Voki ( print screen)

Voki Voki is an educational tool that allows users to make their own characters and give these characters a voice via text to speech, uploading an audio file or using a microphone. The teacher and student can also record their own voices, as was the case in my own lesson on heroes day. The speech to text is useful in the special education classroom for children with dyslexia. Voki is also a great tool when utilizing the multi sensory

Voki cont’d approach in the classroom. Using Voki as a tool in the classroom will allow me to cater to all the disabilities that fall under the mild to moderate category that I will be catering to. In the future I will use these avatars in a number of ways to make learning fun and more accessible in my special education classroom.

Voki cont’d Click on the link below to visit my Voki page ht=267&width=200

Pixton (print screen)

Pixton Pixton is a great tool for children since most are fascinated by comics. In the special education classroom, it can be used for pragmatics (social language and problem solving) because of the intricate features it offers for character's body language and facial expressions.

Pixton cont’d Pixton is also a useful tool for students who have written expression deficits and will get them excited about storytelling. I really enjoyed creating my comic strips. It was fun and an easy way to bring across my message about eating healthy. As a future special educator, I will be using what my students like, to educate and keep them on task.

Pixton cont’d Click on the link below to visit my Pixton page comics%2Fpostedhttps:// comics%2Fposted

Webquest Zunal.com is a user friendly free website designed to help you create and store your webquests. When I was making my page, the Zunal site literally walked me through the process and provided examples and suggestions as to what information was needed on each of the pages of the quest. The tutorial included planning,

Webquest cont’d building, and getting your webquest published. This site also includes ready-made webquests in nearly every subject area (math, art, music, social studies, science, etc.) submitted by others. There are webquests for all grade levels. It is extremely user friendly and also a very simple process to follow.

Webquest cont’d I will be using webquest as an instructional tool in my classroom in the future. It will definitely be my first choice when constructing my lesson plans. Click the link below to visit my WebQuest page

Facebook Reflection Facebook is a popular social media site. In special education, it can also be an effective tool. Facebook can be used to post study tips for students, communicate with parents and give homework tips among other things. While creating my Facebook page, I realised that the page can also help other parents and students worldwide.

Facebook Reflection cont’d This is an excellent tool for parents and students to work together as this tool requires some amount of help and supervision. A page or group can also be created to facilitate group work or exchange ideas. Students and parents can also make comments on a page. There is also the ability to add videos etc.

Facebook Reflection cont’d Click the link below to visit my Facebook page

Online Jeopardy Game/Test Reflection A great way to have some fun and reinforce learning in the classroom is with Jeopardy games. Games such as Jeopardy can be used in daily lessons and revolve around a number of different subject areas. I enjoyed creating my own game categories and questions. I will utilize games of this nature in my special education classroom especially as part of group activities because

Online Jeopardy Game/Test Reflection cont’d I believe that they are very interactive. This can be very useful especially in an inclusive setting where non disabled students can work in groups with their disabled peers. Children will generally respond to these games well, and are therefore more likely to retain information because they will enjoy learning. Please view my uploaded Jeopardy game/test on my Weebly artefacts page

Blogs Blog is an interactive web 2.0 tool. It is a great tool for communicating. This will be an effective tool in the special education classroom. I had fun creating my blog about caring for the teeth, it was interesting and I learned quite a few things about caring for the teeth in the process. In creating my blog I was also able to add a you tube video that supported the topic.

Blogs cont’d This will ensure that the message is conveyed clearly to the visual learners and also the intellectually disabled who needs guided instructions. Technology is important in learning in today’s society and even students with special needs must be included. Therefore blogging is an effective tool for students and will enhance learning.

Blogs cont’d The parents of these students can also be a part of the discussion and make comments. It is my belief that this tool will be very effective as I will post educational content on my page. Click the link below to view my blog

Excel Spreadsheet A spreadsheet, also known as a worksheet, contains rows and columns and is used to record and compare numerical or financial data. The advantage of using spreadsheets is their ability to update data and perform automatic calculations extremely quickly. I was amazed to see how useful Excel can be for teacher organization. One thing I liked in particular was the Average formula.

Microsoft office Excel Reflection cont’d Grades are important to students and their parents, so finding an easy way to compute them will definitely be helpful for me in the future in my classroom. Please view my uploaded formatted spreadsheet on my Weebly artefacts page

Skype is a free communication software that allows you to make calls, instant message and video conference online. As a special educator, I will have need to attend several Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings with parents and other stakeholders regarding the various needs of my students.

Skype cont’d I believe that in my special education classroom, Skype will be a handy tool for scheduling video conferences with parents whose work or commute interfere with them making the meeting. I can also make a call home more effective by speaking with my student and parent(s) together. This is also a great way to demonstrate my mastery of technology in the classroom.

Skype cont’d Please see an uploaded version of my skype video call recording on my Weebly artefacts page

Wiki Spaces Reflection Wikis is a great tool to share and communicate ideas. For example: I have set up a wiki for my Special Education classroom students to post their ideas on ways to raise funds for a field trip. Wikis can be edited by almost anyone and is a great source for up to the minute news and events.

Wiki Spaces Reflection cont’d In the special education classroom, wikis can have information about assignments and a place for students to post their ideas and findings. The possibilities of using wikis in the classroom are almost endless. I think that Wikis are great ways for students to comment and elaborate on their learning. I will be using wikispaces in my classroom in the future because it is free and is an easy tool for educators

Wiki Spaces Reflection cont’d to access and share information to the class. With Wikispaces one can also include widgets in their posts and edits. Click on the link below to visit my Wiki Spaces Page

Reflection The GoAnimate website allows its users to create animated videos and animated stories. Students can use the software to express themselves through a fun, visual writing tool. Intellectual disabled students can learn adaptive skills by tools such as GoAnimate, where real life situations such as brushing the teeth and mannerism can be dramatized by their favourite

Reflection cont’d character. GoAnimate can also be used by teachers to jump start students' interest in a concept or subject. For example, in a science lesson on scientific method, GoAnimate could be used to show how to conduct an experiment, safety instructions or to explain a concept. In reading, this tool can be used for story retelling, sequencing or grammar and is a useful tool for children who are dyslexic.

cont’d This tool is ideal for catering to the needs of all disabilities. I will be using GoAnimate to teach adaptive skills to the intellectually disabled. Let’s GoAnimate our lessons. I definitely will be. It is interactive, dynamic, and educational. Click on the link below to visit my GoAnimate Page