Getting Down to Work- October 23rd, 2018

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Now that some of our software is up and running, our next task is to begin compiling ready made resources we can use for our TLLP. Grid 3 offers a massive amount of opportunity for writing through eye gaze and/or touchscreen both through grid we can produce ourselves and those we can access online. We met today, with the primary purpose being to create resources for classroom use through Grid 3 and Choose It Maker 3.

Deb was able to share some of the exciting progress Josie is making using eye gaze technology. She has been thoroughly enjoying using the Look to Learn software to develop her skills as an eye gaze user. Through interactive and engaging games, Josie has shown she is able to use eye gaze effectively to make choices and to bring about desired consequences (cause and effect games).  Of course, our ultimate goal is to use this technology as an alternative pencil for Josie's writing.

Allison and I spent some time creating retell and sequencing activities for the story, Five Little Pumpkins, using Choose It Maker. We are hopeful that over time, we will become more proficient so that the creating of the resources will be able to take backseat to actually using such resources with our students! As we become increasingly familiar with our new technology, we will need to devise and tackle some critical questions pertaining to the purpose of our TLLP: What specific literacy and writing behaviours and skills are we going to measure? How will we most effectively use the technology we have to work towards skill development? And finally, How will we most effectively demonstrate the need for alternative pencils in complex students? Will it be through developing case studies of a number of diverse pupils, or will we be wise to focus on a very small number of homogeneous students?

Once we have Grid 3 installed on all 3 computers, we will be able to begin observation and data collection for baselines and growth over time. In  the next month, we are also scheduled to visit a special school in Halton Region in which 3 eye gaze systems are in use. We are hopeful that this visit will provide the opportunity to deepen our current understandings as well as to establish partnerships with neighbouring schools and school boards.

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