AAC Augmentative Alternative Communication includes a spectrum of devices aimed at helping students to communicate.  There is a considerable amount of Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA) devices available all striving to offer something that will set itself apart from the others.  Depending on the language or speech needs of a student, the supports or devices range from low to high level technology.  The special education team, usually the teachers, speech and language pathologist, and parents, as well as other service providers, paraprofessionals, administrators and specialists should be involved in choosing the most appropriate device.  Communication is a critical foundation for development both within the classroom and during academic activities as well as at home and in social settings.  Communication is something we think about in any class, and it is important to give all students voice and the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions.  Communication devices are intended to provide non-verbal students with access to language with which to communicate, but most seek to supplement and provide students with the opportunity to speak a common verbal language.  Augmentative Alternative Communication devices are used to create a systemic approach to helping students to access and use language in various settings.   

Similar to language development for typically developing peers, the tools and devices available allow for language development that allow for the transition from simple words and phrases to complex sentences that capture the nuances of spoken language.  As the devices become increasingly complex, it seems like the purpose also changes from focusing on creating basic communication systems to creating a way to access languages.  During the video I was having trouble seeing the images that were supposed to be displayed so I later went to the websites of some of the devices that were featured. Low tech or no tech is simple and easy to use.  This may include the use of pictures, symbols, overlays, and PECS sets or books.  We explore this over the past week while using and creating a memory game using the Mayer Johnson symbols in the Boardmaker program.  Low tech systems are great because they don't require a great deal of time to be spent on training students to use the symbols and are generally more widely available across settings.  At the mid-level range, I was really struck by the devices created by PRC, in that the more complex devices actually allow for the creation and development of semantic impaction.  Being able to manipulate pictures or the combination of words to change the meaning of the picture or phrase is essential to clarity of speech and in expressing opinions.  I hope that more devices begin to lean in this direction to allow for more complex social and academic interaction and discussion.  The website even notes and explains that their products go beyond simple commands and pre-programmed phrases to enable  students to express unique thoughts and ideas.  Additionally, it is pretty amazing that Zygote allows for intonation - so important when speaking to be able to emphasize words.  High tech devices require a power source and extensive training to complete the use of the device.  I looked at the website of DynaVox and was shocked at the amount of options and choices available.  

It's pretty incredible to think of the amount of information the team must have to choose the most appropriate devices, but then to also coordinate the use of these devices in the classroom environment.  It goes a long way to showing the importance of engineering the environment to meet the needs of the students.  I imagined in my head what it might sound like if multiple students are using devices that speak as they input their answer and then at the end.  I am left wondering how to best address this situation if it arises in the future so that all students have time to think and create their response without also interrupting the thought and output process of other students.  I am also eager to explore the resources that have already been created to better equip use to help create and modify the devices to meet the cognitive and social needs of students.  The pre-made templates and resources are so important because we all know as educators how time consuming the creation of materials is.  How and when are students taught to create their own boards?  How is language taught similarly or differently for verbal and non-verbal students in regards to the use of assistive technology?

As discussed on Monday, organization is a cornerstone to effective instruction.  Any educator understands the importance and value of being able to organize not only their lessons and the tools that they use, but also their knowledge.  Planning curriculum maps, units and lessons helps us to organize and sequence content and information as well as determine what skills students will need to learn or practice.  As we plan instruction, we also think about what strategies we will use to impart this knowledge and help students to master necessary skills.  In addition to this, we as teachers additionally have to be able to consider student learning styles and needs and to pull on our knowledge of what tools we can use to meet student’s needs.  In order to do this efficiently we need to be able to mentally compartmentalize strategies, and our knowledge of what tools are appropriate to meet this variety needs.   

I found it helpful to list the tools students need based on their learning needs.  I have ten students with Individualized Education Plans.  Of these ten students, eight have stronger visual comprehension than verbal or written.  It was useful to map out the tools that could help with recognition support.  Although making visuals or charts to connect tools to various subjects or topics is helpful, eventually our goal is to internalize these strategies so that we can pull on these tools with automaticity.  In this regard we have to push ourselves to take risks and try new tools and technologies in our classrooms so that the become more familiar.  I have had many instances of technology snafus and understand the importance of ensuring that there is always a plan B.  With proper planning I feel that it is easier to use these new tools in my own classroom without feeling anxiety about the risk that I am potentially taking in trying something new.

I am a strong advocate that best practices for some students generally means that they are best practices for all students.  Students whose needs are not met end up being left behind.  Students who are more easily grasping content will not be hurt by going back and reviewing information or having information presented in multiple ways or methods.   Many of the tools we have been exploring would be useful for students with various needs.  It is important to provide multiple opportunities for practice and to provide feedback. As content become increasingly complex and difficult it becomes ever more important to help students, particularly those with learning needs.  It is important for us as educators to remember that the technology tools that we are learning about today will itself take practice to implement and perfect.  It will be more difficult at first, as it represents taking risks and learning through mistakes or mis-steps.  We will encounter problems and we will encounter difficulties.  It is up to us to demonstrate and use our own problem-solving skills in determining and practicing the use of technologies to determine best practices.  We will only be able to truly best educate our students if we ourselves are willing to experiment with new tools and technologies to determine how to best use them in our classrooms and in supporting our students.

How can we best share this information with students and their parents?  How can we help students to independently identify programs and supports that will help them to complete necessary tasks?  

The article and video, Disabled Bodies, Able Minds:  Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged, demonstrate that whereas technology is an aid for most in learning and in easing their daily functioning and lives, technology can be  absolutely critical for some to be mobile, complete work or to communicate.  As technology progresses and is constantly being updated or improved, assistive or adaptive technology is also improving.  The video asserted that adaptive technology is not always being used in the planning process or in the classroom, despite the benefits due to various reasons, including unawareness, lack of confidence in using these technologies.  

The article and video assert that adaptive and assistive technology can help to increase independence and self-sufficiency.  Alternately, according to Adapting Classrooms for AT Users:  Challenges and Solutions, it is important to also note that sometimes students need to be given the freedom to ‘adapt themselves’ and to have opportunities to succeed - the dignity of risk.  This idea is echoed in Disabled Bodies, Able Minds.  Adaptive devices can increase independence and self-sufficiency and helps to allow students like Lukas to realize their dreams.  It is important to allow for student input and suggestions, as seen in Adapting Classrooms for AT Users:  Challenges and Solutions, when the student received an adapted, low-tech device to help open the classroom door. It is equally important to remember that low tech can be as effective as high tech.

The Dr. Keller Interview also highlighted the importance of changing opinion from reactive to proactive using UDL as guidelines to increase access and the inclusion of all. The main premise that all three pieces advocate for is that all people deserve equal access.  They should not be excluded, especially based on perceived restrictions.  Although full participation is expected and hoped for, even partial participation is better than none, and educators and society should focus on abilities rather than limitations.  A full-time aide can not substitute technology that can provide students with access and the ability to move and act independently.  When using adaptive technologies it is necessary that we remember that individuals are individuals and the adaptive technologies that are used should reflect that.  What are some strategies that you have used in your classrooms to effectively identify student needs?  How do you determine which tools or strategies will be most effective in meeting student needs?

Interactive whiteboards have the capacity of bringing content to more students.  In my classroom, I have an interactive whiteboard, but I have only marginally used it to increase accessibility and engagement.  I have relied heavily on the document camera without taking advantage of the smart Board.  Much of this is because of my own hesitation to use technology that I am not familiar with and also because of a lack of time to explore and create presentations.  As I become increasingly digital I hope to use the Smart Board in lessons and to create activities and resources that can be used in consecutive years.  

The Smart Board allows for information to be displayed both visually and in writing.  Many of my students need explicit instruction and multiple representations of information.  Smart Board provides a resource that can help to accomplish this.  Many of my students require repetition and multiple opportunities to practice, and Smart Board presentations, can also help to accomplish this in the creation of interactive presentations.  I teach a large English Language Learner population and know that understanding is aided by providing multiple representations and points of access to curriculum and activities as well as a varied opportunity to apply and practice new skills.

How do you as educators find additional 'tricks' or tools when creating Smartboard presentations?Do your schools offer professional development around Smartboard use?  Do you meet with colleagues to share presentations or strategies?

Diigo: I like the idea of being able to create or insert comments, highlights and sticky notes directly onto web pages. What a great way to offer step-by-step instruction, or to encourage discussion and questions about the content. I wonder what would happen to those pages should you change computers. Do they save automatically to your account, or does the 'master' copy have to be 'edited' on the computer you are using. I have yet to open a page I modified on another computer, but am interested in trying tomorrow to see what happens if you log into your account on another computer. One of my initial questions was how students log on if they do not have an e-mail address, but that was answered in the video. I am a little confused as to how to create groups, without students e-mail addresses. Do they all have to create an account? Do they share an account? Once again, I think this will just require a little exploration, on at least two computers. Regardless I like this site for setting up websites or articles that I plan on reading with my students. Since we don't have laptops available for student use, I would primarily use this to prepare and modify content that I am sharing with the whole class during lessons.


Little Bird Tales: The video noted that there is a long lead time before the 'Tale' begins, but I think that the use of images would allow us to ask students to predict what this tale will be about or think of their own stories. As I was on the site playing, I thought that it would be a great idea to combine Little Bird Tales and Diigo and use both simultaneously. Out of all of the sites, I found this one to be the most appealing. It would be hard to create individual tales for all of the students in my class, but I do think that it would be great to use with students that need extra support or are English Language Learners. Since my students don't have tablets, I would maybe ask them to think of a story beforehand so that images can be downloaded previous to the meeting that they could then choose from. Or their own drawings could be uploaded and used. I really liked that the stories could be embedded to other sites. This allows for sharing to be done with even more ease.


Stixy: I would use this site more for planning and sharing information or ideas, rather than as an instructional tool. It could be a great outlet to create a site for parents and students to visit and leave notes or comments, although I wonder about the visibility and challenges in keeping track of all the notes. I picture it being a place for a parent to post a quick question and then the teacher can post a quick answer. Then the information is there for others to also refer to. It can be used for class announcements or suggestions as well.


Popplet: This was a cool way to present information and to show connections, that also allows for comments and questions, but I'm not sure that my fourth graders would benefit greatly from this site. I have to really think about when and in what context I would use this.

Voice Thread: This site and program is pretty incredible. I like their commitment to universal access. It is a great way to facilitate discussion, critiques, debates, presentations. I also think it can be used as a tool for fluency and for focusing on how to improve our ability to read fluency which is critical for comprehension.


Prezi: This program can be used to present information or to collaborate with others. I like that it gives more flexibility than your standard powerpoint. The zoom feature makes it much easier to easily highlight important information or tasks. 

Titan Pad: Very similar to google docs, as long as you remember (in both) to select colors. We use Google docs frequently at my school during meetings or after meetings to comment on meeting notes, pose new questions, request modifications to the agenda, etc. This type of document is pretty incredible in general. Titan Pad seems to offer the same great benefits, but I think it would be hard to leave Google Docs as that has already become my primary, go-to site for sharing documents. I did like the timed aspect of Titan Pad though.

What did you think? What were potential accessibility issues? How would you change it?

After reviewing the Bookshare website, I was blown away by the variety and number of titles they have available.  Sometimes I wonder if they will offer the books that students are currently interested in and reading, but most of the texts that seem to be continual favorites for my students are indeed on the site.  I am however still disappointed that this program is limited in terms of free access to only certain disabilities.  I do believe that this program would be so beneficial to so many students, that I only wish that it could be made available to a wider audience.  Of course, even if it was available to my students I would still have to consider how many of my students would actually have access to the program.  I teach at a Title I school and many of my students do not have computer or internet access at home. Whereas I have a relatively rich classroom in terms of materials and resources, we do not have spare computers for student use.  I hope that as Bookshare grows and as technology becomes increasingly available and affordable, perhaps we will see more equity in the future in terms of access and use of technology.

How is Bookshare funded?  How much would it cost to make this a service that is free to all students?  Would schools be willing to spend a portion of their budget on maintaining this program to subsidize the cost of receiving the services offered through the program?

What did you think? What were potential accessibility issues? How would you change it?

I think that the IPad has definite benefits for use in the classroom.  My biggest concern is that it could further the inequalities that we see in schools.  Students who are from families that can afford to buy an IPad for their child will reap the benefit of the applications and exploration that it allows.  I worry that this will result in a further unfair advantage for these students over the students who come from low socio-economic families.  After seeing toddlers using IPads and smart phones, I can only imagine how far behind students who do not have access to these devices may feel upon entering school.  Even for our assignment, I felt that I was at a disadvantage because I do not have an IPad and live far from campus.  This past week was busy at work and I stayed until after 7 each night.  I also volunteered at my school on Saturday and worked through Sunday.  Because of this, I did not have a chance to even try to upload the article to the Subtext site.  I generally enjoy a challenge, but I felt frustrated to feel that I was at an automatic disadvantage.  I would imagine that many of our students will feel similarly when attending schools in which some students have access to the latest and most up to date devices, while others do not even have access to a computer or internet.  

The following article describes a school that eschews the use of technology in the classroom and even at home.  Although I believe this is an extreme and doesn't necessarily take into account the benefits and necessity of assistive technology, it is nevertheless an interesting counter argument to the current trends in school across the nation.  Do we wait for true equality before introducing technology in classrooms, or do we provide as we can to different schools, neighborhoods and students?  What will be more beneficial in the long run?

I believe that schools should foster equality and I worry that schools that are provided with the funds or donations of IPads for each classroom or even every student, goes against that basic belief.  Wouldn't it be amazing if for every five IPads sold, Apple donated one to schools.  We would certainly take the first generation.  Is this fair to ask of corporations or companies?  How can we ensure that we are allowing for equality in access to technology in the classroom?