We all have a History with Reading.

As I was researching new literacy strategies, this was another one I discovered that I would love to try. Getting reluctant readers to buy into reading is a seemingly impossible task when constantly met with the phrase "I hate reading"  or "I don't know how/I'll never know how to read". I'm always looking for any way to move past that defeatist attitude, so I think this would be a really good way to start a class by combating (or validating) those feelings head-on. Even if the student cannot muster up a positive experience associated with reading, at least they will realize that many learners struggle with the exact same thing and they may be more receptive to giving reading a chance.

Why is this strategy effective?

This is a way to disarm the defenses at the start! We hope that at some time in their lives, reading for all students was gratifying. This strategy can be used to help students rediscover at least one positive memory and use it as a cornerstone for future reading successes. Books will be the great equalizer. Every student knows what it feels like to be a reading failure, so once they have done this exercise they will know that they have all felt the same way about books at one time or another (and that they were all kids once upon a time).

• Students will be asked to recall a book that has had an impact on their lives, positive or negative. It gives some form of credit to reading
• Favorable memories can serve as powerful reminder that authentic reading is pleasurable as well as purposeful.
• It doesn’t have to be a favorite book, but it does have to be an important one: one that leaves an impression. The memory can be positive or negative.
• If possible, the student brings the book to class. If the book is not available, students draw an illustration that resembles the cover. It is important for them to have something to hold on to as they stand in front of the class: it alleviates some of the stress speaking in front of their peers causes.
  
  

Variations to assist struggling learners:

• Students could work in groups and brainstorm about various categories: books they enjoyed as children, favourite genres (then or now). Alternately, what genre/books they disliked and why?
• If speaking in front of the class is too difficult, students could present to the teacher or complete a short written assignment (or audio recording) where they describe their chosen book.  

I have always loved reading (these are just a few of my favourites growing up), and I love the nostalgic feeling you get when you recall those books you made your parents read to you a million times...the books that you then read to them a million times...and the ones that you would read again as an adult just for fun:)

Some of my Favourites.

We all know the web is an endless array of information. Some may find this daunting, others may take an optimistic spin and realize that means there are millions of educators out there that are sharing their experiences and strategies. I do sometimes find myself in the former mindset (especially when I'm trying to find a specific thing and end up lost in a sea of sites), but more often than not these searches can land you in some pretty fantastic corners of the web. 

Here are a few sites I have found over the years that provide some awesome strategies, input, and assistance for those nights when we hit that Google Search button hoping for some help: 

Free Resources from the Net for EVERY Learner. This blog was created and maintained by VIU's own Paul Hamilton, and it is such an amazing collection of UDL resources that I find myself checking it anytime I feel I am stuck with a student or trying to figure out some form of technology that might assist in getting them engaged or able to complete coursework.

Teach Special Education (Ontario Teachers Federation). Fantastic collection of effective strategies and resources for students with special needs. Provides instructional, environmental, and assessment suggestions to benefit particular designations as well as key practices that would help any struggling learner in the classroom.

Reading Rockets. I'm sure this one is well-known (and loved), but I do love how despite this site being geared toward supporting early readers, I have found information and strategies that can be applied to secondary learners who are needing some remedial work. 

Edutopia. This site (founded by THE George Lucas) is full of resources, blog posts, videos, new and innovative educational ideas...you could spend hours searching on here and find tons of great stuff!

Lit Strategy to Try: Book Cover Predictions

They say a picture is worth 1000 words-- so a book cover might certainly be able to tell us 1000 words about the text we are about to embark on! This is a new literacy strategy that I am hoping to try out with students in the near future-- Book cover predictions!

 

 *** As an example, check out just a few of the covers produced for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (my favourite book of all time). Just think of how the predictions and inferences would change depending on what cover they saw! ***

This opportunity provides struggling students with the chance to focus on a text and make predictions based on the visual clues offered by an illustration or photograph. If students understand that they are to check and analyze their predictions as they read, the strategy motivates students to read carefully.

The premise is simple: get students to look at the illustration or photo on the cover of a text.

• Explain to students that finding clues from illustrations and photographs helps them make predictions about a story or other text
• Ask students to think about what they already know regarding setting, characters, and other story elements as they look over the book cover
• Ask students, “What do you think this story will be about? Why?” and get them to either discuss or fill out a prediction chart
• Additional sample questions to discuss or write about include:

• What do you think is happening? Why?
• Where do you think this story takes place?
• What do you think is being said or done in the picture?
• If it is a photo, where/when do you think the picture was taken? Why was it taken?
• What do you think the artist or photographer tried to capture in this picture? What is the artist/photographer trying to show us? What message is he/she trying to send?
• If you were the subject of this picture, what would you be thinking or feeling? What makes you think that?
• What information is missing in the picture? (What are you wondering about that would help you to better understand the message?)
• What do you find interesting about the picture? What about the picture makes you want to read this story?

• Hopefully as students read, they adjust and refine their predictions based on learning.
   

  

  The cover I see most often in schools. There are so many references to the story in this depiction-- the items in the tree, the shadowy figures of Jem and Scout, the mockingbird on the top branch.

  
  

Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson

I recently attending a conference called Challenging Behaviours in Youth, and this is one of the videos the facilitator started the day off with. As I listened to Rita speak, I felt as if she succinctly said everything we should know about the key to supporting all learners in the classroom- and that is to make them know that they are worthy and have potential. Some of our students are used to a school experience where they are constantly reminded of what they cannot do...either overtly from teachers and peers or from internally as they struggle to complete work. By the time they reach secondary school, they have likely assumed their roles as "the dumb kid" so strongly that it seems impossible to shake. That is where we come in. Dedicated, caring educators who know that every child needs somebody in their corner. Somebody who knows their story, acknowledges their struggles, and works to find a solution.

EDPD 584: Final Thoughts and Future Actions!

 
Hello!

It's finally June (though it feels like August in Victoria)-- and it is getting harder and harder to stay inside, whether it is in the classroom or on the computer working on coursework! Luckily though, I am finishing one of those items tonight so I will have a bit less online time (at least until the next course starts in early July). That means more evenings of lounging on my deck reading a book, going for after-dinner runs, visiting Beacon Hill Drive-in for the best soft serve ice cream in Victoria...it doesn't get much better:)

However, that is not without being a bit sad that I won't be meeting online each week to learn about the multitude of amazing technological tools out there for learners in the 584 course! I have truly been amazed by not only what is available, but the depth of options out there. I've explored several extensions, websites, and programs over the past several weeks, and I've found some really cool options that I can now share with students. For my final project (also known as the Action Plan), I focused my thoughts on the idea of independence through access for struggling learners. I also really tried to tie this thought into my own personal experience, as it provided even more emphasis on the fact that each learner should have the chance to be successful and independent!

I'm not sure if anyone else is reading my blog these days, but- as our trusty guide into the assisted technology world- I know Paul is reading. So thank you, Paul! I've really enjoyed the course, and I am excited to continue to educate myself (and witness) the ever-evolving world of technology as it continues to expand and shape the educational experience we can give our students.

584 Assignment 6 & 8: Thoughts on AAC and Specialized Equipment

 Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine we are enjoying this weekend (before the rain descends upon us starting tomorrow). Over the last couple days- in between sitting outside soaking up these rays- I've been exploring the array of AACs and Specialized Equipment listed on the EDPD 584 website. Overall, I am completely amazed by the technological options available to learners with various impairments! It is almost futuristic/sci-fi to me to think that one can access all options on their desktop using only their eyes, but I am so happy to see that the ability to communicate, complete schoolwork, and simple daily tasks are being made more and more accessible to anyone.

Here are a couple highlights I took away from exploring these tools:

Radio Aids for Hearing Technology: To see how well these hearing-impaired students are able to integrate into mainstream school is fantastic. I went to school with a classmate named Kate who was almost completely deaf, and during class she would have to get the teacher to put on a headset and fiddle around with the sound/frequency before beginning the lesson. I'm so happy to see that just over a decade later, technology has been modified and refined to make the process even smoother and seamless.  Not only that, but the ability to connect to a mobile phone via Bluetooth makes for even more accessibility in terms of day-to-day communication. Cell phones were just hitting the scene at that time so this wouldn't have been an option yet, but if it HAD been- I'm sure Kate would have appreciated it! :)

Tobii Software for Alternative Computer Access: Wow. Just wow. I cannot believe how cool these software packages are! Besides the essential functions of being able to create/answer simple questions and commands, I was so impressed to see that somebody like Lianna can essentially create a diary where she can add comments, schoolwork, and photos. I also like how the customization allows for her to add things like her birthday, school information- it is no longer a completely uniform program. I was also happy to see that programs like Tobii ATI and PCEye allow for users to work on their computers (and online) in a completely self-sufficient way. It is always important to remember that each of these users are individuals that deserve the same privileges we enjoy- and one of those things is independence. For an individual confined to a wheelchair, they are dependent on help with so many things in their day-to-day activities...and this allows them control, privacy, and independence in one instance of their lives. To be able to make our own decisions and have control over our own bodies is something many of us take for granted, and these leaps in technology have allowed those without that luxury to gain part of that freedom back.

Lingering Questions...

• One thing I still don't fully understand is how eye-tracking software actually ensures that it picks up the letter/word/image that you are meaning to focus on. When I think about my own computer habits, I feel like I am constantly scanning all around my screen at any given time. If the tracker is following the user's cornea to find out what button they want to select, how does it do that if the user is looking at several buttons? Do you have to focus on a button for at least 2 seconds to let the software know to implement it? I'm going to keep poking around online to see if I can figure out the exact technological nitty gritty for how that part works-- but regardless it's still an impressive function.
• My other question about all of these impressive tools is how financially accessible they are to school districts- and how prevalent they are in BC schools. I have seen iPad functions similar to Boardmaker being used with students on the autism spectrum (that are nonverbal), and it definitely helps with allowing them to communicate their needs through picture symbols and text-to-speech functions. However, besides that I haven't seen anything like Tobii PCEye or Intellikeys. 

I'm sure the companies that produce these products have wholesale pricing for school districts wanting to implement them in their schools, but are they available at a realistic district budgeting price? And how much training is required to learn not only how to use, but to teach students how to use them? Does anyone work in a district where these tools are easily accessible?

 Feel free to give me any feedback about your own experiences below!

584 Assignment 5: Toolbelt Theory

 Hello bloggerverse!

 Here is my utellstory-created Toolbelt Theory presentation! This took me quite a long time to create from start to finish, mostly from going through the UDL wiki (which was fantastic, by the way) and trying several of the tools listed on there. I found lots that I liked, but then narrowed it down to my favorites for the purposes of the assignment. I framed the research around a Grade 10 student who I made up, but represents several students I have worked with over the last few years. As someone with a devout love for books (and no problem breezing through an entire one in 2 or 3 days), it can sometimes surprise me how many students I meet that are so adverse to reading. However, the more I learn in this program the more I realize that in many instances there are learning blocks that are creating that animosity- and now I am more determined than ever to break those barriers down and allow for access.

I hope you like the presentation! (Follow the link below)

http://www.utellstory.com/viewstory/view/ac2d676d33afe2ead91eb0fe3b950bfd

 P.S. I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing sunshine we are currently amassed in on the West Coast-- I can hardly believe the lack of rain we have had in the spring. Although, as much as I love this weather I wouldn't be completely distraught if we did get some showers...as my allergies have been brutal over the last few days. With this wonderful weather comes pollen, cottonwood, and hay blowing in every direction on the peninsula- and my biological response is to sneeze every 10 minutes or so. However, I have been trying to eat local honey every day (a trick I heard about last year and decided to try- it's not a conclusive scientific theory by any means but check out more information on the local honey/seasonal allergy connection here) and it honestly seems to be helping. Or I'm just enjoying the placebo effect...either way, at least honey tastes delicious:)