My New Classroom

I am so excited to have found a job! better yet... I love it! My classroom has seven students, although two more students will be starting this winter. They are within the ages of three to five. All of them have medical and physical disabilities and some have some cognitive delays. During my time as a teacher in this classroom I will utilize my skills in boardmaker, budget technology solutions and low tech/ high tech devices. I am so excited to use what I learned in this course, and all my courses, in the classroom!

Reflections

As I end my time at TC I find myself reflecting over my course work. I have learned so many useful teaching strategies and interventions for students with disabilities. I think that this computer technology class has strengthened this knowledge and has provided me with different formats to teach these strategies. For example, I could incorporate Classroom Suite in a math lesson.

I recently began teaching in my own classroom. Within my first week I was told that the budget was limited and I had to learn how to do more with less. I immediately thought about the Technology for a Dollar. I have already used different readily available materials found around the classroom to adapt materials.

I think that this course strengthened my understanding of technology and the impact that it can have on a person with a disabilities life. I think that with the knowledge I have gained throughout the semester I will be a better advocate for technology within the classroom.

Functional Skills System

Academics are highly important, but one could argue that functional life skills are just as. I think that functional life skills are important to teach to all students, not just students with disabilities. Students with disabilities may have a difficult time learning simple functional life skills. That is where the Function Skills system comes in.

I think that this system seems very useful. It is user friendly, has high-interest content and is age appropriate. Often times it is difficult to find software that teaches functional life skills that is age appropriate and can be used with adults. I also like how the videos and visual displays provide sign language/ visual representations. This is very beneficial for students with various disabilties, epecially those with severe intellectual disabilities.

Boardmaker

Boardmaker is my favorite special education tool! I use boardmaker for everything and it is quite easy to learn how to use and once you start using it you won't be able to stop!!!! One of my favorite things to do with Boardmaker is adapt books. When you teach in a differentiated classroom with students who have diverse disabilities, reading a story is not as simple as it sounds. Boardmake allows you to adapt the book using familiar symbols, so the students will understand the text better.

Look out for the new Boardmaker series... there are new yoga poses in the picture library,

and watch out...

sometimes boardmaker pictures can be a little sexist (i.e. there are only pictures of male principals).

Kurzweil

You have heard of Ebooks, right???

Well Kurzweil is a computer program that offers similar services, but is specifically designed for people with disabilities.

Kurzweil is a great learning device for a wide range of learners. Students with various disabilities would be able to use Kurzweil and participate in classroom activities more readily by using the technology. The program could prove to be too difficult for some students who have more severe to profound intellectual disabilities, and they may require some assistance when using the program.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the discipline that is concerned with designing optimal human interactions with other elements. When looking at the place where I complete the majority of my studies, it must be said that the ergonomics of my environment could certainly be improved. For example, I type on a lap top that is placed on a ventilator in order for it not to overheat. As a result my wrists often hurt. I also place documents that I am using while I am typing on a flat surface next to my computer. This causes my neck and eyes to feel strain.

Some sugestions to improve my work staion are to use a document holder. Using a document holder prevents neck and eye strain. (see picture above).

Another suggestion would be to position my keyboard so that my forearms are parallel to my thighs and that my feet are on the floor. This would help maintain blood flow to my hands and arms, as well as decrease strain and tension.

KABOODLE!

Part of this weeks assignment was to set up a kaboodle account and learn how to bookmark. Kaboodle allows you to discover multiple brands you may want to shop by accesing one search engine. I love to shop so going through kaboodle was quite fun! It is a little tricky to figure out, and although it was developed to make our lives easier, it can be a bit inaccessible for those of use who are not very computer savvy. Check out my kaboodle page...

http://www.kaboodle.com/katienicklas

Second Life: FLASH PLUTONIAN

My Second Life adventure began as a bit of a challenge. After I downloaded Second Life onto my computer my computer crashed. Ahhh, what's technology without a few little glitches, So... I trekked it over to the TC campus to use the computer lab to access Second Life's vitual campus. While there I met up with Jessica Birch and Micki Kaye and we checked out the Autism Support Group. There was also an Autism Museum that looked pretty cool. I think these features are positive for autism awareness and are beneficial for people with autism and their families to connect with other people. The top picture is of Jessica and I figuring out some dance moves and the bottom picture is of Jessica, Micki and I lounging in the Autism Support Group.

Technology for a Dollar!!!!!

As special education teachers we are blessed with the opportunities to work with many different types of students--we are also cursed with budget constraints. The lack of fiscal resources often leads to special education teachers' use of their ingenuity to adapt resources (perhaps that is why we special education teachers are labeled "creative").
Here is a scenario that has or will presented itself in your classroom...

A new student has enrolled in your school and is placed in your classroom. Although this student is at approximately the same academic level as the other students in the class, he has a visual impairment that inhibits his academic performance.
What is a way you as a special education teacher can adapt materials to allow this student to function at the same level as his classmates?
The answer... PUFFY PAINT!!!!
Growing up as a preteen in the early nineties two things were true. First, I loved New Kids on the Block, and secondly I loved puffy paint. Every article of clothing I owned was bedazzled with puffy paint. I declared my favorite bands and all of my crushes in large, embossed letters among my sneakers, pants and t-shirts. Like New Kids on the Block's recent reunion, puffy paint is making a comeback... in your classroom! Use puffy paint to outline worksheets and pictures. Students with visual impairments can feel the outline to help them see clearer. Using puffy paint with glitter will boost the students ability to perform to their fullest potential, because the sparkle in the glitter will enhance their vision. Using glitter glue can have the same effect. Also, putting pictures of objects against a contrasting background can help the student see more clearly. So, when you are modifying your curriculum to assist students with visual impairments, remember the good old days of your childhood, and your creative teeny bopper experiences, and bring out the puffy paint!