Hello, everybody! In this post, I’ll tell you a little bit about some pages you can use for SEN (Special educational needs) students so as to make your lessons a more inclusive and safe environment. The benefits I mention are based on Etpedia technology’s chapter 10 things to know about SEN students and technology (Hockley, 2017). Let 's begin!
Popplet“Helping students learn visually and creatively, with greater retention.” (Popplet,n.d.)
Popplet is a web page and app that allows its users to organize and visualize ideas in very simple and creative mind maps. Due to its simplistic features, everyone can learn to use it, even younger students. It also provides users with collaborative functions, allowing students to work together on projects. You can either create your very own mind map or select a ready-made one.Even though it’s not completely free (some features are blocked if you don’t pay), many of the tools can still be used. You should definitely give it a go!
Benefits for inclusive classrooms:
It’s very simple to use. Everyone, even younger students or students with cognitive or learning disabilities, can get the hang of this tool easily. The buttons are perfectly signalised and it does not have a great amount of unnecessary features. It’s simply straightforward and practical.
Mind maps are great for students that have trouble organizing ideas or retaining a big amount of information. With Popplet, they can visualize all the information in only one page in a very appealing way.
It has the feature of adding not only text, but also images, videos and drawings. This is incredibly useful for students who have trouble reading or have any kind of visual impairment. It‘s also more appealing for students to see images or videos instead of reading all the information.
For students who have visual impairment, the page includes a zoom option that can be easily accessed
For students with motor skills challenges, Popplet offers a very easy to use app. Unfortunately, this app is not free.
Everyone can collaborate in their own way. Students can choose to write down the information or collaborate with a picture or drawing. It suits everyone’s needs.
How to use it:
Create an account or sign-up with your Google account.
Once you’re in, your home page will appear. Click on the “create new popplet” button, name it, select a color of your choice and start making your mind map from scratch. You can also explore the ready-made mind maps offered. If that’s the case, just go to the “features popplets” option and choose the one who best suits you.
Click on the gear icon presented in your Popplet to create each shape.
You can choose between the text option (shown as an “A”), the drawing option (shown as a pencil) and the image option, which also gives you the possibility to choose between picking a picture or a video. You can also change the color of the shapes, the size and the position.
If you want to add another attached shape, just click on the small circles on the sides of the shape.
To share the mind map or add collaborators, just go to the share option on the top right. Add collaborators by writing their e-mails or copy the link.
Example task:
Ask the students to make a list of all the habitats they know/they have seen in class (e.g. jungle, desert, sea, etc.).
Then, make them write each of them down in a different shape (make sure the shapes have different colors so that students won’t get confused). For students who have trouble writing or paying attention, ask them to look for pictures or even draw a picture there.
Lastly, ask the students to write, add pictures, videos or draw in each section the corresponding animals.
Peardeck is a web page in which you can create interactive lessons for your students. This page offers its users to connect many platforms to create the best interactive lessons. It may seem a bit complicated to explore at first, but don’t worry! I’ll guide you through it. Additionally, the site also offers a series of videos to help new users of the platform, so you can also go check them out!
Benefits for inclusive classrooms:
It’s very interactive and engaging for students. If students have trouble concentrating or paying attention or have behavioral challenges such as ADHD, this platform will help them concentrate more because it offers engaging features for them (for instance, quick quizzes, drawing activities, true or false sections, dynamic animation features, etc)
It’s great to make lessons more visual. Students with hearing challenges or reading, writing or visual challenges will find it easier to interact and participate in lessons (for instance, they can draw answers or simply click on a button instead of writing long answers).
It provides users with the option to add images, videos,and drawings. Not only is this more appealing for students but also it's a great help for students who have trouble concentrating, writing and reading. It also has the function to add audio to your lessons for students with visual impairment.
For students with motor skills challenges, the quick-answer options are great because it allows them to interact and answer by simply clicking a button.
It’s very collaborative. Teachers can choose to group students in teams for them to work together and help each other out.
How to use it:
Create an account by clicking on “teacher login”.
Once you’re finished, you’ll find your home page. There, you’ll see that you can create a lesson, a vocabulary list or choose a prompt. Select any of those depending on your needs. The “create a lesson” button opens a new powerpoint presentation on Google Slides for the teacher to create. The “create a vocab list” . Finally, the “choose a prompt” button shows you
If you choose to create a lesson on Google Slides, you’ll find that there is a tutorial on the presentation you created. Follow those 3 simple steps and start creating your lesson! If you don’t want to create your lesson from scratch, just click on the template library. You can add interactive slides by going to the library you can find on your right. Finally, to present your lesson, just click on the “start lesson” button.
If you choose to create a vocabulary list (a game in which students are divided in teams and have to select the right terms for the definitions or vice versa), you just have to write the terms and their definitions on the designated slots. Once you’re finished, click on the “play flashcard factory” button. Provide your students with the code to access the game and begin!
If you choose to create a prompt (short interactive games, questions,etc), just choose the one that suits you the most for your activity (you have prompts to begin your class, to end your class or for the middle of the lesson).
Example task:
The teacher can present a lesson for high school students in which they discuss climate change and the things they can do to help the environment.
Ask the students questions about the environmental reality. The teacher can use a prompt activity to set the ball rolling. Instead of asking students to write down answers or say them aloud ( some students may have some trouble doing so), ask them to select options. Example:
The teacher will show a presentation introducing the topic with many videos, images and prompts for students: quizzes, drawings, choices, etc). Teacher will add audio recording for students with hearing challenges.
Hockly, N.(2017) Unit 45: 10 things to know about SEN students and technology. EtPedia: Technology. pp. 159-161. Hove: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.
Mind maps made easy. Popplet. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2021, from https://www.popplet.com/.
Comments
Post a Comment