Want to spice up your tech lessons and incorporate educational skills at the same time? This creative Assitive Technology Specialist used the engaging Kids Listen podcast to make learning fun! This lesson is designed for two or more students; in this case, seven year old twins!
Note: This lesson can also be done with a sighted peer. While these girls are using an iPad with VoiceOver, this lesson can be duplicated using the corresponding commands on any device.
The girls had previously been introduced to the iOS “magic tap” gesture (two-finger double tap to start/stop the podcast). The tech goal of the lesson was to practice the “magic tap” VoiceOver gesture (two-finger double tap). The language arts goals are to practice listening and comprehending the auditory story, along with asking and answering questions.
Editor’s Note: I love that the student is coming up with the question – this shows that she is also comprehending the story – and it actually may be harder than answering a question!
Create cards with question words (who, what, how, why and when) brailled on index cards. The first student chooses a card, reviews the question word, then uses the Magic Tap to start the story. The student decides when to pause the podcast (after she has heard enough to come up with a question). The first student then asks the second student a question using the given question word. The second student answers the question. The first student then confirms if the answer is correct or not.
According to their wonderful Assistive Technology Specialist, Emmajean, this activity was initially challenging for the twin seven year old students. The kids persisted and quickly caught on to the activity!
The students were fully engaged with this interactive activity. This a cool game that embeds tech into mainstream core subjects at an early age! These two girls are in the process of learning technology and are already integrating what they have learned to access mainstream educational resources!
The video below demonstrates the seven year old twins practicing tech skills, listening skills and comprehension skills using the Kids Listen Podcast app.
By Diane Brauner