Autism and iPads

Autistic children have difficulties in everyday situations, especially in social situations. Ipads can help them communicate and feel less frustration and anxiety. Using apps, teachers and parents can use pictures rather than words to communicate. Some apps that are good for creating social stories are My Story, Little Bird Tales, and Kid in Story. iPads are beneficial to autistic children because they do not need to use a mouse or stylus, it eliminates the difficulty of moving eyes from keyboard to screen, and most of all the portability of an iPad is beneficial. Students can take iPads with them to look at their schedule and to communicate by answering questions. An example is a yes/no app, the child can answer yes/no questions by selecting their answer. Social stories are great tools for helping autistic children know how to act in social situations. Teachers and parents can use them to reinforce correct behavior, teach routines, and give visual examples of behavioral expectations. These stories need to be written in first person to help them relate themselves to the situation. Some links: http://www.setbc.org/pictureset/SubCategory.aspx?id=9 http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/practice/engage/social-stories.html

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Reflection on the article, The Use and Abuse of Technology in the Classroom

The article, The Use and Abuse of Technology in the Classroom, was informative and overwhelming. I am excited to learn of all the ways to help my future students learn. I am also overwhelmed at the many layers of careful planning and research that is involved in each lesson taught. Teachers today have very limited time to incorporate all the material they are required to teach within the school year. As educators, we have to get the most out of every lesson. Each lesson has to teach all subjects. There is no time for "fluff work" or fillers without meaning. Technology can accomplish so many lessons in one activity. Teachers need to be educated, whether self-taught or done in continuing education, on ways to appropriately intertwine technology into their classrooms to have a productive school year.

Reflection on the article STEM: It's Elementary

STEM: It’s Elementary, is a great article discussing the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math in the elementary classroom. Integrating these important, real world lessons into the elementary curriculum is what is necessary to prepare our children for a successful future. There has been such a focus on reading and writing in the elementary classroom, as it should be, that, I feel, the other subjects have been somewhat neglected. The article states that just changing the way we look at things, and the questions we ask, getting the community involved, integrating STEM in all subjects, and giving kids more access to technology will all help to accomplish the goal of giving students a STEM education. These subjects do not have to be neglected, or pushed to the back in our elementary classrooms. They are needed to be woven in in a natural way that supports whole child learning. 

What stood out to me in this article was the importance of starting early with the introduction of technology. Technology is the future, and we need to prepare our children. Also, I liked how adding words to your teaching vocabulary like, design, experiment, and model will aid in getting students to start thinking in a more critical way. It is so important to help students make the connections from the classroom to real world concepts.