Reflections on Assistive Technology Curriculum PD
Focus: Three-Part Math Lesson on an Interactive Whiteboard
On October the 18th, the SEA team (which is part of Special Education and Section Programs) hosted a curriculum-linked professional development session at Burnhamthorpe Adult Learning Centre/ BCI - The East Mall.
Math problem solving, the three-part lesson and special education students
SEA AT curriculum sessions, like this one, have a different focus than software training. This PD was very much a “next steps” session focused on how the various tools can be used to differentiate a math lesson. For example, throughout the session, any feature or tool of the IWB demonstrated was presented in terms of accommodations - how it would help meet learner needs and appeal to learner strengths (as opposed to simply how the tool works). The department supports the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model. This Curriculum PD involved using the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) as a tool for Making Math Accessible within the framework of the three-part lesson.
SEA AT curriculum sessions, like this one, have a different focus than software training. This PD was very much a “next steps” session focused on how the various tools can be used to differentiate a math lesson. For example, throughout the session, any feature or tool of the IWB demonstrated was presented in terms of accommodations - how it would help meet learner needs and appeal to learner strengths (as opposed to simply how the tool works). The department supports the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model. This Curriculum PD involved using the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) as a tool for Making Math Accessible within the framework of the three-part lesson.
What challenges do our students face in mathematics? (What problem are we trying to solve?)
Minds On!
Action!
In keeping with the interactive nature of our tool, our session had many built-in opportunities for each of the participants to get up and interact with the materials on the board. An example that was shared included the various ways of recording student responses and problem solving, building student independence, choice and using auditory, visual and kinesthetic ways dependending on their learning style and preferences.
There was also built in planning time during which each participant used software to develop and save materials to take back to his or her school.
Connection, Reflection and Consolodation!
A teacher, student or group of students can make use of the IWB technology in one, two or all three parts during math problem solving. IWBs can be used as both student and teacher tools of creation and presentation. We look forward to running this session, along with other Assistive Technology curriculum linked sessions, again in January.
Check on Key to Learning for the latest training sessions available.
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