A weekly half hour chat focused on improving access to education for PK-12 students through the use of Accessible Educational Materials (AEM), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Assistive Technology (AT).
Good Evening! Daniel Here... Director of @PATINSPROJECT, former Sp.Ed. Teacher, Behavior Consultant, and Parapro! Ready to chat about barriers some of our Ss face with HOMEWORK! #PatinsIcam
As a Parent, I frequently do not know how my daughter was taught a strategy at school and struggle to help her at night...and she is in ELEMENTARY school. Let’s explore some thoughts on the subject! #PatinsIcam
As always, thank you for being here tonight to brainstorm, share and learn from each other! We will be posing some scenarios and will brainstorm solutions! #PatinsIcam
Q1: HELP! My freshman daughter who has dyscalculia and some significant attentional issues, just came home with a sheet of algebraic equations. I have no idea what they learned in class and was not good at algebra when I was a student. How can I ensure success? #PatinsIcam
A1: One of my schools has been recording lessons using swivl cam and posting them on canvas so parents can see the same instruction the Ss get. I absolutely love this idea! #PatinsIcam
Q2: EEK! When did 3rd grade writing become so HARD? My son has to write a paper on his favorite President but he is disorganized. He has great thoughts but he can’t spell more difficult vocabulary words and tends to choose easier words to write. How can I help him? #PatinsIcam
A2: My very favorite tool for this is Co:writer which can be purchased by subscription. Between the word prediction that learns the way Ss spell and the topic dictionary, it really allows students to express original thoughts without barriers! #PatinsIcam
A2: Possibly more than one barrier here. I'd try something like https://t.co/aaKYQV4jbf to brainstorm and organize thoughts more visually, and then word-prediction and/or speech to text to compose. #PatinsIcam
A2: Speech to text can be a game changer to allow students to get thoughts down on paper fluidly. It is built in for FREE on most devices, PC, etc #PatinsIcam
Q3: AHHHH! Trying to get my daughter to read her middle school science text is like pulling teeth. She is so distracted and I am not sure that she ever understands what she reads! When it is time to answer comprehension questions, she just stares at me! #PatinsIcam
A2: Voice typing is such a great resource especially when word prediction is present. On the flip side, text to speech, is a great way to then edit the document! #PatinsIcam
A3: Parents can see if Auditory Reading is a better mode by offering to read text outloud and then tackling the comp. questions. Prizmo Go or Claro Scan Pen are great apps to hear work read outloud.
#PatinsIcam
A3: Many texts are available now online with audio—if there are voice choices, mix it up and make it fun—have her answer in a different voice each time. #PatinsIcam
A3: Tools like Snap&Read and Read&Write for Google have text levelers that leave the content the same but break down the vocabulary. This might help a S with comprehension. #PatinsIcam
A2 Don’t get hung up on conventions during first draft writing! If he has good ideas, that is the place to start and compliment so he wants to write more. Getting the ideas out is a big win! #PatinsIcam
Q4: My son just got home from school and has NO idea what the teacher said during Biology class. He claims he was taking notes but was so focused, that he missed what she was saying. His notes are a mess. How can I help him?? #PatinsIcam
A3: find out where the break down is happening. The act of decoding the print? The vocab? The complexity of language? The connection of concepts? Tools and ideas for all these and more! #PatinsIcam
A3: Read questions before reading text to help with focus. Write each question on a separate sticky note and student can stick the note in the text when they find the answer in order to go back later and answer. #patinsicam
A3: She may need to receive info through multiple senses, like grabbing a Khan Academy video for re-teaching and watching it with the captions on. Watching the action and words, plus hearing it can increase comprehension! #PatinsIcam
Students need to connect reading and writing assignments to their lives. Why is this relevant? I think thinks should be lined out before the tech pile on.#patinsicam
A3: Definitely utilize text to speech & encourage her to read auditorily, but also break it up into sections/chunks AND teach her to use tools w auditory reading, like highlighting and copy/paste notes. #PatinsIcam
A3: Text that can be read digitably is really useful. If it highlights as it reads, is easier to follow and comprehension increases. The pace can also be set per student need/preference. #PatinsIcam
A4: I love note taking pens for Ss who have a hard time following a lecture and taking notes. They record what is happening in a classroom and actually index back to specific points where notes were taken by touching the pen to that note. #PatinsIcam
A4: Notability app allows you to record the lecture and take notes as you go. So he could draw pictures, write key words and sketch things to help him as the teacher talks, then replay the audio recording for review of content. #PatinsIcam
Cost is a negative factor for many options. Need to fine cheaper, but quality, resources. Uploading PDF to Google Docs will allow it to be changed to readable text. Takes a bit of formatting help, but works, and is FREE. #patinsicam
A3: Tools like Snap&Read and Read&Write for Google have text levelers that leave the content the same but break down the vocabulary. This might help a S with comprehension. #PatinsIcam
Q5: ACK! My daughter has a research paper that is due tomorrow and she is supposed to be editing it! I have NO idea how to help her and I don’t want to write all over it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! #PatinsIcam
A5: Reading the paper out loud to her is a really good idea. I frequently use a text reader to achieve this. I am usually too close to my writing to catch issues. Grammerly app is also helpful! #PatinsIcam
Cost is a negative factor for many options. Need to fine cheaper, but quality, resources. Uploading PDF to Google Docs will allow it to be changed to readable text. Takes a bit of formatting help, but works, and is FREE. #patinsicam
A3: Tools like Snap&Read and Read&Write for Google have text levelers that leave the content the same but break down the vocabulary. This might help a S with comprehension. #PatinsIcam
A5: Grammarly extension... Or spell check in Word, might be helpful. If she can use a text-to-speech reader, it will also help her (and Mom) figure out what makes sense and what might need correction. #PatinsIcam
A4: Teacher notes that the student highlights, audio notes, Chapter summaries. Chapter reviews. Practice tests found at end of chapters, peer notes. #PatinsIcam
A4: I used to have some great success for some students with a Livescribe Pen for this purpose. It was about 50/50. Either worked great for some Ss or didn't at all. https://t.co/8TBrvQ218B#PatinsIcam
A4: teacher should be uploading digital copy of notes, but absent that, maybe call other students in the class? Ask if the student can sketchnote/visualthinking during note taking and get copy of good notes at end of class. #patinsicam
A4: teacher should be uploading digital copy of notes, but absent that, maybe call other students in the class? Ask if the student can sketchnote/visualthinking during note taking and get copy of good notes at end of class. #patinsicam
A5: Even with my Ss with the most intense needs, I always found that having them listen to their writing being read back to them made a tremendous difference with self-editing. #PatinsIcam
A5: The CorrectEnglish extension is another great one for checking grammar. I really benefit from using the Mac's built in text to speech for editing documents! It's amazing what you catch when something is read back to you. #PatinsIcam
Q6: My son has to take a spelling test every Friday and I do not know how to help him practice. He is in the 1st grade and I do not want him to lose the joy of school! #PatinsIcam
A6: I love the word wizard app, great for non-verbal students and students needing need practice with letter sounds and phonics. And It's fun! #PatinsIcam
A5 If a high school student, look at the assignment to see if a checklist of things that must be in the paper. Read through for each thing. Reread to remove the big NoNo’s like contractions and the pronoun I. Having students reread for specific things is a MUST! #PatinsIcam
@Grammarly works hard with schools to help the premium version be affordable by offsetting costs from private subscriptions. We are in year 2 of premium, and out teachers and students are so happy with the quality of independent writing we see. #patinsicam
In reply to
@RachelH872, @Nwboilermaker, @Grammarly
Because it does not focus on getting the notes down and transcribing them to print...it focuses (for the purpose of taking notes without tons of writing) on just drawing a pic or a point of reference for kids. #PatinsIcam
A6: I love the word wizard app, great for non-verbal students and students needing need practice with letter sounds and phonics. And It's fun! #PatinsIcam
A6: I like to shake up the way we practice spelling words. Expo markers on whiteboards, writing words in shaving cream on the table top. My husband used pixi stick sugar on a cookie tray with her last week and she was able to lick her finger after each completed word! #PatinsIcam
A6: I would look at the environment! Go outside and sidewalk chalk on the driveway, Hopscotch while spelling out loud, write with water from a bottle on the sidewalk! Ignite learning with gross motor!
#PatinsIcam
A5: https://t.co/1UlUUovnpZ is great also. Helps with sentence revision more than just detail editing. It is an actual website, not an app.
repeated words, passive voice, unclear sentences are a few of the things it checks for. #patinsicam
Q7: HELP! My daughter is so slow with her homework. She takes all evening to finish a worksheet. She seems to have no time urgency, but is always upset when she is done and her evening is over. How can I help her manage her time better? #PatinsIcam
A7: Use an “old-school” clock and an expo marker to color in the increments of time a kid needs to complete a task to help her monitor! It shows the projection of time instead of time being taken away!
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A7: reach out to teachers about modifying homework workload if appropriate. I love apps like 30/30 that work like circuit training, 10 minutes of homework, 5 minute brain break #PatinsIcam
Q8: Ugh...my son uses a computer to do his homework and he is always on the internet. I feel like his homework takes twice as long and he is completely distracted. How do I fix this? #PatinsIcam
A7: For me, the first step with this one is to determine WHY the HW is taking so long. Is it an attention issue, fine motor, reading level, distractions, escape behavior, decoding ability, etc. #PatinsIcam
Q8: Ugh...my son uses a computer to do his homework and he is always on the internet. I feel like his homework takes twice as long and he is completely distracted. How do I fix this? #PatinsIcam
A7: This is tough because of individual's do not have the same processing time. I'd look into appropriate accommodations for this kiddo first instead of added anxiety #PatinsIcam
A7 First/then Board. First do 5 problems, then get 5 minutes free time, a game of Go Fish with mom, 5 skittles etc. over time, increase the first task. #BHESwingswork#PatinsIcam
A6: neumonics strategies: A sentence with the starting letters of each words, touching parts of hands/arms while spelling out loud, jumping for each letter of the word, etc. #patinsicam
Q8: Frequent check ins with kids is also important. Changing up the environment of where homework is completed is a great idea. Dining room table versus locked in the bedroom.#PatinsIcam
A6: Incorporate auditory, kinesthetic or visual activities that include the words being used in context Tailor the activities 2 his preferences, interests. #PatinsIcam
If I determined it was attention only, I'd probably start with 2 things: finding a way to increase engagement/interest AND I'd try to introduce additional stimuli, visual and auditory and tactile, which may not be conventional, but works. #PatinsIcam
A6: Use brief, engaging activities like having him toss bean bag on correct flashcard displayed on floor, use scrabble letters 2 scramble and unscramble the word, audio record him spelling the words and playing the recording while he brushes his teeth... #PatinsIcam
Feel free to continue to add suggestions!
If you're earning PGPs for participating or watching, https://t.co/kDsfZWRym6 and to get your certificate upon completion #patinsicam
