+
“I Love This Computer”
Using Assistive Technology to
Assist Students with Disabilities
in Meeting the Common Core
Curriculum Standards in
Writing
Dr. Amanda Fenlon, Associate
Professor, State University of
New York at Oswego
Amanda.fenlon@oswego.edu
+
The Challenge
need new
methods and tools to
 The new Common Core State support learners with
significant disabilities in
Standards (CCSS) have
called for greater
reaching the Common
accountability and shared
Core standards and
responsibility for literacy
increasing literacy skills.
instruction for all students,
including those with
disabilities.
 Assistive technology tools
such as SOLO6, Classroom
Suite, iPads and adaptive
 Students with disabilities often
keyboards in combination
require more time and
specialized instruction to
with authentic writing
develop and master basic
activities CAN HELP!
literacy and writing skills.
 Teachers
+Why Instruction in Literacy and
Writing Matters?
 Literacy
and writing allow students to communicate
and express themselves.
 Literacy
provides access to education and is a means
for accessing information.
 Literacy
offers access to independence.
 Literacy
is what many self-advocates express as a
missing element in their education and their lives.
 Literacy
access is an educational, civil and human
right---a means of achieving social justice.
+
Framework for Literacy Program
 ALL
learners need and benefit from
COMPREHENSIVE Literacy program
Erickson & Koppenhaver (2007) Children with disabilities:
Reading and writing the four blocks way Carson Dellosa
Publisher
ALL learners need and benefit from
COMPREHENSIVE Literacy programs
THAT INCLUDE:
 Guided
 Self
(or shared) reading*
selected reading*
 Letter
and word work
 Writing
for authentic purposes
At students’ instructional reading level
+
Context of Case Examples
 Middle
School Students, Grades 4-7, with significant
disabilities (DD, ID, Autism, Orthopedic impairments,
Significant Learning Disabilities)
 Individual
teaching sessions, focusing on literacy and
writing—using traditional and digital texts
 Had
various assistive technology available to use in
sessions: SOLO6 (Co-Writer, Read OutLoud, Write
OutLoud); Classroom Suite, Big Keys Keyboard, iPads
Kidspiration, classroom computers)
 Used
OnLine Digital libraries and
authoring tools (www.tarheelreader.org,
Power Point, www.setbc.org ) Raz-kids
+ “Authentic” Narrative Writing—
What’s That? Why should we use
this genre?

Merriam-Webster: “Real, accurate, true”

Personal narratives & experiences

“All About Me” biographies

Non-fiction and fiction pieces about a
topic of strong interest

IT’S MOTIVATING!!

Use authentic writing as a “BRIDGE” to get kids writing, then
have them write about other topics (science, social studies,
responding to a book or text exemplar from the Common Core
+
Not every student is ready to type
on an iPad!

There are wonderful writing APPS coming out that will help
many children succeed with writing on the iPad,

BUT…
Some
students (those with motor or
visual challenges) will need a
“bridge” to using an iPad.
Some
students will not be able to use
an iPad due to these challenges.
+
Pre-Writing Supports are Crucial
 Graphic
organizers
 Pictures/photos
as
writing prompts
 Guiding
Questions
 Sentence
starters
+
Logan with Big Keys, Laptop and
Writing Objective for Logan: Logan will
Co-Writer
write 2-3 sentences on a topic of his

6th Grader with autism,
reading at F&P Level C in
inclusive classroom
choice, provided teacher prompts and
computer technology.

Great background
knowledge, many age
appropriate interests (super
heroes, video games, youtube,
animals)
Common Core Standards:

Challenging behaviors (NOT
a fan of paper and pencil
tasks)
+Big Keys Keyboard & Word Prediction
Features


Plug and Play—USB plugs into any
computer or laptop. No installation
required. Raised keys help students
with motor challenges, key divider
encourages use of both hands
Will work with Co-Writer (word
prediction) from Don Johnston.com
Available from:

www.ablenetinc.com

www.rjcooper.com
“My Name is Logan”—Authentic Writing Piece
+
+
Logan’s First Writing Piece
My Name is Logan
At home, I play on
the computer. My
favorite website is
YouTube. Kingdom
Hearts Two is a
videogame I play
on the Playstation
2.
 Teacher
Prompts and
Modeling:
 “This
is word prediction.
It’s going to tell you what
you’re writing.”
 “Do
you see it here?”
 “Keep
looking.”
 Logan’s
response at end:
 “THANK YOU!!!!”
+ David with Big Keys, Laptop and Classroom
Suite (Ablenet Inc.)

5th Grader with autism in
inclusive classroom

Largely non-verbal. Had a
Tango AT device he used with
limited success

Reading at F&P Level J

Loves animals, space travel,
stories

Motor planning and sensory
challenges
+
Some writing objectives for David

David will use a text (Crocs and
Gators, Level K) as a resource to
create a piece of writing that
demonstrates text to self
connections

When given sentence starters,
David will compose at least four
sentences using computer
technology, that demonstrate text
to self connections

Using a graphic organizer,
photos from home and computer
technology, David will create a
digital journal on his trip to
Florida
The Vacation, by David
+ Common Core Curriculum
Standards addressed for David
+
Classroom Suite
Classroom Suite Writing Template
+
Classroom Suite by Ablenet Inc.
 Many
writing templates from basic to more
sophisticated.
 Pre-Writing
supports such as graphic
organizers, guiding questions within the
templates and picture libraries. Can import
own photos.
 Writing
supports such as word prediction,
spell check and text read aloud.
 Creativity
tools allow students to write
journals, develop multimedia presentations
Vacation Journal Graphic Organizer
+David with
Laptop,
Big Keys,
&
Classroom
Suite
+
David’s Finished Vacation Journal
created with Classroom Suite
+
Mei

4th grader in an integrated cotaught classroom, classified
with autism




Goals: to explore AT to
support curriculum access for
Mei
Interested in animals, nature,
art, a visual learner

Little spontaneous language,
no formal communication
system, largely non-verbal,
some sensory issues and
distracting behaviors
To help Mei develop a way to
express what she knows, using
technology

To model and encourage the
establishment of meaningful
literacy instructional routines
Comes from a bi-lingual home,
although Mandarin Chinese
mostly spoken at home
+
Curriculum Goals & CCSS for Mei:


Read and respond to a text
(in digital form or
traditional text).

Improve Reading
Comprehension skills.

Compose an
informational/explanatory
writing piece based on a
non-fiction text.
Common Core ELA
Standards:
+
Technology Tools
for Mei
Kidspiration 3
www.inspiration.com
+
Kidspiration

Kidspiration
(www.inspiration.com):
•Can
create online graphic
organizer with or without
colorful, engaging visuals
•Can
create draft document
based on ideas from graphic
organizer—import into Word
document.
•Text
to speech feature allows
student to hear and edit writing
•Typically
available on most
school computers
+
Raz-Kids (www.raz-kids.com)
A leveled digital
book library
(subscription fee),
with related activities
such as quizzes,
ability to earn
“prizes”, data
collection for
teachers.
Students can read
book or have it read
to them. Text is
highlighted—human
voice reads books.
Some have music and
animations.
Many schools have
Raz-kids!
+
Materials for Mei
Digital Book: Level F
Print book:
www.readinga-z.com www.Raz-kids.com
Cloze comprehension
activity.
Visual
Schedule for
Literacy
Session
+
Pre-Writing Supports
Traditional Graphic organizer
Kidspiration Outline
+
Mei’s finished writing piece
Last step—
import as Word
document.
+
Mandy





6th grader reading at F&P
Level G
Loves dance, Peanuts,
baseball. Dances and plays
baseball in community rec
programs.
Has Down syndrome and
autism
Largely non-verbal, EXCEPT
when she is reading!

Used www.tarheelreader.org
as part of literacy lessons

She engaged well with books

She authored her own book as
part of the writing portion of
one literacy lesson

Tarheelreader uses flikr
picture library as writing
prompts
http://www.tarheelreader.org
+
Curriculum Goals for Mandy

Read and respond to fiction
and non-fiction text at her
instructional level (G).

Create a narrative piece of
writing consisting of at least 45 sentences using proper
writing conventions.

Common Core Standards
addressed:
+
www.Tarheelreader.org

Great authoring tool!

One caution, have student
choose topic and preview flikr
pictures before writing session

Some flikr pictures are
inappropriate

Show “Mandy’s Dance Book”

Highlight writing process
using my login
Mandy reading her digital book on tarheelreader.org
+
Ali

5th Grader with
significant learning
disabilities

Very imaginative

Reading at 2nd grade
level

Loves fantasy stories

Difficulty with
handwriting, resistant
to using paper and
pencil
Common Core Curriculum
Standards addressed (some)
+
Ali’s Writing Before Co-Writer
+ Pre-Writing Support “Melanie and
the Prince”

Started with Traditional
Graphic Organizer to brainstorm

plan, organize and
and record ideas for her story

Then transferred to
SOLO Literacy Suite with

Co-Writer

www.donjohnston.com
Setting
+
Used SOLO6 Draft Builder & CoWriter
 Keys
to success:
 LOTS
of teacher support and scaffolding
 Teacher
 Woke
stage
Modeling and Prompts
up Co-Writer during the draft builder
Ali’s Writing After
Pre-Writing
Support and
introduction to CoWriter
“I Love this
Computer!”
+
Resources
 Digital
Book Libraries
& Authoring Tools:

www.tarheelreader.org

www.setbc.org
 Big
Keys Keyboard

www.ablenetinc.com

www.rjcooper.com
 AT Tools

Classroom Suites by Ablenet
Inc.

www.ablenetinc.com

SOLO Literacy Suite by Don
Johnston

www.donjohnston.com
+ Articles & Books

"So Much Potential in
Reading!” by Fenlon,
Amanda G; McNabb,
Jessica; Pidlypchak,
Harmony. Teaching
Exceptional
Children43.1 (Sep/Oct
2010): 42-48.


Using Technology to Support
Balanced Literacy for Students
With Significant Disabilities by
Carnahan, Christina R;Williamson,
Pamela S;Hollingshead,
Aleksandra; Israel, Maya.Teaching
Exceptional
Children45.1 (Sep/Oct 2012): 2029.
Intensive Reading Instruction
For Learners With
Developmental Disabilities, by
Schnorr, Roberta F. The
Reading Teacher65.1 (Sep
2011): 35.

Children with Disabilities:
Reading and Writing the FourBlocks® Way, By Karen Erickson &
David Koppenhaver, available
from www.carsondellosa.com