The first main takeaway from class #2 that I would like to discuss is the website Understood. This website gave a stimulation fo what is like for children with certain difficulties such as reading, writing, and behavior issues. You pick a grade level and an issue and then a child will give an example of what it is like to have that issue from their perspective. Then you get to experience through an activity (the stimulation) what is like to be someone with that issue. After the stimulation, a professional will give you suggestions on how to help that child o that certain issue. I picked a kindergarten-aged student with writing difficulties. I found listening to the child explain what it was like the most interesting and heartbreaking. Children generally don’t express their thoughts and feelings that much in Kindergarten because it is such a new concept for them. So it really affected me to hear what someone with writing issues may feel like.
The second take away from class #2 is all the accessibility features that I learned about on an iPhone or Ipad. I did not realize that there were so many features that could be used. Most schools have iPads to be used, however, from my own experience, I do not feel that most personnel at schools are aware of all the accessibility features they have at their fingertips every day. It is definitely something I will be bringing back to my colleagues.
The third takeaway is all the apps and websites that Barbara showed us. They were all good and new to me. Some were for older students but there was a lot that I would be able to use in my classroom. One thing that I loved about the apps and websites that I learned about during class #3, was that they would benefit all students.
I can totally relate to your three main takeaways as I had them for my own. I too was equally impressed with the Understood website. I thought the children did a phenomenal job sharing their difficulties. The simulation experience was an added bonus to create a clearer picture of their daily struggles. The site was very informative in many aspects!
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way when I explored my iphone. I will have to show my students the accessibility features for sure. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Understood website was great too!! It's nice to be able to hear how children really feel about their daily struggles, concerns and feelings. It really puts things in perspective and as teachers, I'm sure we can all think of students in our classrooms that feel the same. As soon as I heard the little girl in grade two who struggled with reading express her true feelings, I suddenly knew how my little boy felt in the classroom. This course was so informative on so many levels and I feel that I'm better able to cater to the needs of my future students especially through the UDL framework. Awesome Post.
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