AT team members SEA Consultant Christine Harvey-Kerr and Itinerant Resource teacher Valia Reinsalu presented back-to-back session at the Technology for Teachers ETFO's ICT Conference for Women, May 31. Their hands-on workshop was entitled: Using Assistive Technology to Facilitate Mathematical Communication with Your Special Education Students.
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| Itinerant teacher Valia Reinsalu (left) and SEA Consultant Christine Harvey-Kerr (right). |
During the session, teachers learned way to support Math communication via the use of the Interactive Whiteboard tools and strategies and SMART ideas, a graphic organizer program which supports students organization of ideas and connection of idea via colour coding and visuals. Examples of student work produced using AT and mobile apps were also shared. During the session, participants had ample hands-on time to modify or create activities for their own use from the modeled sample files.
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| Workshop participants uses digital manipulative on the IWB. |
The two-day conference started at ETFO head office on Isabella Street on Friday with professional development by presenters shared their classroom-based projects and initiatives. The following day involved hands-on workshops at OISE`s Bloor Street computer labs. Topics included learning about Ministry-licensed software, Interactive Whiteboards, iPads, Google drive, as well as ETFO and other online resources. There were 22 presenters and 130 participants from all over Ontario at the event, with participants from Windsor to as far as Sioux Lookout.
