What are some exciting ways you’ve used teams in your classroom? I talked to a teacher in the Pittsburgh area last week who recounted a parent calling him to indicate that his son, Jimmy, a student in the gifted program, was not getting enough enrichment opportunities in their social studies curriculum. The teacher promised to [...]
This morning I received an email from a local SLP that indicated I should give her a call – she had exciting news to share! Once we connected, she told me that her 8th grade student has had a major breakthrough in using his DynaVox Xpress device. In the past few weeks the team has [...]
Have you ever had a student use their device in a loud, crowded environment, and all of a sudden the volume you had set was just not loud enough? What about a scenario where the student enters a quiet study hall or work session, and the set volume is noticeably too loud?
I often observe teams [...]
I was visiting a school recently when the teacher asked me about ways for her student to use his DynaVox Maestro to communicate in the curriculum during a foreign language “exposure” class her third grade students were taking. She was concerned that it might be confusing to her student if she made different symbols or [...]
Do you regularly do a motivation assessment with your students? How often do you find that food is a big motivator? Are you feeling stuck in a rut? Want to come up with some ideas that would use food but not just in the sense of requesting and eating it?
I observed a session in a [...]
I pay the schoolmaster, but ’tis the schoolboys that educate my son. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
As I was recently reflecting on the inclusion Evan experiences in his general education classroom, I realized that his teacher is capitalizing on teachable moments for more than just Evan. While he creates lessons and opportunities for Evan to use [...]
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~Victor Hugo
This quote captures how powerful music can be in making connections between people and providing powerful communication without words.
Think of all the ways you’ve enjoyed music with others – at a concert, in the car, out in the [...]
In my years of experience in the schools, I’ve often heard the frustration from families that as soon as the entire team is “up to speed” on the use of the device and implementation strategies, a new person joins the team or a change of teacher/staffing occurs. Parents report feeling the constant need to update [...]
Last week I visited with a school and met a DynaVox Xpress user, Anthony. He has used his device for several months, and has opened up to peers and teachers by sharing personal photographs and stories during the school day. When I saw his device, I realized that the photo pages that come ready to [...]
If you suddenly realized there was a fire and you only had enough time to grab one thing, what would it be?
Brian’s school team recently told me about a situation at school that gave him a chance to consider that question. In the middle of the school day, the fire alarm sounded for an unannounced [...]
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