"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.

From APPrehension to APPreciation – There’s an APP for That!

First let me APPlaud my classmates for all the wonderful presentations Wednesday night. It was great to hear your insights about ways we can use AT to support diverse learners in our schools! Your enthusiasm and helpful examples helped alleviate some of my “Where do I begin?” apprehension.

Keisha & Donalda: New Apps for Learning Disabilities

Thanks to Keisha and Donalda for starting us off! They demonstrated three great apps for students with LD: iBooks3, Paperport Notes, and Book Creator. I have downloaded Book Creator and have started exploring its use. My “Aha” moment during their presentation was as I thought about the number of students being diagnosed with learning disabilities. That number seems to be on the rise. Therefore we, as teachers, need to seek out the best and most APPropriate resources to support them.  Keisha and Donalda gave us some very helpful tips on where to begin.

Maralynn, Evan, Karen & Nicole: Apps in Action for Severe Autism

I liked the way this group organized the apps under different domains, such as precursor skills, sensory regulation, sensory integration, etc. Any of us who have taught children with autism know how broad the spectrum is, so the variety of apps they presented could be applicable to a wide variety of students. While watching their presentation, I was reminded of the Carly Fleischmann video, and how AT opened up a whole new world for her. I wonder if any of these apps will be the key to reaching and teaching students with autism in our schools?  The thought is very APPealing.

Jeremy, Clarissa, Joseph & Michelle: New Apps for Learning Disabilities

This group also presented on apps for LD, and along with learning about the web browser Puffin (which I will use), I was very interested in their descriptions of the use of mobile devices in their schools. What struck me was that there APPears to be a great discrepancy between the schools. One comment that stood out was, “the amount of technology available is disproportionate to the needs.”  Such inequities in public education break my heart. It does not seem fair that children should be disadvantaged in this way.

Victor, Janice & Sheri: Executive Functions and Apps

I have a family member with significant challenges with respect to executive function and working memory, so I had a personal interest in this topic. I have watched this person try to cope and create a “surrogate frontal lobe” by writing his class schedule on the palm of his hand, and texting me with test dates whenever they are assigned so he will have a record of them.  Many of the apps for “Planning” and “Doing” would be very APPlicable for him.  I only wish we had known about them sooner in his school years. It might have saved him – and us – a lot of frustration.  (And I loved the video at the end: delayed gratification is a challenge for many!)

Dawn: New Apps for Learning Disabilities

The Piper Otterbein video, “Overcoming Dyslexia, Finding Passion” was a reminder to me that LDs can be overcome with the right supports.  Piper shared how, because of her learning disability, those around her thought she was incapable of learning. She is a reminder that how we APPear is not who we are: we are much, much more. Again, with apps like iBooks, ReadIris and Paperport Notes, so much more is possible.

Angela, Lacee & Christine: New Apps for Learning Disabilities – Next class!

A concept that I heard repeated in several presentations was that of BYOD. Since several schools reported not having access to mobile devices, this may be an interim measure for some schools to have them more available to students. The only caveat is that it may further disadvantage students who do not own these devices.

Finally, to Barb, for sharing these informative webinars and reminding us that “training is critical”: an APPle for the teacher!

Unlocking the iPad's Potential

I have probably used my iPad more in the past two weeks than I have in the past year. I had no idea it could do so much! I started downloading recommended apps after watching the webinar, "Top Free Apps in Special Education." This webinar is a virtual smorgasboard of possibilities, highlighting apps for a variety of grade levels, content areas, and learning preferences.

As with any resource, it is up to the teacher to discern what apps are best suited for her/his students. The wonderful thing about all these apps is that they are available - literally - at our fingertips. You will hear about some of the highlights during our group presentation in Class 4, but a few that stood out for me, as a lower elementary teacher, are Math Tappers, Cool Fingers Faces, and Pocket Pond.

So now that I am getting excited about the possibilities of using mobile devices in my classroom, my challenge is accessibility. Our school does not have a class set of iPads. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for how I can effectively use this one, lone iPad in my classroom? 

Universal Design for Learning

I think Michael Giangreco is brilliant!