July 4th, 2011

Today in our first Assistive Technology class, we discussed the reading process and broke it down through a task analysis activity. I thought this was an interesting activity because it really makes you aware of how many skills we use when reading, without even realizing that we're using them. For example, we automatically know to start reading at the top of the page and then read from left to right - we don't have to stop and think about that because we automatically know what to do. We automatically tune out distracting sounds, use our background knowledge to help us understand what we are reading, visualize what is going on, sit comfortably in our seats and pay attention to our assigned tasks. These are just a few examples that show how extensive the reading process is.

As a teacher, this activity made me realize how much we expect our kids to do when we ask them to read and how important it is to help them acquire the necessary skills. Even though we have only had one class so far, I know that Ipods are going to be an amazing tool to use with our students to assist them in their learning. I am really looking forward to this class and am excited to learn about various forms of technology that I will be able to bring back to my school in the fall. I'm glad that we will be trying out different programs, such as Kidspiration and Kurzweil.

I don't own an Ipod Touch or phone of my own, so I'm really excited to learn how to use one! Today was my first day using the Ipod Touch, so I spent a little time exploring how it works. I set up my Itunes account and searched for different Apps. I used the Weather and Itunes App, as well as the Calendar and Camera Apps. I look forward to using it and getting more familair with it throughout this course. I think it's safe to say that by the end of this course, I will be getting my own Ipod!

Below is a YouTube clip of six year olds using an Ipad to help them with their literacy skills. Very neat ideas!