Class 5 - Saturday, March 23, 2013.

We had class online today class, not because of another snow storm (that was earlier this week), but because the instructor, Barb, was sick. How many times have we been feeling under the weather, but drag ourselves to work? Blackboard gave Barb the ability to stay home and rest while still allowing us the opportunity to have class.  Programs such as Blackboard allow sharing of information and exploring together from the comfort of our own homes.  There are days I wish I could teach class from home!

After reviewing examples of case studies (I am really looking forward to the presentations next class) we watched a video on low tech solutions for those with visual impairments and then went off to find more videos demonstrating the ways low tech can be useful at school and home. Here are a few videos with some great ideas!

There are some great tools that many of us commented we would like to use in our own homes- I particularly liked the clips as legs for the keyboard- at school it always seems like one on each keyboard is broken off, as well as the hair clips to wrap around cords and keep them from being a tangled mess. I realised today it is about looking at things with a different lens.

I know that I am a very literal person. Today my mind was stretched as I was shown items, that I see as having a certain purpose, be used in completely new and different ways. When I saw a whiffel ball being used a pencil grip, bread ties that help keep sandals from breaking, toilet paper roles to keep wrapping paper together, and Doritos being used as kindling, I realised I am going to have a difficult time shopping at the Dollarama and picking a few items off the shelf to use in new and inventive low tech ways. When I see a creative idea I can recognise it as being awesome, but coming up with one myself will be a challenge for sure. There is no structure with this assignment, there is no right answer to achieve; it will be interesting to see how long it takes me to figure out a new use for a common item.
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OK I went to the Dollorama tonight and I bet I looked like a dear in the headlights...I was slowly pacing the isles looking at the hundreds of items, trying to figure out how any one of them could be used in another way... As I made it through all of the isles, with nothing coming to mind, I realised I had to think about this assignment in another way. Instead of trying to pick an item to use in a different way, I need to think of a problem/issue I have and find an item in the store that would work as a solution.

Problem #1: Some students need sensory stimulation but stress balls have been rolling away and causing more of a distraction.
Solutions: Put Velcro strips under the lip of the desk so students can have a tactile sensory release when at their desk and fill balloons with play dough so it is similar to a stress ball but wont roll away and they can be made small enough to fit in a pocket and be used at our meeting space. I have found the balloon stress balls were a novelty at first and were a bit of a distraction because they were so squishy, but after a few days the students who needed them where using them appropriately. The Velcro is used on a continual basis by a few students, while I have another student who I noticed only uses it when they are feeling anxious.

 

Problem #2: The students' desks are always shifting and moving around and I spend a few min at the end of each day getting the kids to move them back, or I do it, to their "correct" spot (straight lines mean a lot to me and are hard to come by in a grade one classroom).
Solution: Use cable ties around the legs of the desks to keep them together. I tried this and it is awesome! A group pf desks may get a slight bend, but that is as far as it can go. :)

Problem #3: A few students in my class have a very difficult time rolling  a dice for math games. It always seems to either roll away from them, or fall our of their hand, or land on the same number repeatedly because they are not really shaken it up.
Solution: I found little containers for holding beads or other craft supplies. A dice fits in it perfectly. Now students can shake the container (easier to manipulate) and the dice moves, but does not roll to the floor or bounce off the desk. I have a class set now since it worked so well and this week it saved me the headache of hearing 24 dice bouncing. Worth every penny!

That was as far as I could stretch my brain this trip, but I look forward to trying again next time and  reading other Blogs to get more ideas!