BRIDGES - Conference Live Streaming

http://www.bridges-canada.com/UI/home.aspx

After our class was assigned to tune in to the live streaming sessions, I thought well great, I can really multi - task now. Laundry, coffee,course work, learning and all without taking off my PJ's from the night before. After scoping out the conference web page to link up to the live streaming sessions, I discovered that many of the subjects and presenters were fascinating. I have in fact contacted that Bridges conference wiki administrator about getting access to the other conference sessions.

Our professor Barb Welsford did a session on the impact of using the Ipod Touch to support students with learning needs. The personal touch to each case study helped me to make connections between the students that were studied and my own students. I was very impressed that all the students who employ an ipod touch were so diverse. Each student having a variety of applications for organization, communication, motivation, literacy, and accessing information that were personalized to them. It is fascinating to see the students, their parents and teachers all speak to the positive impact that this (now common) device has had on their education experience.

Welsford's presentation also reminds us all of the intensive personal fact finding and personal touch that is necessary in supporting student learning through assistive technology. Each student is supported not just by a technology (software, device) but also by a team that includes the education professionals, family members, and the student themselves. She really stressed how important it is to match the technology to the students personal situation and that the situation be reevaluated on an ongoing basis.

I followed up on Welsford's presentation by watching the next presenter talk about digital readers and technology to support literacy. I found that I quickly connected to this presenter as he discussed that his own father had struggled with reading. Many of my students have a difficult time with reading. Finding ways to support their learning and reading is a challenge for teachers at all levels. I was surprised by the large hand held device being shared with the conference. It seemed to me that this technology would be quickly replaced by the ipod and kurzweil technologies, many of the same features are possible for these technologies which are already in employed by the school board where I work. It was an interesting presentation as it got me thinking of the different ways these devices and software can work together to support a greater variety of student needs.