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AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence: Tech Lessons 1
Check out these Tech Lessons and Strategies blog posts for the Basic Operations!
Tech Lessons: Basic Operations
(Diane Brauner January 2022)
These blog links support the AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence Chart for K-5 students using an iPad with VoiceOver. The AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence Chart has been aligned with the elementary school portion of the Common Core State Standards K-12 Technology Skills Scope and Sequence.
The AT Scope and Sequence for K-5 is broken down into these areas:
- Basic Operations
- Word Processing (See AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence Lessons 2)
- Spreadsheet (Tables/Charts and Graphs) (see AT Technology Skills Scoep and Sequence Lessons 3)
- Multimedia and Presentation Tools
- Acceptable Use, Copyright and Plagiarism
- Additional Assistive Technology Skills
This post, Tech Lessons 1, will focus on supplemental resources for the Basic Operations.
The numbers beside the links to these lessons/strategies posts represent a specific AT Scope and Sequence Skill. This document lists the first area of skill called Basic Operations. Some skills (such as Skill #1 Turn on iPad and log in) may not have associated posts. Some posts will fall under multiple areas and may be repeated in this document. This is a living document, meaning that new links will be available as more posts are published.
Skill #1: Turn on iPad and log in
Skill #2: Turn VoiceOver on/off
Skill #3: Gestures/keyboard/braille display commands
To select icons, urls, radio buttons, check boxes; use scroll bar
- Swipe/double tap, drag/split tap
- Swipe up/down (scroll bar)
- Two finger swipe down, swipe up, single tap, rotor
Resources for Skill #3
Getting Started:
- Getting Started with VoiceOver on the iPad
- Getting Started with an iPad and Refreshable Braille Display
- Getting Started with an iPad and Bluetooth Keyboard
- Getting Started on the iPad in Preschool (Includes braille display)
- iPad Checklists: VoiceOver Gestures, Braille Display, and Keyboard
Gestures: Teaching Physical Gestures
- Teaching VoiceOver Gestures: 1-Finger Tricks and Tips
- Dimple Duo: Toy to Develop Finger Strength
- Teaching VoiceOver: 2-finger Tricks and Tips (Reading gestures and rotor) The Unknown Gesture: Split Tap (Drag and split gestures)
- Practicing Gestures: Synchronized Swimming (Using VoiceOver Help screen practice gestures)
- VoiceOver Rotor Options on iDevices (learn about the rotor and which rotor options to choose for beginning rotor users)
- Teaching VoiceOver Gestures: 3-Finger Tricks and Tips (Scrolling gestures)
Gestures: Apps
- Apps that Teach VoiceOver Gestures
- Ballyland Stay Still Squeaky App: Following Directions and Independence (App teaches basic tap and swipe gestures through a fun story; game at the end includes the drag gesture)
- Ballyland App for the iPad: Teaching Finger Gestures for VoiceOver
- Ballyland Magic Plus App: VoiceOver Gestures
- Ballyland Magico (Spanish version of Ballyland Magic)
- Ballyland Sound Memory game: Matching and Math Grids (Swipe, drag, and double tap)
- Ballyland CosmoBally App (Story that uses tap, drag, hold gestures; includes 4×4 grid and sequencing 3 items)
- Ballyland Rotor: Learn the VoiceOver Rotor Command
- Ballyland Rotor App Review (Layla)
- Zany Touch App Review (Practicing gestures and speed)
- Blindfold Bop Game: Teach VoiceOver Gestures (App is now called Blindfold Tap and Swipe)
- VO Lab App: Learning VoiceOver Gestures (Geared for slightly older students; one, two and three finger gestures)
- Teaching VoiceOver Gestures with the I Hear Ewe App: Activity (Includes swipe, double tap, drag, split tap, two-finger gestures and three-finger swipe) Teaching Listening Comprehension: Very Hungry Caterpillar App Activity (Includes swipe/double tap, drag/split tap gestures)
Gestures: Practicing Activities
- Kids Listen Podcast: Practice Tech Skills (Two finger double tap to start/stop podcast and listening/comprehension questions)
- 3D Rotor Box (File for creating a 3D printed tactile rotor)
- Accessible Digital Picture Books for Preschoolers (Includes books that use tap or swipe to turn the page)
- Interactive Stories (Gestures and braille display commands)
- Screen Reader Tech Activities: Thanksgiving Lesson Plan (Includes 2 finger commands and equivalent braille display and Bluetooth Keyboard commands)
- Using Technology to Access the Song “Here Comes the Sun” (Includes Youtube video commands – 2 finger double tap to start/stop video)
Braille: Apps
- Exploring Braille with Madilyn and Ruff: iOS App (Braille app used with a braille display)
- BrailleBuzz App Review (Emerging Braille game used with a braille display)
- Braille Tutor: App Review (Perkins-style keyboard using specific keys on Bluetooth keyboard (S,D, F and J, K, L) to teach writing braille letters)
Braille Display
- Benefits of Using a Braille Display with emerging Readers
- iOS Devices and Focus Braille Displays (Excellent introduction to braille displays paired with an iPad, braille display commands, terms and more!)
- Layla: 4 Year Old Learning VoiceOver and Braille (Video of Layla’s introduction to and progress with gestures and braille display)
- Refreshable Braille Display Commands for Emerging Braille Reader: R chord and P Chord (Braille commands equivalent to 2 finger Read All and Pause gestures)
- More Braille Display Chords for the Young Student: Layla (O Chord is equivalent to 3 finger scrolling, D Chord (Delete) and H Chord (Go to Home screen)
- Interactive Stories (Layla: Gestures and braille display commands)
- Aeden’s Journey on the iPad: Part 5 (Connecting with Braille Display)
- Brian: Learning to Read with an iPad and a Refreshable Braille Display Video (High school student with multiple disabilities)
- Brian: Learning to Write with an iPad and Refreshable Braille Display Video (High school student with multiple disabilities)
- Reading Books Created with Book Creator App Using an iPad and RBD
-
Types of Braille Displays
- An Overview of Braille Devices
- So Many Braille Displays Part One (focusing on the Brailliant BI 40 and BI 80 models)
- So Many Braille Displays Part Two (focusing on the Brailliant BI 14 model and touching on the Braille Trail Reader LE)
- So Many Braille Displays Part Three (focusing on the Braille Edge)
- So Many Braille Displays Part Four (focusing on the Smart Beetle)
- So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student? Part Five (focusing on the Braille Trail Reader LE)
- So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student? Part Six (focusing on the Focus series from Vispero)
- So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student? Part Seven (focusing on QBraille XL)
- Active Braille (40-cell braille display)
Student Progression: Layla and Aeden
- Getting Started on the iPad in Preschool (Layla)
- Layla: 4 Year Old Learning VoiceOver and Braille (Video of her progress with gestures and braille display)
- Layla’s three Preschool Apps Video
- Ballyland Rotor App Review (Layla)
- Refreshable Braille Display Commands for Emerging Braille Reader: R chord and P Chord (Braille commands equivalent to 2 finger Read All and Pause gestures)
- More Braille Display Chords for the Young Student: Layla (O Chord is equivalent to 3 finger scrolling, D Chord (Delete) and H Chord (Go to Home screen)
- Assuming Responsibility (Layla)
- Aedan: Introduction to the iPad and VoiceOver (1-finger gesture; accessing an ePub book)
- Aeden’s Journey on the iPad: Part 2 (Home button, Cause & Effect)
- Aeden’s Journey on the iPad: Part 3 (Pause/Play, Titles/Select Document)
- Aeden’s Journey on the iPad: Part 4 (2-finger Read gestures)
- Aeden’s Journey on the iPad: Part 5 (Connecting with Braille Display)
- Aeden’s Journey on the iPad: Part 6 (Dictation)
Miscellaneous:
- Simple Tactile Representations of iPad Features (Home screen layout and rotor)
- Create Accessible Digital Worksheets and Quizzes: Google Forms (Google Forms has accessible radio buttons)
- Rhyming Activities for Early Readers (Use these rhyming activities in Google Forms to practice accessible radio buttons)
Skill #4 Use Home Screen icons to open applications and documents
- 3 finger swipe right/left or up/down
Resources for Skill #4
Open applications
- See posts under #3 with 1 finger double tap or drag/split tap)
3 Finger swipe right/left or up/down
- Teaching VoiceOver Gestures: 3-Finger Tricks and Tips (Scrolling gestures)
Skill #5 Understand and use spatial layout
- Name positional areas (e.g. top, bottom, left, right, middle)
- Develop a mental map of the various screens (e.g. Home screen, specific apps)
- Rows and grids (more under Spreadsheets)
Resources for Skills #5
Note: These three skills overlap; the posts often discuss more than one area. These spatial skills are lay the foundation for other applications, such as spreadsheets, math, coding, O&M, etc. (More table and grid posts are under the Scope and Sequence topic Spreadsheets (Tables/Charts and Grids). Best practice dictates that when introducing young students to spatial concepts, use tactile materials and pairing tactile overlays on the iPad, before applying digital spatial concepts for educational purposes.
- Spatial Tech Standards 1: Directional Terms
- Squigz: Toy to Promote Improvement of Developmental Skills and Independence (including spatial concepts)
- Tactile to Digital Part 3: Creating a Tactile Overlay on the Go!
- Creating a Tactile Overlay (The overlay in this video is of a map; however, the same materials and techniques can be used to create iPad overlays for any purpose)
- VoiceOver Teaching Strategies: Spatial Concepts Activity
- The Unknown Gesture: Split Tap (Drag and split gestures)
- Ballyland Sound Memory game: Matching and Math Grids (Swipe, drag, and double tap)
- Blindfold Bowling: iOS Spatial Concepts App
- Moving Forward with Accessible Digital Math: Part 1
- Building mental maps: Preschool to college
- Spatial Tech Standards 2: Rows
- Math Melodies: iOS App (Numerous digital games that use rows, rows and columns, grids, and tables)
- Introducing Accessible Digital Grid and Table
Skill #6 File Management – Saving documents
Skill #7 Explain and use age-appropriate online tools and resources
(e.g. tutorial, assessment, web browser)
Resources for Skills #7
- Reading Efficiently with a Screen Reader: Headings (Navigating by headings on a website using gestures, Bluetooth keyboard and braille display)
- Navigating Websites: Reader Feature (Eliminate buttons, ads, columns, etc. for online articles)
- (More coming soon!)
Skill #8 Keyboarding (Bluetooth Keyboard and Braille Display)
- Use proper posture and ergonomics
- Locate and use letter and numbers keys with left and right hand placement
- Locate and use correct finger, hand for space bar, return/enter and shift key
- Gain proficiency and speed in touch typing
Bluetooth keyboard Typing:
- Starting from Scratch: Where Do I start When Teaching My Visually Impaired Student to Type?(Discussed computer keyboards but is also relevant to Bluetooth keyboards paired with an iPad)
- Strategies for Teaching Touch Typing to Students with Visual Impairments (Discussed computer keyboards but is also relevant to Bluetooth keyboards paired with an iPad)
- All About that Base (Line): Strategies for Getting your Student’s Baseline Speed (Activities for gathering typing speed data; written for computer keyboard, but applicable to an iPad paired with a Bluetooth keyboard)
- Talking Typer iOS App: An Accessible Keyboarding App
- Talking Typer App: Custom Lessons
- Keyboard Yoga (Finger position, finger placement, etc.)
- Attention Grabbers Lesson Plans
- Keyboard Shortcuts Part 2: Students with Low Vision (Includes mainstream keyboard shortcut commands)
- Typing Feedback: iOS 10 Feature (Set your VoiceOver announcements when typing)
- Typing Skills Checklist
- Where in the World is my Cursor? (Tactile activity to learn where your cursor is located and how to navigate the cursor; written for a computer but applicable for an iPad)
- Braille Tutor: App Review (Perkins-style keyboard using specific keys on Bluetooth keyboard (S,D, F and J, K, L) to teach writing braille letters)
Braille Display:
- See resources under Skills #3 Braille Display and Student Progress.
Skills #9 and #10 were recently added!
Skill #9 Learn about and use different types of elements (e.g. address bar, tabs, menu)
Skill #10 Learn about and use Control Center, Notification Center, App Switcher, Status Bar, etc.
Resources for #10
- iOS 12 Accessibility and New Features (includes gestures for iPads without a Home button: Open App Switcher, Control Center, Notification Center and go to the Home screen)
- New VoiceOver Gestures with the iPhone X (without a Home button)
Additional Information for Teachers
- Tech Standards: Why Teach Digital Concepts Early?
- Learning VoiceOver: Problem-Solving Activity
- VoiceOver Teaching Strategies for Preschool TVIs Mastering Tech Skills: When and What?
- Tech Standards for Students with VIB: What’s Happening (includes who is responsible for teaching tech skills)
- Screen Reader for Low Vision Students? (Indicators that a student would benefit from a screen reader)
- Dual Reader or Multimedia?
- Preparing a Low Vision Student to Use a Screen Reader
- Using Tech to Develop Critical Thinking Skills
- Creating Accessible Books Using Pages
Manuals/Curriculums/YouTube Videos/Quick Reference Guides
- ABC’s of iOS: A VoiceOver Manual for Toddlers and Beyond! (2020)
- Introduction to iPad Accessibility Features for Blind and Low Vision Students (iOS 9.2)
- Bluetooth Keyboard Commands with VoiceOver on the iPad (iOS 9.2)
- Using a Refreshable Braille Display with the iPad (iOS 8)
- Diane Brauner YouTube Chanel (Playlists with videos for each of the above manuals, plus app reviews and more)
- Quick Reference Guides (Command Sheets) are available in the manuals, website with comprehensive Quick Reference Guide for VoiceOver on iOS (includes gestures, Bluetooth keyboard commands and braille display commands) and under Quick Reference Guides in the Paths to Technology Curriculum page.
By Diane Brauner
