Inclusion and Teaching in Chicago

Do you remember the days where you had to read aloud text into an mp3 player for a student to listen to the next day? Or waiting six months for the hard working people in Assistive Tech to hand you a copy of Co:Writer? Those days are GONE GONE GONE (and thank goodness for that!). But... what do you do if you don't have iPads at your school? What do you do if you share a computer cart with everyone else on your floor? What do you do if you only have two old PC computers in the corner of your room and that's it? Well, first... go here , Chicagoans go here , or here and get an iPad or Chromebook grant ASAP. Technology belongs in our modern classrooms! Did you fill out a grant application? Good! In the meantime, I have compiled a list of websites that allow you accessibility in any classroom without needing to download or sign up for anything. Text-to-Speech Websites: Read Speaker- reads 250 characters Text to Speech IM Translator- no character maximum but the webpage is...

Question:  As an Inclusion Facilitator, I am often asked about modifying and accommodating work to meet individual student needs. Whenever this happens, I immediately ask for samples of student work. Modifying and accommodating for students is so individualized in nature that the A/M section on the student's IEP isn't enough information to tell me what the student needs. The reality is that what works for one student in one class with one set of co-teachers (or one teacher) might not work for another student in the same grade in a different classroom. The IEP is the most individualized document in town and we need to remember the specific student every step of the way.  I look at the following: Student IEP goals Student IEP modifications and accommodations Student strengths General education teacher and learning specialist personalities and teaching style Lesson and unit plans Specific activities Student work Resource: Jenn Kurth's unit based approach to...

For anyone that's counting down with me, we have 12 days left of school. Here's support #3! I am a HUGE fan of Bookshare. In my experience, it is the best (and most age appropriate) way of providing access to text for students who have print based disabilities. I love using the Bookshare app called Read2Go . It's $20.00 and well worth the price but you can also download the program on a computer for free. The hardest part about Bookshare is signing up. Give yourself a week to sign up and familiarize yourself with the download process. Below are some great videos from Bookshare that show you how to become a member. Enjoy! Here's a website tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=G0RUvNRZl8w How to use Read2Go: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=kcQOmPDjw9g How to download Bookshare on your computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=JFDt34DhVPo From their website: Bookshare® opens up the world of reading for people with print disabilities. If you cannot rea...

Here in Chicago we just started the PARCC assessment. This, however, isn't a post about my opinions (or anyone else's) on standardized testing. The reality is that testing IS our reality. Going into testing, I have three main objectives: 1. Appropriate accommodations are met. 2. Students feel prepared. 3. Students feel comfortable. 3. Teachers feel calm and ready. Below are my top tricks: 1. Appropriate accommodations are met. Use  this link to get my testing accommodations spreadsheet. This is a great way to keep all of your students' testing accommodations in one place. I like to print this off before testing begins and hand out copies to any other proctors who are testing with me. You can also share this with the general education teacher or anyone else that would benefit from having this information. I don't like to rely on my memory for something as important as testing accommodations, and this way I don't have to! 2. Students feel prep...