c.
Selecting ICT Resources
The
teacher in the case study is completely at home with the skills
behind most of the options we have looked at above. Although she
does not have a copy of the CD Writing with Symbols, she is able
to photocopy symbols from a rebus book that she has. She uses
cut and paste techniques to create worksheets with symbols and
text to support some of the learners.
You may not be in the same positions as she is, so we shall look
at the options in the context of your school and your experience.
Think about the following points as they apply to you:
Using
discussion only, and not using any ICT (or other technology) at
all.
I have a bit of a problem with this (I would say that, wouldn't
I?) in as much as my own experience of working within this area
of work is that it is both hugely enjoyable - on its own, without
technology - and very challenging for young people. In terms of
the objectives set for this case study, using ICT provides the
learners with positive self-esteem when they view the final copy
of the work that they have produced. Technology can support those
who would other wise be fearful of any literacy exercise due to
their lack of confidence in themselves.
Use
a word processor package to create worksheets of word lists from
which the learners could select those relevant to their write
up, or a worksheet containing words supported with relevant symbols
that the learners would need to include in their write up.
One or similar suggestions to these may be necessary to support
the literacy needs of some of the learners. Some learners find
it difficult to accept support that they need with literacy skills
and tasks involving the creation of written text create barriers
to the learner's work ethic. My own opinion is that support in
the form of a list of words on a worksheet is readily accepted
when the learner realises they have the opportunity to create
word processed text rather than that of hand-written efforts.
Use
symbols that the learners could cut and paste to illustrate the
correct order of events in the meal preparation.
This isn't strictly an ICT option, but it would be if it were
carried out by using a CD such as Writing with Symbols where the
learner would input all the words relevant to their meal preparation.
The activity could be carried out by brainstorm of all the relevant
ingredients, equipment and method that could be later rearranged
into the correct order using a print out and cut and paste techniques.
Alternatively the learner could input the text in the relevant
order and avoid using any cut and paste techniques.
Search
the World Wide Web to find relevant graphics that the learners
could use to support the piece of material that they need to produce.
The World Wide Web is a useful source of graphics that can be
copied into Word documents to support the learners understanding
of written text, if you do not have access to specialist support
materials such as Writing with Symbols package. The problem with
using the World Wide Web with SEN is that the sites can display
many added sources of information, which distract the attention
of the learners. A positive way to support learners to use this
resource includes accessing sites with known addresses rather
than carrying out search functions.
The
following web addresses provide clipart that can be download into
students working documents. It maybe an idea to lead the learners
through the activity of browsing the different categories of graphics
on each of the sites and when you arrive at a relevant page allow
the learners to select the graphic that they perceive as relevant
to the item that they are describing.
www.clipart.com
This site provides further addresses of some free clip art pages.
Take some time to browse these and decide on the most suitable
for the learners.
www.free-clipart.net
This site has a search function that allows a particular set of
graphics to be found at a time, in this case for example, the
word 'food' might be entered.
www.webplaces.com/search
This site allows for an investigation of a number of graphic sites.
Also
on the World Wide Web are a number of sites to promote the use
of symbols alongside ICT. The following may be of interest if
you are going to use ICT more frequently to support the learners
needs in the future:
www.widgit.com
This is the home page from the authors of Writing With Symbols
that has been referred to in this study. It may be of interest
to browse this site to see how the needs of your learners could
be met using the software that they provide.
www.makaton.org
This is the site of the makaton vocabulary development project.
No resources can be downloaded from this site but orders can be
made for the resources that may be suitable for the learners.
Use
digital photographs of the learners participating in the meal
preparation activity.
This option is only useful if you have access to a digital camera;
another alternative if this is not available is to scan in photographs
to Word documents. Learners can be encouraged to use the technology,
taking photographs of each other carrying out the activity. Pictures
can be inserted into Word documents and the learners support to
add text to the document where relevant.
Use
books, cookery ones in this instance, for the learners to extrapolate
information on the activity they participated in.
If suitable books can be found then this option can be used in
a similar way to that of the worksheets with word lists and symbols
as suggested above.
Use
magazines to obtain pictures relevant to the activity that the
learners participated in.
This method, although not an ICT option, can be used if symbols
packages are not available in either CD format or photocopiable
resource. Pictures from magazines can be used next to a learner's
word-processed document to support the meaning of the text.
Video
the learners participating in the meal preparation activity and
create a narration to the footage.
Here learners can be encouraged to develop skills in using a video
camera where appropriate. Video footage will be useful to stimulate
the learners especially if they are carrying out these written
tasks away from the practical situation and with a time element
between the two activities.
Illustrate likes and dislikes by placing the names of learners
next to pictures of the relevant foods.
This is an optional extra to the creation of word-processed recipe
cards but I feel that it nicely rounds of the activity and provides
some meaning for the learners. Pictures of the different types
of meals created can be obtained from a number of sources - digital
photography, scanning pictures and photographs, symbols and learners
own interpretation using simple graphics on a Word document. Names
of the learners, printed using Word Art for example, can be placed
next to the relevant pictures to illustrate the different likes
and dislikes of the group.
Paste
pictures of the learners next to the foods that they like.
This option would require either the use of a digital camera or
scanner to insert pictures into a word document.
Now
that you've looked at my ideas about the options available, you
need to make your own choices. The teacher in the case study has
decided to use all options and to combine two or more in particular
sessions over a seven-lesson period. You need to plan to do something
of this sort. On the next page, make a copy and fill out the summary
to help you get focus on what you will do. I've put in some suggestions
- you can use these as you like. Think of some uses of your own,
and make a short note on what you will have to do to make it work,
what you expect the benefit to be to your pupils, and what difficulties
you expect to encounter when you do it in the classroom.
Resources
Selected for Work on Creating Recipe Cards
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