What I Found Along the Way
Interviews with Director of Special Services & Director of Technology and Media Services (See Appendix C)
Student Surveys (See Appendix B)
Parent Surveys (See Appendix A)
Curriculum and Transition Plan Review
Lesson Plan Review (See Appendix E)
Interviews with Director of Special Services & Director of Technology and Media Services (See Appendix C)
- Professional Development will be tailored to each program's needs
- SAMR model introduced
- Technology will guide us to more common student assessments and data collection
- Expecting to see a shift by next year that technology will help drive planning and instruction instead of being an afterthought
- Interactive and engaging technology
- Expecting use to increase throughout most of the school day by next year
- Real world skills for our students include social media, digital literacy, calendar functions, task completion, and communication tools
- The question may not be how we teach technology skills...but rather how we teach skills using the technology!
Student Surveys (See Appendix B)
- Students rated most of our technology use as Great (72%) and Good (22%)
- Student attention has seemed to increase in some lessons when using the new technology (iPad and projector)
- One student in particular has shown significant improvement in behavior and engagement when presented with the iPad.
Parent Surveys (See Appendix A)
- All students had access to some form of technology at home. All had a computer or laptop and gaming system. One has a tablet. Two have MP3 players. All have internet access. Zero students had their own cell phone.
- Parents happy with technology use
- Several parents reported their student frequented YouTube, Google and music sites.
- One parent hoped to have her son learn how to Skype. Several hoped their student would learn how to log into a website, email or type better.
- All parents reported their son was unable to use a cell phone to call, text or communicate with others.
- Student skills varied from independent to no skills
Curriculum and Transition Plan Review
- AUEN Supported Independence (See Appendix D)
- Modified academics section includes some technology skills or skills that could be acquired using technology
- Clerical tasks, job search skills, community transactions, telephone skills, maintaining an appointment calendar, assistive communication, making choices, etc.
- Objectives to Increase Computer Literacy Skills, Subsection A1
- Utilizes the Computer, Subsection A2
Lesson Plan Review (See Appendix E)
- Began the school year with no technology
- iPad and Projector were both in place by November
- Initial technology time amounted to between 30 and 120 minutes per week
- New uses of technology include daily iPad use to practice and reinforce IEP goals and objectives, daily news and weather reports, social skills lessons, computer typing practice, Google searches and reading presentations on the projector.
- My technology use is a mix of Substitution, Augmentation and Modification from the SAMR model
- Average technology use is now about 480 minutes/week and I'm continuing to discover new ways to increase that time