A scheme of work for introducing childern with severe learning difficulties to the internet
Outline of a module on using the internet and communicating
Module: Exploring communication methods (computer communication and the internet)
Session 1
Why do we communicate ?
What is the most frequent thing you say to people ?
Asking individuals about themselves and each other and comparing answers
Examples of communication:
chinese whisper game; a short rebus/signed phrase is shown to the first pupil who then has to tell his/her partner using their own
communication system and so on around the group. Compare message at beginning and end.
Drama activity: getting your message across and misunderstandings.
A short drama about a pupil trying to explain to staff about a medical problem and being misunderstood all along the line ( by support workers, teachers, speech therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, friends etc.)
record drama with video
Session 2
Different methods of communication
Ask pupils for all the different ways they know of communicating
the list might include : talking, shouting, writing, telephones, symbols, signing, semaphore, morse code, computers
Which methods are best in different conditions ?
In a noisy room:
signing/rebus v speaking/speech machines
In a dark room:
signing/rebus v speaking/ speech machines
Which would be best over long and short distances
Short distances: rebus, speaking /speech machines, signing, shouting
Long distances: telephone, letters, television,fax
practical demonstrations on the effectiveness of each method
discussion on the price of each method of communication
look up prices of phone calls, fax, stamps on letters, speech machines, aldis lamps
Introduce computer communication:
demonstrate computer to computer link using a serial connection ( QuickLynK from Desktop projects Ltd. on the Acorn platform)
Session 3
Using computers to communicate
Use computer links transfering data down serial link (QuikLynx on Acorn) moving picture files, writing, sound and music files. Pupils can choose a message using Writing with symbols with switch clicker plus and switches, or with a concept keyboard, or the keyboard, or dictated from their own symbol boards.
Sending messages down the serial link constructed in writing with symbols transferred as text files through serial link rebuilt into symbols on the receiving machine and spoken out.
Discussion and demonstration of the limitations of this method, trying to connect to the computers in the next room limited by the lead wouldn‘t reach.
We examined the school administration network passing messages and found the same problem, you still had to have the computers connected together with short cables.
Looking at the fax machine sending a picture of ourselves, and receiving a picture back and explained that this could be done with a computer.
This leads to an introduction of a computer to computer link via the phone line:
Email and the Internet.
Session 4
Email
Sending and receiving Email
Letter writing is a familiar activity for our pupils, since the school is residential they regularly write letters home about their school activities.
Looking at Email received by a pupil. Making a symbol version of an email text (drop or import email text file into Writing with Symbols) and speaking it out on the computer. Composing replies using rebus boards, rebus files, writing with symbols and switch clicker +. Posting their replies on the computer (save only the text from a Writing with symbols document and drop it into an email writing program)
Looking at emails in the context of communicating over a distance: investigating shouting, signing, morse code, Aldis lamps, telephones, fax, and emails etc.
Symbols 2000 and an email writer (Microsoft Outlook or better) were both
started.
The emails they created in Symbols 2000 using their own communication systems (mainly rebus boards/books) and inputing using switch grids, overlay boards with whole words/symbols.
The document was then highlighted in symbols 2000 (CTRL A).
The text was then copied to the clipboard (CTRL C)*
The email writer was then selected and
the text was then pasted into the email writer (CTRL V)
the email was then sent by the pupils using a switch (it could be simply by using a mouse extension switch (SEMERCmouser) but actually it was by using Clickit and the Intellikeys with a switch).
They were actually emailing to and from different parts of the school: using two computers both connected to the internet, with different email addresses (hotmail accounts).
This was actually quite important to their understanding of the process- they could see where their communication went to and from.
The mail writer was also set up so that it announced when a new mail had arrived (by playing a sound).
The email text when it arrived was symbolised (CTRL A, CTRL C from the email writer then pasted into Symbols 2000 using CTRL V) and printed out. Speech was enabled so Symbols 2000 actualy spoke each word/symbol as it was pasted in.
* If you highlight and copy complete symbol documents in Symbols 2000, only the text is copied to the clipboard, you don't have to turn off all the symbols first (by going into text mode).
Session 5
The Internet using a web browser
Using a web browser to look at sites that interest individuals, pupils choosing from their rebus board what they would like to find out about and then look it up in a web browser. At the same time we had several reference books and an encyclopedia on a cdrom to use for reference so we could compare coverage. We looked at a number of interesting sites, for example the vauxhall home page, pages on food and horseriding. Any pages of interest were noted and the pages printed out and spoken out by a text eader on the computer. Then we looked at a number of interest groups, where we found a a range of files that could be saved and spoken by the computer.
We planned a personal introduction and posted it onto an interest group asking anyone to contact us by email.
The class bulletin was an opportunity for pupils to introduces themselves giving some personal details, we discussed for some time what we should put into a personal introduction. They needed especially to consider the audience who they had never met.
The major challenge in presenting this module was not the technology itself but trying to make it a meaningful activity for our pupils. To give them ownership of the activities it was essential to root it in activities that were familiar to them. They were familiar with computers, books and telephones so I started each session with unplugging the telephone and plugging in the modem and we listened out for the ringing tones from the modem at the beginning. It was very important to constantly refer back and reference all internet sessions to familiar activities.