T/TAC Webshops

[Norah Hooper]

T/TAC offers some excellent webshops on various topics that take only 20 minutes to complete. I challenge you to go to their site http://www.ttaconline.org/staff/s_home.asp and choose and complete one of the webshops. Click on Region 3, then Online Training on the right. I did the Students Driving the IEP and found it very useful. I especially liked the "I'm Determined" materials that apply even to younger children. There are others on topics such as Writing for Students with LD and Electronic Books with Free Readers.
So find one that is of interest to you and let us know what you thought!

[Elizabeth F. Mark]

I just completed the Writing for Students with LD. I chose this webshop because I am currently teaching to English courses to very small classes with students who have ED or LD. As you can guess, writing is a huge struggle for most or all of my students. Some, I can't even get them to try or put effort into it.
The webshop was pretty good, it served as a great reminder or review of bits and pieces from several classes I have taken at UMW.
The webshop focused on techniques and tools the teacher can do to help make writing less of a struggle.
These are things I see in my students struggles:
slow labored writing
omitting words
difficulty copying whiteboard or from a book to paper
illegible - pushing to hard or to light
In composition:
poor spelling
poor grammar, syntax, organization
and their writing is inconsistent with their verbal skills. (using complex sentences...)

How do we help? Remediation, Modification, and Accomdation!! This is what really helped me. I have been taught all of these, but sometimes we just need to be reminded- and most importantly put them into practice!!
-shortening assignments and give students more time
-use AT (word lists, pencil grips, text to speech, spell checkers...)

Great webshop!

[Bill Wilson]

I completed the "Teaching Students with Disabilities How to Compare College Options". This is something that a lot of my students try to avoid, because they think they can not go because of their disability or no money. I tell them to try community colleges first, then go from there. It is cheaper and more flexible when it comes to taking entrance exams.

The following pages that I recommend to look at, because it is worth passing on to a student.

Page 4-- It talks about the "Variations in Disability Services" like "the availability of tutoring, coaching or learning strategies training services. Some universities also offer developmental courses in key content areas such as writing and math."

Page 6 -- "Considerations and Questions for Students with Learning Difficulties". It gives a LD and ADHD checklist for those students who cannot come up with the questions to ask or even know what to ask.

Page 12 -- "Self-advocacy and Self-determination". A lot of my students would benefit from eight ideas from this page. I guess they are used to mom and dad doing it for them.

Page 14 -- "Training in Asking Questions" - this goes along with page 12.

Page 17 -- "Planning for the Costs of College" - this will help my students, who think they cannot afford college, get a better idea or even answer their questions about what financial aid they could apply for.

Page 18 and 19 -- "Links to Financial Aid Resources" - this goes along with page 17. These two pages a websites for students to go on to explore their options.

[Norah Hooper]

Thanks, Bill - your notes will help others focus on the best part of the training.

Bill Wilson said:

I completed the "Teaching Students with Disabilities How to Compare College Options". This is something that a lot of my students try to avoid, because they think they can not go because of their disability or no money. I tell them to try community colleges first, then go from there. It is cheaper and more flexible when it comes to taking entrance exams.

The following pages that I recommend to look at, because it is worth passing on to a student.

Page 4-- It talks about the "Variations in Disability Services" like "the availability of tutoring, coaching or learning strategies training services. Some universities also offer developmental courses in key content areas such as writing and math."

Page 6 -- "Considerations and Questions for Students with Learning Difficulties". It gives a LD and ADHD checklist for those students who cannot come up with the questions to ask or even know what to ask.

Page 12 -- "Self-advocacy and Self-determination". A lot of my students would benefit from eight ideas from this page. I guess they are used to mom and dad doing it for them.

Page 14 -- "Training in Asking Questions" - this goes along with page 12.

Page 17 -- "Planning for the Costs of College" - this will help my students, who think they cannot afford college, get a better idea or even answer their questions about what financial aid they could apply for.

Page 18 and 19 -- "Links to Financial Aid Resources" - this goes along with page 17. These two pages a websites for students to go on to explore their options.

[Norah Hooper]

Yes, it helps so much to hear ideas when you're in dire need of them!

Elizabeth F. Mark said:

I just completed the Writing for Students with LD. I chose this webshop because I am currently teaching to English courses to very small classes with students who have ED or LD. As you can guess, writing is a huge struggle for most or all of my students. Some, I can't even get them to try or put effort into it.
The webshop was pretty good, it served as a great reminder or review of bits and pieces from several classes I have taken at UMW.
The webshop focused on techniques and tools the teacher can do to help make writing less of a struggle.
These are things I see in my students struggles:
slow labored writing
omitting words
difficulty copying whiteboard or from a book to paper
illegible - pushing to hard or to light
In composition:
poor spelling
poor grammar, syntax, organization
and their writing is inconsistent with their verbal skills. (using complex sentences...)

How do we help? Remediation, Modification, and Accomdation!! This is what really helped me. I have been taught all of these, but sometimes we just need to be reminded- and most importantly put them into practice!!
-shortening assignments and give students more time
-use AT (word lists, pencil grips, text to speech, spell checkers...)

Great webshop!

[CS]

I also completed the Writing for Students with Learning Disabilities, I thought that most of the suggestions went along with the articles I just read - in that writing can be made easier by using technology. I especially like the speech recording pens that record while you write notes - that is cool. I also like the idea of the programs that write what the students say. My students are just starting to associate sounds with letters and I think the lesson could be made more clear if they spoke into the microphone and saw their words written out as they speak.

I do think that remediation, accomodation, and modification are important and was glad to see that included in the class, but I also find that many of the teachers that I work with feel that modification is unfair to the other students in the class. Bringing in AT would be the better option for me and this workshop goes into great detail on types of programs and technology that is available for each disability and student need.