Week 10 Module

A.  After reading Cori More's article on digital social stories, I learned a great deal about these wonderful teaching tools!  I became aware of the reasons why social stories are necessary, how they can be modified for visual/auditory needs, and what skills they can help children improve.  More states that, "intervention is especially important for those students with disabilities who experience difficulties in learning social skills without intervention. Some strategies that have previously been implemented to improve social behavior include peer tutoring, social stories, and digital media."  More believes that digital social stories have a lot of success in teaching social skills because these stories are personalized per student, promote relationships, can be edited by the student and their family, and allow teachers to target culturally appropriate skills/responses.  The interactive creation of digital social stories between the student, family, and teacher is a great aspect of the learning process these stories present, because it allows for customization and specialization for children with various disabilities.  More states that, "the addition of sound allows children with visual impairments or reading difficulties to access the digital social stories independently. The addition of digital pictures supports the needs of visual learners. The text, built on developmentally appropriate vocabulary,
promotes literacy and provides structure to the lesson."  All around, I believe that digital social stories are a great tool to aid children with disabilities in learning social skills and how to thrive in our society.


B.   Prior to this module, I had no idea that digital social stories existed.  I knew of regular social stories, but digital social stories created on PowerPoint or YouTube were a whole new ballgame.  I believe that these stories are a great tool for children with autism to use because it helps them to know how to act/react in a socially acceptable way in various situations and environments.  My experience with creating a digital social story was pretty insane, however.  I have a Mac computer, so I was unable to download PhotoStory 3.  I decided to borrow my mother's computer to create my video, but for some reason I could not upload any photos to PhotoStory 3 unless they were "sample pictures" that came with the computer.  I tried and tried to find different ways to make PhotoStory 3 work, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.  I had given up on PhotoStory 3 at this point, and went back to my Mac and tried to make an iMovie, but that was a hopeless case as well.  Finally, 3 hours later, I gave in and asked my computer-whiz boyfriend for help.  I wrote the story, found the pictures, recorded the narration, and he did all of the technical video-making and YouTube-uploading.  It was an all-day affair, but finally I had something to work with.  Due to all of these complications, I wouldn't recommend making video social stories to someone with little technological knowledge, like myself.

My digital social story about concert etiquette:

Google Docs

I love Google Docs. I think it is such a great tool for teacher and students of all ages!  It is amazing how many different types of documents you can create and share with others using this tool.  While creating our collaborative response, I noticed that every few minutes, my document would automatically save, so there was no need for me to remember to press the save button.  The ease of editing and collaborating with Google Docs is amazing, partners can edit and add ideas effortlessly in order to create the best document possible.  Another feature that I love about Google Docs is the form feature!  It makes creating quizzes, surveys, reviews, etc. far easier and fun.  I believe that students would also love to use Google Docs in a team as well as individually because it adds a bit of fun and novelty to learning.  Students can help each other out without being in the same room, and the potential for learning is heightened during these collaborative tasks. 

WebQuest, ACC, and AT

I have never before used a WebQuest in my life, so this was an incredibly interesting assignment for me.  I was confused at first as to what to do, but the directions were very clear, and I was soon back on track.  After my few minor mishaps, I believe that my first WebQuest adventure went rather well.  I chose to read Hayden's (a child with autism and communication issues) Case Study.  The WebQuest was so informative and thorough and any questions I thought of were answered with the extra links that were provided.  I learned what laws enabled Hayden to access AT, what different types of AT devices he could implement, where he would find funding for the device, and what process he'd have to go through to obtain this funding.  I truly enjoyed the WebQuest because I was able to learn a great deal of information in a little time, was able to see what kinds of devices were out there for children like Hayden, and learn the laws and resources available to children with disabilities. 
As a future educator, I can definitely see myself utilizing this tool in my own classroom.  There are so many options for how to use the tool and what to use it for, that it could be used across the curriculum with all subjects.  WebQuests in scavenger hunt form would be especially helpful for children with disabilities in my opinion, because it is a fun way to navigate the web and gather new information.  WebQuests allow teachers to provide their own links about the topic, so students navigation of the web becomes much simpler as they do not have to search for the information themselves, but can simply click on the links provided to find what they need. 

Though I was familiar with Assistive Technology and ACC, I found our reading to be highly informative as well as interesting.  Previously, I've worked with about 5 students who use DynaVox systems on a daily basis, which turned out to be great on-the-job training in how to manage and use these communicators.  I was also introduced to DynaVox etiquette, which requires the listener to be patient when waiting for responses, stories, and questions from students with these device, as it takes them longer to "speak."  Our article introduced me to to fact that many children with CCN are taught to utilize sign language for frequently used words and quick, short responses, along with the use of AT communication devices.  Also, I learned that children should consistently and frequently be presented with highly motivating communication tasks, so as to practice using their communicators and becoming more fluent/familiar/comfortable with the device.  I believe that this idea will greatly influence the way in which I instruct individuals who employ these devices.  Basically, this idea is similar to "if you don't use it, you lose it," meaning that if you don't use your communicator regularly, it will take much more time to understand it, and much more effort to use it. 

Facebook in My Future Classroom

Example #1:  In my future classroom, I would love to utilize Facebook for fun, creative assignments.  One way in which I'd like to take advantage of Facebook would be to assign each student in my class from a particular novel.  Naturally, we would read the story as a class over a series of days, and the children would be instructed to take extensive notes on their particular character.  Then, I would announce to the class that they were to create a Facebook profile for their character, complete with friends, wall posts, interests, events, groups, etc.  Also, I would make sure that the assignment was completed in the classroom over a series of days, so as to monitor the children's use of Facebook, as well as to protect them from anything harmful or against privacy regulations.  Finally, I'd have the class get together and present their character profiles one at a time, in order to work on public speaking and socialization skills.

Example #2:  As stated previously, I'd love to utilize Facebook in a creative way in my future classroom.  On Facebook, there is an app that allows students to post their personal book reviews for their classmates and instructor to read and evaluate.  In my own classroom, this app would be useful if I were to assign book reports on a series of books with similar topics, such as books centered around the Civil War, abolition, the Bubonic Plague, animals and their environments, etc.  I would have my students hand in a rough draft that I would correct and pre-approve, before allowing them to post their review to Facebook.  Once everyone has a review posted, I would take some class periods to go over each review with the class, so that everyone could learn various aspects of the subject topic in depth.  This way, the students would have a fun, alternative method for reading, reviewing, and learning about a particular subject.

Facebook in Education

The use of Facebook, and other social networks, is rapidly spreading across the United States like wildfire.  People believe that like the Internet, social networks are here to stay for a very long time.  Facebook is incredibly popular throughout the world, and within all age groups.  But does Facebook’s popularity and usefulness truly validate it’s place in education?  Or should educators steer clear of Facebook altogether?

In my opinion, any digital, online tool that can be useful to students, easy to navigate, and reduce the stress of learning should be actively utilized in every classroom.  However, I do not believe that children should be bombarded with media and information from sites like Facebook on a daily basis.  As with everything else in life, Facebook must be used in moderation, especially in the classroom.

The usage of Facebook as a learning tool intrigues me, as I believe that it has great potential to stimulate and increase students’ engagement in class.  However, it is absolutely necessary for teachers to educate their students about safety and responsibility on the web prior to employing the site.  As Bernie Poole stated in his blog, children need to be made aware of “effective strategies for acquiring knowledge, decision-making skills, motivation, and self-control to behave in a safe, responsible, and legal manner when using the Internet and other information technologies.” (Poole, Risks Involved in Integrating the Internet into the K-12 Curriculum)  Teachers play an enormous role in educating students about this web-etiquette as, “teens are still looking to them for examples of how to be good citizens online and offline.” (Facebook, Teaching Digital Kids) 

Privacy and safety are two of the biggest issues that most teachers, including myself, have with introducing Facebook into the classroom.  If one is unaware of Facebook’s privacy settings, much information can be leaked and the students’ privacy and safety can come into jeopardy.   Facebook has a great privacy feature that limits who can access the information of users under the age of 18.  However, if a child says that they are older than 18, these features are not included, so there is far less protection. (Phillips, Baird, Fogg, Facebook for Educators)  This is why I believe that if students are to use Facebook in a classroom, it should be through a teacher created group or page, so as to avoid problems.  I wholeheartedly believe that teachers should also be aware of the fact that Facebook and similar websites are not the answer to their teaching issues.  As Stewart states, “it is not the tool that is important, but how you use it.” (Stewart, Just to Let You Know)

On a more positive note, I do believe that Facebook has many appealing uses that are suitable for classroom use.  Facebook requires the class to shift to a Student-centered learning environment in which the student needs to take more responsibility and action in their learning.  Facebook is very student-centered as it,  “can provide students with the opportunity to effectively present their ideas, lead online discussions, and collaborate….(and) as students share their thought processes with their peers online, they are able to help each other work through difficulties, while also building (this) collaborative peer support system.” (Phillips, Baird, Fogg, Facebook for Educators)  I believe that overall, Facebook usage in the classroom is a great tool for alternative learning.  Facebook allows students unique online learning experiences such as the ability to create and share work, collaborate with peers through critiques and comments on others’ assignments, work in teams, have discussions, etc. (Kessler, The Case for Social Media in Schools) Facebook also has a great advantage in teacher-parent communication as it facilitates and simplifies sharing information with parents.  Parents are kept informed, sent permission slips, given announcements, and can view media from their child’s activities and trips. (Facebook, Teaching Digital Kids)

 

Larry Ferlazzo's Mambo #5

After reading the descriptions for the Web 2.0 tools that educator Larry Ferlazzo had added to his top 20 list, I stumbled upon his #5 pick, a handy little site called Tripline.  The class that I am currently working with, is a group of 3 girls and 2 boys ages 11-12.  They are a highly academic group, but sometimes need visual stimuli or other means of representation to keep them focused, interested, and understanding.  Recently, we have been learning about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  When I stumbled upon the Tripline description and saw that there was a link to a Lewis and Clark Expedition map, I had to check it out for my munchkins.
Tripline, is a Web 2.0 tool in which you can make your own maps of local locations, famous places, well-known historical trips, or even maps of your upcoming field trips.  You are able to add pictures and text to the video map, as well as a soundtrack.  I checked out the Lewis and Clark map and it was quite amazing.  I knew instantly that my kids would absolutely love this tool.  Though my class is a self-contained classroom, I believe that inclusive, general education rooms would benefit even more from a tool like Tripline,
Tripline helps to make history come alive.  You can see actual pictures of events and places where expeditions, wars, the underground railroad, etc took place.  This tool would be perfect for the inclusive classroom because it would give ALL students a closer look at the topic material, and would present the topic in a different way for those who learn differently.  The information on these maps are incredibly organized, easy to read, easy to navigate, and just plain fun for students who might have some difficulties with learning, reading, listening, focusing, etc.
Also, the fact that this tool can also be used to plan out class field trip itineraries is fantastic!  From experience, I have witnessed that many children with special needs do not do well when forced to deviate from their normal, everyday schedule.  A tool like Tripline would help these particular students to stress less about upcoming trips, as it would map out exactly where the class would be, at what time the class would be there, and would familiarize the students with the area they would be visiting. 
Tripline is a marvelous tool than can be utilized in any classroom from self-contained to "regular ed," and from grades K-12 and beyond!  

Do You Know?!

The YouTube video, "Do You Know," was shockingly informative and mind-blowing.  The data presented in this video was almost unbelievable, and it was incredible to see how far our nation has progressed with technology over the last 40ish years.  So many of the facts in the video astounded me, but I believe that the fact that more videos were uploaded to YouTube in the last 2 months than if ABC, NBC, and CBS had been airing new content 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year since 1948, was the most astonishing of all.  The tidbit that I found the most amusing was that Americans have over 240,000,000 TVs, but about 2,000,000 are in their bathrooms! The political aspect of the digital age, as displayed in this video, has interested me greatly.  During Obama's campaign, he utilized online social media networks to raise over $55 million for his campaign in just 29 days!  One not-so-surprising piece of data was that the average teenager sends about 2,272 texts per month...but honestly, who hasn't gotten in trouble for going over the texting minutes.

Web 2.0!

Our world is moving into a new technological age in which the “Net Generation,” and “Digital Natives” are born and raised.  (Rosen, Dina; Web 2.0: A New Generation of Learners)The utilization of Web 2.0 is ingrained in their brains from birth, while older individuals must learn how to switch over to the new Web.  The old Web 1.0 was a “read-only environment,” while the new Web 2.0 is a, “read-write ecology.”  Only a few select, highly trained individuals were allowed to create Internet pages for Web 1.0, meaning that the majority of Web users were readers and gatherers of information, not writers.  Now however,  “Web 2.0 allows for information presentation and participation in creating information…without significant technical knowledge.” (Rosen, Dina; Web 2.0: A New Generation of Learners)  Web 2.0 also includes various digital learning tools, social sharing, and collaboration/communication tools. 

As an educator, I believe that Web 2.0 is an incredibly useful tool for the exceptional education classroom.  One can find numerous digital learning tools on the internet that could possibly aid individuals with disabilities such as text to speech tools, graphic organizers, media descriptions for the visually impaired, etc.  Web 2.0 also has many fantastic sites to aide teachers such as sites that give lesson plan ideas, sites that help you construct IEPs, sites that provide software that will connect classrooms around the world, etc.  Rosen states, “we see education 2.0 as the use of digital tools to transform teaching and learning by having learners, as well as teachers, participate in knowledge creation and interactively build distributed communities, or networks, of leaning.” 

Although Web 2.0 and Education 2.0 provide many benefits for students and educators alike, there can also be several drawbacks to these systems.  For example, using too much of these technologies in the exceptional education classroom can create a technology overload for students, and they can loose valuable offline skills.  Students who constantly use all of these varying technologies are in danger of forgetting skills such as how to communicate with others in person, how to think on one’s feet, how to compose an essay without spell-check, etc.  Overall however, I believe that technology in moderation can significantly improve exceptional education instruction and students’ abilities. 

The Today Show video, “What is the Internet, Anyway?” was absolutely hysterical.  The idea that someone would not know what the internet was or how it works was completely shocking…until I realized that I was that way once.  My peers and I are in an interesting predicament.  We are not Digital Natives, but we are also not Digital Immigrants, we are the something in between.  Although the internet wasn’t popular when we were born, it quickly became popular while we were still very young, and we learned how to use the new technology as natives do.  People of my age group do need to learn some of the new technologies like Digital immigrants do, but we also know enough about the beginning of the internet to laugh when the reporter assures Katie Curic that no, “apparently” you don’t need a phone line to use the Internet – which in 1994, was dead wrong. (Today Show, What is the Internet Anyway)

The video made me think seriously about what life would be like without the internet, how I would survive, and how I’d have to run a classroom.  One reporter in the video stated that, “Internet is the massive computer network, the one that’s becoming really big now.”  This statement was amusing to me because I thought, “lady you think the internet was big in 1994, wait until you see its impact in 2012, we can’t live without it now.”  But at the time the technology was brand new and exciting to the Digital Immigrants.  It got me thinking about how people like this reporter would feel having to learn all of the intricacies of the internet in order to teach their students, who were born Digital Natives, and have had technology by their side since birth.  It must be incredibly difficult, like learning how to teach all over again.  However, many districts and companies now provide computer classes and training that teaches their employees all of the magic tricks of the internet that will help them connect with the children in the class.  I believe that adaptation and learning are lifelong, and that old dogs do need to learn new tricks sometimes.  If teachers wish to provide the best possible learning environment for their students, they need to combine the offline skills that they grew up with and the online skills that their students have grown up with to create the perfect medley.