Autism & the iPad

You know those dreams you have sometimes where you're about to fall or you desperately need to tell someone something but you just can't talk. I have those dreams quite often and it is so frustrating. Imagine that being reality. Imagine going to a restaurant and not being able to communicate something as simple as what you want to drink. This is how our non-verbal students with autism feel and we need to help them find a way they can communicate because no one wants to go their whole life without being able to communicate with others. The iPad has been a big help in recent years in giving non-verbal students an outlet. There are several apps that can be used to communicate with others. Some of them are pricy and would have to be purchased by the school, but it is good to be informed about them so that when the opportunity comes you ask your principal if the school could purchase whichever app you think would best suite your students. The first one I will mention is Proloquo2Go, this app is $249.99, but it has a database of over 10,000 words the student can choose from. The app can be programmed to teach the student new words in a natural progression. The app can also teach grammar and as the student progresses they can form full sentences using the app. The next app is Upcard which is $3.99. This app uses images to help the student communicate. The preloaded images can be used or images can be downloaded from the device to make them more personal to the student. Another app is TippyTalk which is a FREE app. This app allows students to communicate using pictures again, but they can send texts from this app. So this could be used at home and the student could send a text to their parent if they needed them. The simplicity of this app is incredible and I think parents of non-verbal students would love to be introduced to this app. Another skill that our non-verbal students need to master is story telling. There are several digital storytelling apps that would aide in helping our students tell stories. One app is called Grace Picture, it is $29.99 and so worth it. It can save pictures that have been taken on the device and the student can take that home and show pictures from their day to tell their parents about their day at school. Another app is shadow puppet which is free. They can import photos to this app as well. They can add music, text, drawings, and even voice over about what they are telling. Another skill that is very important for our students with Autism to learn are social skills. There are several apps out there for teaching social skills as well. These include: Daniel Tiger for Parents, Social Story Creator Educators ($29.99), and The Social Express (free). There are also apps for learning emotions like Touch and Learn-Emotions and Positive Penguins ($3.99). 

I learned that there are so many resources out there for out students who are non-verbal we just have to tap in to those resources. If something is a little pricy, but you think it would greatly impact your student(s), make a quick presentation for your principal explaining why you think the school should purchase it and how it would impact the students. I plan to use these resources I have listed in my future classroom to help any student who might have trouble speaking or talking about their emotions. 

Proloquo2Go in action 

Nearpod

Nearpod is a great tool to use in the classroom for various reasons. Some of those reasons are... it enables 100% student participation, enhances ELL instruction, creates digital citizens, and promotes skills such as communication, collaboration, AND creativity. Sounds pretty awesome right? Nearpod not only allows students to learn interactively, but also teachers can assess students in real time. Nearpod has endless resources for pre-written lesson plans that cover any and every topic you may need to teach. On Nearpod you can choose what grade level you are teaching and it gives you endless lesson plans to choose from. Nearpod does have a free version with limited lesson plans to choose from, but there are a couple paid versions as well. The gold package costs $10 per month, the platinum costs $29 a month, but there is also a school and district package that most principals are willing to purchase if you ask. Students can connect to Nearpod with any device they have. They can also do the lessons at home if needed. The lessons have several ways to assess the students. They have open-ended questions, multiple choice, even questions where they can draw to show their answer. They also have a game titled "Time to Climb" where they can compete with their peers to complete a task or answer questions about a certain topic. Wait...There's more! Nearpod also offers virtual field trips to 450+ locations that are attached to a lesson plan. This is a way for students to be actively learning if they can not actually go to the location that is being taught. After the students have completed the lessons, the teacher receives a session report that shows the teacher where each student is in their learning. 

I learned so much about Nearpod... I learned that there are more than there are endless pre-made lessons. I also did not know that Nearpod offered virtual field trips. I plan to use Nearpod in my future classroom on a regular basis to give students an opportunity to actively learn and work at their own pace. I look forward to using the virtual field trips when I am teaching about a certain location. I plan to use Nearpod in numerous ways in my future classroom and I hope that you will too!

Students Must Be Actively Learning

What exactly is "active learning?" Active learning engages our students and requires them to be active participants in their learning. Active learning is a way to be proactive as a teacher and to motivate our students before they become unmotivated. It is a way of teaching that engages them before they can become unengaged. It promotes collaboration, critical thinking, and creative thinking. Teaching is more than just telling our students something and assuming they will remember it. Statistics state that we only remember 20% of what we hear, but we remember 70% of what we say and 90% of what we say and do. 

WOW! Those percentages jumped up pretty fast right? It is so important that we have our students actively learning so that they have a 90% chance of learning the content rather than a 20% chance. We must have our students participate in a group discussion or in a drama presentation. We must have them do the real thing rather than just talk and read about it! If you are teaching World War II, then have your student reenact the events from that war rather than just reading the historical facts from the text book. If you are teaching division, have your students get up out of their seat and group themselves to demonstrate a division problem. There are endless ways to incorporate active learning in your classroom. Active learning also means giving students the opportunity to take control of their own learning. One way to do this could be using signal cards. Signal cards have green, yellow, and red on each side. If a student is understanding the content being taught their card will be on green. If they are unsure they will be on yellow and if they are confused and need help they can put their card on red. This is just a good way for the teacher to quickly glance at the class and see who is getting it and who still needs help. Other active learning strategies include: scavenger hunts, KWL charts, walking tours, interactive notebooks, learning journals, and so much more! Get your students up and moving and DOING. You will not regret having more engaged, motivated, successful students!

I learned so much about this topic. It has really motivated me to use active learning strategies as soon as I begin teaching. Active learning is something I have learned that takes a little more effort for the teacher, but in the end it is totally worth it. I plan to use active learning in my future classroom to give my students the skills they need to succeed. I plan to have my students up and moving every single day. Long gone are the days when students are sitting in a desk for a consecutive eight hours. We want our students doing something and gaining real knowledge from that experience and not just memorizing facts.

The A Word

Do teachers really have to give all those paper/pencil tests that students dread taking every time? Well, let's talk about assessments. Assessments are a huge part of learning and serve as a tool for teachers to see where their students are in their learning. Teachers can certainly begin to move away from all the traditional ways of testing and think outside the box. First, let's discuss the different types of assessments that can sometimes get confusing. So we have informal assessments where the teachers is assessing the students as they progress through the lesson. These assessments do not have a grade attached to them. They are just a way for teachers to check in with the students and see if they are grasping the content. This can be as easy as walking around as students are working and listening to conversations and looking at the work they have done so far. This always takes place DURING the learning not after. Then we have formal assessments. This is a structured type of testing that takes place AFTER the learning. These assessments have to be valid and reliable. They are structured and it shows the teacher what the student knows. 

Then we have formative assessments, these can range from discussions to journal entries to even hand signals to get a quick response amongst the entire class. Formative assessments are just a quick check up to see what the student knows and what needs to be reiterated. Lastly, there are summative assessments. These assessments come at the end of a chapter or a unit. THESE DO NOT HAVE TO BE A PRE-WRITTEN MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST. Get creative with how you give your summative assessments! Have your students do a performance about the topic or give a speech. They could create a presentation or create a skit demonstrating their knowledge about a certain topic. There are so many ways around just giving the mundane paper/pencil end of the chapter tests. Sometimes those are necessary and I understand that, but don't fall into a rut where that is all you are giving your students. Give them something to look forward to at the end of the unit. Think about how we are assessed in the real world. It usually is not by a written test. If I want a job I have to interview for that job and that might require me to have a speech prepared or a presentation. When principals come to evaluate you as a teacher, they come to see what your DOING. They usually do not compose a 20 question multiple choice test and give it to you to assess your teaching. Think about how your assessments you give your students affect their future. Will they leave your classroom with skills that they will need in the real world?

I learned a lot about this topic. I learned that assessments are so important and can be more than a traditional end of the unit test. Assessments can be given in various ways to assess the same skills. I plan to use the knowledge I have gained about this topic in my future classroom. I plan to think outside of the box and give my students assessments that they look forward to completing. I plan to give them assessments that are going to better prepare them for whatever their future entails.

This video gives some insight on formative assessment in the classroom

English Language Learners

The majority of schools that we teach in are culturally diverse. Usually a school has one dominant culture or first language that is spoken, but almost every teacher is going to face the challenge of having a language barrier with his/her students. In diverse classrooms it is very important to acknowledge all of the cultures within the classroom. That could mean that the teacher makes a point to celebrate the holidays for all cultures in the classroom. The teacher could show pictures or have decor in the classroom that makes the students feel safe in the classroom. Teachers must make connections with their students and learn all about them. The English language must be taught throughout all subject areas. It is so important that teachers do not overlook the language that comes with learning science or math and that we acknowledge that vocabulary and teach it to our ELL students. This language may come natural for English speaking students, but it will not come so easy for our ELL students unless we directly teach it. We must provide extra time for our ELL students when waiting for a response or completing an activity. These students are hearing an unfamiliar language and having to translate it in their brain and figure out what is being said and then respond. We must give students ample time to go through this process. Google translate is great way tool to use to translate for our ELL students. The teacher can translate directions for an activity or a math word problem or even simple conversations amongst students. Teachers should strive to have equity in their classroom rather than equality. It is much more important to give every student what they need to be successful rather than treating everyone the same. Give your students what they need to succeed!


I learned a lot about teaching ELL students. I learned that it is important to provide a safe environment for our students that incorporates all of the cultures in the class. I also learned that it is important to slow our speech when speaking to ELL so that they have time to process the language that is being spoken to them. I learned that it is vital to provide our students with what each of them need to succeed rather than providing them with equal supports because all of our students have different needs. I plan to use all of these strategies mentioned in my future classroom to support all of the ELL students in the class. I plan to teach my students about other cultures in the class and even give students the opportunity to teach their peers about their own culture. Get to know your students and welcome all the various cultures into your classroom with open arms!

The video below explains how important it is to learn about students' cultures

Sensory Integration/Orton-Gillingham/Montessori

Children need experiences. Real, true experiences that they can remember and can make connections to. Experiences where they touch, hear, see, smell, and even taste things. We as teachers need to spend more time planning lessons that require our students to get up and move and use their senses and less time planning lessons where they sit in their desk quietly and complete a task. Children need to go outside and explore. They need to spend less time staring at a screen and more time experiencing the world. Sensory rooms have become popular in some areas yet in other areas we rarely see schools incorporating sensory rooms, walls, activities, etc. into children's everyday routines. Sensory rooms are beneficial for every student but especially for students with autism, sensory processing disorder, and even ADHD. Sensory rooms can have various items in them from exercise balls to obstacle courses to a calming corner. It is very important that teachers provide opportunities for students to use these types of things. Even if the school does not provide an entire sensory room, these items can easily be incorporated in a regular classroom to benefit the entire class. Children need to be using their senses all throughout the school day!

The Orton-Gillingham Approach is action-based learning. In this approach, students are using multiple senses which reinforces whatever skill is being taught. This approach includes strategies like students tapping words out on their arm as they are spelling them and writing those words with a screen under their paper so that when they take the paper away they can feel the textured word and they can make a connection with their senses to that word and how it is spelt. This approach also includes students writing in sand trays. I have seen this first-hand and students LOVE it. This is an awesome small group activity that can be using for spelling words, writing letters, writing sounds, and so much more. This can be used in various grade levels. Orton-Gillingham is a phenomenal approach and I encourage all teachers to use it in their classroom to meet the needs of every learner!

Montessori education is a child centered approach where students have the freedom to move around the classroom to work independently or with other students on a task. Lessons not only include how to complete a task but also how to get the materials out and how to put them away. This is teaching students how to be independent so that they are prepared for the real world. Montessori stressed the importance of having reality and nature in the classroom. This means having live animals and plants in the classroom that the students study and learn about. They are given responsibilities like watering the plants and feeding the animals. Montessori stressed how there should be realistic items in the classroom that mimic the real world such as child sized brooms, furniture, kitchen items, etc. This creates an environment where students are able to learn important everyday tasks that they will use in their future. 

I learned a lot about these three topics. I learned that providing students with several opportunities to use their senses in vital in the classroom and in every lesson. I learned that the Orton-Gillingham approach aids in using those senses in a way to teach things such as phonics, letter formation, spelling, etc. I also learned a lot about Montessori education and how very important it is to teach our students life skills that may not be in the state standards but will assure that our students will be successful in their future. I plan to use all of these methods/approaches in my future classroom to prepare my students not just for standardized testing but for the real world. I want to prepare my students for the first day they are moved out of their parents house and living on their own. I want them to have the foundational life skills to be a successful adult. Be the teacher students remember 20 years later!

One example of how a Montessori classroom might look below

Montessori education explained in the video below... 

Social Emotional Learning & Conscious Discipline

What is the most important aspect of teaching? Making sure they know their math facts? Teaching them about the butterfly cycle? Reading comprehension? What about knowing the history facts about the world wars? While all of those areas are very important to teach our students, I believe the most important thing we can do as teachers starting on day one of each school year is to get to know our students! Not just their favorite food or favorite color but really and truly know them from the inside out. In this post I will be discussing social emotional learning which I will refer to as "SEL". SEL is the ability to manage emotions, solve problems effectively, and build relationships with others. While this is not listed on our required state standards to teach by the end of the year it is critical that we teach our students these very important skills they will need when they step into the real world. How can you incorporate this in your classroom? Well, I'm glad you asked. SEL in the classroom could look like having a calm down corner where students are welcome to go when they need a moment to get away from the negative emotions they might be feeling before they act on them. Teachers can also incorporate daily check-ins. This can be done in various ways... some teachers like to have students post sticky notes about how their day is going while other teachers might meet one-on-one with each student throughout the day to just talk with them about their day. The way you choose to implement it does not matter as long as we are teaching our students how to verbalize or write down their emotions to get them out. Teachers can also implement community building games and activities regularly to build a learning community within the classroom. This also teaches students how to work with others even with those they may not want to work with. This teaches them communication skills and just how to work with others to complete a task.

Conscious discipline (CD) is a way of discipline that takes away all the rewards and punishments like in traditional discipline. When using CD in the classroom, teachers must encourage students to talk about what the problem is and pose the question "Are you willing to go back and solve the problem?" CD also teaches students a calm down acronym "S.T.A.R" which stands for Smile, Take a deep breath, And, Relax. Learning this acronym really puts the student in charge of their emotions and gives them an easy way to cool down when they are upset about something. Teachers should also have sentence starters that resolve conflicts. The teacher can scaffold students by giving them the sentence starter and they are able to complete the sentence to resolve the conflict. Another CD strategy that is super impactful in the classroom is a "Wish You Well" board. The way I have seen this implemented is by having a board of some sort and having clothespins with every students name on them. At the beginning of everyday the students look around the room to see if anyone is absent and they will put that person's clothespin in the center (where there is usually a heart) and everyone will wish that person well. In addition, if there is any student at school who is having a bad day, has a big event coming up, or shares anything they may be struggling with they will also be added to the board and the class will wish that person well. This strategy really creates a caring community within the classroom and shows every student that they are important and that they are missed if they aren't there. I love this activity!

I learned a lot about these two topics. I learned that SEL is super important and that it needs to be taught in the classroom. I learned that teachers not only need to be aware of their students' emotions but they need to teach their students how to be aware of their own emotions and how to sympathize with others. I learned that CD is a way better alternative to the traditional way of discipline that we have all seen. I learned that CD really teaches students to be independent and learn to solve problems on their own. I will be using both of these in my future classroom so that my students will be prepared to step out into the real world when they graduate high school. I will incorporate SEL in my classroom by teaching my students to build relationships with others and solve problems effectively. I will implement CD in my future classroom as well to teach my students how to resolve a conflict on their own and how to verbalize the issue so that the conflict can be resolved. In conclusion, teachers not only should be teaching all the state standard requirements, but they should be taking it a step further and teaching students these real world tasks so they can be a successful adult one day!

Social Emotional Learning Explained