Boston Area Peeps- Course in Tech Integration for SLPs and Language Teachers

Hi Folks,

Just want to spread the word that I am again teaching the course "Tech Links to Language Interventions" through EDCO Greater Boston Collaborative this October.  This is a hybrid class with one face-to-face workshop day on October 11 in Waltham and a month of follow up activities online (totaling 2 days time, all said). I taught it last spring and it was a lot of fun!  One graduate credit through Framingham State College is optional, though the online component is now required by EDCO.

The course description is as follows:

This workshop will review strategies and frameworks for integrating desktop and mobile technology into language interventions and language-based teaching. Participants will practice task analyses and other strategies for identifying, applying, and cataloguing relevant web, desktop, and mobile applications, as well as designing pre/post activities related to student learning goals. Special emphasis will be placed on using web and mobile apps for creation of multimedia content for improving expressive, receptive and social language skills. The online component will include analysis of additional resources and creation of a project plan. Participants will review professional articles and related to the use of technology and curriculum integration in language interventions, participate in discussion forums, and independently identify and analyze resources for use in instruction.

And all the information on how to register is here- Please be aware that the deadline is 10/1/12

If you are interested in what you would be doing in the course, here is one of the online assignments (and 2 pieces of A++++ work, thanks for the participants who allowed me to post)

Create an exemplar for your students demonstrating a targeted instructional objective through narrative form. This could include narrative structure, vocabulary, social skills, curriculum connection, or another language objective. Post a link to the project or, if it's on iPad, you can either give a description of what you created or post a screenshot from the iPad. Describe how you would use the resource (procedure and objectives) in a short (5-6 sentence) paragraph. Respond to one of your colleagues’ posts as part of this assignment.

Example 1:
I used Domo Animate to create a video relating to "reading a room". I work with many students with ASD at the middle school level, and many have an objective such as, "student will use nonverbal clues to read a person, situation and context, and respond appropriately..." Ih ave created many visual supports to facilitate success in this area, often using Boardmaker pictures to do so. Using an animated tool like this takes it to another level and (hopefully) lets the students see it in "action". We have also used video modeling extensively, which has been great, but I view using this tool as a companion piece and additional support for the complicated task of reading a room. I also imagine having the students help to create additional videos addressing the same skills but in varying contexts; this would allow them to be a part of the process, be motivating to hem, and help with generalization of these skills. Incidentally, I considered adding background music but decided it might be too distracting for my population of students.

Example 2: 

I decided to use go animate to address social skills at the high school level. The cartoon depicts two friends at a show. One of the girls is talking too much and is bothering her friend and others. Prior to showing the cartoon I would discuss with my students the fact that they need to monitor the "where" and "when" of having a conversation with a friend. Where is a good place to have a private conversation with a friend? When is a good time to have a private conversation with a friend? I would also address how a speaker needs to actively listen to the friend to pick up on tone of voice, facial expression and the actual message during a conversation. I would show the cartoon and then have a discussion as to why having a conversation in the middle of a performance is not appropriate. I would have the students comment upon if they think the speaker is actively listening to her friend or not. I would discuss how they think the friend feels as the speaker keeps talking.......

Too much talking.. by sarabeth1 on GoAnimate

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