An informative digital presentation pertaining to educational apps that enhance executive functioning. The beginning segment of the webinar provided a deeper understanding of the signs and symptoms of executive functioning. Information related to brain function, frontal lobe development, and specific executive function dysfunction was a very helpful reminder of the challenges students face when diagnosed with an executive functioning disorder such as CD, ADHD, ODD, or ASD. As demonstrated in the Webinar, executive functioning is woven into all aspects of the curriculum. As mentioned in the webinar, if proper scaffolding is not in place, it is difficult for students to learn as they are overcome by a lack of self-regulation/control; this reality often leads to underachievement. The webinar session also a great learning tool as it prompted me to think about the division of "Thinking" and "Doing" and the way students approach curricular tasks when challenged by an executive function impairment.
The reviewed apps that enhance executive functioning were helpful. Blackboard Collaborative is a very useful and interactive tool for learning about various apps. The apps explored for students are great tools that can be used for time management, generating ideas, sequencing of thoughts, and organization of curricular concepts. Three apps that enhance executive functioning and will definitely be used in my classroom are the following:
iBooks Store: This is a terrific app. As a middle level science teacher this app is very useful and conveys meaning from text in a far more engaging way. Often, it is difficult to find related reading material for students who benefit from reduced reading expectations or text presented at lower reading level. This app's ability to provide audio and visual interactivity is very cool. This app reads text to the students, has extended video explanations by scientists related to key concepts. Provided this app has the required text listed, the app provides an engaging alternative for students and makes learning with a conventional subject text more inclusive. This is a great UDL app as it engages all learners.
Sock Puppets: Great interactive voice/text/voice app that is cross-curricular. This app is highly visual, appears to be very user friendly, and very flexible as it engages learners across the curriculum and at all cognitive levels. The app is very versatile as it can be used by students to verbally explain concepts, tell stories and summarize important details. This app can be used by anyone, is a great role playing app and makes learning inclusive for all learners. Student ideas, stories, experiences, etc. quickly turn into puppet shows that can be published, emailed, etc. that demonstrate understanding. For students demonstrating executive function impairment, this app is quick, engaging, easy to follow and relies on student ideas that can be quickly communicated verbally into the program. Cool app that students should find engaging.
Pictello: A great app for classroom teachers, learning center teachers and educational assistants that work with students who struggle with transition, different environments and social settings. I suspect this app would be useful for students with ASD diagnoses as a tool for creating visual/audio stories, prompts, etc. that can be used for all students to predict and navigate difficult social settings. Also, the app can be used to create social stories that model appropriate social behaviors/expectations- this application is beneficial for all students as a proactive tool used to reinforce PEBS expectations. Again, a great app for modeling appropriate social behaviors. With speech to text ability, the app is flexible and appeals to a variety of learners and curricular settings.
Webinar 2:
Learning disabled students demonstrate a variety of
difficulties with acquisition and processing of information. A variety of difficulties are listed below as
discussed in the second webinar. As discussed, the cognitive profile of LD
students varies tremendously. Again, LD students typically have demonstrated
difficulty in one, or more of the following areas:
Written language (spelling, grammar, written expression)
Language (speaking, listening, understanding)
Reading (phonetic knowledge, visualization, decoding, comprehension,
word recognition)
Mathematics (basic math skills, sequencing, computation, memory,
problem solving)
Time management, organization skills, social perception,
relationships, processing
Three apps that were particularly interesting and I look
forward to using in my classroom are the following:
Prizmo: Although this app was previous introduced in class,
the webinar provided additional information that helped build a deeper
understanding of the app and the possibilities in the classroom. It is a
terrific app for LD students as it helps with reading as a compensatory app.
The app allows for mobile scanning by taking a pic of the text, or can be
scanned into the program.
iWord: Having used WordQ for several year, the breakdown of
the iWord app is far more dynamic and flexible for students. The predictive
text, highlighting features and vocabulary capabilities makes this app very
flexible and provides ease of use for students. This app allow students to
remain in text and access information from text. Great app!
Readiris: Great app that is easy to access. Essentially the
app is a scanning app. Once the image is selected, the text becomes very
flexible and can be exported to a variety of apps that read the text. Students
have access to a hard copy file/text. The app is flexible and portable that
allows students to move the text to another reading app such as PDF voice- this
digitized text provides independence and keeps students engaged in text. 
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