Apps in Action for Reluctant Readers

There are so many wonderful resources out there for teachers to use and so many knowledgeable teaching professionals. I don`t think that there is any problem with a lack of resources or expertise. I think one of the biggest challenges is having a venue for teachers to share them. That is one of the reasons I enjoyed the webinar so much. I found so many great online resources in an hour. It would have taken me ages to find them on my own, that is, if I could have found them at all.

It is exciting to hear and see programs like Story Builder. Right away I am thinking “oh, this would be great for student X!”  It is like that for almost each App. As a teacher it is exciting to find new tools that will help students succeed.

It is amazing to think how many of these Apps can change people’s lives. Due to many reasons some people may never be able to read fluently but these Apps can give them access to text in a way that has never been possible before. Apps like Stanza, Image to Text and Voice Reader to Text to Speech are revolutionary. 

Literacy Websites

http://pbskids.org  I love this website, there are a lot of engaging games for kids that help them build a variety of skills I particularly like the Electric Company games:  http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/#/Games/Collection/ This show and it's related games are a bit more "cool" than some of the things designed for the younger kids. In some of the games they can beat-box with different sounds, it is great to engage reluctant boys. Unfortunately most of the video's you can only watch in the US, but you can find a lot of them on YouTube. They are a really cool way to teach phonics. This is one example: 

http://www.tvokids.com This website is loaded with great, educational games for students.It is designed to suite a range of age and developmental levels and it is Canadian! 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/launch_gms_viking_quest.shtml This is a amazing website for reluctant readers. It would be best for students in Junior or Senior High. It is an interactive Viking adventure, where students have to read and make decisions based on the information provided to them. 

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Games/mag/poetry.htm  - There are a number of reading related activities on this website, but I particularly like this one because it allows students to work creatively with language. I also like that because it has such a variety of words to use, readers of different levels can access it.   

http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/samoset/mainideaprac.htm - This site would be great for students who are good decoders and who are working on comprehension. One example is where a student is asked to read a paragraph and then identify the main idea.  

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/index.html Great resource for teachers with lots of lesson ideas.

Lesson 4 - Reel Director

Class 3 - Pictello

I had a wonderful time tonight exploring the educational and creative uses of this application. It was so easy and fun to use, making the in-class possibilities endless. Here are a few that we thought of:  

·         Model social stories

·         Visual schedules

·         Mini math lessons

·         Step by step instructions for science labs

·         Create and illustrate stories

·         Talking books for literacy stations

·         Assessment purposes – show me what you know.

·         Portable writer’s notebook

·         Memory aid

Visual prompt

Great Apps

 How Would You Feel If $5.99: The application is made up of a deck of 56 illustrated cards with audio that teach social skills by giving situations for students to think about and discuss. It also has a feature where teachers can track students success.

 Speech Tutor $9.99: This app would work wonderfully in conjunction with the LIPS program. "Speech Tutor take the areas of the face that impede the view of tongue placement and positioning and make them transparent. Now one can literally see inside the mouth as the sounds are being made!... Also provided is detailed text specific to each sound that further describes how each sound is technically made, tips provided by licensed speech and language pathologists, and milestones for when each sound should be acquired and mastered."


  Hidden Curriculum for Kids $1.99: This app provides a tool for teaching the unwritten curriculum that exists within schools. Often these unwritten rules are things that many people take for granted, so having a tool like this to make the teaching explicit could be invaluable. 


 Eye Contact - Toy Box $2.99: This app teaches the social skill of making eye contact in a way in which the child can control and gives them fast and fun reinforcements. 


 Grace Picture Exchange for Non-Verbal Students $37.99:This is an application designed for non-verbal students as a tool to help them communicate. It is designed to "encourage independent social interaction" for non-verbal students. Students build sentences using a series of pictures which they can share.


Faces iMake: This is a wonderful, playful application that promotes students creativity by making collages using everyday materials.


 ABA Flashcard Games, $free: This application teaches students how to recognize emotions by using photographs of actual pictures. It has over 20 different emotions and you can make up your own cards and add your own voice.




 First Then Visual Schedule: Visual Schedule for students needing structure. It features three different screen options, full screen, split screen showing two images with an arrow between or a list. It also has features such as adding voices to images, checklist, adding your own photos.







 Mermaid Waters Adventures of Hana and Cory $Free - Great bright graphics, games with sound effects for teaching number recognition, counting, sizes and basic addition.


 Kid Genius $0.99 - This application has 13 fun games for students to learn basic reading, writing and math skills.


Read Me Stories $free: Students get a new book every day that teaches literacy and social skills. Books are filled with bright pictures and words are highlighted as story is read.

Doc Zone: Are We Digital Dummies?

Are We Digital Dummies - Doc Zone, CBC

Can We Be Too Connected?

Brave New World

I have a confession to make (and a lightning bolt may come down and strike me dead)… I have mixed feelings about iPods. There, I have said it, I figure it is best to be up front and honest about these things. It is not that I doubt their value. I see that they have incredible and seemingly endless educational potential. The problem that I see with iPods, which is also one of their greatest assets, is that they are so incredibly engaging. I suppose my discomfort with iPods, well smartphones in general, come from my experiences as a parent who faces the daily and relentless challenge of managing my three children’s “screen time”. It is a constant battle to limit the amount of television and computer time to the recommended 1 to 2 hours a day and ensure that they are getting the hour of physical activity they need. After much thought and many discussions I made the choice last Christmas not to buy a smartphone for my children, in spite of their begging and pleading. My decision was based primarily on how I have seen my own children and others use this technology. Without getting into the gory details I have seen how very addictive smartphones can be. Given their addictive potential and the fact that I believe our society is getting more and more insular, I have been hesitant to fully embrace this new technology.

I guess what really got me thinking of this issue was when a friend, who makes wonderful use of technology in her school, made the comment that in a few years all the students will have ipods in the classroom. I will admit it scared me. While I know they are wonderful tools, they are still relatively new and as a society we are just learning how to incorporate them into our lives in. The pace of people’s lives is getting faster and faster, while meaningful human interaction is on the decline. The instant gratification smartphone technology can provide is not necessarily always a good or healthy thing.  I think that as educators, we not only have a responsibility to take advantage of these new technologies but to be aware of possible risks associated with them and teach students how to use them in a responsible and balanced way.

 There is no turning back the tide; it is a brave new world and I face it with both excitement and trepidation.

Task Analysis

What Are Learning Disabilities?