogs for yourself or your classroom. Skype: Skype can be a great tool for keeping in touch with other educators or even attending meetings online. Even cooler, it can help teachers to connect with other classrooms, even those in other countries.

new tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education,

Technology and education are pretty intertwined these days and nearly every teacher has a few favorite tech tools that make doing his or her job and connecting with students a little bit easier and more fun for all involved.

new tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education

ew tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education

These tools use the power of social media to help students learn and teachers connect.

Teachers Pay Teachers: Have great lessons to share? Looking for something to add to your classes? On this site you can do both, selling your own class materials and buying high-quality resources from other teachers. Planboard: Make sure your lessons are organized and that your day runs smoothly with the help of this amazing online tool designed just for teachers. Timetoast: Timetoast is a pretty cool for student projects, allowing them to build sleek, interactive timelines in minutes. Capzles: There are so many different ways that Capzles can be used in the classroom, there’s bound to be an application that fits your needs. What does it do? Capzles makes it simple to gather media like photos, videos, documents, and even blog posts into one place, making it perfect for teaching, learning, or online projects. Prezi: Want to build presentations that will wow your students? Make use of this online tool that makes it simple to do all kinds of cool things with your lessons, even allowing collaboration between teachers. Wordle: Create stunning word clouds using Wordle, a great complement to language lessons of any kind.

Yet as with anything related to technology, new tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education, which can make it hard to keep up with the newest and most useful tools even for the most tech-savvy teachers.

Lesson Planning and Tools Use these tech tools to pull together great lessons and design amazing and memorable student projects.

Social Learning These tools use the power of social media to help students learn and teachers connect.

Learning These educational tools can help you to make lessons fun, interesting, and more effective.

Useful Tools These tools can help you to stay connected, organized, and increase the ease of building multimedia lessons and learning tools.

Teachers Pay Teachers: Have great lessons to share? Looking for something to add to your classes? On this site you can do both, selling your own class materials and buying high-quality resources from other teachers. Planboard: Make sure your lessons are organized and that your day runs smoothly with the help of this amazing online tool designed just for teachers. Timetoast: Timetoast is a pretty cool for student projects, allowing them to build sleek, interactive timelines in minutes. Capzles: There are so many different ways that Capzles can be used in the classroom, there’s bound to be an application that fits your needs. What does it do? Capzles makes it simple to gather media like photos, videos, documents, and even blog posts into one place, making it perfect for teaching, learning, or online projects. Prezi: Want to build presentations that will wow your students? Make use of this online tool that makes it simple to do all kinds of cool things with your lessons, even allowing collaboration between teachers. Wordle: Create stunning word clouds using Wordle, a great complement to language lessons of any kind. QR Codes: QR codes (or quick response codes) are showing up with greater frequency in education. If you’d like to get in on the trend, you’ll need a tool to create and manage the codes like Delivr and one to read codes, like any of those listed on this site. Quizlet: Quizlet makes it easy for teachers to create study tools for students, especially flashcards that can make memorizing important information a snap. MasteryConnect: How are your students performing with regard to state and common core standards? MasterConnect makes it simple to track and analyze both, as well as other elements of student performance. Google Docs: Through Google Docs, teachers can create and share documents, presentations, or spreadsheets with students and colleagues as well as give feedback on student-created projects. YouTube: Not all schools allow YouTube, but they are missing out as the site contains a wealth of great learning materials for the classroom. There’s even a special education-focused channel just for teachers and students. TED-Ed: TED isn’t just a great place to find inspiration anymore, the site also contains numerous videos that are organized by subject and can help you to teach everything from how pain relievers work to Shakespearean insults. Glogster:Glogster is a social site that lets users mash up music, photos, videos, and pretty much anything else you’d like. It’s a great way to create learning materials and a handy tool for creative student projects. Creaza: Want to bring your student projects into the 21st century? Creaza can make that possible, offering tools to brainstorm, create cartoons, and edit audio and video. Mentor Mob: On Mentor Mob, you or your students can create a learning playlist, which is essentially a collection of high-quality materials that can be used to study a specific concept. Useful Tools

Perhaps, the iPad will be the tool that really does transform classroom practice.

"There's never been a better time to be a teacher," he says, "or a curious kid."

A whopping 72 percent of iTunes' top-selling education apps are designed for preschoolers and elementary school children

Tablet computers are more than electronic textbooks. With their fast processor, Internet connectivity, and large touch-screen display, tablets can function as powerful graphing calculators, video players, and photo editors.

ut the iPads have helped engage students, cut down on paper, and allowed

absent students to keep up with classwork.