By Julia Falzon, Emliy Belchos, & Samantha Ellis
| Question: | Answers |
| Describe your persona | – Benjamin is 6 years old (grade 1) – Has a little brother (4 years old) – Parents are together – Parents are supportive, but busy – Lives in VictoriaLoves building/creating – Diagnosed with ASD at 5 years old Has a speech impediment (goes to speech therapy once a week) – Has emotional regulation issues (no formal diagnosis) – Shows signs of ADHD (no diagnosis) – Strengths: curiosity, positive attitude, high energy – Barriers: issues with emotional regulation, hard time following rules, hard time transitioning , difficulty with literacy (reading and writing) |
| Will this student be learning all online, blended, with support … Describe the “mediums” in which this persona might be learning. Where would the learning be asynchronous or synchronous? Why? | – Blended (synchronous) – Most learning takes place in the classroom, with the exception of 2 half hour blocks (one after morning recess and one after lunch) when he goes to the sensory room with support from an EA. – In the sensory room, he will work on emotional regulation strategies. – A synchronous learning strategy will work better for Benjamin as transitions can be a barrier for – Benjamin and he is more successful with a consistent schedule. – His class practices a “station rotation” model of blended learning. This allows for differentiation for all students, as well as use of digital media, and opportunity of meaningful collaboration between students. – Instruction will be individual to Benjamin’s needs (e.g. working on the areas that he needs improvement, in ways that are effective and he enjoys, and ensuring that he has autonomy/choice) – He will be provided with tasks within the zone of proximal development (ZPD), so as to challenge him while ensuring that he can experience some success. – The pace of learning is determined by Ben and supported by the teacher and EA. – Assistive technologies will aid Ben during literacy activities – He will use several different mediums for learning: digital (e.g. minecraft edu, Epic!, Book creator), concrete manipulatives (e.g. base ten blocks, 3D models, etc.), |
| List/ describe any digital tools that might be considered to support online learning. | – Minecraft edu. – Book creator – EPIC – Digital version of base ten blocks – Digital model of 3D modelsText to speech software – Stories2Learn |
| How would you describe this student’s ideal learning context? | Ideal learning environment: – hands-on activities (building, creating, etc.) – Support available (from teacher, EA, close peers) possibly working with close peers (when he is emotionally regulated) with scheduled breaks every 15-20 mins – Relaxing environment (minimal noise/auditory stimulation, muted colours, etc.) – Availability of assistive technologies (to help with literacy, transitions, and emotional regulation) -Timer provided to inform him of transitions (timer is visual and he can help set the timer) – Autonomy and choice in what he is learning (some activities and assignments are co-created by Ben and his teacher) – Support and encouragement from teacher to take risks and make mistakes – “Station Rotation” model – Growth Mindset emphasis in the classroom |
| What are the real and perceived barriers to learning that are preventing safe, flexible and supportive learning experiences and environments for this student? | – Emotional regulation difficulties – Difficulty concentrating (possible ADHD, but no diagnosis yet) – Difficulty working with others in some situations, especially when he is tired or frustrated (following rules, collaborating, etc.) – Difficulty transitioning between activities (even with reminders) – Difficulty with verbal communication (speech impediment) – Difficulty with literacy (reading and writing) |
| Are there real or perceived equity, social justice or cultural considerations that may be preventing safe, flexible and supportive learning experiences and environments for this persona? | – Ben and his family are of lower socio-economic status. – He uses the school lunch program. – His parents both work long hours, which means that he is in care (at before and after school care) from 7:00am-5:30pm every day. – He has access to wifi, but it is not reliable. – They have one family computer, but the software is not up to date and the internet is slow. |
| How would you design for this persona in a distributed learning medium versus an open learning medium? What are some of the differences that you would consider? | Persona Characteristic: – Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Barrier/Challenge: – Difficulties transitioning, working with others (especially when tired and frustrated), and emotionally regulating. Distributed Environment: – A digital timer is provided in order to anticipate transitions – Ben is given the opportunity to set the timer himself (more “buy-in” this way) Open Environment: – A physical timer is supplied every time a transition is coming – Ben is given the opportunity to set the timer himself (more “buy-in” this way) – An EA supports successful transitions by filling in a sticker chart with Ben whenever he has a successful transition. It is important to co-evaluate his transitions so that Ben becomes more self aware and is accountable to his actions/transitions – When the chart is complete, Ben gets to choose a reward activity (e.g. Minecraft edu, building/crafts, etc.) – Given the opportunity twice a day to practice emotional regulation strategies with an EA in the sensory room – Opportunity to work with peers collaboratively (on developmentally appropriate tasks to ensure the group can succeed) when he is emotionally regulated – “Station Rotation” model is used in the classroom in order to allow him to practice regular, planned transitions (also to expose him to more personalized digital media and open learning) Persona Characteristic: Reluctant reader/writer Barrier/Challenge: Difficulties with literacy Distributed Environment: – Use text-to-speech (“read to me”) software to model flow, pronunciation, pace, volume, etc. when speaking. – Play literacy games on an iPad Upload assignments onto a LMS or just email to the teacher Open Environment: – Play literacy games on an iPad with support Use text-to-speech (“read to me”) software to model flow, pronunciation, pace, volume, etc. when speaking. – Collaborate (under the right circumstances) with classmates by reading to them, and being read to by them Persona Characteristic: Speech Impediment Barrier/Challenge: Difficulty expressing himself verbally Distributed Environment: – Can use text-to-speech software (either individually or with support) – Can communicate through text (given the option of writing instead of recording himself speaking) – In both environments, Ben will see a speech/language pathologist to work on his verbal language skills Open Environment: Can use text-to-speech software (either individually or with support) – In both environments, Ben will see a speech/language pathologist to work on his verbal language skills – Emphasis is put on using different modes of communication than just verbal (drawing, written text, building/creating, basic ASL), while still working on improving verbal skills Persona Characteristic: Lower socio-economic status Barrier/Challenge: – Limited access to food and technology Distributed Environment: – Food from school lunch program is available for pick up at the school – An iPad or chromebook is given to him to ensure that he has access to digital learning opportunities – A government subsidy is given to his family to ensure that Ben has a stable internet connection to work with. – Support is given to his parents to show them how to use the LMS and different computer programs that Ben will use. Open Environment: – Ben has access to the lunch program as he is at school for the whole day – Ben has access to the technology and digital media necessary to enhance his learning experience – The teacher acknowledges that Ben may not be as familiar with the computer/iPad programs as some other children. – The teacher scaffolds appropriately and ensures that he feels confident and supported. |
| How could your learning design support multiple means of engagement? | Optimize individual choice and autonomy: – Ben chooses a topic or genre that he is interested in. – Then, the teacher chooses some books that are appropriate for his reading level in that category. Then, Ben gets to pick what to read from the teacher’s picks. Minimize threats and distractions: – Ben can choose to complete his work (ex. Reading activities) in a quieter space such as a sensory room to minimize distractions. – Ben can choose to use headphones plugged into a computer or iPad in order to minimize distractions and focus on the task. Foster collaboration and community: – Schedule Ben’s group work time with other students immediately after his thirty minute block in the sensory room after he is more emotionally regulated. – Provide opportunities to play collaborative/cooperative games (such as Orchard) Increase mastery-oriented feedback: – Provide Ben with a sticker chart for successful transitions. Ben and his EA can “evaluate” his transitions from the morning and from the afternoon during sensory room time. – When Ben plays these collaborative games, he will use the reminders and rules picture chart for collaborative learning posted in his book to assist with positive interactions with his peers. – He will be given extra praise when he is successful in demonstrating the reminders and rules to follow on his sheet. Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies: – Ben will have a self regulation chart taped to his desk. This chart will have three zones of regulation on it: green, yellow and red. Beside each colour there will be a few strategies that Ben and the teacher have collaborated on. This will help Ben be more aware of his emotions. When he can identify where on the chart he is he can choose a strategy to help him overcome that. – Ben also has a fairly severe speech impediment, especially when he is more escalated. So instead of verbalizing which level he is at, he can simply point to communicate his feelings and his choice on how to deal with that. |
| How could your learning design support multiple means of representation? | Offer alternatives for auditory information: – “Read to me” function on Epic! can be chosen to model good reading habits (pace, volume, flow, etc.). – The follow-along word highlighting feature can help him focus on each spoken word to make connections between written words and their corresponding pronunciation. Illustrate through multiple media: – Ben will have the option to use Minecraft edu during center time or as an alternative to physically building. – The teacher/EA can give him prompts to create a task/ project to work on if he is needing some inspiration.This can foster a sense of autonomy as he can decide how and where he wants to work Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships: – For Ben’s writing activities, the teacher can write out letters or words with a highlighter for Ben to trace over with his pencil. – After practicing over the highlighted version he could write it again underneath with no guidance. Maximize transfer and generalization: – The teacher will ensure to set the timer clock at the front of the class 5 minutes before the end of the block to help Ben prepare for transition. – The teacher will remind Ben to look at the timer a few times during this period. Provide Ben with opportunities to create “mind maps”, can be drawing or words, to link new information to old information. – These can be done on paper or using an iPad (he is given a choice). – Can also be used as an activity to activate prior knowledge. For example, to start a unit on salmon, ask Ben to draw/write anything that reminds him of experiences with salmon or anything he already knows about salmon. |
| How could your learning design support multiple means of action and expression? | Use Multiple media for communication: – Compose stories using manipulatives and narration (recorded by the teacher using an iPad and uploaded to an e-portfolio) – Use Book Creator app (with support) to create stories and practice literacy skills Provide manipulatives (base 10 blocks, 3D models of shapes) to practice foundational math skills – Provide a digital version of math manipulatives (above) as an alternative (provide a choice for him) Use multiple means of construction and composition: Have him practice writing using sentence starters/sentence strips Support Planning and Strategy development: – Write and review a social story with him that reminds him to “stop and think” before acting This story can be made and read on the app Stories2Learn. – Model “think-alouds” of the process that he is going through (can be with the whole class as a role-playing game) – Scaffold appropriately: implement gradual release of responsibility into instruction (first I do it, then we do it together, then you do it collaboratively, then you do it alone). Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies: – Ben may choose to use reading applications during silent reading and literacy times throughout the week, especially if he is needing assistance with a certain level of book. (EPIC!, Book Creator, etc.) – Ben may choose to use text-to-speech software to practice pronunciation of different words (e.g. he can use the software to read a book or his own composition aloud to him) |
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References
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Julia Falzon 