Special Education Pt.1 Module 4: (Readings) Intellectual Exceptionalities/Discussion Board Post

Discussion Board Response


After completing all readings, which includes the Ministry of Education resource on Assistive Technology, research and share on the discussion board an Assistive Technology (AT) which can be used in the classroom.


Please be sure not to duplicate the same technology another participant has posted.


Be sure to...


Identify the name of the Assistive Technology (AT).
Include a brief description of what it is and how it works.
Identify the student who would benefit from the technology (e.g., student with mild intellectual disability, gifted student, student with dyslexia, student with low vision etc.).
Include an online link to the AT if you have one.

This mid-tech Assistive technology that can be used in the classroom (as I am presenting today), could be many things-but today is, the use of iPads as AT in the classroom. In particular I am discussing the practicality of the "Sensory light box app" by apple on the Appstore. The technology is a first step for non-verbal individuals.

This APP does cost money, I don't think I would ever personally buy it, I would much rather turn my laptop into this and then hook it up with an HDMI cable to a flat screen TV. The app essentially launches sounds and colours on the screen to stimulate or captivate audience.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sensory-light-box/id533976433

When a parent of a non-verbal child diagnosed with ASD, the Sensory Light Box is a support tool in develop understanding cause and reaction rather than a direct communicative technology. This also encourages non-verbal individuals to respond to stimuli. Personally, using this I would (have not yet), be inclined to use it as a stepping stone or an assessment tool to understand behaviours. According to information provided about it by Apple co. this app is actually used to assist with behaviour programming in non-verbal individuals.

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Historically, intellect was seen as a fixed, innate quantity - you have what you were born with. However, more and more research has shown that intelligence is a much more malleable and broader concept with many different qualities and components than was previously thought.


Mild Intellectual Disabilities


The Ontario Ministry of Education defines a Mild Intellectual Disability as a learning disorder characterized by:
an ability to profit educationally within a regular class with the aid of considerable curriculum modification and supportive service
an inability to profit educationally within a regular class because of slow intellectual development
a potential for academic learning, independent social adjustment and economic self-support


Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities may have regular class placements, but often with modified expectations. They also often require explicit instruction and significant program accommodations. Some school boards provide alternative vocational programming for these students in high school or intensive self-contained classes in elementary school.


Developmental Disability


The Ministry of Education defines a Developmental Disability as a severe learning disorder characterized by:
an inability to profit from a special education program for students with mild intellectual disabilities because of slow intellectual development
an ability to profit from a special education program that is designed to accommodate slow intellectual development
a limited potential for academic learning, independent social adjustment, and economic self-support


Generally, a development disability (older Ontario legislation still uses the term “mental retardation”) is diagnosed when a clinical assessment finds a person is below the population average by at least 2 standard deviations on a measure of intelligence (WISC or Stanford-Binet) and a measure of adaptive behaviour (such as the The VinelandAdaptive Behaviour Scales).


These disabilities usually result in significant limitations in a variety of functional activities. Often these students require direct intervention. Many students with developmental disabilities are placed in alternate programs focusing on self-care, language, communication, life and social skills, independence, basic learning needs and adaptive functioning.


Giftedness


The Ontario Ministry of Education defines giftedness as an unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated.


Students identified as gifted possess special talents or abilities in academics, creativity and/or leadership. These students tend to be very curious, learn in different ways than their peers and think quite abstractly. Often with gifted students comes a variety of social and behavioural concerns. Historically, giftedness was based on exclusive definitions based on statistical distributions (e.g., the top 2-3% of the population based on IQ scores on an individual assessment). This narrow approach has often been seen as elitist and exclusionary. It is now recognized that many intellectual domains are not measured solely by an IQ test.


To meet the needs of gifted learners, educators often:
accelerate learning where appropriate
offer the opportunity to work with similarly talented peers
tap potential by offering original and complex learning situations
use of higher forms of discourse such as debate and discussion
involve students in planning, decision making and implementation
emphasize collaborative work and project based learning
allow choice, creativity, discovery and experimentation
provide integrated, cross-curricular and thematic studies
integrate the use of technology
emphasize higher level thinking skills and offer problem solving opportunities


(From Ontario Ministry of Education. Special Education Companion, 1999)


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Topic 2: Accommodations and Modifications

Learning Goals


We are learning to...
critically explore fair, equitable, transparent, valid and reliable assessment and evaluation processes that honour the dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development of all students
critically explore strategies for collaboration with in-school personnel, parents/guardians and the community


Readings...
The Invidual Education Plan IEP: A Resource Guide.pdf , p. 25-26, 28-37
Learning for All 2013.pdf , p. 24, 26
OTF: Accommodations - http://www.teachspeced.ca/iep?q=node/681
OTF: Modifications - http://www.teachspeced.ca/iep?q=node/682


Equal education is not all students getting the same, but all students getting what they need. Approaching all learners the same academically doesn't work. We have to start where each child is in his learning process in order to authentically meet his academic needs and help him or her grow. If a child has an IEP, it is required that all teachers provide accommodations and modifications to assignments and instruction for that student.


Making an assignment, task, or objective different for one student than the rest of the class is meeting that child where they are in their learning journey. It's okay, you don't have to feel bad or feel as if you are being unfair, or lowering the bar. You are the child's teacher and you spend enough time with her to understand what she needs. And remember, equality is about meeting the needs of the individual.


Here's an example:


It's a high school language arts class, and students are reading a novel. The daily objective is practicing inference and application of this skill. They are writing a brief essay predicting what the character Crooks from Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men might do next. They must pull textual evidence from the book to support their predictions and claims.


But Diana is seated over there, frustrated. She is struggling with the concept of inference, partly because she is reading below her grade level. Knowing this about her reading abilities, and other challenges indicated on her IEP, do I expect her to stay the course, or do I admit that success for her with this assignment as it stands is not likely? I decide to give Diana the task of listing five adjectives to describe the character Crooks. She has to find one quote from the character in the book to prove one or more of the words she has chosen. There are similarities to these two assignments, but different enough to ensure a higher probability of success -- and learning -- for her.


(The above excerpt is titled Defining Differentiated Instruction by Rebecca Alber)


For students with exceptionalities, their success lies in having appropriate accommodations and modifications to help them learn. Accommodations and modifications are written in the IEP and teachers are responsible for providing the programming to meet their needs. Accommodations even the playing field for a student changing how he or she accesses information and demonstrates learning, but not substantially altering the instructional level, content or performance criteria. The changes are made in order to provide a student with equal access to learning and an equal opportunity to show what he or she knows and can do. Modifications change what is being taught or expected from a student; providing him or her with an opportunity to participate in meaningful and productive learning alongside their peers. Making an assignment easier so the student is not doing the same level of work as other students is an example of a modification.


Sometimes people get confused about what it means to have a modification and what it means to have an accommodation.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36HMyinQ70M

Topic 3: Assistive Technology

Learning Goals


We are learning to...
critically explore fair, equitable, transparent, valid and reliable assessment and evaluation processes that honour the dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development of all students
critically explore present and evolving practices in Special Education.


Readings...
Special Education in Ontario Schools by S. Bennett, D. Dworet and K. Weber - Appendix IV (pg.252)
Ministry of Education Research Into Practice: AssistiveTechnology Tools Monograph #50 Assistive Technology Tools - http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_TechnologyTools.pdf

Have you ever heard of a Livescribe pen?


What is MathTalk? Dragon is a type of software that helps students learn?


“Technology has made a considerable difference in the lives of some students with special education needs and has been shown to have a direct impact on their achievement. There are a wide variety of technological supports available to help students learn and demonstrate their understanding, from screen readers and speech-to-text software to sophisticated communications.” (Source: Special Education in Ontario Schools by S. Bennett, D. Dworet and K. Weber)


What is Assistive Technology? Watch the video to see how using a technology, such as Livescribe, can improve learning ...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5DB2A54524D8848A&time_continue=27&v=fxX7O7GfR9c

http://www.teachspeced.ca/teaching-strategies-students-special-needs?q=node/695

http://www.teachspeced.ca/teaching-strategies-students-special-needs

http://www.teachspeced.ca/iep?q=node/681

http://www.teachspeced.ca/iep?q=node/682