iPods and kids with special needs
learning, podcast 3 Comments »Well, what am I going to do with 40 brand new, shiny iPods? I have some ideas but the most exciting is that I am going to give them to kids. That’s all: just give them to kids and see what happens. But its not just any kids I’m going to give them to. Its dyslexic kids, autistic kids, mild to moderate intellectually disabled kids. And then, I’m going to sit back and watch what happens when I say “How are you going to use these to make school a better place for you?”.
I hope that Frances will say “I hate noisy classrooms. I’m going tio use the iPod to zone out when it all gets too much and I can’t concentrate on my work.” I hope Sarah will say “I’m going to ask the teacher’s aide to put my novel on the iPod so I don’t have to read it all by myself”. I hope Sarah says “Maybe we could record our speeches” or “Can we use these to record our voices and put them together with pictures and music?”.
I am starting to understand Alan November’s mantra More Them – Less Us.
This whole notion that we must control even a Web 2.0 learning experience is fallacious and fraught. So I am going to let go a little and see what happens. Having worked only a little with special kids, I know I need to be prepared for anything, but what better way to appreciate what is developmentally appropriate for a kid with a disability than to ask them and to watch them. If you have any ideas for what the students might create or ask for then please let me know.
Have you been asking yourself how students could use iPods and podcasting in their learning? A 9 year old girl I know pretty well picked up the iPod this morning and said “Can I use this to record my voice?”. “Sure” I said, thinking she would just have a play. The podcast below is the result. What if your students could work on their speeches in the privacy of their own home, and when they’re ready record and upload a polished version for publication and feedback. I wouldn’t necessarily replace speaking in front of an audience, but it does offer an exciting addition to the preparation (or an alternative for phobic kids).
My colleagues will soon be famous. Tune in to this great podcast, where educators respond to the question “How will student learning be improved or enriched with these Web 2.0 tools?” The answers were broad, thoughtful and varied. Enjoy!