Apps

Using the iPod over the weekend makes me think of the song “My Baby Loves Me Just the Way That I Am.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM5B7STkS1o

The song, although about a relationship, is about feeling appreciated for who you are, and just how you are.  This is how I want all my students to feel, and it is my experience that most teachers feel the same way.  The opposite is here, and this is my technology in the classroom, which is not so great.  Lyle Lovett’s Skinny Legs, about if only I had this..., then this would happen.  I often use it with students and about talking about self-esteem, interpreting text, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNHgHjImRTM.  I think I am thinking in terms of songs because I have been playing around with YouTube for the course.

The iPod, I think has the potential to make students feel respected - a real biggie.  Not being a fluent reader HAS to take a toll on your self esteem. Kids, in general, are caught up in what their peers think about them already.  If they have a perceived or real deficit, it can chip away at them.  Something compact and fun like the iPod can really open doors if used properly.  It holds great potential:

20 apps for Reluctant Readers (and we all have some of them):

1.       TikiNotes (this is a new 6 key typing program that anticipates what you are going to write.  I found it a bit slower to use than normally typing, but that is because I know how to type already.  I can see how it would be useful to someone who does not know how to type and finds looking for keys a time consuming thing.  As well, the keys are large and only appear 6 at a time so it makes the choosing easy.   As you type a word, the program gives you three choices that you can choose (and shortcut the writing out of the word) or ignore.   The keys in this program are in alphabetical order, so it makes sense to kids. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPqR8Ubb6h0

2.       Dragon Dictation.  You will see the words you speak appear on the screen. You can save them, email them or text them.  You can speak right into the screen or microphone and it will translate it into text, which you can edit.  This is amazing and free !!!!!!!!   .  Go to about 1:29.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf_qaoXvX6g&feature=player_embedded#at=157

3.       vBookz One of my very favourite apps.  You can choose from over 3000 classic novels (Moby Dick, for example) that come with the app.  You can pick a book you want to read from the selection the app provides and you can read it or read along with it and it will narrate and highlight the words as they go.  The second option you have is to have a text that you choose read to you. You can scan a book/ document, transfer it into a readable iPod format (though the computer program Stanza Desktop and then transfer vBookz.  I am looking forward to getting familiar with this free app.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48cY9lK6jCQ

4.       Typ-O  “Wow!” Barbara had mentioned this and when I saw it noted in the webinar, that is what I wrote in my notes.  It is an amazing app.  There is word prediction, auto correction, and you can listen to the words before you choose them.  You can also listen to what you have written before you send it off, or whatever you want to do with your text.  This is a great app for readers who have difficulty spelling and writing – those with dyslexia and dysgraphia, for instance.  This app is $4.99. 

5.       Wordle is a game app.  You will get a list of letters and you have to try and create as many words as possible with them.  It helps with spelling and word creating.  You can compete against yourself, get into teams, etc.  You can even post your score on Facebook.  There is also a website if a child was super interested in it. This app is $.99 and could be used by many age levels.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPlFS-4cC30

6.        Sideways.  The student would write selection into keyboard, export text to email or copy/ paste.  The keyboard can also be turned sideways for bigger font and fewer typing mistakes.  This app, I would imagine would be used by children in upper elementary and on into high school and beyond.  This app is $1.99.

7.       Montessori Puzzles.  A great website for kids.  Children are given pictures that they need to spell out (ex. Cat in level one); the players are to drag and drop the letters into the covered boxes.  The program sounds out any letter the children touch.  This is a great program for phonemic awareness and it fun for kids  This app is $2.99.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c-oRe-nFGk

8.       Pictello .  The player of this app can make his or her own story books with pictures imported or with picture you take from the iPod Touch camera.  You can type what you like to say on the picture or you can record it.  You can type something underneath the pictures as well. The program can be used with any curriculum and you can share your files on iTunes.  Made by the same people who created Proloquo2go.   A great program.   This app is $14.99. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLPV5m2bwNY

9.        Miss spell’s class.  I went on this app, but was disappointed.  It was very advanced and I had to think about the answers.  Also, it would not let me go back and correct when I realized I had made a mistake.  This would not be great for reluctant readers. I am including it because I thought (mistakenly) by the font and the title that it would be geared in a different way.  Also, there were ads at the top of the screen.  This app is free.

10.   Question builder This app will allow students to practice answering questions based on cues.  It will read the player back his or her answer or he or she can listen to what has been said. This app was created specifically for autism students, but I could see using it with many reluctant or struggling writers.   This app is $3.99.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbBUq2lYMaM

11.   Storybuilder.  This app will allow students to build their own stories based on pictures.  The player must answer in full sentences in audio; he or she can play back, move forward.  It prompts with questions to move along the story and teaches tools to reinforce story writing skills. This app was created specifically for autism students, but I could see using it with many reluctant or struggling writers.  This app is $3.99.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbBUq2lYMaM

12.   ABC Pocket Phonics. This is a sound letter association app, and is geared towards young learners. Words and letters are sounded out and words are put together (spelled) by the young child.  The YouTube video attached is a great example of a young child in action. This app is $2.99.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW9WGj5dINA

13.   Itsy bitsy spider interactive book.  This is a great app, as it is interactive and fun for children.  Music plays throughout; children can poke at the spider, the water spout and learn about nature.  Interest level would be high when using the book, so even reluctant readers would probably be engaged.  This app would be geared more towards young learners.

14.    Animal Farm Cliff Notes.  What a great in class program for struggling readers and for those that have some comprehension problems (especially because of their reading).  Students, in Newfoundland anyhow, take Animal Farm in grade 10.  What a great thing to be able to look for yourself the chapter summary, etc. We know that struggling readers take much more effort and energy concentrating on getting the words that sometimes meaning is lost.  This would help them do catch up. I am planning on using this with my students in the fall.

15.   Food Fight.  An interactive book for young children.  Children can be read to, they can read along, can be read to by you, and can interact with the characters.  This is a really fun app for young  kids. This app is $3.99.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntDEbCdpsWg

16.   Nancy Drew: Shadow Ranch. This is a terrific app.  I can imagine some of my students loving this app.  The difference (other than the obvious technology) is that players of the app can choose which way the book goes, there are options given, so students have some ownership in how the story turns out.   Students can follow along with the text as the pages are read to you.  A high interest book for students, and I can imagine students from grade 5/6 up to high school liking this app.  I still enjoy Nancy Drew and read some of her stories from time to time and I have long since finished high school.  This app is $1.99. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7FO3-a_sT8

17.    TumbleBooksToGo Munsch 6-Pack.  There is a large selection of popular children’s authors, Robert Munsch being one of them.  This app is geared towards emergent readers, kindergarten to grade two.  This app is $5.99

18.    Moving Tales, Pedlar Lady.  This app is very interactive and interesting.  The books come alive on the page, people are walking, etc.  Very exciting to read.  There are many books in the Moving Tales Series, $4.99 each.  This app would be applicable and interesting to children from elementary up to adults, so it hits a large market.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mfm9dwLzdU

19.    ABC Phonics.  This is an app for young children.  The app has flashcards that sound out letters that make up a word, the graphic for each word in the picture (example ape is spelled out).  There is also an animal match section and a balloon pop (if you get the correct letter).  This would be an excellent instructional tool for preschool children.  Price is $1.99 (or free for the lite version).

20.    Proloquo2go.  It seems that I could not finish off the list with the most recommended site out there.  I did not purchase it, as the price is 189.99, but it comes highly recommended and I believe is used a lot by schools.  It is often used by children/ students who have communication disorders. It appears to be a very user friendly app, which would entice children to pick it up and interact with it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuKv0Z2_HMo

Other apps that seem like they might be of interest for reluctant readers:

21.   Quick reader lite

22.   3d words

23.   Abc phonics

24.   VOD Lite

25.   Starfell (alphabet keyboard)

26.   Pic My Puzzle

27.   Image to Text

28.   ABC...Touch

29.   Scrabble blast

30.   Image to text

31.   Voice reader text to speech

32.    Kidart (easy to use drawing pad

33.   VOD Lite

34.   Big magnifying free

35.   Zoom reader

36.   Image to speech

37.   Puzzle my picture

38.   Talk assist

My three favourite apps:

This is a hard one, as there are so many that seem fantastic.  I think what I will choose are three that I think would be very applicable for me in my job, so they are:

1.       vBookz

2.       Dragon Diction

3.       Story Builder

I have chosen these three because they do stand out as being exciting and practical for my particular group of students.

vBookz can handle many forms of text and introduces kids to many, many pieces of good, well written classics, and will read it to the kids (or whoever is using the app).  Lots of exciting potential there.

Dragon Diction is a free program that kids can speak into, their words will get translated into text and they can send or manipulate the words into papers, emails, etc.  I think especially for struggling teenagers this program will have a great effect.  What a weight off your shoulders to speak your story out, and have it turn into printed text.  I can imagine a huge chunk of time being saved with homework, for example. I think this program will have students reading and writing. I think allowing them to use iPods in class will be pretty amazing for them, so I think they will submit to using whatever programs I suggest.

Story Builder: I really like this program because it takes you through the steps to writing a story.  It provides prompts, and in doing so, models how a story should be written.  Over time, this has the potential to really help establish a tool kit for writing a story.  I can see using this with many age levels, mostly from grades 3 to 8.

I had my brother’s girlfriend come and bail me out again.  I was not able to sync up all of my apps between the computer and iPod.  I knew I was doing something wrong, but I could not figure it out.  Sweet day, the heavens parted when Kat came and fixed me up in five minutes.  I told her she was currently my lifeline.  No pressure. J

I had been manually re-downloading the apps onto the iPod Touch.  Barbara sent me an email saying I could borrow and should get an updated iPod Touch as the one I am using does not have all of the functions, so I knew I would have to figure this out, never mind the time saved.  Onto the next thing that I do not know.  The good thing, as I keep mentioning, is that I am learning.  This makes me very happy.

Weekend notes

Well, I have been tardy about writing in my blog.  Not because I have been not doing work, but more daunted because I was having trouble with the iPod.  I should know that it is better not to stick your head in the sand, but I have been sticking my head way in.  I have been working away however, and finally feel like I am making a breakthrough!

First off, above is my web that I did with Mark Toomey (one of my classmates) on the stages of the reading process.  So many steps involved in reading!  As Barbara, the instructor pointed out, with just one of these many, many steps being out of sync, children (or anyone for that matter), can have difficulty with reading.  With so many steps involved, the chance of something going wrong is very high.  It is a wonder that more of us do not have trouble.  This is not to discount the many that do, being a resource teacher, I am well aware that many of our children struggle.

For another course that I am completing at the moment (Curriculum Practice for Students at Risk0, I have been reading some articles about dyslexia, and the lifelong struggle that it is for people.  As I am learning about the iPod Touch and actually starting to understand it a bit, I am getting very, very excited.  I am so excited that I can almost not wait to get back to school (although I am enjoying my summer holidays quite a lot).  I am looking forward to sharing my new-found knowledge with my students and to helping them engage in a different way.  I am certain they are going to be pretty pumped with the progressive, hip technology.  I am almost as certain also, that a few of them are going to have a weight lifted off of their shoulders if I properly utilize the iPod with them.  Many of them already have iPods.  I had not paid attention before to the kind of technology students were using (I had assumed games and music).  Even if that is what they were using them for, it is a great leaping off point; already their interest is there.  It is an exciting time.

Re: the 20 reading apps;  I have a bunch downloaded.
I am going to post them at the end of my weekend postings, as I have been playing with them and learning about them, and I will put them all together at once.

I am in touch with my co-worker and head of my department, Maria; she is in university again like myself, but for a different degree and in a different university.  I was telling her about this assistive technology course and the fact that I think we should fund raise for some iPod touches.  She wished that she was here for the course.    I had been looking forward to this course and am even happier with what I am learning in it.  Maria and I are going to have a pow wow when we begin work.   I am lucky because I feel like I have the best co-workers around.
Barbara had mentioned the possibility that another online course might be offered in assistive technology;  I am not certain about the specifics or if it is going to go through, but if it is available, I would love to take it. I will be done my masters at the end of the summer, but need a few post masters courses for pay scale grading, so I would leap at the chance if it arose.

Things I am working through/ learning about my iPod:
-when I buy my own, I will purchase (if I am correct) the iPod Touch 4G, so that it has video and camera capabilities.  The one I am using now does not.  It took me a while to figure this out.  I did not know is something was not installed that should have been, etc.  It seems from my playing and my webinars that mine just does not have that capability.
-the iPod I have does not have the accessories feature.  I am going to call my nephew on Sunday and ask him to fill me in on whether my iPod does not have that capability or whether it just is not installed (I am guessing it does not have that capability)
-I could not get the microphone working, but I have gone into Walmart this evening and bought the proper brand name one.  I have used the earphones and the sound quality is great.  I have not yet tried the new mic, but am hoping it will work (my fingers and toes are crossed).
-i have emailed from it, facebooked, youtubed, signed up for games (never thought I would do that), read the Globe and Mail, went to the hardware store with it (and used my previously created list and the calculator).  I can see how for children who have organization problems, this can be a great gadget.  All this may not seem like much to those that use the iPod all the time, but to me it is huge.
-I bought a pretty pink gel cover for my iPod.  I want to protect it, but also want to Helen-ize it, which I have now done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

I am posting a video from my other class, A Vision of K-12 Students Today.  It is a great video.  When I watched it, I really had a sense of how archaic some of my teaching is.  It is funny (well, not ha ha funny), I think of myself as a fairly progressive person.  I think, I am a doer, and I love learning.  However, I am realizing what a dinosaur I am compared to the world that is out there.  If I truly want to engage my students (which I do), I should be embracing what options are out there for students.  For my students that are struggling, I should go that extra mile.  The thing is though, before I started taking the course, I did not know that these options existed. I have been stunned by the iPod.  That is where proper training starts to show its effect.  I want Barbara to come to Corner Brook and give some workshops.  I think the school board would love her.

Watching the webinars makes me both sad and excited.  Sad that I have not been using the iPod with my student.  I think every single one of them would be ecstatic to use it.  I can also DEFINITELY see how I would be able to reach a couple of my students who now only work in fits and starts.  Some of the apps will open up new worlds for some students: silent reading time, they can read along on their iPod, text to speech software will make it much easier for them for studying and comprehending.  If students are struggling with pronouncing the words, and that is taking up so much of their time, they HAVE to be missing out on the understanding component.  I am pumped to try it out.

Signing off for now.
HH

Day Two

Day two of my courses have been excellent.  Still, my excitement level is high.  I am finding the class work much more enjoyable than doing the online coursework on my own.  It is nice to have people to bounce ideas off of, and I enjoy working with other people more than on my own.  Anyhow, all good.

IPod touch:  I am figuring it out and am very excited.  My brother’s girlfriend was over last night, talked me through it and got me set up properly.  As someone was saying in class, there is before iPod touch and after iPod touch.  I was looking through many apps last night, so exciting.  As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I am really interested in hearing impaired app.  I was looking through many last night.  I think I need to buy a headset with a mic on it, and then I will try it out.  I am amazed at so many of the things out there.    I have borrowed an iPod for the summer, but have decided I am going to buy one once the course is over (actually my boyfriend wants to buy me one for a treat).

Things I have learned: how to sign in, how to sign into App store, not to sync up with Lucas’ iPod (it is his I am borrowing), because his information is stored on his own computer as mine is stored on my own computer.  Once I get my own iPod, I can connect into the apps just by syncing up with my computer.  I was confused as to whether or not to download iPhone apps or iPad apps (my brother’s girlfriend had left by this point), but now know that I should download iPhone apps.  Helen is learning!!

I am happy to bring this back to school.  I think my students are going to be very excited to use their iPod touch in class.  Many of the students own them already, so it will be me bringing some new information forward to what they have already.  I wish I had known before.  I had put together some packages for parents for kids over the summer.  I would have known of this before.  I think the kids would have been pretty happy about it.

Onward and upward.

Day One of Course

Dear readers

I cannot believe I am writing a blog.  Helen Himsl and technology are becoming one!  He he.  Not quite, but I am hoping more so by the end of this class.  I have a learned helplessness about computer technology, because I have a cousin who will step in and save the day for me whenever I need help, but now I am forging out on my own in a different province.

I had my first day of summer classes.  I was quite nervous prior to them starting, but they both were awesome!  I am super excited by both.  The assistive technology course seems like it will be life changing (I have a theatre degree, so I am a tad dramatic) to me as a teacher.  I will take a lot back with me that the kids at school are going to really dig.  Outside of class seems promising also.  My boyfriend's mom is severely hearing impaired (85% loss in one ear, 65% loss in the other).  Barb has had (and lost) 3 hearing aids in the last few years, so now will not get one, even though everyone is encouraging her to.  She is worried she will lose her new one as well.  :) There tends to be a lot of misunderstood information and communicating is a problem. I was intrigued by the possibility of an ipod having hearing aid possibilities - maybe this can be of some help to Barb and us in communicating with her.  I happily got on the phone last night and the hearing aid app is one of the first things that I talked about.

I am still figuring out the ipod touch. I am staying at my dad's while here; he works away in Indonesia.  With the internet being left for so long, it took a while to get everything up and running.  I think all is figured out now, but I am going to have to spend some serious alone time with the ipod touch on Tuesday night, as it is a new piece of technology for me.

We were assigned some readings - David Sousa's How the Special Needs Brain Learns and Sally Shaywitz' The Education of Dyslexic Children from Childhood to Young Adulthood.  What interesting articles.  The articles closely mirrored each other in content:  there are early warning signs of a learning disability, namely that children with language impairments often had trouble reading; boys are over-identified while girls face the opposite dilemma; reading is not an innate ability in humans, rather it is something introduced only 5000 years ago; brain scans of children with dyslexia show remarkable differences from those without, implying that  these students are memorizing words instead of easily reading them - important to note as this is a much more laborious task than quickly reading a page.  It is all so very intriguing and I cannot wait to learn more.  The learning to read bit made me think of a Tarzan episode I watched when I was a kid.  He was left alone, came across a home/ cottage with books, picked them up and taught himself to read.  I remember being in grade four and thinking that this was not possible.  All these years later, I now have some data to back me up that I was right. Good times.

Day two awaits!