SPEECH NEWS

Danbury Speech Newsletter Issue:1 Fall 2011

Danbury Speech Newsletter

Welcome to the first issue of Danbury Speech’s seasonal newsletter! This newsletter will contain helpful information related to Augmentative & Alternative Communication and technology in the Classroom.

Announcements

September 19, 11

Speech Begins

December 15.2011

Interested in submitting a writing piece for the next Issue? Danbury Speech would love to publish what you have to say! If you have any tips or helpful hints you have found useful feel free to share!

October 31.2011

Speech Homework folders will be due at the end of the month with their signed parent participation slips

“ Making effective communication, a human right, accessible and achievable for all.” – American Speech-Language Hearing Association

he start of the new school year has brought some great changes to our Elementary School. With technology being more heavily incorporated in the classroom, we have seen the new Promethean and Ipad technologies and the potential that they hold. The boards can provide a more intuitive learning experience for students fostering increased participation. In order to harness the full capabilities of these boards we must spend time to understand how they work.

We owe it to ourselves and to our students to familiarize ourselves with the technology that is available and to be able to use in in a manner that is efficient and effective. I would like to encourage those with Promethean boards to stay connected with each other and collaborate on creative ways to use the boards. We would also like to extend our services if there is anything that we can help with. We look forward to a great year!

- Danbury Speech

2

Assistive Technology: Inclusion: First steps in over coming the obstacles of Assistive Technology for Communication in the Classroom.

Assistive technology for communication in regular classroom settings challenges both the AAC user and school personnel. Successful planning and implementation in an inclusive classroom is a team effort that involves all personal from the teacher to the occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist and all other support personnel involved with the student.

In order to ensure that the student has the communication tools needed in the classroom, several factors must be taken into consideration.

1. Assess the communications style and opportunities within the classroom to develop the vocabulary the student will need to participate.

2. Assess the teacher and aide’s instructional language patterns. E.g. What types of questions are asked? What types of directions are given? What amount of processing and response time is provided? Are opportunities for participation presented in ways that allow the student to prepare responses without causing the group to wait?

3. What are the vocabulary demands required of the student with respect to the curriculum? E.g. Asking simple yes/no questions, WH-questions that increase the vocabulary demand. Open-ended discussion questions that demand the student to generate language structure quickly and efficiently.

“Assistive Technology” Virginia Training and Technical Assistance Center, Virginia Dept. of Education. 09162011. http://www.ttac.odu.edu/articles/assistiv2.html.

AAC in the Classroom

For users the following are key points for their inclusion

1. Provide several

opportunities throughout the day to experience successful communication interaction

2. Include repetition of communication-focused interaction integrated into the daily routine.

3. Involve peer models in classroom activities, which benefits both students with and without communication disabilities.

Promethean Planet Blog: Active Educator Survival Guide

Experienced Teacher Adrienne Phillips writes about her woes using the interactive whiteboard and how she was able to adapt her curriculum and successfully incorporate her interactive whiteboard to fit her teaching style in the classroom. A basic survival guide that anyone using a white board must read! Phillips 5 part series will leave you feeling with a whole new appreciation for the amazing board in your classroom. Watch out for the link to Phillips Series in your CUSD email inbox!

Ipad’s are a great way to involve student participation in your classroom. With the use of an Ipad you can have students interact with the lessons you’ve created to use on your Promethean Board.