Surpassing the Teacher

One of my students continues to surpass me in his knowledge of his communication device. Last year, at the beginning of the year, he was limited to 84 words. There is a setting on the device that prevents anyone from making changes without a password. Until recently, we activated this setting because we were afraid of what he would do to break his device (as this has happened in the past).
However, he has also recently learned how to add words to his device. He especially enjoys adding science words from the general education science class he attends each day.  One time when we were adding words, I forgot to lock his device again.

This gave him the opportunity to play around with the settings. He changed the location of a specific button. Recently, I have found him switching between several different "languages" in the device. He likes the jokes from one, the pictures from another, the words he already knows in the one we use mostly in class, the extra number of words available in a more complex interface, and the word prediction in another. He keeps switching back and forth between interfaces as he communicates.

In April, a consultant, from the company who makes the device, is going to come to our class and help us customize his device. Her knowledge of the device far exceeds my knowledge. We are going to try to give him access to the parts he likes and the possibility to add words, without the ability to delete the settings we customize. I am really looking forward to being able to have his device meet his needs even better than it already does. I am trying to get as much of this done this year, as he moves to the high school next year.

A Chance to Catch Up

One of my students has autism. Although he has trouble staying focused and is missing some social skills, he doesn't have major communication or sensory issues that impact his learning. This is his second year in my class. I keep finding that my assignments and activities are not challenging enough for him. He finishes work quickly and with ease, as long has he remains focused. 

I use technology a lot to meet the needs of individual students. One website we use for reading, Moby Max, progresses students through grade level material. At the beginning of the year I began all my students at a kindergarten level in Moby Max. I figured it would give students the opportunity to experience initial success in learning. 

A month ago this student maxed out Moby Max Literature. It showed him reading at an 8.8 grade level (although he is only in 7th grade). This level of reading is easily comparable to his peers in the general education setting. 

In speaking with his mother and my administrators, we decided to give him a chance to attend some general education classes. Starting the day after break, he will be attending a general education English, Math and Social Studies class. He is going to have to get used to having some homework. He is also going to have to get used to being challenged and maintaining focus. He will have to read for understanding and produce something related to what he has learned. I look forward to seeing how he does with these new challenges. I am really hoping he succeeds and can continue to be challenged more in the future!  

Swimming

As a class, we go out into the community to learn once each week. Last week we went to the YMCA to swim. I always enjoy swimming with my students. They love it and have gotten so much braver as they have opportunities to swim in PE class and at the Y.  They learn lots of small lessons every time we go: how to be polite, dressing/undressing, putting things away in lockers, remembering where one's locker is, and general pool rules and manners.

Last time, two of my students were able to take a test to swim in the deep end. They had to swim the length of the deep end. However, this time, the test had changed. Before swimming the length of the deep end, they had to jump in the pool and tread water for 30 seconds. Neither of these students had learned to tread water before. Although I was convinced they could, they were not quite as convinced. One student particularly struggled. I was trying to teach him in the shallow end and he kept putting his feet down, as he is pretty tall. He was on the verge of giving up when the lifeguard gave permission for him to try it at the edge of the deep end with me in the pool next to him. He jumped in, treaded water for 30 seconds (although he looked like he wanted to give up after about 20) and then swam the length of the pool. I was so proud of him for not giving up, even when it became difficult.

Another student, who in the past had clung to the wall the entire time, walked 1/3rd of the way into the center of the pool and even went under water in order to get a diving stick off the bottom of the pool. It is so fun to see each student improve as they become more comfortable in the water.