Two Words: Luis C.K.

I have seen the original stand-up version of Luis C.K.'s shtick about technology and how it is lost on the most ungrateful generation. It is positively hilarious because it is so true. So many people now take it for granted that we have all of this amazing access to absolutely anything we want at our fingertips, and the second it takes a little too long or something goes a little bit wrong everyone is up in arms. I somewhat agree with Luis C.K. that our generation is completely spoiled and "non-contributing" and that there are many of us who take for granted the technology that we have. But can we think about it another way?

Are we completely dependent on technology? Are we TECHNO ADDICTS? Apparently, according to Luis C.K., we can't even live without Wi-Fi on an airplane that we only knew existed 30 seconds ago. We're hooked on the ability to have absolutely everything with the touch of a button. Isn't that amazing?

Before I started teaching, I had a generous respect for technology and the scientists who make it happen for us. I am one of those people who never reads the instruction manual--I just "play" with electronic devices until I figure them out. They are intuitive. They are in tune with the way our brains think. They are a reflection of who we are.

After I started teaching, my respect for technology grew even more. It is amazing to me that because of the development of technology students with autism who have never had a voice are able to communicate fluently and with ease. Not only that, but technology serves as an external motivator for my students whose intrinsic motivation is lacking. Moreover, technology enhances the learning experience for students in a class--wasn't that what our Educational Challenge was all about?

I mean sure, technology can get a little ridiculous, what with people's obsession with updating their Facebook status every five minutes and people texting me "Happy Birthday" rather than calling me to hear my NEW 24 YEAR OLD voice! (I literally got TWO phone calls on my birthday, from my Dad and my best friend in Portland. My MOM even texted me).

So what does this say about technology? Is it positive or negative? It has its negatives--my 3 year old nephew is learning to write by using a touch screen Android phone as opposed to holding a paper and pen. But at the same time, this wave is HUGE and I think we should all just ride it! It's SO much more positive than negative--communication, media, news, culture--everything is shared through technology. Not to mention medical advancements and its contributions to the development of special education. Yes, we are living in Digital Mind world. But isn't that better than living in a world where so much can be unknown and unavailable?

RefleXion

In all honestly, taking this class during my first semester of full time teaching was incredibly stressful. I found all of the pieces of technology that we learned about so interesting and useful, and I wanted to really think about how to implement them in my classroom. However, I spent so much time this semester just trying to keep my head above the water as a first year teacher that the amount of reflection, planning, implementation and re-reflection that I wanted to happen just couldn't. And then I felt guilty.

But this has been one of the most enjoyable classes so far. The best classes, in my opinion, are those in which we learn the theory and immediately practice the implementation of the theory. While the small assignments and many many projects were stressful as we had so many other demands placed on us, they also were inspiring and eye-opening.

I believe I had a breakthrough during the Educational Challenge assignment. I took the plunge and chose to make the Prezi presentation for our group--having forgotten that upon first look I HATED Prezi. When I got to it, after already volunteering to do it, I had an "Oh, crap" moment. And then I felt the stress. But then I played around with it. And I got all of my information in order. And I decided which paths I wanted it to follow based on who our students were. It was amazing to press Play and watch it all go. It made perfect sense, and it highlighted everything I wanted it to highlight. I could TOTALLY make something like this for my students, and even assign a project using Prezi TO one of my really technological students. I love when "Oh, crap" moments turn into "A-ha" moments when you are looking back at your experiences.

Like I've said before, being a first year teacher has taken up a lot of my brain space this semester. But using technology in the classroom is something that is so important for this generation. And it's something that teachers really need to get on board with. But so many of us are scared to try and that is where the problem lies. Technology is what's happening NOW, and if we fall behind, we can lose the chance to really connect with our students in a way that can only be possible because of the technological advances we have made. How amazing is it that so many people are walking around with iPads because they think they're cool, but my student is walking around with an iPad because it's his VOICE? What if he was stuck with just picture symbols? His head would explode because he has SO MUCH MORE in there and he just needs to be able to express it.

I think being a special education teacher in a severe setting has truly shaped my perceptions of everything around me. I try more and more each day to see the world as my students see it. For this reason, this class is so important, because it really has shown ways to access information as teachers, but also to transmit information that is more accessible to our learners. And THAT is why we are here, isn't it?

Assuming with ASSessment

Many educators fall into the trap of using the same type of assessment for all students. Then, if some students don't perform as well as expected, some are deemed to be slackers or students with lower skills or abilities. But the truth is that teachers have to find the right type of authentic assessment to use for their students. We feel so much pressure from the government (IDEA, NCLB), the city (Race to the Top), our administration (Annual Yearly Progress) to have our students "perform." But what does that mean, when the performance standards aren't appropriate for all of our students?

I learned in my undergraduate education as a Social Studies general ed major at NYU to use "authentic assessment." This is portfolio assessment where students create real work products that make the content more meaningful. In this way, they can put themselves back in time and create artifacts of the time period we studied. I have seen this be successful in NYC schools, where they didn't spend weeks upon weeks upon weeks doing inappropriate "Test Prep" for the standardized tests. And, dare I say, even lacking test prep, the students performed high on the standardized tests! This is because the authentic assessment was easy to differentiate and was able to be individualized for students' needs and abilities. THIS was UDL in the classroom.

I have also seen schools go horribly wrong during my months as a Global History Regents Prep tutor one summer after I graduated from NYU. The school was drilling the Regents into these kids' heads, with little success and so much frustration and pushing back from the students. For months, the students spent every morning for three hours reviewing the Regents and every afternoon for four hours practicing old Regents exams. Is this assessment? When the kids are failing just because they're bored out of their minds? And then they take the "real" test and they fail just because they can't take it anymore? How is that any true indication of what our students are learning?

Assessment is truly a touchy subject because of just that--how do we know what the standard for achievement is without standardization? But on the other hand, how do we place the emphasis on LEARNING, and not on TESTING?

Down wit AAC (Yeah You Know Me)

It was so exciting to be a part of the conversation about AAC devices. Two of my students are "nonverbal" (although one is emergent verbal and speaks in short phrases and the other can communicate his wants and needs extremely effectively without uttering one word) and use two different AAC devices. One uses a ProxTalker, which is just a static display voice output device much like a PECS book but you can pre-program the icons with your own pictures and record your voice. The other now thankfully uses TouchChat HD on the iPad. Both have been successful with Proloquo2Go on the iPad.

One of the students I have talked about before: "One of these students used to communicate through the use of a DynaVox. Needless to say, his level of cognitive functioning is extremely high and he was able to navigate impressively through the DynaVox features. Before he became my student, however, his DynaVox broke and the only other piece of assistive technology we had in the classroom was a PECS book that we customized for him. This student does not emit aggressive behaviors; on the contrary, he is quite social and very appropriate with his social interactions albeit his nontraditional form of communication. However, in my classroom he became increasingly agitated as he had to adjust to a new form of communication that wasn't truly suited to meet his needs...Eventually, after weeks, he was able to receive his own iPad with the communication device he had been using most frequently in my classroom. Ever since then, he has been notably less agitated and anxious, and more happy because he is able to communicate not only his wants and needs, but also participate in a more fluid way in daily activities by commenting and answering and asking questions."

It is so important for us to reflect on WHO we are teaching, and all of our abilities that we take for granted. I remember when I first started teaching in September, one of the paraprofessionals in my room tried to use a PECS book as an instructional tool for a student. She would grab his book and put a "Listen to Teacher" symbol on it, or a "Quiet" symbol on it. I had to find the right way to tell her that what she was doing was incredibly violating, that she was using HIS voice to give him commands and demands. It is one thing if she was showing him those symbols, but to put them on HIS communication device was wrong. She could use her voice by speaking or choosing a symbol to represent what she wanted to say. He could NOT speak.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing we special educators have to remember about AAC is that this device is the student's VOICE. You must NEVER take it away from him/her. Every time you think about taking it away, or you see someone take it away, put it on the shelf, strap it behind the chair, put it in the closet because he's "not using it," imagine someone putting a sock in your mouth and taping your mouth shut. You have the luxury of being able to access speech and use your mouth to speak in the traditional and conventional way that we are socially programmed to think is appropriate. But some of my students can't. So don't Duct tape their mouths closed by using THEIR voices to communicate YOUR want or need! UGH that is my biggest pet peeve about AAC devices. Well-meaning professionals don't even recognize the difference sometimes. Whose fault is that?

Techno Teacha Plans for Tech

As I began this journey of metacognition--thinking about thinking about technology when I'm planning my lessons--I realized how little I actually am able to use technology in my classroom. I have very limited instructional time with my students, what with all of the "mandated" daily activities we have to accomplish throughout the day (gym, yoga, cluster classes, instructional snack time), that I struggle to incorporate technology in my day.

But as I kept on thinking, I came to know that there are so many ways I could slip it in unnoticed--such as during workstations when my students are working 1:1 and doing independent work. Instead of practicing handling money in the same format, why not practice online banking through an iPad app? Instead of using just the emergent literacy books that our principal wants us to use, why not supplement the reading work with a Dolch flashcard game app on the iPad? Why not head over to the class next door and do a collaborate sensory lesson on the SmartBoard? As I slowly started to incorporate more technology into my everyday routines, I saw some of my students' affect and motivation change. Incorporating technology wasn't just mixing things up for them--it was making it more engaging and (DARE I SAY IT?!) more motivating!

It was interesting to note that the use of technology is definitely more effective at a 1:1 or small group level; when I have broken out all of the iPads for a group lesson on the geographical features of an island ("Let's all find a beach!") I noticed that some of my students were Google Mapping StuyTown instead of the Dominican Republic. But this type of reflection is so important for we teachers because we need to figure out what works for our students and what doesn't so we can weed out the bad and focus on the good. Our kids aren't always intrinsically motivated, they don't always want to do what we ask them to do, and they don't always understand what we ask them to do. But technology can be such a universal bridge for all of our kids to come together and become engaged and motivated and communicative--and it all starts with knowing our kids and how we can access that. Technology is one great way to do it, and I've seen it.

Individualizing AT

The readings and discussion about assistive technology in the classroom have resonated with me on a personal level. As I have said several times throughout the semester, I am a first year 6:1:1 teacher with two students who are nonverbal. One of these students used to communicate through the use of a DynaVox. Needless to say, his level of cognitive functioning is extremely high and he was able to navigate impressively through the DynaVox features. Before he became my student, however, his DynaVox broke and the only other piece of assistive technology we had in the classroom was a PECS book that we customized for him. This student does not emit aggressive behaviors; on the contrary, he is quite social and very appropriate with his social interactions albeit his nontraditional form of communication. However, in my classroom he became increasingly agitated as he had to adjust to a new form of communication that wasn't truly suited to meet his needs.

This is the most important part of assistive technology in the classroom: it has to be functional and it should enhance a student's learning experience rather than create frustration and agitation. For this reason, I downloaded a number of communication devices on my iPad and had this student use them in my classroom. Eventually, after weeks, he was able to receive his own iPad with the communication device he had been using most frequently in my classroom. Ever since then, he has been notably less agitated and anxious, and more happy because he is able to communicate not only his wants and needs, but also participate in a more fluid way in daily activities by commenting and answering and asking questions.

However, it is important to not confuse the term assistive technology with alternative and augmentative communication. I have used so much low-tech assistive technology in my classroom, which eases the stress and anxiety that so many students with autism face. Simply giving a student a marker rather than a pencil to write with is an accommodation that can relieve tension and enhance the student's learning experience.

The bottom line is that teachers should truly get to know their students, know what works for them and what their needs are, before shoving assistive technology just because the textbook says to do it. We should always be optimizing opportunities to individualize for our students!

Kurzweilin' Out

I never had any experience with assistive technology really before this course. I had encounters with students in my student teaching placements who used computers for word processing purposes because of their motor deficits, but not for communication or for understanding material. I think Kurzweil is an interesting and easy to use tool that can benefit not only students with special needs, but also those typically developing students in the general education classroom. I mentioned this in the discussion on the HBSE 4005 Wiki, but I'll mention it again here. Many of my special education professors here at TC have said on various occasions that strategies that work for special education classrooms certainly work in general education classrooms. This is not to say that the needs of students in general education are comparable to those of students with special needs in special education classrooms, but it is safe to say that having access to materials and technology that enhances the learning experience is important for all learners--with or without disabilities.


In that same vein, I have seen that many of my colleagues have posed questions about state testing for general education students. Assistive tools like Kurzweil software will not be available for students in the general education track who will participate in standardized tests. For this reason, for students without special needs, Kurzweil can be used as an enhancement strategy for teaching note-taking and comprehension skills. Students can use Kurzweil as they learn the strategies they need for the standardized tests. However, at least in my case with my 6 students with autism ALL participating in NYSAA this year (oh, the stress!), this will not be a problem.


With all that said, I am eager to continue working with the Kurzweil software because I do believe that it is an interesting piece of technology that can truly enhance the learning experience. I think all students should be able to have access to it as they are learning to become more independent with their reading, and as they learn to self-monitor their own needs and levels of understanding.

Oh How I Wish...

I could have a Smart Board in my classroom! There are so many things that can be done with the Smart Board, and as I get to know my students more and their interests, I wish I could have a Smart Board to have a more interactive classroom. I currently have an iPad cart which I try to break out with my students and have them do activities as a whole class. We're currently studying different Spanish-speaking countries for Hispanic Heritage Month, so we've been looking at the satellite image on Google Maps of each of the countries and their characteristics (mountains, beaches, big cities, etc.). It would have been so much better to be able to have a Smart Board and have students manipulate the maps on the board. It would add a bigger "WOW" factor to the maps, and it would also get the kids out of their seats.


There are so many interesting interactive websites out there, especially for students with special needs, that would be so much more enhanced and meaningful with an interactive Smart Board in the classroom. There is only one room in the school that has one, and I am so jealous of the teacher who has it--she doesn't even want it in her room! I can think of a million and one things to do with my students using a Smart Board. 


So, even though I wasn't in class on Monday, I have been exposed to Smart Boards and have used them in my student teaching experiences. Oh, how I wish I could have a Smart Board in my classroom!

Web 2.0: The Situation

Learning about how to incorporate interactive technology in the classroom was incredibly inspiring. It was exciting to participate in these interactive web tools as a class to not only see how it worked but also to learn by doing. Using websites like Prezi, Bubbl, Popplet, Titanpad, and Voicethread were interesting. However, throughout the entire session I kept on thinking about the students that I teach in my 6:1:1 class. Five out of six of my students have severe autism, and websites like Prezi and Titanpad would be too overstimulating for some of them. I very much enjoyed Popplet and Bubbl, because the concept maps that were created were simple to follow and made sense in a UD kind of way.

The more I think about it, though, the more I am interested in seeing some of my more computer and technological students play around with some of these tools. Perhaps I will give them iPads and log them into these programs and just see what happens with it. It would be a fun experiment for both me and my students to see what interests them and what works for them. Then, I can use these websites as great instructional AND adaptive technology tools.

I have students in my class whose writing skills are either nonexistent or in the very early stages. Using technology more often in the classroom will provide them more UDL and access to discussions and collaborations via these Web 2.0 tools.

Will you look at that? I began this post discouraged, and am leaving inspired! Let's go Web 2.0!

UD CHALLENGE: Answered (Kind of)

Last week I posted about the horrendous state of the anti-UD bathroom in a New York City apartment. This week, I will offer a number of changes to the design of the bathroom that can make it more accessible to our diverse populations throughout the world.

BEFORE:

I split up the changes into steps and provided pictures of what it MAY look like.

FIRST:

The heater must be moved. It is essential for the door to be opened completely to allow large things such as wheelchairs or walkers through. The wheelchair should fit all the way into the bathroom so that the door may be closed all the way for the privacy that each user deserves.

SECOND:

The cabinets under the sink would be taken away, and the sink would be mounted onto the wall with nothing underneath it in order to have room for a wheelchair, walker, or any other type of assistance a person with disabilities may need. 

It may look like this:

THIRD:

The toilet and the sink would swap places so that the sink is the first thing in the bathroom on the right, leaving more room for an accessible wheelchair to access the toilet. Also, the toilet would have bars for support.

It may look like this:

FOURTH:

The shower needs changing. One needs to take a large step over the bathtub in order to enter it. A change I would make is to have a swinging door in the tub that goes from the bottom of the tub, so a person may walk into it with a walker or other type of support.

It may look like this:

These are not changes that can be made easily or cheaply, but they would be made if a person needed it. Architects and designers in New York City need to think more about making their buildings on the outside AND inside accessible to people of all sizes and abilities. It is a shame that people with disabilities are a secondary thought and that these changes must be made after the original design of the whole building. The whole purpose of UD (and UDL) is to proactively design environments to suit all people. Why is it so hard to think of others FIRST?

Increasing Accessibility in (Teaching and) Learning

Throughout this first month of school (both as a student at Teachers College and a teacher in NYC District 75), I have been reflecting on how to make learning more accessible to my five very different learners with autism in my classroom. In this generation of increasingly frequent technological advancements, I believe that technology is the answer to many of our problems. I have been fortunate to learn that my school has access to a classroom set of iPads that can be used for teaching and choice time activities. I sifted through the pre-programmed applications and found many that are useful in aiding learning in the classroom.


First is this app, which is so essential for my students with autism:

Functional Skills System app--Social Skills Sampler

This app provides videos on social skills and other functional life skills for all types of learners. It provides a visual and audio model for appropriate behavior and life skills. This is incredibly important for our youngsters for whom this does not come naturally. Technology like this can complement a social story activity, a simulation activity, role playing, and other low-tech activities by having students manipulate the app and find appropriate videos.


Next is a communication app:

Verbally app

This app is a word-output program that has a combination of words and phrases that the student can tap and have the iPad speak. It is like a dynamic display communication board, but just with words--it doesn't have any pictures. This would not be appropriate for many learners who have limited reading ability. However, this could help with teaching grammar skills and writing--students can make phrases and sentences by tapping on the iPad and have the iPad speak back to them. They can listen to hear if the sentence makes sense when read aloud. It provides an extra step in understanding language--expressive and receptive communication skills are enveloped in one small package with this app.


There are a number of other educational applications on the iPad, including tools for teachers--data collection, IEP writers, assessments, and other tools are available for educators. The iPad might have been designed with teaching and learning in mind, because it is one powerful piece of assistive technology that will definitely be utilized to its fullest potential in my classroom.

Universal Design for Teacching AND Learning

There really is no better time for me to be taking this class than right now. This topic is resonating with my so much because I am experiencing so many difficulties achieving Universal Design for Learning in my school. It is my first year teaching (my first MONTH teaching OMG) and I am the lead teacher in a 6:1:1 TEACCH middle school classroom with 5 students with severe autism and 4 paraprofessionals for me to manage. I am realizing slowly but surely (and definitely overwhelmingly) how much I have to plan not only for my students and their individual needs, but also for the four adults in my room who I also have to teach. It is incredible how UDL can be so simple, yet so hard to come by.

I have always been a fan of presenting materials in many different ways, just for the pure fact that it becomes more engaging when your brain gets to pick a preference of how you wish to learn the material. In my student teaching experiences, I've had the luxury of being in classrooms with Smart Boards and Promethean Boards, state of the art overhead projectors and various technological tools. It is no surprise that when I presented a Shel Silverstein poem to 3rd-5th graders last year in a 6:1:1 TEACCH classroom using the book it came from, an adapted version with pictures, a video of him reciting the poem, and also an audio clip of him reciting it from his book on tape the students were entirely engaged. They loved hearing Shel Silverstein say the words (particularly his poem "The Babysitter"). The poem became real to them...it wasn't just some awkward student teacher trying to make it fun for them. It inherently became more engaging.

The primary reason why it becomes more engaging is because your brain doesn't have to work so hard to understand the material when it is presented in so many different ways that you can chose which works best for you. The step of "Wait a minute, what's going on here?" is completely skipped because UDL proactively erases that from being a possibility. This is an incredible thing, and something that is so essential to our classrooms (especially those of us in the ID/Autism program at TC). 

Next, once an individual has that confusion taken away, one can actually appreciate what is being put in front of them, and allow him or herself to interact with the material in a way that is personally engaging and exciting to him or her--giving someone a choice or preference creates so much power and motivation.

However, when resources are low--as they tend to be in New York City public schools especially in District 75--it becomes disheartening as a new teacher to realize how difficult it can be to implement UDL in the classroom. Without the technology that makes it possible, teachers have to be incredibly creative--and loose with their cash--to make it happen. As a new teacher, I know what I should do to make sure that all of my students are working in the optimal environment for them, and one that accommodates all of their needs proactively before any type of issue has the possibility of even becoming a thought. However, there are so many barriers--low budget, lack of administrative problem solving, low staff morale, discouraged staff collaboration--that make UDL an ideal situation that I wish I had more access to.

As Rose and Meyer (2002) point out in their literature, "Incorporating digital media into the classroom is an important step that requires thoughtful consideration," and the implications for the implementation of UDL are critical. My attempts at UDL continue to be low-tech, as I fight for the use of more computers, the integration of the iPad in class activities, and a Smart Board in my classroom!

Tight Quarters

It is no secret that New York City has its fair share of missed UDL opportunities. As someone who has lived in NYC for almost five years (and I've seen A LOT of New York), it is with a sad heart that I say I am not shocked by the state of this miniscule bathroom:

It is quite impossible to maneuver through, without any barriers of my own. However, I can think of many issues that this blatant lack of UDL can pose to some people living with disabilities.


Firstly, due to the heater in the corner (behind the door), the door cannot open properly all the way, which leaves an awkward amount of space for any human to get through. Not to mention that the toilet is protruding from the right side. If there were any person with a physical disability, gross motor deficits, visual impairments, orientation and mobility deficits, or any kind of sensory aversion to small spaces, this bathroom would definitely not be suitable. And this is just because of the placement of the door and heater.


Moving forward to the toilet itself, there would be no space for any kind of architectural accommodation for anyone who needed extra support to use the bathroom, such as bars or extra space for a wheelchair. In that same vein, the sink would be completely unusable because of its shape and size, including how tall it is and how far away the faucet is (and because the toilet is right next to it, there would be no way to maneuver around it to be able to use it).


Lastly comes the shower, with its giant step to get into the tub and the faucet knobs that are too high to reach for someone with a physical disability that limits his or her walking or standing ability. Not to mention that it requires a significant amount of twisting to get it to turn on and to a comfortable temperature, which for a person with gross or fine motor deficits would be considerably difficult.


It is quite obvious that New York City is not a kind place for people with special needs. This one bathroom--which compared to many other bathrooms in NYC is quite large--is just one example of the work that needs to be done with UDL in mind so that all people can experience the most comfortable and basic lifestyle. Shouldn't everyone be allowed to use the bathroom comfortably?

Introduction

"Teach the children well" -- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

For almost a decade, it has been my goal to have my own classroom. Interestingly, as future or present teachers in this generation, technology has become a major part of the classroom experience. My expectations for this course, then, are to learn the tools to incorporate technology in a meaningful way for my students with intellectual disabilities and autism. This means not just using technology to gain their trust by learning their individual interests and strengths, but also to use technology in a vocational way to help our students become independent and contributing members of our society.

My experience with technology and teaching has been almost minimal. I completed my bachelor of science degree at New York University with a major in Social Studies Education 7-12. I decided to get into special education at the age of 22 when I learned something very important about myself--I didn't have the knowledge yet to teach my own class because I was lacking special education training. So I ended up at TC's ID/Autism program, which has completely changed my life. I am now a 6:1:1 teacher in a TEACCH model classroom, and am learning everyday how tremendous the role is that technology plays in our students' lives.

My experience learning technology in the past has been positive. I am a very fast learner, and I don't require much explanation or repetition when it comes to technology. I am relatively comfortable with new technology, provided its relative interest and importance to me. When I am excited about a new piece of technology, where it is a physical piece that I can hold or a new software, I can be playing with it nonstop for days. To that end, my technological learning style is definitely one of exploration--I am not the type of person to ever look at an owner's manual or instruction guide. When it comes to technology, I am purely adventure and exploration without a map, and nothing more.In order to learn technology well, I believe people need a personal interest or some type of intrinsic motivation that guides them to learn more. I also think people need time for the trial-and-error nature that consumes people with new technology.

Martinez’s article resonated with me. There was one point when I believe he was completely spot on, when he said, “If a large and complex problem seems daunting as a whole, perhaps one can summon the will to accomplish a small piece of it. And that success can motivate one to persist.” In this way, just accomplishing a small part of a large task gives you the momentum and confidence to continue working. 

This is particularly true for me now because I am a first year teacher, and there is a lot of work to be done and mistakes to be made. But it is the momentum of continuing the small pieces that makes the large big picture less of a problem. This can also be applied to technology, in that there are many SNAFU’s and mishaps that occur in technological activities, and this outlook can definitely play a part in bringing technology back together once it fall apart, as it inevitably does sometimes in our imperfect world!