Carenne School Communication Project “Successful Teaching Strategies for Supporting Student Communication Outcomes”

What is the project? Our project has two parts to it: 1. Research based around the iPad and the Pictello app. 2. A teacher resource package

The focus for our project is… We have chosen to focus our project on two priority areas: Assistive or augmentative technology or software as a vehicle for students to access the curriculum The provision of support and adjustments to learning programs to allow students with a communication delay or disability to achieve curriculum outcomes

How are these two priority areas being addressed then? By producing a teacher resource package aimed at providing practical ideas and resources By conducting an action research study on the effectiveness of a specific app on the iPad to increase the social interactions of students who have a communication delay and/or disability

The research… The research is focused on identifying if training teachers and parents to train a child to use the Pictello application will increase the amount of social interactions experienced by the child, as opposed to allowing the child to use an iPad without reference to a specific application. The research has involved a team of people – three Speech Pathologists and an Assistant Principal from Carenne Students from three schools are involved. There are two students from Millthorpe Public School; four students from Bathurst Public and three from Carenne. The students are aged between 6 and 12 years Each student was provided with their own iPad with the Pictello app loaded onto it for the purpose of the study

What’s involved in the implementation of the research study? Four ten minute baseline videos were taken of each student Students, parents, teachers and SLSO’s were trained in the use of the iPad and Pictello – receiving an average of four intervention sessions with a speech pathologist. Sessions focused on applying Pictello to everyday situations and using the iPad to develop conversational skills Four more ten minute video recordings will be taken of each student to measure any changes All data will be analysed and collated The findings from the study will be written up in a final paper

What our research is showing us so far… Preliminary results have shown that whilst using the Pictello app on the iPad there have been significant increases in frequency and duration in social interactions at home and school There has been generalisation to other contexts in some cases Best results have been seen where the student previously demonstrated a desire for social interaction and who showed more advanced cognitive skills Results also showed that active parent and teacher collaboration in iPad intervention, and intervention planning, could contribute to better outcomes

Have there been observable limitations? One of the students involved in the study has limited physical capabilities, affecting his ability to independently access the Pictello app on the iPad. As yet, there is no switch available for the Pictello app. He has to rely on either another communication partner to show the story or have the story shown as a slide show presentation, slowed down to allow as much interaction as possible between the student and his “audience”. While it is helpful for everyone to work on the same app in terms of consistency and ease of understanding, one app does not suit all. The iPad isn’t ideal for news sharing as it is difficult to hear unless it is attached to speakers so the volume can be adjusted.

What about the teachers’ resource package? The resource package is put together into a folder and it contains ideas and resources for teachers to use to support students who have a communication delay and/or disability Teachers were initially surveyed to find out what sorts of information and resources they would find most useful. The information obtained from the surveys was then used to compile a list of what to include in the package.

What’s inside the package? Information pages containing: -various resources and how to use them - information about communication delay and what it “looks like” -how to organise the classroom to best assist the student with a communication delay and/or disability Information about technology available to assist teaching More resources and information for use in the classroom Assessment tools for identifying communication goals How to set up and use the iPad in your school A USB containing templates for making resources

Where are we up to now? The teacher resource packages have been delivered to schools across our area and to schools further afield Data from the research study is being analysed and collated, to be written up in a final paper early to mid term 4, 2013 Schools are being given the opportunity to learn more about our project by way of presentations such as this one! Schools will be contacted again this term (term 4, 2013) and asked to complete a questionnaire about the teacher resource packages. The research team will all escape to a sunny location to recover…. …..well, we can dream!

Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about our project! “Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation” Mark Twain