When people are unable to communicate with others through speech, they often rely on Augmentative and Adaptive Communication (AAC). According to the American Speech- Language- Hearing Association, AAC includes communication forms other than oral speech that convey thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. AAC systems range in simplicity from very simple, where the only tool needed is the communicator’s body (unaided system) to more complex, where certain technologies are needed for communication to happen (aided system).
One popular tool that falls low on the technology scale is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). This system consists of cards or tiles with visuals on them, which are used by the communicator to express what they need/want/feel. In this system, the communicator exchanges picture cards with another person to express themself. The actual exchange of the visual instead of it just being pointed to creates a stronger interaction between the two communicators.
Another commonly used communication tool is a Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA). This tool is more technology- based than the PECS system because it relies on a computer device to speak for the differently- abled communicator. The VOCA system is switch based, and with it the computer will speak depending on what its buttons are programmed to communicate for.
Accessibility
According to Computer Hope, an input device is a hardware device that allows computer users to send information to the computer and interact with it. There are many types of input devices, each serving different functions. Some of these are: audio conversion devices, digital camera/ video, microphones, barcode readers, and keyboards. Input devices can be used to help people with limited fine motor skills so that they can successfully work with computers.
One hardware input device that helps with computer accessibility is the Roller Plus Trackball. This device serves the purpose of a conventional computer mouse, but it is more easily controlled for people with special needs. The Roller Plus Trackball has a large rolling ball that users touch to control the cursor on the computer. Features of this device include strict up/ down and left/ right movement of the cursor as well as speed options for the cursor. Overall, more control is allotted to the user with this device, and it enables those with fine motor difficulties to use a computer as they wish.
Software options are also available to help learners of different abilities through the computer. An example of such software is the Clicker 6 program. The Clicker 6 is the latest version of the computer software designed to help learners of all types on the computer, especially learners with specific needs. Clicker 6 is an interactive computer program and contains features specific to dyslexic, speech- impaired, or autistic learners. Clicker 6 creates virtual learning environments thoughtfully designed for everyone to be successful.
A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is an entanglement of connections a learner creates in order to share, swap, and save ideas in a particular area of interest. Through PLNs professionals, students, artists, teachers, parents, or your average Joe can come together to learn about the same field and strengthen their own knowledge by interacting with others that have the same interests. Some tools I use in my network are: Twitter, Diigo, Symbaloo, and The Educator’s PLN. As a teacher, being part of a PLN will give me access to a wealth of knowledge and ideas from others in the field of education. By being able to readily access information online from others in my network, I can infuse my lessons with new ideas and constantly seek fresh perspectives to address in the classroom. The beautiful thing about a personalized network like this is that it ensures our continuous growth and constant learning as people.
One resource I have become fond of is Twitter. As a future teacher I have used Twitter to learn from other teachers, find resources I can use someday,and discuss issues specific to education. Twitter allows people to share short bits of information or “tweet” and then tag their thoughts to be categorized with a specific group. This allows people to search a particular topic and find all the tweets relating to that topic from anyone and everyone on the web. This aspect of Twitter makes sharing information especially interesting because you can gain perspectives from all over the world. I enjoy participating in chats on Twitter, specifically the new teacher chat. This weekly chat allows for educators to have discussion about topics pertaining to students, lessons, the classroom, etc and share relevant resources at the same time.
On April 10, I participated in the new teacher chat focusing on struggles new teachers face and techniques they use to overcome them. This was a great experience because it gave me insight to a variety of challenges I may face as a teacher as well as multiple strategies to get around these roadblocks. It seemed as though most new teachers found organization and taking on so much at once to be the biggest issue. I was able to save my favorite parts of this discussion through Storify, an online personal story publisher, which is shown in another blog post. Mostly, I take away from these chats a deep enjoyment from talking and sharing with other educators and a huge reminder that teaching is my biggest passion.
Diigo is another tool I like to use to connect with educators. Once I find a resource I like from Twitter, a chat, or online I can save a link to the resource in my Diigo library. Diigo allows for bookmarking, or saving, as well as highlighting, capturing, and sharing of any resource found on the Internet. In addition to creating my own library full of resources, I am able to view the libraries of people with similar interests to mine. On Diigo, I follow other educators with a passion for teaching, and most of them also take an interest in technology. By connecting with these people, I am able to see the resources they bookmark and even bookmark them for myself to use later. This ability to share and save information highly contributes to my PLN as a whole. The main resources that I tagged PLN in Diigo are the websites I use to share ideas with others, specifically: Twitter,Tweetdeck, Tweetchat, and Symbaloo.
To enhance my Personal Learning Network, I joined The Educator’s PLN, which is a digital discussion forum. This is a website where people of a common interest (education) can come together to share ideas, videos, discussion, thoughts, and resources. It works like any other social media site being that the overall goal is to serve as an outlet for the exchange of information. This site is different, and special, because its purpose is specific to education. Through The Educator’s PLN, I am able to watch videos that other educators find worthy of sharing. One video I watched was a taped speech by sociologist, Sam Richards, titled A Radical Experiment in Empathy. This motivational speech uses the current war over oil in the Middle East as an example to catalyst empathy within the audience. The speaker continuously challenges the audience to put themselves in another person’s shoes and sincerely try to understand the life of another individual. By the end of the speech, a very powerful message in empathy is conveyed, and I was inspired to be a little more patient with others and to remember that despite our differences, we are all just people with the same desires, fears, dreams, and needs at the end of the day. Having the patience to stop and understand each other before jumping to conclusions and being reactive is a trait that should be emphasized in the classroom. As a future teacher, I plan to encourage my students to see the world with a perspective similar to the one Richards presents and to approach conflict resolution with kindness instead of frustration.
Spencer, J. (2011, September 19). Retrieved from ten-reasons-to-get-rid-of-homework-and
Summary: In his article, “Ten Reasons to Get Rid of Homework (and Five Alternatives) Spencer proposes the idea that homework is not all that it’s cracked up to be. He suggests that children need time to play and explore, and that when schoolwork is mandatory the joy of learning is lost. The article also brings attention to the reality that many children do not have sufficient support at home to get the homework done, which then makes assigning homework conflict with fairness. This list of faults within the traditional homework system provides an interesting perspective to the topic teachers and students are so familiar with, and it urges educators to rethink the way they encourage children to learn.
My Five Alternatives to Homework:
1. Teach someone else what you learned in school- I think the best way to truly learn material is to teach it to another person. When you try to explain something to someone else, it will show you how much you really do or do not know the topic yourself. Having students teach their parents or siblings something they learned at school will enable them to showcase their knowledge and take pride in it. Also, if there are areas the student is having trouble understanding, the parent will become aware them as their child teaches the lesson.
2. Do something active- Children have bodies and minds that are rapidly growing, and they need proper nutrition and exercise to stay healthy. As a teacher, encouraging students to play outside and move each day will give them some of the exercise they need. This will benefit the child’s overall health as well as help them stay more focused in class, making school work done at school more significant.
3. Make a creation- Encourage students to be creative at home and draw, color, paint, sculpt,take pictures, etc. Creativity and imagination should be valued at every age, and by suggesting art instead of homework, children could really foster these unique talents. It would be neat to encourage students to create masterpieces related to something they learned at school and display the artwork in the classroom.
4. Write in a journal- Instead of assigning specific homework problems, teachers could encourage students to write in a journal each day. If journal articles revolved around what the child learned in school that day, by the end of the year an entire book full of meaningful information would be created. More importantly, this would all be information that stood out to the student and was significant to them.
5. Read for fun- Encourage students to read as much as they can/ want to. By exposing children to literature, a world of opportunities opens. Children should learn to read to quench their curiosity and find enjoyment. Also encouraging students to read to others is a great way to practice reading skills.
One popular tool that falls low on the technology scale is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). This system consists of cards or tiles with visuals on them, which are used by the communicator to express what they need/want/feel. In this system, the communicator exchanges picture cards with another person to express themself. The actual exchange of the visual instead of it just being pointed to creates a stronger interaction between the two communicators. 
