Article Response 2: The Fast-Paced iPad Revolution: Can educators stay up to date and relevant about these ubiquitous devices?

“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest Lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle ... when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” (African Proverb) 

In her succinct article,  The Fast-Paced iPad Revolution: Can educators stay up to date and relevant about these ubiquitous devices?, Deanna Peluso presents a reasoned and reasonable discussion about a question that is on the minds of students and teachers alike. I would guess that many students would answer, "No" to her question, but this is not a new phenomenon in the digital age. Even before children were asked to program their parents' VCRs, they were - and continue to be - relied upon to help adults move into whatever "age" it may be... from the Stone Age to the Digital Age:

Peluso acknowledges that the education system is lagging in its incorporation of digital devices. This has been evident in discussions in this course, as we see the discrepancies in the availability of technology, and the training of teachers to use them effectively. 

While some learning communities have had discussions about how technology can be used to enhance education, it is not a conversation all schools have had. The result is a piecemeal approach, spear-headed by those for whom it is a passion.

Peluso also raises a caution that I share. In the interests of incorporating technology, it is important that its integration be based on research, as with the introduction of any new program. Most will agree that technology is more engaging than traditional teaching methods, but just because it is engaging doesn't mean it is effective or meaningful. Some apps may just be the digital equivalent of a traditional worksheet.  Peluso writes,

... it is not clear where the line of demarcation lies between what is educationally beneficial and what is simply a demonstration of allowing technology in the classroom, nor is it clear what constitutes a useful part of the learning process... Not every teacher has the opportunity or background to know how to incorporate technology into their classroom, yet many attempt to do so without having a clear understanding of the implications for learning (p. 126).

Another challenge is how rapidly-changing the world of technology is. If we are looking for "Authorized Resources", by the time they are piloted and reviewed and measured against the Bias Evaluation Instrument, apps, programs and websites may be obsolete.

I am not sure how we solve the dilemna between keeping up with changes in technology, and ensuring the resources we are using are effective. "...simply allowing them to use their iPads, or providing them with classroom sets of iPads, does not implicitly mean they will be learning educationally beneficial material (p. 127)."  I think the solution begins with teachers' professional judgement, a desire for responsive curriculum, and an openness to the idea that our students have much to teach us.

Article Response 1: Learning to Read in the Digital Age

David Rose and Bridget Dalton have cleverly crafted an article with double meanings in the title. When I read the title, "Learning to Read in the Digital Age", I assumed it would be about how technology such as software, websites and accessibility features can support struggling readers. This is one focus for the article, but the authors also describe how the digital age has helped us understand brain function during the reading process. Their findings are fascinating.

They begin by emphasizing the importance of individualizing instruction. No longer is a "one-size-fits-all" approach to education acceptable (or, in my opinion, ethical). They acknowledge that well-meaning teachers in the past have been limited in their attempts to individualize instruction because they were bound by static, fixed-print resources (i.e. textbooks). That need no longer be the case. "As the interactive multimedia technologies of the digital world replace the static technologies of print, a far richer palette opens up for instructional design, and especially for designs that are flexible enough to meet the challenges of individual differences" (p. 75).

The other advance in this digital age is that digital imaging allows us to see and better understand how the brain functions and learns. The complexity of the reading process is distributed among various parts of the brain, and all parts must be active in order for reading to be "orchestrated". The posterior cortex recognizes patterns such as phonology, syntax and semantics. The frontal lobes are the strategic networks that help the reader problem-solve. The limbic systems determine control a reader's attention and effort.

Rose and Dalton clearly state that all these systems need to work together for successful reading. They support the case for balanced literacy - the primary structure of Nova Scotia's Active Young Readers framework.

Richard Allington has long advocated for this, as shown in his article, "Every Child, Every Day" :

When students read accurately, they solidify their word-recognition, decoding, and word-analysis skills. Perhaps more important, they are likely to understand what they read—and, as a result, to enjoy reading.

In contrast, struggling students who spend the same amount of time reading texts that they can't read accurately are at a disadvantage in several important ways. First, they read less text; it's slow going when you encounter many words you don't recognize instantly. Second, struggling readers are less likely to understand (and therefore enjoy) what they read. They are likely to become frustrated when reading these difficult texts and therefore to lose confidence in their word-attack, decoding, or word-recognition skills. Thus, a struggling reader and a successful reader who engage in the same 15-minute independent reading session do not necessarily receive equivalent practice, and they are likely to experience different outcomes.

Sadly, struggling readers typically encounter a steady diet of too-challenging texts throughout the school day as they make their way through classes that present grade-level material hour after hour. In essence, traditional instructional practices widen the gap between readers.

Armed with this knowledge, the authors go on to describe how educators can put "just-right" materials in the hands of all their students. As Barb showed us in the demonstration of a digital textbook, text can be enlarged, highlighted, defined, spoken, scaffolded - any number of supports can be embedded in digital text.

This allows for greater independence for each learner - a must when there is often only one adult in the room. Through modelling and guided practice, students experience the.gradual release of responsibility  by the teachers and they are able to take greater ownership of their own learning.

Digital advances in understanding how we learn and allowing us to respond to individual differences will help us answer one of the most perplexing questions for teachers: How can I best help my struggling readers?

Reading Websites and Software

Lacee and I partnered to preview and select 5 websites and 5 software programs that support reading remediation.  I relied on the expertise of the "What Works Clearinghouse" to assist in the search.  The "What Works Clearinghouse" is a research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. It is often cited in works of the International Reading Association, and its results are considered valid and reliable. 

On their website (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/), they write: 

• We review the research on the different programs, products, practices, and policies in education.
• Then, by focusing on the results from high-quality research, we try to answer the question “What works in education?”
• Our goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.

Based on their research, the following software programs demonstrate potentially positive effects for improving literacy. The evaluative comments are taken from the What Works Clearinghouse research summaries.

Read Naturally:

The Read Naturally^® program is a supplemental reading program that aims to improve the reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension of students in elementary, middle, or high school or adults using a combination of texts, audio CDs, and computer software.  The common strategy includes: modeling of story reading, repeated reading of text for developing oral reading fluency, and systematic monitoring of student progress by teachers and the students themselves. Students work at their own reading level, progress through the program at their own rate, and work (for the most part) on an independent basis. The program can be delivered in three ways: (1) students use audio CDs with hard-copy reading materials(2) students use the computer-based version or (3) students use the web-based version. Read Naturally^® was found to have potentially positive effects on general literacy achievement for adolescent readers. 

http://www.readnaturally.com/


LeapTrack:

The Grade-Level Classroom and Resource Room Kits include easily integrated assessment and interactive instruction for multiple learning levels in Reading, Math, and Language Arts. It delivers hundreds of learning activities specially designed to promote student desire to learn. LeapTrack promotes student learning through direct instruction and the following technology-empowered curriculum features: audio assistance, immediate feedback, and the option to repeat instruction as often as needed. 

http://www.ncwiseowl.org/impact/back2school/vendor/leaptrack.pdf

LeapTrack for Grade 4 was evaluated along with 5 other software programs and was found to have the most positive effect with 4th grade students. 

Failure Free Reading: 

Failure Free Reading is a language development program designed to improve vocabulary, fluency, word recognition, and reading comprehension for kindergarten through grade 12 students who score in the bottom 15% on standardized tests and who have not responded to conventional beginning reading instruction. The three key dimensions of the program are repeated exposure to text, predictable sentence structures, and story concepts that require minimal prior knowledge. The program combines systematic, scripted teacher instruction, talking software, workbook exercises, and independent reading activities. The program is delivered through small group or individual instruction.

Failure Free Reading was found to have no discernible effects on alphabetics and fluency, and potentially positive effects on comprehension. It is recommended for Early Readers (P-3).

http://www.failurefreeonline.com/n/

Earobics: 

Earobics^® is interactive software that provides students in pre-K through third grade with individual, systematic instruction in early literacy skills as students interact with animated characters. Earobics^® Foundations is the version for prekindergaten, kindergarten, and first grade. Earobics^® Connections is for second and third graders and older struggling readers. The program builds children’s skills in phonemic awareness, auditory processing, and phonics, as well as the cognitive and language skills required for comprehension. Each level of instruction addresses recognizing and blending sounds, rhyming, and discriminating phonemes within words, adjusting to each student’s ability level. The software is supported by music, CDs, and includes picture/word cards, letter-sound decks, big books, little books, and leveled readers for reading independently or in groups.

Earobics^® was found to have positive effects on alphabetics and potentially positive effects on reading fluency.

www.earobics.com

Words and Concepts: 

Words and Concepts is a computer software program that focuses on building oral language skills related to vocabulary, comprehension, word relationships, and other concepts in six units—vocabulary, categorization, word identification by function, word association, concept of same, and concept of different. It can be used by adults and children with varying special needs, including language-learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, physical impairments, hearing and vision impairments, and autism. It is recommended for students in P/1. WWC found minimally discernible improvement with this software.

http://www.laureatelearning.com/products/descriptions/wcdesc.html

As Barb has mentioned, many of these programs are very expensive. All of them, on their websites, claim to be "the solution" for struggling readers. It is important that, if we are choosing websites or software to support reading, we choose those with research-based evidence of their effectiveness. 

Reading Websites:

Into the Book www.reading.ecb.org FREE

• Teaches: Using prior knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, evaluating & synthesizing. 
• Includes a student website, teacher website, 9 classroom videos and 9 PD videos.

Reading Bear www.readingbear.org FREE

• Teaches: Vocabulary and main phonetic patterns.
• Can play lessons as a video or interactive slide show.

Roy the Zebra www.roythezebra.net FREE

• Teaches: high frequency words, punctuation, capital letters, rhyming words... etc.
• Has guided reading stories

Study Dog www.studydog.com

• Teaches: "Common Core" reading curriculum
• Free 7 day trial

Teach Your Monster To Read www.teachyourmonstertoread.com FREE

• Teaches: Synthetic Phonics & follows a letters and sounds program.

"For These Are All Our Girls" - Pam Allyn, Huffington Post

I read this article this week, following on our discussion about teaching reading. See paragraphs 10 and 11, and what they say about technology as a way of keeping girls safe.

The kidnapping of the Nigerian schoolgirls is a crisis of our humanity. What will become of us if half of humanity is not fully safe, empowered and free? We will all perish. Let us begin to repair the world today.

The story of the missing girls of Nigeria is a catastrophe, but it is part of a tale that began long ago and continues today. It will continue tomorrow if we do not act to stop it by deciding what we will say "no" to, and what we will say "yes" to. Oppression of women and girls is about domination, violence and pure unadulterated evil.

The author James Baldwin wrote: "For these are all our children." Today and every day, these are all our girls, our daughters, our mothers, our friends, ourselves.

Our brains are wired for narrative. We yearn to be the story. This story of girls wrenched from their lives, from their dearest hopes, from their freedom, leaves us anguished and despairing. We cry out into the darkness: "What can we to do?"

We can first say, "no."

No to violence against girls. No to girls' bodies as battlefields upon which men seek to dominate land, natural resources and each other. No to forced early marriage, early pregnancies, and HIV/AIDS contracted through rape. No to illiteracy which prevents over 500 million girls from raising their voices and realizing their dreams.

But there must be a next step to no. Robert Frost once said that he wrote his poems to show what he was "for," not what he was "against." Let's say yes to the power we all have, each and every one of us, to counteract the evil.

Yes to criminalizing sexualized violence in every respect, whether in the home or in a conflict area. Yes to new laws preventing child marriage, and yes to new laws to end genital mutilation. Yes to the highest forms of punishment for child traffickers. Yes to supporting organizations working on the ground with girls who live in the most marginalized ways. Yes to being proactive in educating ourselves about the atrocities women and girls face around the world and to broadcasting this information, never turning a blind eye.

Yes to access as a new currency for freedom for every girl in the world.


Yes to ensuring that every girl will have access to all she needs to learn to read so two thirds of the world's illiterate will no longer be women and girls. Yes to ensuring the power of girls' own stories are not only heard, but are put on record by girls themselves. Yes to disrupting the old idea of school as the only way to learn to read. Technology, from phones to tablets, can change the face of global education in ways we haven't yet imagined, in ways that could put thousands of books in every girl's hands instantly. In this way girls could learn wherever they are: side-by-side with their mothers, or in the company of trusted peers.

In a pilot program co-led by my organization, LitWorld, and Global Girl Rising, girls use mobile phones in the Kibera slum in Nairobi to prepare for their exams. These phones, gateways to communication and information, allow them to study late into the night, with the comfort and community of their trusted ones nearby. Let's say yes to the mobility of education.

Literacy empowers us to use our voices to make change in the world. By reading, we absorb the world. By writing, we give back to the world the stories of our own that will change it. Yes to LitWorld's girls' LitClubs that meet around the world, sometimes in secret, to read together and write together. They are portable, they are nimble, they give voice to the girls' lives. They do not depend upon school.

Let's listen to the stories of girls' experiences in a way that will truly make change feel real for them. From the global level to national to state to local to one's life in the home, we can tell a new story by saying no fiercely, and by saying yes to creating concrete change.

Social change starts with our voices. Say yes to supporting a generation of girls who become educated, who can make their own hashtags to rally behind because they have the literacies to tell their own stories. They will use that power to reshape the narrative and make a more just world.

The writer Muriel Rukeyser wrote: "What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open." Let's split the world open.

Class 6: For the Love of Reading

"What we have loved, others will love, and we will teach them how."

                                           - William Wordsworth



When people ask me what I love most about being a teacher, my first answer is always: I get to work with children every day. The second
thing I love most is teaching children to read. Never am I happier in my day than when I have a cluster of students gathered around the Guided Reading table and we are exploring the wonders of learning to read.

                                                                                                                                                  

After watching Todd Rose's Ted Talk "The Myth of Average" on Wednesday night, we were asked to identify the "adjustable seat" in our classrooms.  Guided Reading is the adjustable seat in my room. It is continually differentiated and individualized based on the reading behaviours of whoever is sitting with me. Book choice is also an important component of this adjustable seat. I need to choose "just-right books" that will provide appropriate scaffolding - what Vygotsky called the "Zone of Proximal Development."

Groupings are fluid and flexible, based on careful observation of each child's needs. Sometimes students are grouped according to reading level; other times they are grouped according to strategies they need to work on. My role is to think about what each child needs, each day.

As we examined our own reading processes with the "Dracula" excerpt, I was reminded of how complex the reading process is. Sometimes, when children learn to read, it almost seems magical. When children struggle with reading, it can be a mystery. Of course, we educators know learning to read is a great deal of work, which involves orchestrating a variety of components: concepts about print and book handling, sound and symbol correspondence, good oral language, vocabulary and syntax, the ability to make meaning, flexible use of strategies, attention to the task and motivation, fluency and expression. All these components work in concert to produce what we call "reading."

The PBS video, The Secret Life of the Brain: The Child's Brain confirmed how complex the reading process is. Why is it that children who have so many strengths stumble when they come up against reading? Do their talents become their liabilities? How do we use their talents to help them unlock the reading process?

Marie Clay had six principals that underlie reading instruction:

1.  Literacy learning is a complex process.
2. Individuals actively construct their own learning.
3. Language plays a crucial role in literacy learning.
4. Reading and writing are reciprocal processes.
5. Fast processing is important.
6. Teachers must attend to change over time in children's behaviours.

How that happens is up to us. That is where Universal Design for Learning, or Differentiation, comes into play.

• Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,
• Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and
• Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.

Richard Allington, in his article,"Every Child, Every Day" (Educational Leadership, March, 2012), lists six elements children should experience every day:

1. Every child reads something he or she chooses.

2. Every child reads accurately.

3. Every child reads something he or she understands.

4. Every child writes about something personally meaningful.

5. Every child talks with peers about reading and writing.

6. Every child listens to a fluent adult read aloud.

The passport to effective reading instruction for all students is in the hands of teachers.  (Pat Johnson and Katie Keier, Catching Readers Before They Fall.)

Class 5: From the Past Will Come the Future

Class 5 began with the final group presentation on the Webinars of Choice. Angela, Lacee and Christine presented on "New Apps For Learning Disabilities." I find it so interesting that, while different groups watched the same webinar, each found common themes and their own unique foci.  Their presentation began with a very solid definition of Learning Disabilities. The definition was grounded in context with a description of the diverse needs in the classroom.

This was followed by a good overview of the different apps. Like other groups, Book Creator and Paperport Notes stood out. As one who often relies on word-of-mouth for trying new things, I take this collective assent as a good sign. I will definitely look into using these apps.

After exploring the different apps, context again came to the forefront as we heard the testimonial of students who are using AT, and we heard what a difference it is making in their school experience and self-esteem. That alone should be motivation for us to venture forward.

And speaking of "venturing forward"...

Making the Best Match

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now, so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.

                            Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Clarissa and I researched five models for assessing assistive technology: SETT, Education Tech Points, HAAT, LAP and MPT. 

SETT Framework:

The SETT framework was created to provide guidelines for school-based program planning teams to ensure they are pairing students’ needs with appropriate assistive technology based on the following criteria:

Student Environment Tasks Tools

Joy Zabala designed this widely used approach for collaborative decision-making in AT. Without the full cooperation of the entire school program planning team, critical mistakes can be made in regards to providing the best possible options for a particular student.

Some elements the team will analyze (student, environment, tasks & technology) include:

STUDENT-What are the student’s needs, why aren’t they being met? Knowing strengths, needs and preferences.

• What does the student need to do?
• What are the student’s special needs?
• What are the student’s current abilities?

ENVIRONMENT- Are there adequate supports?

• What materials and equipment are currently available in the environment?
• What is the physical arrangement? Are there special concerns?
• What is the instructional arrangement? Are there likely to be changes?
• What supports are available to the student?
• What resources are available to the people supporting the student?

TASKS - What tasks does the student need to accomplish?

• What activities occur naturally in the environment?
• What is everyone else doing?
• What activities support the student's curricular goals?
• What are the critical elements of the activities?
• How might the activities be modified to accommodate the student's special needs?

Tools – What assistive technology might fit best?

• What no-tech, low-tech, or high-tech tools should be considered when developing a

system for a student with these needs and abilities, doing these tasks, in these

environments?

• What strategies might be used to invite increased student performance?
• How might these tools and strategies be tried out with the student in the customary environments in which they will be used?

Resources:

The SETT Framework: www.joyzabala.com

http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/ps-5789-sett-framework-sept-10.pdf

Video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHZ_shN7SxI

Education Tech Points (ETP)

http://www.educationtechpoints.org

Education Tech Points was developed by Bowser and Reed. A helpful description of this assessment framework is found in the article, "Navigating the process: Educational tech points for parents" (Bowser, Gayl; Reed, Penny. The Exceptional Parent28.11 (Nov 1998): 28-36. )

The process follows the following steps: Referral, Evaluation, Extended Assessment, Plan Development, Implementation, and Periodic Review. It takes into consideration student's current levels of performance, maturation process, learning disability, and changes in the educational environment. 
Their website includes information for parents and educators regarding training and resources.  Probably most exciting on their site is the document, "Hey! Can I Try That?" - A Student Handbook for Choosing and Using Assistive Technology.  This handbook encouraged students to self-advocate, using case studies and personal reflection. It is solution-based, and encourages students to self-assess the effectiveness of the AT they select.

H.A.A.T.

H.A.A.T., which stands for “Human Activity Assistive Technology”, was developed by Cook and Hussey and based on Bailey’s “Human Performance Model.”

The components of the HAAT model are (1) Activity, (2) Human, (3) Context, and (4) the Assistive technology.

Activity refers to self-care, work/school and play/leisure.

Human refers to the doer or operator and considers the abilities and skills of the individual, as well as the level of skill or ability (i.e. novice or expert).

Context refers to all aspects of where the activity is being performed: the setting (environment), social context (with peers, strangers, family), cultural context, and physical context.

Assistive Technology includes all the interfaces that enable human performance to improve, both hard technologies and soft technologies.

Wissick and Gardner, in the article Conducting Assessments in Technology Needs: From Assessment to Implementation, (http://aei.sagepub.com/content/33/2/78), write:

Cook and Hussey (2002) discussed the HAAT model based on the interaction among three parts: the human, the activity, and the assistive technology. According to Cook and Hussey, holding all these parts together is the context in which the technology is used for persons with disabilities. For these parts to fit together, their interaction must be given equal weight. The activity is the goal to be achieved, and the human has the skills available to meet the goal. The context bringing these skills and goals together defines constraints on achieving goals. The assistive technology therefore provides an external way for the human to perform the activity. (p. 80)

L.A.P.

The LAP, or Lifespace Access Profile, developed by Williams, Stemach, Wolfe and Stanger (1994), has two assessments for evaluation physical needs. The Lifespace Access Profile Upper Extension is for individuals with physical needs but not significant cognitive delays. The Lifespace Access Profile is for individuals with severe or multiple disabilities. It assesses five domains: physical resources, cognitive resources, emotional resources, support resources, and environmental analysis. Each domain has a series of rating scales for students’ abilities and preferences, and support services available.

Copley and Ziviani (http://stfx.worldcat.org/oclc/4900741410), in their research paper, Use of a Team-Based Approach to Assistive Technology Assessment and Planning for Children With Multiple Disabilities: A Pilot Study, use LAP and LAPUE as the instrument in their study.

MTP – Matching Technology to Person

The Matching Technology to Person model recognizes the immense technology options people with special needs are faced with. Even though there might be a perfect tool for a certain need, it may not be used appropriately or even go unused when personality preferences, social characteristics or environmental support are not considered. In order to properly match technology to person, data must be gathered and all aspects of the student’s life must be considered.   

Critique:

It is hard to fairly assess these models, as I do not feel I have an adequate picture of some of them. I have not worked with any of these models. There seems to be more information available for some, which may be an indication of the frequency of their use. In this initial exploration, I would prefer to use SETT or HAAT. I like how they take a realistic look at what is possible based on the resources available. I also like how HAAT and SETT consider the context or environment as important elements in decision-making. I think the most effective way to evaluate these models would be by trying them, and seeing if they achieve the expected results. The praxis model of action-reflection would provide an authentic assessment of the ability of each model to achieve the desired result: an effective and efficient AT match.