As related to the Extended Content Standards, technology is an integral piece in allowing students with severe disabilities to be active participants in all academic lessons.  Each student needs to have some type of individualized communication…which usually involves some type of low or high tech technology piece.

The Standards coincide very well with our ability to incorporate technology. The Standards are not the problem as far as technology issues. The toughest part in the low incidence classroom is figuring out how to make the technology ideas work for our students. Everything we do must be adapted for individual students and sometimes the technology may not be at the same academic level or give the physical access needed for students to use it.

There are many other technology options that can be integrated into the lessons that would help our students be more independent.  Currently, I try to incorporate iPad apps and adapted communication technology into lessons. I sometimes use the iPad connected to a wireless computer with an LCD projector so that the class can be involved in the activity when everyone is taking turns. Using the projector also helps those students who may have vision issues. We use many Smart Board lessons to be displayed on the Promethean Board as well. In order to allow our students to have a voice, they not only use picture and texture communication systems but low tech voice output devices as well. These are embedded through the majority of the lessons. Technology is usually embedded in addressing the objectives for literacy in that students can use iPads, writing programs, Smartboards, Intellikeys and many other wonderful products available for our students with special needs.

The Standards give us a nice stepping stone on which we can build academic skills and include technology to make learning effective for our students.

This quote is so true. I am excited about learning so much this summer…and teaching what I have learned throughout the next school year.

It has been a wonderful learning experience this summer to have really been able to reflect on my classroom and teaching style. I have learned new ideas of how I can improve my teaching to ensure that I am doing the best I can and to be an example to others in my field.

I have learned many creative technology ideas.  As a result, I am in the process of researching how I can incorporate those areas into working with students with severe disabilities and/or deaf/blindness.  In this field, it can be a challenge to make activities accessible. I am not only trying to create accessible activities by including the technology but I am also trying to work on incorporating some of these ideas into creating mini-workshops for my parents through “flipping” some of my parent contact methods.  I currently send home daily notes to tell parents how we have addressed academics each day.  The mini-video lessons would show parents how they could incorporate these activities into homework to complete with their child.

The Extended Content Standard Science lesson plans I am creating will be used in my classroom during this school year.  The lesson plan format I am using as part of this project will also become a part of my weekly planning for other academic teaching areas. The format has been helpful in helping ensure that I am making each lesson meaningful and accessible for each student.

When it comes to things related to the Common Core, the Exceptional Children’s world is a small step ahead as far as embedding all of the core subjects into adapted lessons. All of our lessons have to be adapted and embedded to help our students understand their connections to the world.

Through my fellowship, I will be addressing how students with severe disabilities and deaf/blindness can learn about science topics while addressing literacy, communication, math and functional skills.  Technology and manipulatives will be an integral part of the unit plans I will be creating.  Since each classroom and school is different, some classrooms for students with severe disabilities are primarily self-contained. Others incorporate the option for an inclusive setting within the general education classrooms.

I will develop materials and lessons for students to be involved in both types of settings. This will allow the information to be used by general and exceptional children’s teachers.  The unit lessons will also be shared through the NC DPI Exceptional Children’s portion of their website. Each unit lesson will have examples of how technology, literacy and manipulatives can be embedded to address the needs of low incidence learners with and without deaf/blindness. Some of these lessons will be videotaped to give examples of  teaching methods during the activities. I am excited about this opportunity to grow more as a teacher by incorporating a variety of teaching methods and technologies to help my students succeed to the best of their abilities.

I am very excited to work with Beth Edwards from NC DPI and Dr. Sandra Warren from East Carolina University (Go Pirates!!!) in creating these multimodal unit lessons. They both bring a wealth of knowledge to guide me in creating these lessons. I look forward to learning from their expertise!

Technology has opened so many doors for students with severe disabilities and deaf/blindness. It has helped them to be able to speak through voice output devices. It has also allowed them to have access to activities and computers as never before. It is exciting to find new ways to help my students be as independent as possible while allowing them be active participants in their daily lives. It is fun to be creative and figure out how to make new technologies work for them. Through the information learned at NCCAT, I will be able to add in new methods of learning for my students.  I also hope to be able to get the families involved through some of the web access information we learned at NCCAT.

The biggest challenges I have faced with technology is many times the inability to access the latest technology due to monetary restrictions.  Budget restraints influence a lot of what we can do to stay up with the latest technology opportunities.  Mini-grants have been of great help in the past but those are no guarantee.  Usually if we are allowed to purchase technology for the classroom, it is usually meant for use by one student at a time.  When doing group lessons, it would be very helpful to have equipment available within each student’s reach so that they would not have to wait for the teacher to bring the device around to the students in their wheelchairs to use the device only when it is their turn. As a teacher, it is my job to do everything I can to make technology work for the students with what is offered. As many of the technology options become more common, hopefully devices will become more mainstream and easier to purchase for use in the adapted curriculum classroom.

Since I have been home, my husband has been a victim of my NCCAT flashbacks! I enjoyed so much of last week and have shared details with him throughout the last couple of days. As events occur at home, I compare and remember things from last week. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know so many smart, interesting people. Mealtimes were so much fun in that I was able to listen to stories and backgrounds of educators who teach in completely different worlds from me. I learned so many new ideas of how to embed technology into my classroom. From the variety of speakers throughout the week, I have pages of notes to review and  incorporate into my plans. I am excited about figuring out how to make it work with my students with severe disabilities.

Due to back problems, I was not able to join others on the whitewater rafting trip. However I enjoy did being a part of the “V.P’s” (Van People) 🙂 I enjoyed talking with them and getting to know them a little better.   We all enjoyed cheering on the rafters!

I remember hearing some Kenan Alumni tell us of how they learned so much from the ‘down times’ while at NCCAT.  They were right! Who knew conversations in the stairwell of the dorms or in the aisles of Wal Mart would be so helpful, fun and memorable??

I know I will continue to remembering the fun I had through my NCCAT flashbacks for a long time!

I have always gone by the saying “Bloom where you are planted”.  We are all placed into situations where we have the choice to make the best of opportunities given to us and to grow from what we have learned.  I feel I have been very fortunate to be involved in the Kenan Fellows Program. I am excited about having the opportunity to learn and create new ideas to help myself and other teachers who work with students with significant disabilities and deaf-blindness.Many people do not understand how these students can learn and address the Common Core topics. Through my involvement in the Kenan Fellows program, I will research topics and methods that will address individualized communication, literacy and academic skills for students in this area.  I look forward to growing…and blooming professionally and personally from this wonderful experience!