The End!

Well, I didnt realize how much there is to learn! I am feeling kind of overwhelmed but very grateful to have had the chance to take this course. I really had not idea about google documents and always wanted to set up Skype. Although I probably would have eventually gotten the camera and figured out how to use it personally to see my daughter, I would never have thought of all the ways to use Skype at school. I didnt really get the full benefit of blogging that I could have had I completed the course in a more timely manner, yet still I found it extremely valuable and am grateful for the opportunity to partipicate. Look forward to continuing to become more proficient with Twitter and expand my PLN, student and therapist resources, and teacher website which had nothing on it till this course.

#14 Student Resources

Wow, this essential is really fun! I have been playing many educational games. One I used with my students today was a typing game where the frogs eat all the letters of the words if you don't type them fast enough. You can set the game to beginner, intermediate or advanced and there are lessons and tests. There is also a space invaders and asteroid game on the same site. I added it to the spreadsheet but here is the link: http://freetypinggame.net/play3.asp.
Another sight I found will help me and other students learn American Sign Language. There is a real need for this at my school since we have a few students who are deaf and the rest of us have limited ability to talk to them when their interpreters are at lunch or on break. Check it out at http://aslpro.com and see videos of people signing or finger spelling the word in a quiz format.

# 13 Resources

I started by searching for schoolbased OT resources and found several good sites-some I already knew about and many that were new to me. I like how the suggested AllMyFaves/educators site is organized first into content areas and then the little colorful signs to click on! Through this site I went to Special Needs and found http://www/dotolearn.com. This site is great place to make schedules using the PECs (picture exchange communication). It also has a wonderful emotions color wheel section where students can click on the name of the emotion and see a photo of someone with that emotion. Also activity about behavior thermometers showing changes in intensity of emotions. This site has descriptions of different disabilities, songs, games, and products as well. The other site I liked was http://www.yourtherapysource.com which has free movement math activities to integrate movement and learning, CD's, sensory motor games and activities that can be printed/play/ download.

PLN

A PLN is any group of people learning from each other, online or in person. They can share resources, new ideas, what works/doesnt work and save each other alot of time. My PLN has primarily consisted of co workers within my building and district however, after this course I see my PLN expanding not only out of state but out of this country through the use of You tube, Twitter, skype and blogging etc. I have spent a long time trying to get Delicious to work on my home computer and have given up. It sounds wonderful and I will try to get it to work on my school computer and then try again at home.

#5 Google Docs

As you can see, I am not doing these essentials in order! There are reasons believe me. Anyway, I never knew about this feature of google. I will use this new skill when my college daughter sends me a paper to proof read. She always sends it as an attachment and we send it back and forth with revisions and even thought we keep renaming it, it gets confusing which one is the final best paper. I am sure I will also use it to create surveys and questionaires as I am a memeber of several committees that seek input from the entire staff. I found the shared document about the books we read interesting and quite diverse!

#10 You tube in the Classroom

I found several videos when I searched using the words "Brain Gym" which is something I use with my students. I was successful saving it to Zamzar however I was disappointed with the quality of the download video compared to the original. I wonder if it was just the particular video or if everyone else experience this as well. Anyway, it was nice not to have to log onto the internet, and not show all the surrounding advertisements. The students loved the new moves and music on the video. They were interested in going on You Tube to find more brain gym videos and had several suggestions for other topics as well. This was a great Essential for me. I had gone to You tube on many other occasions and for many other reasons but never realized how much I could use it with my students.

#6 My Teacher Website

I am happy to discover adding modules is not difficult. I added a calendar with my schools information. This is something I have been wanting to learn more about since last year after school we were rushed through the process of creating a website. Mine said almost nothing so this is a good start and I know I will return and add more so it is more valuable to those who look at it. I looked at every other staff member in my building and about 15 in other buildings so I now have a good idea how I want to improve mine.

Using online tools to communicate

I have spent quite a bit of time reading blogs that do not pertain to my situation which is interesting but frustrating as well. I finally found two sites one by a parent: http://autismlearningfellt.clogspot.com and there was a an interesting blog about why essential fatty acids are important for autistic children and also a wonderful blog about an interview with a nonverbal autistic adult. I also found this site by an occupational therapist http://abctherapeutics.blogspot.com and there was an good blog about therapy with students with behavior problems. I am still looking for a good example of a therapist using these tools with students. It is much easier to find examples of teachers using these tools with students.

Skype

I am excited to try skype with my deaf students that use sign language. They can call someone else now and see each other using sign language. I also have students who do not have good phone skills or typing ability but might like to talk if they can see the other person.

Sype

Well, I now have a sype account and it was easy to add the contacts as well as several personal friends and family. I am happy to have gotten this far but havent made an actual video call. hope to figure that out in the next day since all my contacts are light grey, I dont think it works yet.

Twitter

Setting up and exploring Twitter was pretty time consuming but I am excited and hopeful that it will be as useful to me as some of you have said it is in your blogs. My twitter is IcanwithOT.

#1 Good site

I found several good blogs but one I found interesting was called the Crazy Professor Reading Game which was a step by step video showing students doing a reading technique that helps students see meaning in the words they're reading by reading dramatically and moving their hands. It looks like a technique that could be used in several grade levels and spec ed as well. I am not sure how to tell you to get to this spot. http://lifefeast.blogspot.com

#1 Blogs

Hi! I will write something more meaningful later when I understand how this works!