Module 11

This week we used a numerous amount of tools from the newsletter to the QR code. Personally, I really liked the the newsletter. Being that I am a PC user it was easy to utilize and it wasn't time consuming.  Being that Microsoft Word has many different templates it's easy to be creative and detail with the information added in the newsletter. I see myself using this in the future as a form of communication between parents and I.  The next tool we used this week was signupgenius.com, I was actually already familiar with it so it wasn't a big learning experience but I really like it. It's a great way to get in contact with other teachers and/or parents/guardians. Being that it's online anyone can assess it anytime and anywhere. The third tool we used was the QR code, personally I wasn't the biggest fan of this tool because I don't really use QR readers but it was extremely easy to use. I wouldn't regularly use it but it's also another easy way of access information.The last tool we used was the educreations.com and I LOVE it. I don't know where this tool was all my life but it's amazing. The fact that this tool can be used anywhere with internet access and can reteach/reinforce a wide variety of lessons is ideal. In my future, I definitely would introduce this to my students for them to use regularly.

Social Stories

This week's module consisted of reading articles and watching multiple videos to understand the purpose and importance of social stories. Social stories are a way to "meet the diverse needs of learners by combining visual cues with verbal cues." (Barry & Burlew, 2004) Having Social Stories according to "The Factsheet for Autism Therapy  Social Stories" can help reduce problem behaviors, increase social awareness, and/or teach new skills. But what is a social story? According to Digital Stories Targeting Social Skills for Children With Disabilities: Multidimensional Learning, "social stories are distinguished from other stories by their short length, personalization, and being written from the perspective of the student." In other words, the use of social stories can be designed by multiple people like teachers, students, and parents to explain how to complete a task. Social stories is a creative and technology savvy way to introduce a concept and to reinforce it. With digital social stories students can not only hear what to do but also vividly see actions they need to act out. Social stories helps prepare students especially those with disabilities to see what they are going to see in the real world and gives them an opportunity to display the same actions shown in the social story.

Video: Crossing the Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QascJK8dm1Q

Personally I really like this week's activity, it was extremely engaging and creative. It allows the learner an opportunity to experience a different type/way of learning. Although I really like this activity I wouldn't do it regularly because it is time consuming. Especially being that this was my first time working with PhotoStory3 I was a little confused on what I was doing, but once I got the hang of it everything started to move smoothly. I see myself using it with children with disabilities for numerous occasions. I see myself using it for a lesson about time and time management, behavior, and like the topic I choose, everyday activities.