September 2016

Issue 1

Technology In The Classroom

Unique Learning System

Inside
Communication Devices
The Apple iPad helps creates
communication in non-verbal
classrooms.

2
Smart Boards
Smart Boards are helping
classrooms go interactive.

Unique Learning System is an award-winning, online,

standards-based set of interactive tools specifically designed for
students with special needs to access the general curriculum.
Used daily in school districts and classrooms across the country,
Unique Learning System provides preschool through transition
students with rigorous, standards-based materials specifically
designed to meet their instructional needs (Unique, 2016).
What is fantastic about the Unique Learning System is that it is
completely interactive, the readings, lessons, pre-testing and posttesting are all interactive. This helps
out so much the non-verbal and lowverbal students. Each month has a
different core standard theme
alternating between Science and
Social Studies, where reading and
math core standards are made into
interactive lessons.

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Technology In The Classroom

Issue 1: September 2016

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Breaking Barriers
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC) includes all forms of
communication (other than oral speech) that are
used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas
(Association, 1997). AAC devices allow a student
who may be completely non-verbal or limited
speech to communicate with pictures and symbols
to help with classroom interactions. The AAC
devices create more interactions with teachers;
paraprofessionals and other students therefore
social and emotional satisfaction increase for the
student using the device.
The ability for non-verbal students to use
AAC devices could limit frustrations and outburst in
the classroom. They can use the device to say, My
head hurts or It is to loud in the classroom.
Simple wants and needs can be expressed by the
student and the teacher can understand what the
students needs are at that time and make
adjustments preventing frustration and outburst that
could result in disrupting the classroom.
In the article A Comparison of

Communication Using the Apple iPad and a Picturebased System there was a 5-week study of children
who were non-verbal or had limited verbal skills.
The findings indicate the use of the iPad did not
detract from students communication.
Communication behaviors either increased with the
use of the iPad or remained at the same frequency
as when using the picture-based system (Flores et
al., 2012).

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[Name]
Also the iPad was more versitible than the Picturebased System for students and teachers. Once
this is established, the iPad may offer an advantage
in terms of amount of work associated with
implementation compared to a picture-card system,
which requires preparation of picture cards,
storage, and movement from place to place. The
iPad can be easily moved from one activity to
another with no teacher preparation beyond initial
programming of the device. For this reason, the
instructors in this study preferred using the iPad
over the picture system Flores et al., 2012).
One of the user-friendly AAC apps is
TouchChat. TouchChat is a full-featured
communication solution for individuals who have
difficulty using their natural voice. TouchChat is
designed for individuals with Autism, Down
Syndrome, ALS, apraxia, stroke, or other conditions
that affect a person's ability to use natural speech
(TouchChat - communication Apps for iPad,
iPhone, and iPod touch, n.d.). The TouchChat
system has many preloaded vocabulary pages
there is a ton of storage to customize your own
pages. It is simple for teachers, speech therapists,
and parents to upload content including real
pictures of mom, dad, and other real life things
allowing the vocabulary to personalize to the
individual student.

Technology In The Classroom

Issue 1: September, 2016

Continued from page 1

Unique Learning
System
(Created by
Unique, 2016)
Comprehensive
Curriculum
Differentiated
Materials
Six Grade Bands
of Content
Interactive
Lesson Plans
Standards-Based
Mobile Access
Comprehensive
Reading Program
Comprehensive
Math Program
Data Driven
Instruction
n2y Library

You start out each month by doing an interactive pre-testing this can be done
by computer or iPad depending on the students capability of using the touch
screen or clicking the mouse on the computer. The pre-testing gathers what
information the student may already know about that months lesson. This
gives the teacher a benchmark of where the student is already at and where
the student will need to be at by the post-testing.
During the month each day has several different lessons that can be
done in a big group setting by using the Smart Board. The readings can be
read aloud on the SMART Board the students can listen and follow along
with the highlights words as the story is being read. Then students can
answer the questions by going up the SMART Board touching the answer
and dragging it over to the answer box, if the student is correct the box will
light up green and make a clapping sound. If the student is incorrect then the
box will light up red and make a binging sound and the student can try again.
In small group setting we can use the Unique Learning System to test
students knowledge of vocabulary and math facts with the interactive system
using the iPad or computers. Making it a more intimate environment by being
able to measure what the individual student in retaining and not retaining.
At the end of the month students are post-tested, which is very
similar to pre-testing. It is done on the iPad or computer and it generates a
series of questions and once the post-testing is finished. It compares the
students knowledge from pre-testing verses post-testing and measures their
growth for that month.
The Unique Learning System helps so much in the classroom like an
Achieve Unit where the student population is all Autistic and mostly nonverbal. The Unique Learning System allows, Users interact with
differentiated, thematic units of study with text-to-speech, interactive
components, hundreds of activities and multiple opportunities to show what
they know (Unique, 2016).

Technology In The Classroom

Issue 1: September 2016

SMART Boards Bringing an Interactive

Approach to the Classroom
SMART Boards help make classrooms interactive and fun. The
SMART board allows the teacher to make lesson interactive, for
example if the lesson is about volcanoes a video of an erupting volcano
can be shown to the students. This enhances the students learning
experience by being able to see the volcano erupting interactive tools
can allow the students to draw on the SMART board pointing out
specific parts of the volcano. Students get a hands-on approach to an
actual volcano eruption without being there in person. The interactive
nature of SMART boards offers learners an opportunity to share and
participate in the instructional process. Interactivity provides a platform
for students to demonstrate their grasp of the subject through touching,
drawing, and writing. Every learner has an opportunity to participate or
contribute to the presentation and/or discussion via notebooks and
tablets. In addition, the boards provide for rapid assessment whereby
learners can receive immediate feedback. Teachers and students are
able to identify individual strengths and weaknesses in various subject
areas and isolate areas/topics that need more focus or review (Gray,
2014). SMART boards help every type leaner in the classroom SMART
boards are effective and efficient in todays classroom.

References
Association, A. S.-L. (1997).

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) . Retrieved

September 9, 2016, from asha.org,
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/AAC/

Flores, M., Musgrove, K., Renner, S., Hinton, V., Strozier, S., Franklin, S., &
Hill, D. (2012).
A Comparison of Communication Using the Apple iPad and a
Picture-based System. Augmentative and Alternative
Communication, 28(2), 74-84. doi:10.3109/07434618.2011.644579
Gray, L. (2014, March 3).

8 Reasons why
SMART Boards are
a Must for the
Classroom!
(Created by Gray, 2014)

1.Provides Flexibility
2. Enhanced
teaching/learning
experience
3. Interact and share

4. Low-Maintenance
5. Access to online
information & tools

The advantages of SMART boards in the classroom . Retrieved

September 12, 2016, from Governer Business Solutions,
http://www.governorsolutions.com/the-advantages-of-smart-boardsin-the-classroom/

TouchChat
Communication Apps for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Retrieved
September 9, 2016, from TouchChat, https://touchchatapp.com
Unique. (2016).
Retrieved September 11, 2016, from
https://www.n2y.com/products/unique

6. Going Green
7. Technology Integration

8. Communication