Doodle or not to Doodle, that is the question

As a spec ed teacher working in a distinct class with 5 ERW’s and 10 students; no two having even remotely similar needs, is it any wonder that scheduling is a challenge even at the best of times.  Between school, work, family commitments, social activities and specialist appointments, parents and staff are juggling many things, trying to keep everything in order to help meet the needs of the students.

Traditional agendas and calendars have been the go to method for communication and scheduling with parents and colleagues.  Recently however I was introduced to “Doodle^â” by the eLearn Magazine.  An article written by Michael Näf, CEO of Doodle^â sparked my interest as it offered a “free online scheduling tool for individuals or organizations.”  This seemed to either be too good to be true or the answer to my prayers.

The concept evolved out of the need to meet up with friends for a meal yet circumventing the cumbersome task of countless e-mails resulting in little or no results and consuming vast amounts of time.  Doodle can be used for personal or professional purposes.  In an educational setting Doodle will allow teachers to schedule PLC meetings that will encourage maximum participation.  Furthermore, it can enhance parent-teacher conferencing by allowing both parties to schedule meetings that are mutually convenient without the tiresome task of back and forth messaging either via e-mail or voice mail.  In the classroom, Doodle can be used to help students with multiple subjects and multiple teachers schedule study groups and possibly taking advantage of this apps capabilities by scheduling testing on days that are not already programmed in other subject areas with outings, presentations, etc.  This will result in higher teacher / student satisfaction by decreasing the overlap of tests on the same day and disappointment of absenteeism due to extra-curricular outings in other subject areas.  Overall a win win scenario as I see it.

Having said that however; being somewhat of a skeptic, I created my own Doodle account to test it out, and you guessed it, it couldn’t be easier.  For anyone with a few minutes to poke around on the internet, this is definitely worth checking out.  Use it with the Google Docs calendar application and you're golden.

Read the full article from eLearn Magazine here: http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=2003350

or to start using Doodle go to: http://doodle.com/

Now it’s time to schedule the next big summer event . . . back to school!

Technology, Teaching and Learning

Hello everyone,

I hope that summer has been kind to you all and that you are managing to find some time to enjoy being together with family and friends.

Today’s post is going to talk about technology and how we can use it in a special needs setting.

The iPad, a cool little techno gadget that has massive educational potential, if only you could afford one and figure out how it works!  What makes this newest Apple innovation so attractive is its size, the great graphics, it’s lightweight, extremely portable and there is a plethora of apps that make this little marvel extremely versatile.

Why should the iPad be considered for use in an educational setting with special needs students?  Recently in eLearn Magazine, I read an article written by Johnston and Stoll regarding the use of the iPad at the University of Cincinnati and wondered if a similar type program could be used to enhance learning in a special needs environment.  The university created an iPad lending program for the “instructors”.  This approach is innovative as it now puts the technology in the hands of the educators putting them on a more level platform with their students.  Johnston and Stall go on to explain that the iPad is “a tool, like any other, and in the classroom it must always be thought of as being in the service of pedagogy. The pedagogical foundations must be solid, because the tool will achieve no heights the underlying pedagogy will not support.”  The same logic can be applied when considering the use of the iPad in a special needs environment, so long as the pedagogy is sound, the users, both students and staff, will benefit from this interactive device. 

Here a link to a short video starring Dennis Lamme, a special needs student, who uses his iPad as en effective learning tool.  See what his parents and teachers have to say:

http://www.vimeo.com/16678024

Educators must be willing to take a risk, step out of their comfort zone and implement new technology, such as use of the iPad, to promote learner-centered and activity based learning.  An educational model that researchers Johnston and Stoll confirm consistently “results in better retention of knowledge and skills”.

Given the high price tag of the iPad a lending program is a creative way to ensure that the technology can be made accessible to a larger audience by limiting the time each participant is allowed to “borrow” the iPad.  Once users become proficient and parents see a benefit to their child, the use of this device might become more main stream.  As an educator in a special needs environment I am excited about the possibility of introducing my students to this technology and seeing what they can do with it as they never cease to amaze me with their creativity and intuitiveness when it comes to anything “clicky”.

Full article from eLearn Magazine: It's the Pedagogy, Stupid: Lessons from an iPad Lending Program

http://elearnmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=1999656

Also check out this article from "Thinking Person's Guide to Autism" blog, an interesting read!
http://thinkingautismguide.blogspot.com/2010/11/ipads-near-miracles-for-kids-with.html

For my next post . . .  Doodle . . .  stay tuned!

The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd.

http://www.speechtherapycentres.com/


Geared towards pre-school children who need help in developing their social communication skills.  It is a 6 week communication program set in a real world environment.

ABACUS Help for Parents

http://www.abacuslist.ca/


Access info on how to select and monitor ABA services, and to search listings for ABA providers with experience in autism in your area.

Community Helpers for Active Participation - Respite Care

http://www.respiteservices.com/


An agency that comprises other agencies who provide temporary relief from the emotional and physical demands of a family member with a developmental and / or physical disability.

Autism Dog Services

http://www.autismdogservices.ca/

A non-profit organization that provides children with autism and their families with highly trained service dogs and personalized support.

Shining Through Centre

http://www.shiningthrough.ca/


A not-for-profit charitable organization that provides an intensive comprehensive educational program based on the scientificallhy validated procedures of ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis).