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Comments on input from peers:
After the introduction of the different frameworks, I wondered if I had shortchanged any of the students under my care who required AT. It dawned on me that my knowledge of AT has been quite limited and I often made purchases off recommendations of the supporting external agencies or professionals. As such, there were instances where the AT was not as useful as anticipated and was abandoned.

However, it was comforting to note that I am not alone in this journey of growth after reading through comments from my peers. And while we are all working through different challenges in our respective places, we are all keen to learn and do better for the students under our care!

AHA Moment:
There are so many frameworks available to guide me in my assessment and monitoring of suitability of AT for my students. I am keen to try them out to see which will be a best fit for my school! This, in addition to TechAble, will put me in a better position to make AT purchases that are well utilized by our students.

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Comments on inputs by classmates:

Like most of you here, I too agree that the last session was an eye-opener for myself indeed, especially how Assistive technology is not limited by its low, mid or high tech characteristics, but rather how it makes it more convenient and provides assess to those who can benefit from it. In particular, I would like to echo Su’s comment in that the concept of user-technology mismatch due to user perceived stigma is indeed a real concern on the ground for some indeed. As educators working on supporting students with special educational needs, it is absolutely vital that we continue to champion inclusiveness in our respective schools. It is with educating and spreading the important message of being inclusive and non-judgmental that we will be able to greatly reduce the stigmatisation present in our present society.

My AHA moment:

In the last lecture, my biggest AHA moment has got to be the adaptation framework. Indeed, I must confess that prior to this lecture, I would not have thought so deeply about how I would plan the type of AT adaptation solutions for an individual with needs, and that is because of a lack of perspective when looking at an individual as a whole versus taking the time to look into the setting-specific demands, person-specific characteristics before deriving on the adaptations. Through the last lecture, I have learnt that the adaptation framework provides a far more structured approach that allows us to go into the very specifics and to make a good reference for assessing a person’s needs. It is only by being able to carefully evaluate each step of a person’s needs that we can then ensure a good match between the person’s needs and the task that they need to complete at hand.

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1. Following on from my previous comment that I would create Wordwall games for the purpose of SDR revision during the September holidays, I have selected 20 target words and assigned two games by sending the game links to parents. I am yet to assign two more games later this week. The goal is for the students to revise the same set of words repeatedly (every other day) throughout this week, by playing different games with increasing difficulty level. As compared to the hardcopy activity sheets shared by the PSB, the advantage of online games is that I can easily monitor my students' results, including the number of attempts and the errors made at each attempt. I will gather my students' feedback on their user experience in Term 4.

2. The Adaptations Framework provides such  a comprehensive guide on AT decision-making. I have gained insight into why certain AT tools I tried with my students before did not work very well. I focused largely on the specific tasks and the features of the tools, while overlooking the the crucial role of the user (person-specific capacity and limitations, user's preferences and attitude). Greater awareness of my blind spots will help me make more deliberate decisions in the future.

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Comments on inputs from Peers:

I was scrolling through all the entries from the course mates when I came across Anita’s sharing of the tool MetroRetro and decided to try it out.  MetroRetro is a real-time retrospective whiteboard with templates that can be customised.   I find the tool simple to use and is suitable for the students.  I am planning to make use of the Liked/Learned/Lacked/LongedFor Template as an Exit Pass for my students to provide feedback about the lesson.  I am also thinking of trying out the Simple Kanban Template with students who need help with keeping track of their tasks or homework.

AHA Moments from Session 4:

In my years of service, I do not have the opportunity to be involved in the assessment of AT for my students.  The framework covered by Dr Wong will serve as a comprehensive guide when the need arises to conduct an assessment for AT for the students.  Dr Wong stressed on the importance of seeking to understand how comfortable is the student with using the AT and whether it aligns with the student’s usage.  Failing to take that into consideration is likely to result in abandonment of the AT by the student. This is something I will have to keep in mind when helping the student to source for the right AT.

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A:
Lay Hoon’s idea of creating an in-house SEN portal using the e portfolio sounds like a great idea. I feel that it can really help the teachers as well as create a perception that the portal is differentiated and serves a purpose.

Currently, all the resources that my school are in shared folders and they kind of blend in with all the other files and documents. Having a dedicated portal can help SEN support resources stand out and leave a more lasting impression on teachers that there is a specific portal dedicated to SEN support instead of having to navigate through shared folders.

This will be something that I will also like to implement at my school.

B:
Dr Wong has really provided me with a different perspective when it comes to AT. Considerations such as the usability of the device takes careful considerations and planning in order to suit the profile of the user. Any lapse in the process can sabotage any efforts to help the user and it can lead to wastage of the device itself, funds, efforts and even leave a negative impression on the user we are intending to help. The frameworks really help to guide the process of matching AT to the user.

In school, I have also encountered children who appear resistant using the FM devices and it is important to find out why and take care of the social and emotional wellbeing of these children so that the AT does not end up doing more harm than good to them holistically.

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Comments on input from peers (session 3):
Popplet! It was interesting to read about this tool that was raved about by my peers. It was indeed an interesting interface for teaching students mindmapping. I envisioned using it to teach my children with behavioural needs ways that they can brainstorm for helping them to calm down. I could use it to teach children with learning needs to recall the words they have learnt/vocabulary word bank. The power of sharing is that it lowers the barriers for us to try out different tools and force us to experiment.

Another tool that is also very interactive with different interfaces is called Miro. It helps to facilitate group-based brainstorming.

AHA moment (session 4):
It is important to consider the user profile and the usability of the device. Often, devices are crafted to suit the needs of the users but if it is too complex or requires extensive forms of training, it might be a huge barrier for users and lead to abandonment of devices. Hence, understanding the user profile is essential. Using the SETT framework and considering the various factors taught by Dr Wong are useful tools to help me analyse if the AT is suitable for my children with needs.

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a. Comment on coursemates' inputs:

After reading the inputs, I do agree that I now see Assistive Technology in a different light. I used to think that AT is mainly for people with a physical disability but with the definition, it helps me to look at AT through a different lens. "An AT device is anything that is bought or made that helps a person with a disability accomplish tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to perform." I would also like to add that AT is able to support just anyone, just like how visuals are able to help us in getting to new places or understanding certain concepts faster. I am inspired by all of the enthusiastic attempts in trying out the tools to benefit the students' learning and I am glad that we are all in this together. However, one challenge I would foresee would be time constraints. Some of these tools are new to me and incorporating these tools into the different subject lessons would require meticulous planning, especially if it requires teaching the students to use these tools, but I will start small. Am thinking of starting to use these tools for students as part of supplementary lessons where I can assess if the tool is applicable, and also most importantly, getting my students' feedback. :)

b. S3 [30/8] - Aha Moment

Dr. Wong brought us through the Adaptation framework and I like how it provides a guide for us to look at the use of AT and consider factors from a different perspective. It can be a very powerful framework for us to look at. With the frameworks, it can help to guide us in AT assessment and look at the possibilities that can emerge from the framework; if there are new ideas that will surface.

A question that one of you posted got me thinking because I wondered the same too - "If a user winds off from the AT device, is it still considered an AT?" I like how Dr. Wong referred to the definition as the basis and reiterated that AT can be used as a tool to compensate students’ learning, and it does not matter whether it is being used short term or long term. If the student has to use it long-term, so be it. Ultimately, we want to be able to enhance one’s ability to learn and be independent. If we remove the device, aren't we disabling the student/ user?

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1) Comments: I really enjoyed reading each and everyone's posts. I find this like a peer learning as not only I learned new insights and ICT tools from them but also learned how my course mates had used them in their day-to-day teaching and planning. Something I had looked at but not tried was classroomscreen and this was first mentioned by Aliff and reiterated again by Eswari. Something I want to try out in school especially how would my students react to have the visual schedule on a screen instead on the whiteboard. Also I like the other features such as the stopwatch which I usually use during my session. Probably now I do not need to replace anymore spoil stopwatches or replacing batteries again ;)

2) Aha moments: I was very inspired by all of my course mates' sharing and also what I learned from Dr Wong's lessons. So much so that I approached my HOD IT to request for four sets of Chrome books to be permanently put in my AED (LBS) classroom. As mentioned, I had started using some of the ICT tools that was shared earlier and had to use my own laptop to engage the students. So if they had their own devices it is easier to incorporate ICT tools during lessons. My observation using ICT tools with my students is that it increase student's engagement however as mentioned by Andrew in his last post that it takes awhile for me to figure out how to manage rules and expectations as students get overly excited.
There was also a lot of pointers that I had learned and new insights about AT devices after the interview with a user. I actually interviewed a Speech Language Therapist and listened to her experiences on how she teaches and uses AAC with a student with speech apraxia. She was also able to share with me the point of view from the student's perspectives.

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I do agree with many of my course-mates here that AT lecture has give me more in-depth information.  To me, AT is just simply AT so in the lecture, it has been categorised to different levels of AT. It also mentioned abandonment of the app, AT if the tech is too difficult/ doesn't match the ability of the user. Not forgetting the after-service of the gadgets if there is support for them if the gadget breaks down or needs an upgrade.
I wanted to try out some apps which my course-mates introduced but unfortunately many are under IOS and not Android. Now this prompts me if I should get an Ipad :)
It is really interesting when I try to google them online.
I really looking forward to all these sharings and it really stresses we can't work alone! :)

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Inputs from session 3

And the most talk about App at the moment definitely has to be WORDWALL! I myself was curious wanted to explore it after so many of my peers commented on using it and I never even heard of that app. I just had to try it to see what the fuss was  all about (The same feeling I had when everyone was talking about BTS Korean boy band and I had no idea who they were and I got the dirty looks from my students and friends.) I was not about to let myself be left out on the buzz this time round.

After exploring the app, I have to say this was indeed a wonderful app. It is so user-friendly, versatile and has so many functions and templates to choose from to create your own resources and activities. What is also fascinating was that you can easily switch to a new template using the same content. This tool will definitely provide my students with a good interactive learning platform and will increase their participation level. Jen Yeo had previously shared that she used Wordwall for conducting Sight Word Drills. It is a good way to also test your students on what you have taught them.

Aha moment

Dr Wong sharing on AT consideration on which he also mentioned about on the SETT Framework Review, which includes considering the  Student, Environments, Tasks and Tools factors and when selecting AT devices and also when selecting AT adaptations, also to remember to consider setting-specific demands, the person-specific characteristics, and the features of the devices is definitely important  information is consider and check when selecting a AT device for your student or for someone who you thinks requires it. Another point that resonated with me was on the User’s attitudes and acceptance level. Dr Wong also explained that there is a need to be sensitive to the user’s attitude about the AT adaptation or that AT device will not be used if user rejects it. I had a student previously who was recommended to use the FM system by his doctor. However he stopped using it after a while. Upon further the probing he mentioned he felt conscious and didn’t want to feel different. So it is important to talk to the student about the use of the device before we implement it in school.

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Comments on input from session 3
As I was reviewing the comments shared, I was drawn to Eswari’s post on Classroomscreen. It is a new tool that I’m keen to try.  It has many interesting features that I find useful such as, putting-up a virtual check-in & out wall entitled ‘What Are we Learning Today’ (WALT) list, setting-up of a virtual timer & clock to teach time-management and how to read the time and teaching multiplication tables using grids on the interactive whiteboard etc.

Aha moment from Session 4
I’ve gained deeper insights into the selection process of identifying suitable AT. AT adaptation is a complex process that not only involves the user but also team-members comprising of IEP teams, parents and professionals working with the user. Apart from the straightforward technicalities that need to be considered, even cultural factors such as cultural viewpoints about disability and user and family acceptance of the AT adaptations are crucial factors in achieving successful outcomes of AT recommendations. Overtime, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the AT as the user grows and matures. The Adaptations Framework and checklists are useful tools that I would use when assessing the need for AT.

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Comments on input from Session 3:
I would like to touch on Cheryl's thoughts on how technology (e.g., a social story app) can become obsolete quickly and how she decided to try creating social stories using Book Creator.

It got me thinking that I tried a few different apps for different purposes before and while the app didn't become obsolete, it did become so in my everyday life (and the back pages of apps on my phone), simply because sometimes I would like to have just one trusty app to do most of the things that I need to do. There is so much cognitive load in compartmentalizing and recalling which app does which purpose. Hence, instead of exploring widely across technologies, I decided to explore more deeply in the technology that has been trusty for a long time and is still being updated regularly with new features.

PowerPoint is a tool that I often use to create social stories and this time, in order to make the social stories more wonderful (in the eyes of the students, I decided to explore the above video in enhancing the way I use PowerPoint. There is just so much tricks up an updated PowerPoint's sleeves, but we were just blinded by the familiar way we use this tool.

Aha Moment from Session 4:
Dr Wong shared quite a lot of information during the session but the point that was most salient to me was the point on Environment. First being that we should observe the environment that the AT that will be used in. Does the environment supports the use of that AT (e.g., the availability of electrical power points to charge or power the AT)? Second being that the AT should be relevant across environments too and not just only useful in one context.

In many ways, this point also ties in nicely with my abovementioned point on having too many apps for specific uses as compared to a trusty app that is relevant across many settings.

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30 Ultimate PowerPoint Tips and Tricks for 2020

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Inputs from Session 3

When I was reading Anita's AHA moment, I was like, "Eh, why didn't I think of that?!"

Being in an academic-driven school, the Case Management Team (CMT) saw a rise in meltdown cases in the upper primary level this term. Both SEN and non-SEN students had showcased difficulties with emotional regulation, anxiety attacks, anger outbursts, meltdowns and even suicidal ideation. The AEDs and the counsellors were stretched out for the past two months. Although the Year Heads (YH), Assistant Year Heads (AYH), teachers trained in Special Needs (TSNs) and selected teachers are trained and knowledgeable of the meltdown SOP, most of the time, they are in class. They cannot render their help unless the meltdown happens during their lesson or is one of their students.

While conducting our semesterly TSN training, the TSN suggested that all teachers be aware of the SOP and perhaps create a one-stop portal/site accessible on our laptops or phones. They could do a quick "glance/recap" through their phone while making their way to the meltdown scene to minimise the situation and prevent the student from escalating further. For example, the first two steps on what the teachers should or can do while waiting for SOS (one of the CARE team or CMT members) to arrive and assist them.

Moving forth, I could suggest this idea to my RO and the CMT team and see how we can use the e-portfolio or a similar platform to aid with the current struggles we face in school.

AHA moment from Session 4

The different frameworks shared by Dr Wong was quite a revelation to me as I have always relied on the students' therapists to share their inputs and what or how the school can help the student. When the therapists had asked for feedback, I was unsure whether the information conveyed to them was enough or what they had wanted to know.

The frameworks will surely come in useful and practical in assessing the effectiveness of the different AT devices in my school. It would also be helpful for the teachers to understand how the AT device can help the students with their learning, functional needs and enhance the students' learning.

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1. Wordwall by Anita

One tool initially shared by Anita that has recently caught my attention is the online tool Wordwall. As already highlighted by many of us, it is without doubt an excellent tool to use for teaching key literacy skills such as reading, spelling and vocabulary mastery. . What I especially like about this online tool is its ability to generate a variety of activities for a given planned instructional content related to words. In translating this discovery to work practice, I intend to utilize it in the future for selected Pri-3 SDR lessons. In addition to using Wordwall in place of the pre-provided word cards for certain SDR lessons, I also plan to generate and print worksheets or design brief online activities targeting words with particular phonogram(s) recently covered with my students. This will serve as a supplementary follow-up activity to further enhance my students’ mastery of the phonogram(s) and the associated words for those lessons.

2. AHA Moment

Of the different components of the Adaptations Framework for AT use consideration presented by Dr Wong during session 3, one of the key points for consideration that stood out for me was the ‘Attitudes and Acceptance’ of everyone, including the student himself. This point resonates with me as it has forced me to consider how at times, we, the school staff and other stakeholders may often act on what we perceive to be in the best interest of the child without even first identifying his/her attitudes and thus receptiveness towards the option. Let’s consider a scenario where all the required procedures had been undertaken by the different stakeholders to avail a suitable AT device for a student’s use. Despite its ability to optimally support the student’s needs, the effectiveness of its targeted impact for that student can be highly questionable if the student himself/herself does not hold very positive attitudes or is averse to its use due to for instance, being acutely conscious of how ‘differently’ he/she is being perceived by his/her classmates. This has led me to be more aware of how the involvement and thus, buy-in by the student is just as, if not more crucial as the other stakeholders when making decisions pertaining to the types of supports or interventions that will be rendered for the former.

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A) I was really intrigued by Kamila's sharing on Popplet. I enjoy how eye-catching the platform is, as well as how easy it is to use. I am currently working with a student with language impairment, and one of his main areas of difficulties is understanding similarities and differences. He really loves animals, and I hope that we will be able to use Popplet together as a fun and interesting way for him to meaningfully discuss and categorise different features in animals.

B) Something that really got me thinking during Dr Wong's lecture last week was about how the AT user's attitude and acceptance level is key to him/her using the technology. As some of our classmates shared during the session, I have also been experiencing difficulties with ensuring that the students make use of their AT devices (usually the FM system). Reasons frequently cited includes, "I already can hear" or "I forgot to give it to my teacher". It is likely that they have their own reasons for not wanting to use the AT. It is important to delve deeply into some of their thoughts, so as to address their concerns and eventually encourage the use of their devices.

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Comments on Input from Session 3

Like me, a few of my coursemates are humbled by the apparent yet powerful message about AT - "to common people, it is a convenience; to people with disabilities, it gives them independence". It brings to mind a training session that I had a few years back. A few participants and I were working on a group activity to think about our role as an "AED LBS". One idea that we contributed is that we are like an "AED" as in Automated External Defibrillator, a saviour for the SEN children whom we support. The trainer sombrely corrected us, saying that they do not need us to 'save' them but they need us to 'understand' them. On that note, we were quite ashamed because what we thought was a witty input is in fact a derogatory idea to have. The message that we learnt from the first lecture on AT reinforces the point about valuing the person with special needs and he should be at the centre of the support system that we provide.

Jen shared the same realisation that the person with special needs is at the heart of AT, and not the technology itself. She talked about the importance of understanding the needs of the person - his thinking and feelings about AT - and how the right AT can help to improve his daily life, in terms of benefits and usefulness, and thus help him gain independence.

Positive Aha Moment

I continued to explore a new tool for my work this week. The one that I tried out is from the EdPuzzle, a website with educational video resources and also some excellent features to customise our own teaching content or to edit an existing video content (e.g. cropping of video, add in notes and questions).

First of all, I searched and found a useful Youtube video from the website on strategies for reading comprehension, a resource that I could use to revise with my two P6 students in the pullout session. A unique feature offered in this website is allowing the user to incorporate checkpoint questions at different points of the video. The user can set the questions in the format of MCQ or open-ended questions. I find that it is not so hard to create the questions after a few times of practice - the tricky part is about stopping the video at the exact point where you want the question to appear but you can finetune it by clicking and dragging the cursor. Its cropping function is also easy to use once I get the hang of it.

When I played the video during the class, the students were attentive because they were told that there would be pop up questions on the screen and they were actually looking forward to that! They were also engaged in typing out their answers in place of verbal input.

In conclusion, this resource can be a refreshing change once in a while when students find the classroom teaching too monotonous.

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A) I am so excited to try out Kamila's sharing on Popplet. I have just signed up and watched 2 YouTube videos on how to use the App. I am currently working with a few students who often get stuck at generating ideas and putting them into coherent sentences for their writing. We have been using traditional ways of mind-mapping with pen and paper. With the implementation of PLDs, it only make sense for me to transit to using the online mind-mapping to work on their skills. I like how we can collaboratively work on the same mindmap once it is being shared. I can even start using it to build up students' own resources by having them share with one another once completed, or add on ideas to their existing ones. Thanks Kamila for sharing this, I will be putting up the request to the ICT department for this to be used with my students.
2) Working on the AT user profile tutorial activity for my student has given me new perspective which I have not considered before. Most of my students are likely to come with their AT from primary school. However, needs may change. As they go into their teenage years, they also become more conscious and may reject the use of the AT as they do not want to be viewed as different or out of the norm. If we can link the purpose, effectiveness and their dreams, students may be more receptive and advocate for their own learning. I think I will be using this user profile guide to engage all my new and existing students who use AT. Furthermore, the various checklists and guidelines provided by Dr Wong are also very useful for use in school and provide us the framework and structure to manage our students' use of AT. In the day to day function in school, we are very often focusing on literacy and behavioural checklists, the lessons are timely reminder that I need to reflect on using the framework to monitor the effectiveness of the use of AT for my students as well.

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A) Comment on course mate's input (Najib's session 2+3)
Thank you so much Najib for sharing LetMeTalk app! I have downloaded it and will use to support communication with some of my students (ASD, language impairment, expressive difficulties). One advantage is we can upload our own visuals and line it up in a sentence - that provides more meaning in context. Najib's positive AHA moment sums up the benefit of what AAC devices are intended for. It also takes a creative and resourceful educator to be able to use this for the benefit of our students.

B) Positive AHA Moment (Session 4)
Today's session on evaluating AT stresses the importance on the accessibility of the device that were recommended for students. I particularly find the adaptations framework is really useful and serves as a guideline that I can use to drive IEP meetings in school. All the forms/guidelines shared by Dr. Wong are useful too, to support recommendations for type of AT devices for our students.

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A - Our school implemented a Home Based Learning (HBL) day once a fortnight for Sec 1-3 students in Term 3. One of the games I use for my students is free online customisable bingo (myfreebingocards or mybingocreator). It is an electronic alternative to the actual bingo games they enjoy (past tense bingo, emotion words bingo, etc.) and allows me to create my own word-sets quickly and easily (whether in hard copy or electronic version). Bingo is such an old game played by generations before. It is good for focus and is simple enough to be played by a wide age group, including seniors who suffer from dementia. Following on from Anita’s earlier sharing about Wordwall, I created my own Wordwall account which was so talked about in Session 3’s padlet reflection. It opens up more options for me to develop word games and is easy to use. This doesn’t mean I will abandon Bingo totally. Rather I now have a wider repertoire of games to help my students remember their words better and to keep lesson content ‘fresh’. And maybe “create better lessons quicker”… I also was intrigued by Eswari’s sharing of Alif’s earlier sharing about Classroomscreen and am playing around with it now. I like the range of tools available on the dashboard like timers, stopwatch, clock, dice, QR code, etc etc. Everything is in one place so you don't have to scramble around for things.

B - Positive Aha Moment for Session 4:  The frameworks discussed today made me realise that I had looked at my case study largely through my own eyes from observations/conversations with my student, and formed my own understanding of the cochlear implant my student needs. When I used the Continuum which was simple enough, I realised it gave me the discipline of structure to seek greater depth in the consideration of the support required for this student from various stakeholders not just the school. The frameworks help me ensure that it is not just about me the LBS fulfilling this student’s needs in school but about instrumentally connecting her whole support network of parents, teachers, doctors, audiologists, peers etc. to provide the all-rounded support she requires. The Ongoing Assessment also enables us to think farther and deeper in considering our student’s future needs. I also liked the App Assessment framework as it offers such a comprehensive checklist for reference.

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Input from Session 3:
I'm always looking for better and fun ways to present what i teach to my students. Kamila shared on an app called Popplet and i can't help myself and checked it out immediately. I tried using the app and i like that i can add pictures and videos into it and not just typing in information. So it can be very interactive. I like the idea of using the app to teach mind-mapping, sequencing, basically helping them to learn and connect things visually. Definitely a lot more fun than the usual pen and paper.

AHA Moment from Session 4:
One takeaway that i got from session 4 would be the referral and assessment for AT. While i'm aware that some form of assessment was done in order for my students to have the AT devices but i did not know the extent of it. There are several layers of process before the AT device is implemented. As such, we have to ensure that the AT device is being fully utilized. I think it is also important to let the student and teachers understand why the need for AT devices.This would be something to look into when we are looking at the use of AT device for students in school.

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Input for Session 3
A real eye-opener: "Convenience for us is independence for them." I'd like to add this quote to my wall of quotes at work to serve as a reminder to continue to build on my knowledge of AT. It will also serve to remind me to encourage our students to strive for independence and to never be embarrassed to advocate for themselves in the long run.

After checking out the recommendations from my course mates, I am keen to try out Word Wall and Classroomscreen for lesson prep in Term 4!

Session 4:
In a mainstream school, I do not have the opportunity to explore many types of AT. The students we receive are of similar profiles and require the more common types of AT such as hearing aids, FM systems, wheelchairs, and walkers. Some years we may receive a student with exceptionally high needs who may require support outside of what we are attuned to. I feel more prepared now after learning about TechAble, which will allow for exploration and trial of AT before the school makes an investment in procuring the device for the student. The frameworks covered by Dr Wong will also come in handy in assessing the effectiveness and usefulness of the AT.

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Comments on course mate’s input (Session 3)

Many of our course mate’s huge AHA moment was on Dr Wong’s lecture on AT. Like many of them, the biggest take away for me is the sentence, “Convenience for us and independent for them.” I find this statement so powerful that it really summaries how important AT is to a person with disabilities that have to depend on AT to achieve the independence that we often take for granted. I am also amazed by the different type of AT available which maximise the existing ability of the user by letting do things that they may not be able to do physically, for example, playing game with the mouth piece controller using the different function of mouth movement such as sucking. In my school, when it comes to AT, the only thing that comes to my mind is hearing aid for my pupils with hearing loss and the FM device that one of my pupil with Central Auditory Processing use before. I realised my view about was very restricted and that Dr Wong’s lecture widen my view that even a calculator is also an AT especially for a pupil with dyscalculia.

AHA moment Session 4

It was challenging to think of what AHA moments I can share. I went to explore the list of resources for E-Learning but did not find one that resonate with me the most. While feeling troubled on what to share, a sudden AHA moment occurred. I realise that there is no need for me to find new technology, I am already using the most convenient and simple technology that helped me greatly in my work, which is PowerPoint. I realised how much I relied on PowerPoint to communicate ideas to others. I used it for sharing of knowledge with others, facilitating of Collaborative and Support Sessions (CLASS) and also sharing of my interventions during Parent teacher via zoom. And to provide more “colours” to my slides, I get slides templates from https://www.slidescarnival.com/ which have a range of designs for me to choose from and I just need to type directly in without having to think which fonts to use. It makes my slides looks professional and it also had some tips on how to make it more appealing to the audience.

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Input from Session 3
After going through Session 3's posts, the one that resonates with me the most is Kahoot. One of the main reason, I use Kahoot in my quiz for group sessions is that the students are already trained in this platform. It reduces time in training matters. The students find it enjoyable to express their answer with the time challenge. In the future, I will explore Wordwall and Quizzizz to find out the features that will cater to my students' needs. I also like the use of Padlet as form of backchanneling and digital voice. A backchannel is a  digital conversation that runs concurrently with a face-to-face activity. This platform provides students with an outlet to engage in conversation. It allows participants to share thoughts freely using their silent digital voice without the scrutiny of their peers . It is useful for sharing of information, asking of questions or giving feedback near real time.

AHA Moment Session 4
I learnt from Dr Wong that selecting AT for individuals with SEN requires some form of assessment. If not carried out properly, the AT might be at risk of facing abandonment. There are different kinds of framework for AT like RAAT, WATI and many more.  It raises questions like funding, training for user & caregivers, short term monitoring, ongoing assessment, procurement etc. This is necessary to determine the suitability of the AT for my students. What made ponder is comfort cultural viewpoints. We must take account of the socio-emotional component and address this before training the student on how to use the AT. They must be comfortable and not be ashamed in using the AT in public view. Self-determination play an important role for the use of AT to be successful.

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Input from Session 3
After reading the posts from the session, something that Adelene posted - "promote independent learning in students and preferably in a fun and interactive manner" strikes me. It is something that I hope to see in my students and I hope learning through technology can help them achieve it. With the different tools shared in the session, I am now excited to share these new platforms with my students through the lessons/ activities I plan and hope it'll bring them the same excitement as they learn.

AHA Moment from Session 4
I was overloaded by the amount of information shared in today's session on evaluating assistive technology! It was an eye-opener to know that there is actually a framework in reviewing the assistive technology we get the students to use. The questions in the SETT Framework Review make me think about the assistive technology that my students are using and how appropriate it is for them.

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A) Input from session 3.
Looking into session 3's main consensus: WORDWALL. It seems like wordwall is heavily commented about, and I must say that it now piqued my interest. This will be next on my bucket-list to try out! I think 'missing word' and 'true or false' will be a good check-out activity for my lessons. The template and content of the app seems very relevant for withdrawal session, and though I have yet to dive into playing with it; i hope it is quick and easy for teachers to use. Thank you Anita for recommending this!

B) AHA moment session 4.
My AHA moment for this session is the complexity of the thought process behind AT. With the structure and guides given, I think I am now better prepared to assist students that needs AT. In a mainstream school, we usually bypass the 'need' of AT as we do not usually receive students with physical needs, but it was refreshing to learn that AT can be even in terms of teaching medium!
In anyways, I do relate to when my other collegues shared on secondary students being aversive to use their AT, as well as peer acceptance issue. Years ago (before PLD is rolled out), I did have a peer (student M) that was 'envious' her classmate (student F; an SEN student) was able to use laptop to type out her answers during lessons. What I did was to then address this to student M: I told her that I will take her concerns into consideration, and for the next session I will accede to M's request; student F will NOT be using her laptop BUT with the criteria; student M is to seat beside student F and assigned as the buddy. This implies student M will be responsible to ensure F completes her work, writes F's notes should she be unable to catch up, and will be accountable whenever F is not able to complete any work (M will have to stay back to complete the work). The objective of this is to let student M witness some struggles personally by F during class, as well as give her an insight that the AT is actually a medium to reduce help needed to be rendered by peers (ultimately, this benefits M herself). Safe to say, the student saw the struggles her classmates went through, and she became a 'believer' of enabling her peer to use the laptop. Being a teenager, she of course did not want to take on the extra responsibility of tending to her classmate; but that was a teachable moment for her too: we informed her that laptop as an AT enables her peer to be independent and reduce the reliance of buddy/classmates to help her complete the work.

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Input from Session 3:

After looking at all the ICT tools suggested from the previous padlets, I started using WordWall with students during my sessions. It is a fuss free way to make the lessons more engaging and it addresses my students’ vocabulary and comprehension needs! The variety of activities on the free version of the website is also quite extensive and provide that novelty to my students who have gotten too used to platforms like Kahoot and Quizziz. They are also more willing to improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

AHA Moment from Session 4:

The table on Simple to Complex Continuum of AT Features that Dr Wong provided made me reflect on the different components of an AT that schools utilize often for students with hearing impairment, i.e. FM System. I realize that although the device seems easy to use, the device may not be utilized properly in school.

When a student is issued an FM system, it usually comes with a briefing session from the vendor and then the student will start utilizing the device the next day. Teachers who are new to the device often have questions regarding its use and how to check whether device is working for student. By providing an additional but brief training session at the start of the year on what teachers should look out for helps to jog their memory and provides them a platform for them to ask questions if they have concerns. I feel this eases the use of the device and gets the buy-in of teachers to utilize the device properly.

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A) After exploring the popplet Karmila shared, I found it very useful for teaching categorising skills.  It is so easy to use (see example in picture) and fuss free. Not only does it allow text entries but also insertion of pictures and videos. This allows me to differentiate for those who are weak in their literacy.  Wonderful tool!

B) I am very much intrigued when Dr. Wong introduced the "App Assessment" form. The list of criteria defined is comprehensive and help answer queries during a selection process. This assessment tool with its quantified scale for each criteria will definitely make comparison of potentially selected technological tools for support to learning more systematic and easier. When the "Adaptations Framework" and "Ongoing AT Assessment Checklist" were introduced I began to realise that some of the queries I had during the first reflection were been addressed. How can one quantify and measure the effectiveness of technologies used to support learning? What are the key indicators to define? Thank you, Dr. Wong!

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a) I read Anita's post about CLASS. I thought that it is an interesting way to elicit responses from students and what's best is that you can group the responses into the various sub-groups. This is wonderful because for a module that I am teaching now, this would be meaningful for the students as it allows them to learn how to organise and categorise information.

b) I was looking at  the  Questions to Facilitate Use of the Adaptations Framework and I thought that it gives a clear guideline for me as a teacher to use this to assess what kind of ATs would be useful for my students especially when teaching and in their learning. This would allow me to figure out what ATs/App would be useful for my students because there is no one-size-fits all ATs. I will want to look at this again and see how I can implement it in school, at the very least, in classroom teaching.

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A) Comment on Session 3
Adelene mentioned that Dr Wong said this "Convenience for us is independence for them". This sentence also struck a chord in me - similar to the one that was in his slides last week. For me, who is a teacher in a SPED school, when we talk about technology, we always think in terms of how it can help the students or how it can help us to make teaching more interesting for the students. I didn't really think much how assistive technology can help create independence for the users. So, in doing the tutorial that Dr Wong has set for last week, I began to think of assistive technology in a different light.

B) Session 4
Before today's session, I wasn't aware that there's a framework called "Referral and Assessment for Assistive Technology (RAAT)". I think this would be a useful framework in looking into ATs in the school to see which is effective and useful for the students. Coming from a SPED school, we also look at which ATs would be effective for most of the students. It would be good if my school can adopt this framework when looking at ATs.