1. Technology to unleash your child’s potential By Srinivasan Anandan MCT, MCTS, MCITP, MCPS, CEH

2. Technology – A review

3. Things you know…. What is it? Where do we use it? Can we really avoid it?

4. Technology – and Spl. Ed. An amazing combo

5. Ask What can Technology do in [Special] Education? It can be Assistive Technology Assistive in many ways remember the glasses I wear? High contrast displays Customized and Online Keyboards Narrator Speech recognition for input Eye tracking and muscle movement sensors Custom solutions for overcoming every “disability” using the other Abilities we have

6. Technology in Assistive mode can help our students improve the following Overall understanding of their environment Expressive communication skills Social interaction skills Attention skills Motivation skills Organization skills Academic skills Self help skills Overall independent daily functioning skills

7. Ask What can Technology do in [Special] Education? It can be a Teaching tool that can enhance the quality of Learning Using Technology to teach, you mean science/math right? Yes/No, We can use Technology to teach anything we want, we just need to understand and use the right tools

8. Technology – the Teacher’s Aid

9. Evaluation – The important starting point Evaluate the current skills of the student It is usually a good idea to prepare the student and tell them we are going to try something new Be ready for surprises and use multiple sessions Evaluate the content that you plan to teach Some types of content are more suitable for some technologies

10. How Many of you like/Play Games?

11. Have you played “Video games”?

12. Did you learn anything from those games?

13. Did it seem like “Learning”?

14. The benefits of Video Games… [Yes you read/heard that right] Improve flexible thinking skills, Problem Solving Learn variations in rules – different levels Be comfortable making mistakes – ok to err Practice social skills – most games now have some socializing options

15. The benefits of Video Games… [Yes you read/heard that right] Improves motor skills especially Gross Motor [no more painful OT/PT sessions] Fun sessions ahead Gain knowledge of popular culture In some cases real culture is also showcased here Enhance focus and attention Academics is no a fun based learning program Realize practice makes perfect It’s ok to retake/replay till I master that level

16. Technology helps.. All kinds of learners Visual/Auditory/Tactile to learn Volume and in some cases voice can be customized Documentation and customization is easy Complex subjects can be broken down into smaller parts, Sequencing is easy to teach “Handwriting” is not a deal breaker Use words, pictures even video to communicate Hike/WhatsApp/Msn

17. Things to remember Plan your sessions with a if I was the student empathy Enter the session with no expectations Prepare for the unexpected [easy right?] You are part of an Amazing world be ready to be amazed if not today then tomorrow Ensure that you are a blank slate if you expect them to do academics especially [PS: They read minds]

18. Things you should avoid Expect our kids to perform like in a show to prove your success. [If you really want this you need to get their approval] Not everyone loves the stage. Encourage and guide no negative comments [Verbal and non-verbal] Stick to timelines remember the [5 more mins mom relativity ]

19. Things you should take a call on Internet access – if yes do monitor and ensure that as soon as they are ready you teach them about online safety. Use Parental safety. Most games are rated by ESRB Entertainment Software Rating Board Technology and gadgets are great assets for behavior modification Tools need not always be used for a specific purpose you can find and use many new ways of using old software it’s perfectly fine Your most important asset is Common Sense.

20. Thank you for your patience Feel free to contact me for more info Name: Srinivasan Anandan Cell/WhatsApp: 8220469406 Email: contactasv@hotmail.com Twitter: @contactasv Facebook: www.facebook.com/contactasv LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/contactasv Any Questions??? Working on a updated list of tools and resources check our website www.commandurfoundation.org for updates and pdf copies of all the PowerPoint presentations used in this seminar by all our speakers.www.commandurfoundation.org