I don't think anyone would believe me if I had to tell them what my homework was this weekend. Searching for apps on ITunes that will enhance a students educational experience and life overall. How sweet does that sound! Sounds easy doesn't it. Well, there's a snag... my student profile is very limited. As an instructor of adults in a post-secondary institution, I am not privy to student information, personal or otherwise. So, when it comes to learning disabilities, instructors can only make educated guesses.... or if you one of the lucky ones and the student reveals their 'disability' to you. A former student revealed to me that she 'thought' she was dyslexic - but did not want anyone to know..and was very adamant, "...I do not want that stigma to follow me through college...". She was very aware of what her classroom and learning needs were - she would type everything, as opposed to writing. Some how this gave her the ability to see words quickly (very FAST typist) so she could backspace/edit the words, and correct her mistakes. This was accommodating for her. I thought is was the technology working its wonders..I was wrong. It was the student finding accommodating ways to live & manage with her disability. She volunteered her story...she was the exception.
So, it appears that I may have a variety of student profiles... older (age 20+), mature, intrinsically motivated, driven, very hard on themselves, moms & dads, fully employed, lack of confidence, righting a wrong (shame of low marks in high school or not completing high school at all), juggling 50 things at once... dyslexic. This is starting to sound an awful lot like me. Serious now... a majority of my students have never been officially diagnosed with a learning disability and if they have, they are trying to overcome it on their own (and I don't know about it) along with managing a full-time student and home life. What they need is TIME.
The mature student is a perfect candidate for this app; they are trying to be productive in an online format, and at school and at home.
APP#1 - The Time Manager app (needs to be on every one's Xmas list) allows the student to manage your time and records it, it computes your wasted time.. (OMG! We'll all be exposed!) This APP syncs with your Touch/IPhone calendar, and the neat thing is, the APP keeps running even when it's not in use. You can manually fill in your time as well, it will calculate how long you spent on Bejeweled, (not that I've wasted hours upon hour upon hours on that sweet little addiction) and then how long you spent shopping or researching or homework..then spits out an perfect little pie chart depicting (%) exactly how much wasted versus productive time you spent doing lifes most important stuff during the day or week. My students need this. This APP would be ideal during exam week.. ..calculating study habits, and Tim Horton runs. This APP could possibly determine if a student is spending too much time on specific home work or tests durations, with the notion that the student may need remedial work or accommodating factors for completing tests.
APP #2 is for those of us who are visually impaired in some way. A large majority of my mature students who use hand held devices are often turned off by their efficiency because of the very small font and keyboards. Behold the BigName -Large Text app! Well the app name speaks for itself. No more squinting when searching through your IPhone for contact names! The large high contrast text allows for easy browsing. IPod fan feedback was great as well...'you made my IPhone more usable for folks with poor vision.."
Next. I have often made the assumption that my students are just plain messy. Mostly they have books, papers and pens all over their desks, and are usually scrambling to find a scrap of paper to scribble an important lecture, only to lose it the next day. #3 - AudioNote-Notepad and Voice Recorder
This gem of a app is perfect for mature students who have yet to acquire the skill of taking good note taking.
Using this app eliminates the frustration of deciphering what is important by simply improving note quality. Students no longer have to search through voice recordings or messy scribblers... each note acts as a direct link to a recording. Record class + Review your notes = success guaranteed! Families can ge involved too - understanding the basics of AT is critical for it's overall success.
So, it appears that I may have a variety of student profiles... older (age 20+), mature, intrinsically motivated, driven, very hard on themselves, moms & dads, fully employed, lack of confidence, righting a wrong (shame of low marks in high school or not completing high school at all), juggling 50 things at once... dyslexic. This is starting to sound an awful lot like me. Serious now... a majority of my students have never been officially diagnosed with a learning disability and if they have, they are trying to overcome it on their own (and I don't know about it) along with managing a full-time student and home life. What they need is TIME.
The mature student is a perfect candidate for this app; they are trying to be productive in an online format, and at school and at home.
APP#1 - The Time Manager app (needs to be on every one's Xmas list) allows the student to manage your time and records it, it computes your wasted time.. (OMG! We'll all be exposed!) This APP syncs with your Touch/IPhone calendar, and the neat thing is, the APP keeps running even when it's not in use. You can manually fill in your time as well, it will calculate how long you spent on Bejeweled, (not that I've wasted hours upon hour upon hours on that sweet little addiction) and then how long you spent shopping or researching or homework..then spits out an perfect little pie chart depicting (%) exactly how much wasted versus productive time you spent doing lifes most important stuff during the day or week. My students need this. This APP would be ideal during exam week.. ..calculating study habits, and Tim Horton runs. This APP could possibly determine if a student is spending too much time on specific home work or tests durations, with the notion that the student may need remedial work or accommodating factors for completing tests.
APP #2 is for those of us who are visually impaired in some way. A large majority of my mature students who use hand held devices are often turned off by their efficiency because of the very small font and keyboards. Behold the BigName -Large Text app! Well the app name speaks for itself. No more squinting when searching through your IPhone for contact names! The large high contrast text allows for easy browsing. IPod fan feedback was great as well...'you made my IPhone more usable for folks with poor vision.."
Next. I have often made the assumption that my students are just plain messy. Mostly they have books, papers and pens all over their desks, and are usually scrambling to find a scrap of paper to scribble an important lecture, only to lose it the next day. #3 - AudioNote-Notepad and Voice RecorderThis gem of a app is perfect for mature students who have yet to acquire the skill of taking good note taking.
Using this app eliminates the frustration of deciphering what is important by simply improving note quality. Students no longer have to search through voice recordings or messy scribblers... each note acts as a direct link to a recording. Record class + Review your notes = success guaranteed! Families can ge involved too - understanding the basics of AT is critical for it's overall success.
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