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Design a technology activity for a learner with a physical or sensory need. Share the outcomes on this Padlet with an image.

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Dark den, iPads, lights and sounds, Beamz, Headmouse/eyegaze, Leapmotion, switches, Clicker 7, HelpkidsLearn, Inprint3, Bubble tube, Phonotonic, Dash and Dot, Bluebots, Osmo

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Supporting inclusion through technology slides﻿

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Supporting inclusion through technology slides﻿

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Copy of Inclusion and Technology v1.3 (3).pptx

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iPads apps:
Consider categories of apps for SEND:

Customisable maths and literacy apps:  BitsBoard, MyScript Memo, MyScript Calculator, Things that go together,  MathPad, Sight words, Letter School Lite

Music apps:  Musyc, Beatwave, Fingerdrums, Beamz, Loopseque, Fingertip Maestro

Mobile learning apps:  iMovie, Puppet Pals, Chatterpix, Shadow Puppets Edu

Apps supporting collaboration: Morfo, Greenscreening, Puppet Pals, Toca Boca series, iMovie,
OSMO Newton, Tangram, Masterpiece, Words, Coding, Coding Jam

Digital storytelling and eBooks: SEN Press eBooks, iMovie, Book Creator, PuppetPals, Kid in Story

Sensory apps: sensory sound box, Kaleidoscope,  Reactickles magic, Art of Glow from Natenai, Art of Glow from JINSONG

Apps supporting specific needs: FTVS (First Then Visual Schedule), Choice Board Creator

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To read and complete video tutorials in this section should take around 50 minutes.

Most 'Data' projectors, or 'PowerPoint' projectors as they are sometimes known, will work with the iPad. You can also use many of the connection methods to connect your iPad to your LED or Plasma screen or TV. You will need to understand how to connect the projector, monitor or TV to the iPad.

In this module you will learn

How to connect to a projector using a VGA cable

How to connect to a projector using an HDMI cable

How to connect a projector wirelessly via Apple TV

How to connect to a projector wirelessly using 'Reflector' and PC or Mac (no Apple TV needed)

Lots of different projection techniques and lots of special effects

Then two suggestions for Pico projectors, which Hirstwood Training have researched.

As you progress through this part of the tutorial you may find the videos essential, if you are trying to set up a projector with an iPad.

Then we will explain how to connect iPads to projectors using good old-fashioned leads. Although wirelessly using Apple TV is probably the best and safest way, the cable connection is by far the easiest, the most reliable and probably something you can achieve today in your classroom if you have the right leads to do it.

Connecting to a projector
(These features only work with an iPad 2 and onwards)
First of all is some disappointing news. After you have connected your iPad to your 'interactive whiteboard projector' or your 'interactive LED/Plasma screen', the touch screen functionality only works on the iPad screen. Touching your interactive whiteboard or LED/Plasma screen will not affect the content on the iPad.

Why you would want to connect your iPad to a projector or large screen TV?

You can make the image large or small to suit the student or child's vision

You can increase or decrease the brightness of the image

You can keep the iPad away from a student

You can front or back project into unique little box environments

You can project onto nets or sheets

You can make the image large enough so that the class group or student group can enjoy the experience

Why should you connect your iPod to a projector?

As always with technology, connecting the iPad to a projector is quite straightforward when you know how. As we mentioned at the top of this page, using Apple TV or an app like 'reflector,' means that there are no wires between the iPad and the projector. Connecting via HDMI or VGA lead does involve wires, but can be more reliable.

Watch the video How to connect using a VGA lead first. The VGA connection is by far the most reliable way of connecting an iPad to any kind of display. However, if you want loud sound you will need to connect an external speaker via the headphone socket on the iPad.

Connecting a projector to the iPad using a VGA lead.

HDMI cables should be much simpler and indeed the cable is neat and easy to plug-in. If you were going to operate your iPad through an LED or Plasma screen, rather than a projector, HDMI is definitely a good choice. However , HDMI doesn't just take the video feed from the iPad it also takes the sound feed from the iPad. So the sound will come out of your screen, which if it's a TV it's no problem because it already have speakers. But when connecting to a projector, unless you have an on board speaker or external speaker which you can link through the projector there will be no sound. Watch the next video and you will see it's not quite as complicated as it may seem!

Connecting a projector to the iPad using a HDMI lead.

Connecting wirelessly to a projector should be by far the best way to do it. But,as you may expect, it is also the most complicated way to do it. Once you have 'Apple TV' working it's normally quite reliable. If there are lots of Wi-Fi systems around you it can be prone to losing the signal from the iPad. This can be immensely frustrating when you have a class group waiting for your performance.

You will need either an available Wi-Fi or a router, you also need an Apple TV. A really good way for some schools to connect ,especially if you are worried about the Internet, is to just use the router which is not connected to the Internet at all. In the following 'Apple TV' video I demonstrate how to connect the iPad to a router, without going onto the Internet. This may be much safer option to many of you and it means you are also not interfering with the school Wi-Fi.

Connecting to a projector wirelessly through Apple TV

Apple TV is one way to connect wirelessly, but if you have a PC or Mac there is an ingenious way you can do it. The PC or Mac needs to be physically connected to the data projector by either a VGA or HDMI lead. Then, as long as your iPad and your laptop are connected to the same wireless system, you can use a bit of software called 'Reflector' to wirelessly project your iPad screen. If you would like to learn more about 'reflector' follow this link.

Connecting to a projector wirelessly with Reflector

Projectors

You may wish to connect your iPad to your plasma or LED screens in your classroom or day room. However, if you would like something portable, then a 'pico' projector is the thing for you.

Pico projectors are small and sometimes battery-operated portable projectors. Many are small enough to put in your pocket and be used in any environment you want. The only drawback to 'Pico' projectors is that they are not as bright as some of the bigger projectors. The main advantage is that these projectors are very portable which make the visual image really accessible for our learners, because you can project almost anywhere. As you will see later in this section 'Pico' projectors also have the great advantage of using LED, so will never need a lamp replacement. So, when using a pico projector your flexibility is limited only by your imagination even projecting onto walls can be really exciting!

Simple wall projection with a 'Pico' projector

Now you are beginning to get adventurous with projectors, you could try projecting onto nets, like laundry baskets or mosquito nets from IKEA. This method will get the image very close to the learner. This can be a little more visually stimulating, as the learner will see the image at different distances. This may assist them in developing their accommodation and scanning skills.In the next movie we use lots of firework apps like ' Real Fireworks Artwork '.

Projecting into nets with 'Pico' projectors

Although back projection is relatively easy when you know how, the next video will demonstrate the distance sometimes needed. If you experiment with the distance between the projector and the nets you'll find that you will be able to increase and decrease the size of the image using the app ' Hot Lights '.

The effect created in the last video is stunning, and here is how to do it!

Pico Projectors

'Pico' projector is the word used to describe small portable projectors. These are tiny projectors which will easily fit in your pocket and what they call 'palm' size projectors are slightly larger - fitting in the palm of your hand. To give you an idea about the capabilities of 'Pico' projectors the following videos features two Pico projectors, which are priced between £200 to £500. You will see the different capabilities that they have. The first is the Pico Genie P100 with a brightness of 85 lumens, it's not very bright compared to a classroom projector which was more likely to be around 1000 lumens. However, it's bright enough and its a very simple cheap projector which I use on the courses all the time. The app we used in this movie was one of our old favourites ' puppet pals '.

Pico Projector Genie P100

The 'Pico Genie M400' Projector is more expensive, however it is a lot more flexible, with the ability to play PowerPoint, Word and Excel files as well as photographs and movies from a memory stick. This has the advantage over many projectors in the fact that it uses standard VGA and HDMI cables. This kind of projector is a brilliant 'all in one' package and, with 300 lumens, it's pretty bright, it's perfect for connecting your iPad, but if you just want to show pictures or movies from a memory stick, it will do that as well. The speakers used in the videos which follow are the ' SW100' and a ' JamBox ' from jawbone.

The Pico Genie M400 projector

The following videos will give you lots of projection ideas for using 'Pico' or standard 'data' projectors. Firstly, projecting into tents is a wonderful idea for stories and small group or one-to-one sessions. Tents can also be wonderful escape places for people who have autism, this environment will cutdown visual and sound clutter. Moreover, if you find it hard to find a dark space to project into, simply throw a blackout sheet over the top of the tent and it will turn it into a magical environment. The apps using the video are heat pad and little fox music box

Take a light-coloured 'event tent' and do some wonderful iPad tent projection

A plastic box definitely won't have been high on your equipment list when considering projecting your iPad. However, as you've probably got one, then it's worth investigating the possibility of its storage days being limited. Because it makes a wonderful projection effect! In the following video you will see how using an app called ' Gaze '

Take a plastic box and a 'Pico' projector and you can create an amazing fireplace in your setting.

Getting an image very close to learner may be important as the visual field may be limited, or the visual acuity may be affected. You may need to experiment with the size and distance of the image from the learner. In this next video we will show you how to project onto plastic screens which are actually opaqued trays from IKEA. We demonstrate Ashbury 3D using visualisers and relaxation apps, but most importantly this is a great way to keep the image in the learners communication zone.

Projecting onto trays getting really close to the learner!

And lastly in the section let's look at projecting into wastepaper bins. Why? Because the image is very close to the learner and it is absolutely mesmerising - as you will see. The apps we've used here include ' Acrobots', which is wonderful and not just for visual skills but for maths and matching skills as well. We also feature ' sensory sound box' and 'sensory light box' - two apps which feature a lot in our training.

This is why you would use dustbin projection!

In many multisensory rooms we are now using iPads with projectors, and it is proving to be a very popular technique for both individuals and groupwork. The iPad screen is fantastic and you have seen how to make the image bigger or smaller, close or far away. Using a projector with an iPad can offer many advantages, but some people will still prefer to look at the screen itself. In the future, there will be sensors that will be able to attach to screens and walls to make the wall as interactive as the iPad itself...
Summary
In the section we have learned how to...

Connect the iPad to a projector using various methods.

How to connect the iPad to a TV or screen.

You have learned about pico projectors.

You have also learned that the wall isn't always the best place to project.

If you haven't already done the module about visual learning, you will find more projection ideas there.

If you find any faults, or feel that we need additions to this module, please feel free to contact us using the form at the bottom of this page.

Text, video and images on this webpage are the property of Hirstwood Training Ltd © Hirstwood Training Ltd 2014

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Using iPads with projectors, LED Screens and Apple TV

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To read and complete video tutorials in this section should take around 50 minutes. Most 'Data' projectors, or 'PowerPoint' projectors as they are sometimes known, will work with the iPad. You can also use many of the connection methods to connect your iPad to your LED or Plasma screen or TV.

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Computational thinking definition (from Innovating Pedagogy)
Drawing on computational thinking skills to tackle complex problems, by breaking down large problems into smaller ones (decomposition), recognising how these relate to problems that have been solved in the past (pattern recognition), disregarding unimportant details (abstraction), identifying and developing the steps that need to be taken to reach a solution (algorithms), and refining these steps (debugging).

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Innovating Pedagogy 2015, a new report from The Open University and SRI International, identifies 10 trends that are likely to transform education in coming years. These are the trends, listed in an approximate order of immediacy and timescale to widespread implementation.

Crossover learning
Learning in informing settings, such as museums and clubs, that links educational content with issues that matter in learners' lives. Learning in schools and universities can be enriched by experiences from everyday life, and informal learning can be deepened by questions and knowledge from the classroom.

Learning through argumentation
Mimicking the argumentation style of professional scientists and mathematicians to develop understanding of contrasting ideas, thus deepening learning, and to make technical reasoning public, for all to learn.

Incidental learning
Unplanned or unintentional learning that may occur while carrying out an activity that is seemingly unrelated to what is learned. This is not led by a teacher, and does not follow a curriculum or result in a qualification, but may trigger self-reflection that encourages learners to consider fragments of learning as a more coherent whole.

Context-based learning
Interpreting new information in the context of where and when it occurs, and relating it to what we already know, developing a better understanding of its relevance and meaning.

Computational thinking
Drawing on computational thinking skills to tackle complex problems, by breaking down large problems into smaller ones (decomposition), recognising how these relate to problems that have been solved in the past (pattern recognition), disregarding unimportant details (abstraction), identifying and developing the steps that need to be taken to reach a solution (algorithms), and refining these steps (debugging).

Learning by doing science with remote labs
Using remote-controlled robotic arms to control equipment in a laboratory, and cameras that provide views of the experiments being undertaken. Also includes remote use of telescopes to observe the night sky during daytime lessons.

Embodied learning
Using technology such as wearable sensors, cameras and mobile devices to track personal activity and thus to develop awareness of the role of movement, either to explore scientific phenomena such as friction or acceleration, or to help learners to "feel as they learn".

Adaptive learning
Computer applications that use data about a learner's previous activities to create a personalised path through educational content, recommending the best place to start and what needs to be reviewed, while providing tools to monitor progress.

Analytics of emotions
Tracking eye movements and facial expressions to monitor engagement, learning strategies and cognitive performance.

Stealth assessment
Automatic data collection that happens continuously in the background while students explore digital environments. Borrowing techniques from online role-playing games, this may be able to test hard-to-measure aspects of learning such as perseverance, creativity and strategic thinking.
chris.havergal@tesglobal.com

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Innovating Pedagogy 2015: the 10 technological trends set to transform education

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Innovating Pedagogy 2015 , a new report from The Open University and SRI International, identifies 10 trends that are likely to transform education in coming years. These are the trends, listed in an approximate order of immediacy and timescale to widespread implementation.

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The iPad and other Apple devices that use the new iOS9 operating system (like the iPod Touch and iPhone) received another round of updates in accessibility after the major changes implemented in iOS8. There continue to be some really big changes with the advancement of iOS9 for blind users, however users with low vision have commented that little has changed. One major change has been in the layout of the Accessibility Settings menu and how to customize the available options. So, if you haven't updated your devices yet, now's the time to do it so you may take advantage of the newest features and apps available!

iOS8 built upon many accessibility features with an improved zoom function, a much easier to access text-to-talk feature, a system-wide virtual six-dot Braille keyboard and much more! Now, iOS9 gives you increased customization for your unique needs on your iPad. It's now more accessible than ever!

In this article I'll outline some of my favorite features and link to other articles where you can read about particular features in more detail. Every person has different needs, many of which can be tailored for your child to give her the greatest access possible. Find which features make the most sense for your child so you can create an iPad designed specifically for her!

(Although I'll be writing specifically about the iPad in this article, virtually everything I write here is also true for the iPhone and iPod Touch.)

To read more on Apple's commitment to accessibility, visit Apple's pages on Accessibility or Vision.

A note on commands: In this article I will use the > to denote a set of commands you'll need to use to access features in your iPad. For example, Settings > General > Accessibility means that you would tap the Settings app on your homescreen, then tap General from the list of options on the left, then scroll down until you find Accessibility.

Topics covered in this article:

Simplify the iPad for Hands with Less Motor Control

One of the great things about the iPad is that it can help develop fine motor skills. How? Well, if lightly tapping the screen creates a desired response (like a cow mooing in Peekaboo Barn), then your child will do their best to learn how to control their fingers and get that cow to moo!

However, some kids need assistance in getting to that point, and for them the iPad may seem like a frustrating device that is constantly turning off, changing apps or stalling for no good reason.

The problem is that the iPad comes preset with all sorts of fancy features that allow you to switch between apps or toggle things on and off simply by performing special hand swipes on the screen or by rotating the iPad itself. And these hand swipes or rotations can be performed unintentionally by a child who is just trying to get a cow to moo!

First, go into Settings > General > Gestures and turn these off. Now a tap is a tap and won't activate anything else.

While in General Settings, you can also set your Side Switch to Lock Rotation if you do not want to use it as the Mute switch. Now, when you slide the switch along the right-hand side of the iPad down, the screen will be locked in either a horizontal or vertical scape and won't move around. If you would rather keep this setting for the Mute sound control, you may also access the Lock Rotation setting in the Control Center at any time by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and tapping the Lock Rotation button (looks like a padlock circled with an arrow) in the menu.

Next, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch and turn Assistive Touch on. Now your child can use all their fingers or just one finger to do complicated moves on the screen. More on this below.

Finally, go to Settings > Notifications and turn notifications off for all of the apps or customize which apps do or do not allow notifications by going through each app and turning Allow Notifications on or off to your preference. Yes if you turn them all to off, this means you won't be receiving a notification when someone mentions you on Twitter or your friend comments on your Facebook status, but it also means your child won't be interrupted by these notifications when they are concentrating on an app and learning new skills.

Now your iPad is ready for some fun stuff!

AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch itself has not changed tremendously from iOS8 but the basics have been expanded upon through two additional settings found in the Interaction submenu of Accessibility: Switch Control and Touch Accommodations. For example, now in Touch Accommodations you can turn off Shake to Undo. AssistiveTouch is still one of my favorite features. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch and turn AssistiveTouch on. You'll see a small square show up in the lower right hand corner of your screen which will remain there wherever you go on the iPad (you can move it into different corners, but it won't disappear). Tap this square to bring up the AssistiveTouch menu (as seen on the right).

The AssistiveTouch menu allows you to do some simple actions all from one place with a single tap, like rotate the screen or "shake" the iPad (a necessary movement for some apps). This menu has also been updated in iOS9 to include quick links to the Notification Center and Control Center. It also gives you access to the Gestures menu which allows you to tell the iPad to read two, three, four or five fingers on the screen no matter how many fingers you actually have on the screen. Why would you want to do this? Well, what if you have an app that requires your child to do a two-finger swipe, but they don't have the fine motor control to do this? You can set your Gestures to two fingers and now no matter how many fingers your child has on the iPad (one or all five, which is usually the case with my son), the iPad will read it as a two-finger swipe. How cool is that? You can now customize it even further by going to Customize Top Level Menu... to add additional icons from a special menu for tasks relating to Volume, Screen Rotation, Siri and many more.

You can also create custom gestures by going to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch > Create New Gesture. The screen allows you to do any movement you want and will record it, from pinching, sliding and swiping to circles, taps, or whatever you can think of. If you're working with an app that requires a very specific gesture, you can do that here and record it. Once it's been recorded, you simply name your gesture and it will now appear in your AssistiveTouch menu under Favorites. Choose the gesture, touch the screen and little blue finger points will flawlessly reenact the gesture you recorded.

To see AssistiveTouch in action along with a tutorial on how to make your own custom gestures, check out this video:

For more information about iPad features for users with motor disabilities, check out Apple's article on Physical and Motor Skills.

Guided Access

Guided Access is a way to set certain parts of your screen off limits. Are you using a free app with ads and your child keeps clicking the ads? Just draw a square around those ads and suddenly they aren't clickable anymore! Guided Access has not changed since the iOS8 updates, but is definitely a feature worth mentioning for kids with motor challenges or just learning to use the iPad!

Here's how it works: Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn Guided Access on. You can set a passcode at this point if you want to (make it something easy, like 1-2-3-4) or you can do it later when you use the feature. You'll need the passcode to turn Guided Access off.

Now when you're in your app (I'm going to use Talking Tom as my example), triple click the home button to open up your Guided Access options. Draw a box around the areas you don't want your child to access (for Talking Tom, I drew a box around the ad at the top of the screen and the buttons that ask you to buy things on the right of the screen). Click start and you're back in the app, but now those areas are not accessible. Those areas are also grayed out a bit so they are less likely to draw your child's attention, too. Another hint is to make sure that you do not draw a box in the middle of the screen where you will need to enter your passcode to turn Guided Access off later!

You can also use Guided Access to set a time limit on apps. Are you using iPad play as a reward, but want your child to get back to another task in 10 minutes? Set Guided Access to 10 minutes and when the time is up, the session will end and you'll have to use a passcode to get the iPad up and running again.

When you're done using Guided Access, triple click the home button again and enter your passcode or place your finger on the Touch ID. Easy!

Switch Control

Switch access for the iPad allows users to interact with one or two large buttons rather than have to maneuver through the complexities of the touch screen. The iPad has always been switch accessible, particularly with apps designed specifically for switches, but starting in iOS7 the iPad now allows for complete system-wide switch control.

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Switch Control to turn Switch Control on. You can then tell the iPad how many switches you wish to use and you can fully customize how the switches interact with the iPad, from changing the cursor speed, size and color to adding sound effects and speech options (which is perfect for children who are visually impaired). A feature new to iOS9 is Recipes. A Recipe is a set of specialized actions you can temporarily assign to switches in place of their normal actions. Need to record a series of gestures to perform a complex action in an app? You can make it happen with a Recipe. You can also create a customized Launch Recipe that will be applied automatically whenever Switch Control starts.

For more information on Switch Control, check out this post from Assistive Technology Blog or this very in-depth piece (which includes screenshots and videos) from Jane Farrall's Blog. To learn more about the specific iOS9 updates, read this guide from AbleNet, " iOS9 Accessibility Switch Control - The Missing User Guide."

If you're looking to purchase switches, AbleNet sells a Bluetooth iPad switch that allows you to use either one or two built-in switches or even attach your own favorite switch. There is also the Bluetooth Switch Interface from RJ Cooper. Also, Inclusive Technology creates a series of fun and educational iPad apps that are designed specifically to work with a switch.

Head Gestures & Other Switch Options

Another really interesting feature of the iPad is the ability to do everything a switch allows you to do... but without a switch! Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Switch Control > Switches > Add New Switch. You have three options here: "External" allows you to hook up a traditional external switch with your iPad; "Screen" lets you use the whole iPad screen as your switch; and "Camera" lets you use head gestures (a move of the head to the left or the right) as your switch. Isn't that neat?

So with "Screen" you can use your iPad just like you would when using a switch, but the touch screen itself acts as a large interactive switch.

And with "Camera" you control the cursor on the screen with a move of your head from left to right. You get to choose which movements control which features in the settings. For more information and a walk through on using head gestures to control the iPad, watch this video below:

Low Vision Options

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and you have a few options to change the way your screen looks. You can Zoom to magnify the entire screen. It takes a somewhat complicated move (once turned on in your settings, you need to double-tap with three fingers in order to zoom in), but if you can help you child learn to control the zoom it can be a really powerful tool (unfortunately AssistiveTouch doesn't seem to be able to pull off the three-fingered double tap for you).

In iBooks it's a terrific way of showing a child with low vision what the illustrations are and because of how sweetly it functions, you or your child can move through the pictures smoothly, enlarged as required, to find out things like how sad Eyore's face looks or how big Pooh's tummy is.

The Zoom feature underwent a pretty major upgrade in iOS8. Once turned on, you can choose to magnify the entire screen (which is the default setting) or create a Window Zoom. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom > Zoom Region and choose Window Zoom. Now, instead of enlarging the entire screen with your three-fingered double tap, you'll just see a zoom lens (sort of like using a magnifying glass on your iPad) so you can zoom in on specific areas of the screen. If you also turn on the Zoom controller ( Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom > Show Controller), you can control the power of the zoom, resize your lens or even add filters. So now, you could create a lens that zooms and gives you a higher contrast! Wow!

In the same area in your settings, you can also Invert Colors (for more contrast) or turn on Larger Text (to increase just the text font size). You can also turn on Bold Text under Accessibility options. This creates bold text in apps, the keyboard and the calculator (not just in eBooks). There's also an option to turn on Button Shapes, which highlights buttons and links throughout the iPad or iPhone making them much easier to see, or you can choose the Grayscale option, giving you another way to make the screen clearer for users with low vision.

VoiceOver

VoiceOver is the built in screenreader that comes with all Apple products. VoiceOver was updated for iOS9 with multiple voices and dialects, as well as more options, like configuring how you want VoiceOver to handle describing images on your screen. Customizable gestures are possible so you can control VoiceOver through the touch screen. You can also access a Speak Screen that lets you toggle VoiceOver on by a simple two-finger swipe from the top of the screen (to set this up you need to go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Speech > Speak Screen). iOS9 updates also allow you to speed up the rate of speech for VoiceOver more than before. Even though you may not be able to understand the speech at a very quick speed, your child may and this can be a huge advantage for an auditory learner!

So this is all great for text, but what about video? You can still turn on Audio Descriptions for accessible videos in iOS9, too, with increased accessibility in iTunes Movies and TV. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Audio Descriptions and now the accessible audio descriptions on videos will play automatically whenever available.

If you're not familiar with the built-in braille keyboard that was presented in the VoiceOver update of iOS8, be sure to check it out since it is still an active feature in iOS9! Yes, a built-in braille keyboard! That's right! If you're using VoiceOver, you have the option to turn on Braille Screen Input in the Rotor menu. You can enter text through an on-screen six-dot braille input. Just turn the iPad so that the screen is perpendicular to the floor and 6 dots appear on the screen which you can use to input text using a braille interface into any app! Check out the Assistive Technology Blog for more info on the Built-in Braille Keyboard for Six-Dot Input.

Learn more about VoiceOver for iOS.

Speak Selection

If VoiceOver is too much for you and you just want the iPad to read a word or phrase here and there, you can activate Speak Selection. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Speech > Speak Selection and turn Speak Selection on. Now you can highlight any text in any app and you'll be given the option to hear it spoken (as seen to the right). Just tap on the "Speak" button to hear your selection.

Camera

The camera on iOS9 devices comes with VoiceOver compatibility, which means when you hold up your camera it will let you know how many faces are in frame and whether or not they are centered. Very cool!

The zoom feature in the camera can also be used as a magnifier. For example, you could place the camera over a menu, "pinch" the screen in order to zoom in, and voilà! The words appear in large text on your screen!

Hearing Impairments

For children with hearing impairments, iOS9 offers some handy features. For example, you have complete control over how the audio is played back through speakers or headphones on your iPad. Many songs or videos split their audio so that the left and right ear jacks hear different sounds. But if you go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing you can turn Mono Audio on so that both ear jacks receive the same sounds. You can also play with the left and right audio volumes separately, allowing you to leave one louder than the other if you wish.

Previously, in the iOS7 update they also added customization features to subtitles and captioning. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning. Here you can choose to turn captioning on or off and also change the style of captions. You can choose large print captions (as seen to the right) or even completely customize them by changing the font, size, color etc.

The iPhone also allows you to set different (and fully customizable) vibration patterns for different alerts and phone calls. This way you can tell who's calling you just by the feel of your phone!

Braille Displays and Other Equipment

All iOS9 devices support Bluetooth wireless braille displays so you can read in braille everything that appears on your screen. Along with VoiceOver, this turns the iPad into a fully accessible piece of equipment. For a list of all the braille displays supported by Apple, click here.

Below is a video explaining how to use a refreshable braille display with an iPad:

You can also look at getting a stylus for your iPad if holding a pen or pencil is easier for you child than using their fingers. The Pogo Stylus is a nice choice.

And on a practical note, the iPad really does seem able to take quite a bit of abuse. Ours has survived slapping and even dropping (at least on our carpeted floor). But you still might want to invest in a nice sturdy case to protect it. We like the Gumdrop Tech Series Case both for it's durability and the nice red border it places around the screen which is great for kids with CVI.

There are many updates to iOS9 that were system wide and not just for users with visual impairments but are still very useful for many users, regardless of their unique needs. For independent travelers, iDevice users can now get public transit support via the Apple Maps app. This is a huge step for giving much needed access and information to independent blind travelers. Other advances include Siri's functions including activating her without having to have your iPad or iPhone plugged into a power source and increased speech recognition tailored to your voice. Siri can be a great motivator for kids working on speech goals, as well as just her overall usefulness in finding information and accessing apps using verbal prompts. You may also be interested in the 3D Touch features introduced in the iPhone 6S and Plus with increased accessibility.

I hope these tips and reviews will help you create an iPad that works perfectly for your child. If you have any questions on how to adapt your iPad or if you have other tips that you'd like to share with others, please leave a comment below or contact me.

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Top 10 iPad & iOS9 Accessibility Features | WonderBaby.org

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The iPad and other Apple devices that use the new iOS9 operating system (like the iPod Touch and iPhone) received another round of updates in accessibility after the major changes implemented in iOS8. There continue to be some really big changes with the advancement of iOS9 for blind users, however users with low vision have commented that little has changed.

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Our World My Future presentations from Simon de Senlis Primary School.﻿

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Our World My Future presentations from Simon de Senlis Primary School.﻿

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Technology embedded in the learning process and supporting communication.

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Our World My Future Presentations - Simon de Senlis Primary School Northampton

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Children from Simon de Senlis Primary school in Northampton prepare presentations on their' favourite topics to deliver in front of a 100 strong audience. This film maps their journey and demonstrates how using technology and preparing these presentations helps them to take a more enriching and enjoyable experience from their learning.

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Four ways iPads are changing the lives of young people with disabilities.﻿

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Four ways iPads are changing the lives of young people with disabilities.﻿

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Noah Rahman has moderate Cerebral Palsy affecting his communication, cognition and upper and lower body movement. When he turned two, his language, cognitive abilitity and fine motor skills were diagnosed by a developmental specialist as being at least 12 months behind. Then Noah got an iPad.

Four months later, his language and cognition were on par with his age level. His fine motor skills had made significant leaps.

Today, the three-year-old (pictured at right with his father) spends an hour or two on his iPad each day. He switches his apps between reading and writing in English, Arabic and Spanish. In the fall, he'll enter a classroom of five-year-olds. "The iPad unlocked his motivation and his desire because it's fun," says his dad Sami Rahman, co-founder of SNApps4Kids, a community of parents, therapists and educators sharing their experiences using the iPad, iPod touch, iPhone and Android to help children with special needs.

SNApps4Kids taps into a burgeoning trend for people with disabilities. Touch devices - most notably the iPad - are revolutionizing the lives of children, adults and seniors with special needs. Rahman estimates some 40,000 apps have been developed for this demographic.

"Touch has made it exceptionally accessible - everyone has an iPad, everyone has an iPod," says Michelle Diament, cofounder of Disability Scoop, a source for news relating to developmental disabilities. "If you're someone with a disability, having something that other people are using makes you feel like part of the in-crowd."

For people lacking motor skills, touch screens are more intuitive devices. There is no mouse, keyboard or pen intercepting their communication with the screen. Larger platforms, like iPads, are preferred over smaller iOS and Android devices for ease-of-use and, of course, the cool factor.

Here are four ways that touch devices are changing the lives of people with disabilities:

1. As a Communicator

Before the iPad and other similar devices, using touch-to-speak technology was incredibly expensive, costing around $8,000. Now, it only costs $499 for an iPad and $189.99 for a thorough touch-to-speak app like Proloquo2Go.

That relative affordability has made the technology more available for children and adults that can't use their voice. With the simple touch of an iPad, a hungry non-verbal person can communicate exactly what he or she would like to eat. Those apps can then be customized with photos or features to suit an individual's life and needs.

Another option is Assistive Chat, which predicts several sentence completion options. For the most severely disabled people, Yes|No is a simple app that allows individuals to voice their preference in yes-or-no responses.

"It gives dignity back to people who are more disabled," says Vicki Windham, a special education teacher in the Clarkstown Central School District who trains people of all ages to make the most of their iPads. Windham reviews apps for people with a variety of special needs.

For hard-of-hearing iPad users, soundAmp R amplifies sound in a variety of situations. Users can also record lectures or presentations they want to listen to again later.

2. As a Therapeutic Device

SNApps4Kids co-founder Cristen Reat's son Vincent was born with Down syndrome, which can also lead to low-muscle mass. While he can walk, Reat describes his son as a Buddha that prefers to sit still most of the time. Throughout his life, Vincent's therapists and parents have tried to help him be more active. It was not until his physical therapist placed an iPad on a treadmill that Vincent was motivated to walk. He now stays on for nine and a half minutes, interacting with his iPad while he's in motion.

In addition to increasing his gross motor ability to walk, Vincent's iPad has helped his fine motor skills. For Vincent, computers and older technology required visual shifting - between a mouse or keyboard and the screen. On an iPad, Vincent can watch as one of his fingers writes directly on the screen to make selections.

Similarly, Noah Rahman has shown motor improvement. After playing the Elmo Loves ABCs app on his iPad, he can write the entire alphabet, requiring sophisticated finger isolation. As a three-year-old, this puts him well above his grade level. "First it was 'do it for me,' then it was 'do it with me,' now he does it by himself," says Noah's father.

3. As an Educational Tool

Years ago, one of Jeremy Brown's autistic elementary school students picked up his iPhone off his desk and began navigating the iOS with ease. "It's like a fish to water," says Brown, a teacher for autistic elementary school students, of his students' interactions with touch technology.

Brown is immersed in online discussions of technology and special education, moderating the Facebook group iTeach Special Education, collaborating on the podcast EdCeptional and coauthoring the blog Teaching All Students. While use of the iPad in classrooms is not yet approved in his school district, he believes the iPad is a great supplemental method of instruction, estimating 80% to 90% of his students with autism see great results when using iOS devices. Brown hopes his school district and others across the country will approve iPads in the classroom.

While no one advocates replacing traditional instruction, a number of apps do address academic subjects from math to language to reading and writing. In October 2010, Apple even featured an " Apps for Special Education" section in the App Store.

Brown encourages parents to separate their children's recreational uses of the iPad from those in the classroom. Some students may watch YouTube videos on the school bus but while they're at school they know Mr. Brown's iPads are only for education.

4. As a Behavior Monitor

Behavior Tracker Pro is a popular app for parents, therapists and teachers to quantify the behavioral progress of children with special needs. In addition to taking notes, good and bad behaviors can be video recorded and later reviewed. The app automatically turns that input into visual graphs and charts.

High school teacher Vicki Windman notes that the iPad can also be a great way to strengthen and reinforce memory for seniors with Alzheimer's or memory loss. Still, she warns that touch technology is not a miracle drug: "You're not curing Alzheimer's. Parents challenge me all the time - they want a cure. It's no cure."

That doesn't mean it can't help. Apps like Medication Reminder tell users when it's time to take medication. Memory Practice, a memory strengthening app, was created for the developer's mother shortly after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Windman's father uses an app called Nudge, which gives him a persistent reminder every fifteen minutes to accomplish lapsed tasks on his to-do list.

Long-Roads Ahead

Despite these successes, SNApps4Kids cofounder Cristen Reat recommends a measured approach. "Just because you buy a device doesn't mean it's going to change anything," she says.

Rahman agrees. He says that viewing the iPad as the solution is the backwards approach. "We are big advocates that the user needs to understand the objectives first before you pick the technology," Rahman says. "We're not just putting [our son] in front of an iPad and walking away. That's the real key."
Image courtesy of Sami Rahman.

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4 Ways iPads Are Changing the Lives of People With Disabilities

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Noah Rahman has moderate Cerebral Palsy affecting his communication, cognition and upper and lower body movement. When he turned two, his language, cognitive abilitity and fine motor skills were diagnosed by a developmental specialist as being at least 12 months behind. Then Noah got an iPad.

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A discussion about the latest technology developments﻿

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A discussion about the latest technology developments﻿

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Technology has long been heralded as a solution to the many difficulties experienced by disabled people. So how can it help?

In the last 10 years, focus has shifted from desktop PCs to mobile devices. Today's smartphones are mini-computers with an increasing range of features for disabled people - they talk, hook up to hearing aids and have other ingenious accessibility functions.

But when we're not using them in our hands, they idle in our pockets. Through miniaturisation, however, mobile devices could now work for us all day long - by perching on our faces in the form of "smart" glasses.

Robin Christopherson of the charity AbilityNet is blind and an adisability tech enthusiast. He believes that smart spectacles like the forthcoming Google Glass - hands-free, perched at ear, eye and mouth level, and with the power of a mobile phone - hold real promise for disabled people.

On my phone I've got an app called talking goggles, which does real-time object recognition

"On my phone I've got an app called talking goggles, which performs real-time object recognition," says Christopherson. He is looking forward to a time when this functionality could be constantly working for him in the form of smart glasses.

Speaking on this month's Ouch talk show, Christopherson lists how these devices could help people with a range of impairments.

Facial recognition software in glasses could identify how the person in front of you is feeling and flash up captions which say "happy", "sad" or "upset". This could be helpful for someone who can't determine emotions in others - such as people with Asperger's Syndrome. Deaf people could enjoy real-time subtitles so they can see what people are saying to them - as they can with television subtitles.

Mobile phones and glasses are everyday mass-produced technologies and are more likely to be adopted than the more experimental and expensive devices made especially for the disabled market.

In other headlines, we often hear of paralysed people who control computers with their minds. This doesn't just open up the world of email and word processing but could help control prosthetic limbs. Christopherson calls this technology "mature", but you can't just pick it up and go by donning face-wear.

"The most successful interface at the moment is an invasive one, where you undergo surgery and have things implanted in your brain," he says. "This is a very accurate technique. You can see videos (on the internet) of people who have had this procedure, with a robotic arm, drinking their cup of coffee."

He says this technology is somewhere between months and years away and AbilityNet is working with a European project called BrainAble focusing on this area.

His focus stretches to another technology high on many disabled people's shopping lists - driverless cars. Christopherson thinks these are "just a couple of years away" at the minimum and are likely to cost about £5,000-£10,000 more than a regular family car.

But there is a worry in the disability community that even when the technology arrives, lawmakers and the public may not allow disabled people to "drive" such cars if they are unable to over-ride them in an emergency - potentially excluding people with visual impairments or motor function difficulties, for instance.

Christopherson thinks acceptance of computer-driven cars will take time but is quietly confident the trust will build.

"Google Ventures - venture capitalists - have put in $258m to purchase 25,000 autonomous taxis," says Christopherson. The vehicles are for use by international cab company Uber, he says, "specifically so that they won't have to pay taxi drivers".

And though it might feel socially problematic to allow a disabled person to use a car he or she can't control, he points out that smart taxis could shake up the discussion in a different way as they will sometimes be "toddling around without anybody in them when they go to pick up their fare".

So in the future we could have empty cars run by a computer, or cars with a disabled driver unable to over-ride the computer. Is there a difference, and which would you prefer?
Additional reporting by Damon Rose. Listen to the full talk show for November which includes a longer version of the discussion with Robin Christopherson, an interview with mental health video blogger Jonny Benjamin, disabled comedian Tim Renkow, The Fish Police and more. It's available as a download or you can stream it in top quality via Follow @BBCOuch on Twitter and on Facebook, and listen to our monthly talk show Audioboo. Read more details about the show here.

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Technology has long been heralded as a solution to the many difficulties experienced by disabled people. So how can it help? In the last 10 years, focus has shifted from desktop PCs to mobile devices. Today's smartphones are mini-computers with an increasing range of features for disabled people - they talk, hook up to hearing aids and have other ingenious accessibility functions.

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Jali Fily Cissokho & Dr Mick Donegan Special Effect

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SpecialEffect's Mick Donegan, Helen Oakley and her mum Sandra on BBC South East

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Peaches Class of Rowan Gate Primary School Evaluation Green Screen

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The Dragon Tree A green screen production by Peaches Class of Rowan Gate Primary School Evaluation Green Screen app by Do Ink - very easy to use and children were able to operate it iMovie app also very easy to navigate and edit all the scenes together The equipment All very portable and easy to use.

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Smart through Art project with Rowan Gate

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Smart through Art project with Rowan Gate

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Check out this delicious slideshow with music, captions, fun effects, and more.

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Supporting literacy through technology Prezi﻿

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Supporting literacy through technology Prezi﻿

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WriteOnline Read & Write Gold Read & Write for Google

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Exploring digital strategies for inclusive learning

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Changes in assistive technology for SEN over the years﻿

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Changes in assistive technology for SEN over the years﻿

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When I began teaching in the early 1990s, schools were approaching the Millennium with great anticipation for a futuristic world of gadgets and technologies. The best we had at that time was a BBC B Computer, hooked up to a dot matrix printer with that awful neverending sheet of paper with the holes in the sides. In some classrooms they were seen as glorified typewriters so that kids could type up a good piece of writing. More adventurous uses included simple programming and filling the screen with scrolling text from a few lines of code.
"Apple were the first to introduce text-to-speech into an operating system."

Computers in the early days were never really seen as beneficial to children with SEN. Assistive technology was never a used phrase, although the use of text-to-speech software has developed enormously in the last 30 years. Apple were the first to introduce it into an operating system and it has become the norm for web pages and electronic devices to include such a feature. It is so much simpler now, breaking down barriers for those struggling to see or read. Speech recognition software did actually begin in the 1950s with Bell's Audrey system that was able to recognise spoken digits. In terms of classroom applications, it is only recently that it has actually become more functional. If the physical act of writing is difficult, speech recognition software enables independent access to computers and a wide range of classroom tasks. Newer Apple iPads incorporate a microphone icon with the keyboard, for text to be spoken rather than typed.

In terms of access to resources, technology has brought the world to our fingertips. Gone are the days when, for example, a song had to be sourced, ordered etc. It is there, in an instant, ideal for supporting anxious children with ASD, for example, providing security through familiar songs, rhymes and characters. In the early days, I played music on cassette tapes, scrolling through songs while the play button was still pressed and listening for the gap to skip to the next 'track'. Woe betide the tape got caught in the machinery and became unravelled; then would begin the tedious (yet satisfying) job of winding it manually back together again. The good thing about tapes was that children could record their own voices and play them back almost instantly, but with USB microphones and apps that store voice clips now, tapes are most definitely a thing of the past. Even a computer mouse is becoming obsolete, with touchscreens and trackpads being more responsive and easier to use.

As a Primary school teacher, we had concept keyboards and marvelled at the simplicity for early readers with limited literacy skills, to be able to input information into a computer. Simplicity is now on another level completely. Pupils can say certain phrases out loud and the computer will search for them without even clicking anything! The advent of technology such as 'Siri' and 'OK Google' mean that pupils with severe physical barriers to learning are not disadvantaged by being unable to type or click. Stephen Hawking is testament to how developments in speech synthesisers can overcome barriers to communication and independence. He has an infrared switch mounted on to his glasses and his cheek movements are picked up by the switch. He uses software called EZ Keys which works effectively through its ability to predict words contextually.

"As wireless technologies have advanced, SEN pupils have been freed from their shackles."

When I first entered the world of SEN, resources were quite clumsy. Huge clamps and mounts, cables and connectors meant that the young person was limited further by the paraphernalia required just to select something on screen or input some text. As wireless technologies have advanced, pupils have been freed from the shackles of wired switches and pointing devices, to be able to use even just eye movements. This used to be incredibly expensive but is now priced similar to that of a mid-range PC, making it accessible to most schools and many households.

The iPad software developers UMoove are making use of the built in camera as an input device, enabling game control from a turn of the head or eyes. They have marketed one as a health app ( UHealth), seeing it is a mainstream fun activity for improving focus and attention. Poor focus and attention are central to many SEN difficulties so its application for the SEN market is significant. As free software, this can make a considerable contribution to breaking down barriers to access education and developing independence. Apple's iOS 7 introduced head-controlled movements to the iPad market, enabling users with access issues to become more independent. There are some fun face-controlled apps available for free, enabling games to be played with movements such as a smile! It is marketed as 'Face Yoga', but its application for users unable to control games with traditional approaches is phenomenal.

There is even development of Apps controlled only by the mind, the user wears a headset and focuses on making it happen by the power of thought alone! Mindwave is available on Amazon for under £100.

There is a whole host of products out there, priced around the £100 mark that are groundbreaking and liberating for people with physical access difficulties. There's Nod, a ring that allows control of a range of devices with just a flick of a thumb or a wave of a hand; Leapmotion brings the futuristic technology imagined in the movie Minority Report to an attainable reality.

We recently invested a significant amount of money into an Immersive Room, allowing learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) to interact with an environment that is all around them, not just on one screen. Some of the more successful environments have been added for free using online video clips, home made clips and images. The room has the 'wow factor' and is beneficial because of its flexibility. Creative uses of Kinect technology and projectors allow users to interact with what they see, even seeing themselves actually IN some of the images. In terms of application for users with SEN, the room can be set up to meet varying levels of need in an instant.

It must be noted that while all these ideas are exciting novelties, in order to actually apply their use to education they need to be used innovatively for teaching and learning. There are a lot of very hi-tech devices and gadgets out there that cost huge amounts of money. The free or cheap innovations can be just as productive provided they are used with thought and purpose.
Do you work in SEN? Share your experiences below!

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When I began teaching in the early 1990s, schools were approaching the Millennium with great anticipation for a futuristic world of gadgets and technologies. The best we had at that time was a BBC B Computer, hooked up to a dot matrix printer with that awful neverending sheet of paper with the holes in the sides.

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iBook about making an orientation eBook for assisting transition for children with autism.﻿

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iBook about making an orientation eBook for assisting transition for children with autism.﻿

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orientation ebook: assisting transition for children with autism

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Orientation eBook: Assisting Transition for Children with Autism by Cherryl Elliot on iBooks

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Read a free sample or buy Orientation eBook: Assisting Transition for Children with Autism by Cherryl Elliot. You can read this book with iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.

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Exploring how to teach computing to learners with SEN﻿

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Exploring how to teach computing to learners with SEN﻿

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SEN Computing - exploring how to teach the new curriculum to SEN

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A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to be ask to present at the SEN Computing day run and organise by Catherine Elliott(@catherinelliott) who is part of the Sheffield ILS eLearning team. So after making the long journey up North, I arrived at the venue and was taken aback with the excellent organisation and...

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Special Educational Needs ICT blog (SENICT)﻿

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Special Educational Needs ICT blog (SENICT)﻿

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Here's the link to the app:
If, like me you've been looking for a easy way for students to be able to choose their own music on the ipad, you need look no further than 'Niki Music' app. For just 69p, Niki Music lets you create simple choosing boards like the one above using your own images and music. Choose a music track, attach an image (from the camera roll or one you downloaded from Google) and away you go. Students touch the big buttons to choose the track they want to listen to.
All editing buttons are locked away behind the on-screen padlock. You'll have to answer a simple maths problem to unlock them. Seriously, a very good app well worth the 69p it will cost.

NIKI MUSIC APP Oh and if you need an image for any 'One Direction' tracks. Here's the one I use.

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Here's the link to the app: If, like me you've been looking for a easy way for students to be able to choose their own music on the ipad, you need look no further than 'Niki Music' app. For just 69p, Niki Music lets you create simple choosing boards like the one above using your own images and music.

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Some ideas for teaching computer science at the P levels﻿

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Some ideas for teaching computer science at the P levels﻿

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SENcomputing - Computer Science - Basics

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11. Directional commands are some of the easiest to begin with. It may be useful to use symbols similar to those found on the Beebot/Constructabot (see image), as it will be easy for pupils to transfer their knowledge. Some discussion will need to be had about what a right-turn entails, e.g.

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iBook: Reaching All Learners: Utilising Student Interests to Empower Accessibility

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iBook: Reaching All Learners: Utilising Student Interests to Empower Accessibility

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https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reaching-all-learners-utilising/id870422846?mt=13

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Sometimes when you play a game, the game ends up playing you. Gamers 2 - The Movie, by Platinum Class. Premiere - 28/11/12 Music by www.soundcloud.com/JacksonMiller - used with permission.

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Computing and SEND Pinterest collection﻿

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Computing and SEND Pinterest collection﻿

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Removing barriers to accessing the computing curriculum

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Example lesson plans for a programming activity for learners with complex needs.

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Example lesson plans for a programming activity for learners with complex needs.

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Progression in computer programming for learners with complex needs﻿

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Progression in computer programming for learners with complex needs﻿

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(here's the original: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/133771051406246612/)

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Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests.

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Beginning to use Scratch and working with symbols.﻿

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Beginning to use Scratch and working with symbols.﻿

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SENcomputing - Computer Science - Next Steps

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5. Create a Bubble Sort activity: this is a sorting algorithm that compares two neighbouring values, sorts them according to e.g. height/weight/value and then moves onto the next. A computer cannot see the big picture, it can only compare two at a time.

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Computing Lessons at Stubbin Wood School - Sheffield ILS eLearning Team and City Learning Centres

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Sheffield City Council Inclusion and Learning Services eLearning Team. We are based at Sheffield North and South City Learning Centres

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eSafety for SEND and the Computing Curriculum for SEND. A resource from Somerset eLIM

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eSafety for SEND and the Computing Curriculum for SEND. A resource from Somerset eLIM

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Evaluations of the most common social networking sites used by children and young people.﻿

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eSafety progression for learners with complex needs﻿

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eSafety progression for learners with complex needs﻿

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Dorothy Goodman School greenscreening their news

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Dorothy Goodman School greenscreening their news

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Uploaded by Helen Caldwell on 2014-06-06.

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A Padlet of apps for communication, engagement, group work and independence

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A Padlet of apps for communication, engagement, group work and independence

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What does a supportive classroom look like?

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What does a supportive classroom look like?

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BA SEN & Inclusion | Working With Children From Rowan Gate Primary School

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This is a short video documentary of the experiences of BA SEN and Inclusion students from the University of Northampton working with the children from Rowan Gate primary school in Northamptonshire. The video demonstrates how a range of different multi-sensory activities can be used both within and outside of the classroom based on the story 'Where the Wild things are'.

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Purpose of study

A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate - able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology - at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

Aims

The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation

can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems

can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems

are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

Attainment targets

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Schools are not required by law to teach the example content in [square brackets].

Subject content

Key stage 1

Pupils should be taught to:

understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions

create and debug simple programs

use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs

use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content

recognise common uses of information technology beyond school

use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies

Key stage 2

Pupils should be taught to:

design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts

use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output

use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs

understand computer networks, including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the World Wide Web, and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration

use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content

select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information

use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact

Key stage 3

Pupils should be taught to:

design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems

understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking [for example, ones for sorting and searching]; use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem

use 2 or more programming languages, at least one of which is textual, to solve a variety of computational problems; make appropriate use of data structures [for example, lists, tables or arrays]; design and develop modular programs that use procedures or functions

understand simple Boolean logic [for example, AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming; understand how numbers can be represented in binary, and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers [for example, binary addition, and conversion between binary and decimal]

understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems

understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system; understand how data of various types (including text, sounds and pictures) can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits

undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users

create, reuse, revise and repurpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability

understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct, and know how to report concerns

Key stage 4

All pupils must have the opportunity to study aspects of information technology and computer science at sufficient depth to allow them to progress to higher levels of study or to a professional career.

All pupils should be taught to:

develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in computer science, digital media and information technology

develop and apply their analytic, problem-solving, design, and computational thinking skills

understand how changes in technology affect safety, including new ways to protect their online privacy and identity, and how to report a range of concerns

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National curriculum in England: computing programmes of study

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A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming.

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Make games, stories and interactive art with Scratch. (scratch.mit.edu)

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Create a Christmas card. Find a wintery/Christmas scene for the background. Take a picture using the green screen. Print out and create card.

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Animation and autism white paper: http://learn.goanimate4schools.com/asd_students_find_their_voices?utm_campaign=G4S%20White%20Paper&utm_medium=white%20paper&utm_source=Socedo

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Approaches to support inclusion through technology from the University of Northampton