The Inclusive Class: 25 Easy Ways to Improve Executive Functioning Skills How do we help our children or students who are perpetually losing things, often running late and seem completely disorganized? Do we reprimand them for being lazy? Do we keep them in at recess because they forgot to do their homework? Or, do we wonder if there is a reason as to why this child just can't seem to pull things together? Teachers and parents often spend an inordinate amount of time supporting children with weak executive function skills. However, in a carefully planned and organized school day, there are 25 easy ways for teachers and parents to help strengthen weak executive functioning skills in kids: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
Great Co-Teaching: An Interview with Anne Beninghof As I mentioned in my last post, I recently participated at a day-long workshop with special educator Anne Beninghof, author of several books, including most recently Co-Teaching That Works: Structures and Strategies for Maximizing Student Learning. Anne agreed to an interview for our Two Teacher blog, and I’m delighted to have you see for yourself what a dynamic speaker and innovative educator she is. Some background: Anne is considered a pioneer in the area of inclusion and has published six books on teaching diverse learners in inclusion classrooms. She is a professional development consultant who firmly connects her ideas to research and real-world experience. Anne Beninghof Elizabeth: Please tell us about your teaching career and how you became so passionately involved in supporting teachers and reaching students with special needs. Anne: My first teaching years were spent in schools that served only children with disabilities. Thanks, Anne! Enjoy!
The Inclusive Class: Top 10 Websites for the Inclusive Classroom Teachers love a great resource! Especially a resource that is free and at their fingertips - literally. That's why I put together a list of 10 outstanding websites that teachers can use in the inclusive classroom (or any classroom, for that matter!). It was difficult to narrow the list down to 10, given all the websites that are available on the internet! Do you have any to add to this list?
Advice from the OT: Why it's so hard for children to sit still and what you can do about it Minds in Bloom is so very honored to welcome guest blogger Loren Shlaes, a registered pediatric occupational therapist and regular contributor to the special needs blog at Pediastaff (who were instrumental in making this series possible). This is the first in a series of post from Loren about how to help students who may be challenged with attention, sensory, or other issues be successful in the classroom. Most likely, you have at least a few students with these challenges every year, but even if you don't, the information in these posts are relevant to all teachers. This first post focuses on something that most teachers struggle with around this time of the year...helping students to pay attention! If You Want Children to Sit Still, You Have to Let Them MoveChildren need to move their bodies in order to be able to stay focused and to learn. Want to read more from Loren? Minds in Bloom would also like to thank PediaStaff for collaborating with Loren to make this series possible.
Apps for multiple intelligences What makes the iPad brilliant is that it caters to all different intelligences. In fact most apps touch upon all different types of intelligences. I’ve tried to match all of my favorite educational apps with their corresponding intelligences. For those apps that matched with more than one, I’ve used equivalents. For example, Showme and Educreations are interactive whiteboard apps that have got the same functions and both fit in the Visual and Aural box. Students can use whichever app they chose to study. Take the brilliant app “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. The debate whether Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences really excist or not has been contested quite a few times. Children do differ in their abilities with different modalities, but teaching the child in his best modality doesn‘t affect his educational achievement. So much like the ideas behind TPACK, consider which type of intelligence best serves the content and not just the student. Related posts:
What Type of Learner Are You? [Infographic] Do you remember how you used to do your revisions in school and after? Which way was the most effective for you? Do you commit everything to memory, use mindmaps, make a recording of your teacher or lecturer’s lessons or carry around note cards to read on the way to school and back? Well, it turns out that the way one student studies may differ from the way a classmate does because there are different styles of learning we are individually adept for. There are essentially four types: visual learners, auditory learners, read and write learners, and kinesthetics learners. Each function is clearly illustrated and explained in today’s featured infographic by onlinecollege.org. Tell us which is your learning style. Recommended Reading: More infographics Spot an infographic you think will be a perfect fit here?
Complete Guide to educational and special needs apps, complete list at One Place for Special Needs Complete guide to educational and special needs apps With over 300,000 apps it's easy to become overwhelmed by the number of app choices. It's also easy to spend a small fortune on a lot of useless apps. by Dawn Villarreal, One Place for Special Needs Android apps (all) Android does not have the nice interface of iTunes for viewing apps on the Internet as opposed to your device. Aphasia appsApps specific to those with aphasia Apraxia appsApps specific to those with Childhood Apraxia of Speech Articulation appsApps that focus on articulation. Assistive technology apps Here are a variety of assistive technology apps employing voice recognition, text to speech, easy to use technology for impaired motor abilities. Auditory memory apps Auditory memory is the ability to remember what you heard. Auditory discrimination apps Children with auditory discrimination deficits misinterpret language sounds or process them slowly. Autism appsApps specific to those on the autism spectrum Other resources
What next for Digital Inclusion? | interactivecultures Under the Labour government digital inclusion became something of a hot topic, and was moving towards the mainstream of policy. Digital inclusion – increasing access to and literacy of IT, broadband and digital media platforms – cut broadly across several areas of policy and brought together ministers from several departments including Communities & Local Government, Business, Innovation & Skills, and Department for Education. In their final year in office the agenda was brought into the mainstream through the appointment of Martha Lane Fox as a “digital inclusion champion” tasked with, amongst other things, raising awareness of digital inclusion amongst the general public. A change of government brings changes in policy direction, so what now for digital inclusion under the Lib-Con coalition government? Digital Inclusion makes it cheaper to deliver public services To me this has always been the key reason why digital inclusion has figured within government policy.
Six steps to improve digital inclusion in 2013 | Housing Network | Guardian Professional 2013 is going to be a big year for digital inclusion in the housing sector. From the end of this year tenants will need to start claiming their benefits online, and so housing providers can no longer avoid the shift to digital. Over the past year I've helped a number of organisations with their digital strategies, and I've picked up a few tips along the way of how to implement a digital strategy that I hope will help you and your organisation in 2013. Embrace digital Wherever you are now, soon you will be a digital business. Think digital – not just digital inclusion If you start the process by thinking about how you are going to become a digital organisation, bringing tenants along with you will be a lot easier. But remember – it's a change programme, not a technology one Share your knowledge Address the main barriers Know your tenants It's really important to understand your excluded residents, and target them carefully. Start quickly – and start now