Spelling & Vocabulary with AAASpell

Here's a web tool I am starting to explore. It looks to be valuable for students, teachers, and parents with a focus on spelling and vocabulary. It's called AAASpell. AAASpell is free and is not account dependent. Students can use it as a self-directed study tool

I see great potential in this free, web based spelling/vocabulary app. The folks at AAASpell have created pre-made lists of nearly 30 lessons for grades 1-8 in both spelling and vocabulary. For those looking to support word study or phonemic spelling patterns, many of the lists are already organized with these strategies in mind. Each of the pre-made lists has both spelling and vocabulary study exercises associated with it. There is even audio pronunciation for most, if not all the words.

You don't need an account to use this AAASpell, however with an account there are some powerful tools for focused data collection. Teachers can create classes and student accounts. Assignments can even be given to a whole class or to individuals within a class.

I can see this used as a tool for differentiation with kids who may need additional support with spelling and or vocabulary understanding. Assigning different or leveled spelling/vocabulary lists easily for individualized instruction. It's definitely worth some exploration.

Enjoy.

SOAR- A Framework for School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

So, the new year is less than a week away & I've been "nominated" the SW-PBIS chair at my new school. I love the challenge and the opportunity to be in this position. Within the PBIS framework, a school's values must be operationally defined. Well, that's where this post comes in.

Please, lend me your time and comment on my attempt to synthesize our discussions on what it means to SOAR at Conrad Ball Middle School.

S- Service
Actions taken by an individual or group with the aim of providing a public good. This action is often performed without any expectation of result or award.
Students & Faculty- use what they have learned to solve real-life, community based problems. They engage in practical applications of their learning. They are actively contributing citizens and community members as demonstrated through the services they perform. They stand up for what right and take action to improve their community. They empower and include others, regardless of difference.

O- Ownership
When an individual demonstrates the courage to take responsibility and accountability for their actions.
Students & Faculty- consciously think before they act, and when the decision is made to act, they always take full ownership of their actions. They dependably take responsibility for their own actions, even when the outcome may be negative. They speak with sincerity and act with integrity.

A- Achievement
An outcome of accomplishment. The process of learning, growing, and improving upon ones ability by means of exertion, skill, practice, or perseverance.
Students & Faculty- demonstrate their desire for individual and collective accomplishment, mastering of skills, control, and high standards. They are determined to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. They accept challenge and persist through difficult tasks. They believe in themselves and their capability to learn, grow, and understand.

R- Respect
Taking another's feelings, needs, thoughts, ideas, wishes and preferences into consideration.
Students & Faculty- acknowledge, listening, are truthful, and accept others individuality and collective diversity. They know that respect is earned and cannot be forced, demanded, or compelled through fear. Act upon empathy, compassion, understanding, and consideration of/for members of the community.

The iPad = Educational Access (my proposal)

Although my proposal (in part below) for an iPad integration project did not yield the results I was hoping for, I thought I'd share my thoughts and ideas. So, enjoy. I'd love comments, suggestions, etc. if you have any.

Thanks, Matt

To what extent can the use of the iPad as an assistive technology impact the development of reading fluency and content area achievement for students with disabilities?

Education as an institution is in a stage of transformation. In regard to this process we know these things. Inclusive practices are a reality. High class-sizes and the broad range of student abilities within classes, across content areas, have placed innumerable challenges on schools, their teachers and their students. With the charge of closing identified achievement gaps, special educators must look to build capacity within students through empowerment, skill development, and academic competency.

When students can’t read, they can’t access curriculum. In essence, when they can’t access curriculum they are excluded even when included in the general education setting. For inclusive practices to be successful students need to build reading fluency and skills that generate access to content. Through the use of assistive technologies such as the iPad, students can develop content readiness through the following application of activities. Concurrent use of the iPad within reading intervention programming such as Corrective Reading, Read 180, Language!, and others. Provide process level differentiation across content areas to build pathways to learning. Create opportunities for self-monitoring, empowerment, goal creation, collaborative processing, and metacognition, in which the active progress monitoring is infused within all activities. Integrate fluency and reading instruction throughout the curriculum, in an engaging format.

Research (Tomlinson, 2005) suggests that high quality curriculum is engaging, authentic, varied, interesting, connected to prior knowledge, and incorporates technology, amongst other characteristics. Thus, it is imperative that we meet the students at their level of desire and need. For some, simple exposure to technology is necessary, while for others it can develop skills and become an equalizer for learning. Two specific ways in which I plan to utilize the iPad within this context are as follows: Effective fluency instruction consists of three main activities, modeled reading, assisted reading, and practice. In meeting these elements of effective instruction I will have students record, rehearse, paraphrase, listen, and follow along with reading materials. The ability to read a digital story while listening to it, record individual oral reading, listen and observe fluent models of reading, and reflect upon performance on a single device can be a powerful tool in supporting fluency and access to content.

Over the course of the year I intend to build interest and motivation, and foster self directed learning through empowerment and ownership of education. It is my sincere belief that tools such as the iPad can impact student achievement, student perceptions of school, conceptions of self and ability, while also providing them tools for independence, collaboration, and preparation for the possibilities and opportunities that await them in adulthood. As we look at building capacity within our models of schooling and developing effective, sustainable systems of intervention and practice, I feel strongly that these tools can provide not only the intangibles necessary for educational motivation but for content knowledge and academic growth.

I teach across content areas, provide intensive intervention in math, reading, social skills (affective needs), collaborate through consultation on behavior, differentiation, accommodation and modification, etc. Reading and math intervention tools such as Corrective Reading, Language! others have become tools of the trade for special and general educators alike. Well, sometimes these interventions can come across pretty bland. Lets face it, these tools for intervention, used as a tier 2 or 3 can be cumbersome, dry and lead to continued academic apathy in kids who already have low motivation for school. I do not presume by any means that the iPad is a "magic pill" that will eliminate all academic problems. To do so would be naive. I do however believe in the power of access.

The Profesional Learning Community & the Special Educator

Recently I read this article about closing the gap between research to practice, and the use of Learning Teams. The focus in this manuscript is on teacher learning teams as related to components of school improvement. It is asserted by the authors that these Learning Teams, in which teachers collaborate to improve instruction focused on what students are struggling to learn, can effectively work to meet the needs of all students.

I believe that the context of specific schools cannot be ignored, and thus I would like to open this question to special educators, special service providers, principals, general educators, parents, and all others interested. I am curious of the experience of others in this area of school improvement. 

So.....,

**Where do special educators fit into these teams? 

**Does a mixed model of consultation and direct service provision work?

What are your thoughts? 

References:
Gallimore, R., Ermeling, B.A., Saunders, W.M., Goldenberg, C. (2009). Moving the Learning of Teaching Closer to Practice: Teacher Education Implications of School-Based Inquiry Teams. The Elementary School Journal. 109(5).