https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j Toss in your Ideas for Tech and explore and play. Review and comment on the tech suggestions. en-us 2017-10-13 07:38:37 UTC 2017-11-17 21:01:43 UTC hello@padlet.com mcdonaldmm https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/197026191 Continue to suggest, explore, and review all of our assistive technology ideas in order to find the best fit for your child's learning.

Use the padlet to comment on and review our pool of suggestions]]> 2017-10-14 13:24:45 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/197026191 https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/207009331 Carmen's main barrier for using technology is that she loves devices so much and will completely ignore anything going on around her if she is given one.  She has an AAC device from school, but was just perseverating on it (pressing "chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken" and laughing) and not using it to communicate.  Even with help of the company rep and district AAC facilitator, we could never come up with a fruitful way to use it.  (This is Katherine Rowlyk, not sure why it says "Anonymous")]]> 2017-11-15 00:03:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/207009331 https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/207009848 Katherine Rowlyk (not anonymous) again. We use a child-locked phone that only allows her to access music. It is great for easing transitions and calming in general. She uses it at home and school. ]]> 2017-11-15 00:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/207009848 https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/207010158 we have experimented with using short videos as an ABA reward, since she loves them so much.  I feel it is a two-edged sword.  You can (usually) motivate her to do something with a video, but then when you take the video away, she has a melt-down.  School is using this method more successfully than we do at home.  (Katherine Rowlyk)]]> 2017-11-15 00:10:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/207010158 mcdonaldmm https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/208173947 As my daughter has had huge gaps in her development due to seizures, medications, hospitalizations for very long seizures, as well as receptive language and attention deficits, I find her background knowledge greatly lacking. Luckily she is very interested in science, loves learning through videos and her iPad. I chose what to stock her iPad with and filled it with things that interested her that would help her learn. She loved playing the math games (they were the only games on the iPad -- captive audience!) and learned all manner of her basic math understanding (fractions, time, number concepts) through these. She has always had a fascination with science and watches the Magic School Bus. She got an interactive iPad, DK Publishing  book, "The Human Body" because of the interests she developed through the Magic School Bus episodes. The Human Body book is so extensive it even has little embedded videos of red blood cells moving through cell walls. We also listened to the Magic Tree house  audio
 books, originally for her older sister as at first we didn't feel Emma would be able to listen or benefit from the stories. As it turned out, Emma memorized all of the 40 plus stories and these also have helped her to develop reading skills as well as  background knowledge which is essential for further learning.

At the beginning when she was younger, I filled it with early learning apps and now of course have extended that to background knowledge she needs for high school, like The Elements and Molecules interactive iPad books and Stephen Hawkings Guide to the Universe. 

What I most appreciate about technology like an iPad is that it can provide many many opportunities for learning outside of school and in a pleasurable way for children such that they will often seek it out for themselves. For our children with learning challenges, maximizing the time outside of school to support learning is something that must be done. When that can be done in a natural, fun way, it is a win win all around.

]]> 2017-11-17 16:11:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/208173947 mcdonaldmm https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/208180366 I met this week with the technology specialist this past week for the Amethyst School (Ontario Ministry of Education Demonstration school for Severely Learning Disabled Students). I went in devoted to my Apple products and the iPad in particular, and came out thinking that perhaps the Chrome Book is what would make the high school curriculum accessible for her now most efficiently. Hmmmm. It is hard for me to let go of the iPad as the best learning tool for my daughter. For example even though she hasn't been able to even join in in Art for instance for all of these years due to her fine motor challenges and fatigue -- in Grade 8 she won the Art award. Her teacher was willing to think and explore outside of the box, and to work with me on finding the best ways to make the art assignments digital. Through using her finger on the iPad screen, in Paper 53 app (one of my favourites for so many things) she was able to do the same art assignments as the class, and she felt so empowered and such a sense of success and belonging, it was amazing to see!!!]]> 2017-11-17 16:23:43 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/208180366 mcdonaldmm https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/208183693 In searching for something else, I recently came across an app that looks fabulous for early literacy. I sent it on to my sister for her 5 year old. For kids who love technology, it's a way to get learning to light up in their brain. Research has shown that we learn best when we are engaged in "play" as we are absorbed and immersed and our brains are in a very receptive state. This has worked very well for my daughter -- almost everything she has learned has at least had it's beginning in a technology, pleasurable play activity.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app-bundle/touch-look-listen-bundle/id1051663451?mt=8]]> 2017-11-17 16:29:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mcdonaldmm/3ydtrik6jb2j/wish/208183693