Transcript Getting Students Started with Microsoft Windows

Getting Students Started with
Microsoft Windows
PRESENTED BY STAFF FROM THE CA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
ADRIAN AMANDI
YURIKA VU
STEPHANIE HERLICH
STEP 1: GET OVER YOURSELF.
• The primary obstacle to your students current and future success is
often a teacher’s (be that TVI, paraprofessional, parent, other)
discomfort with technology themselves.
• Too often teachers feel insecure about their ability to teach,
support, or develop a path of integrating technology into a
curriculum.
Keyboarding is not your crutch
• Too often teachers go to keyboarding as a safety net for the first
year or two of a student’s technology teaching.
Use games, music, and the internet as motivators to help build your
student’s skills.
Introduce Technology as early as you can
• Introducing technology should occur in preschool.
• Goal: Every student will have a firm beginning in technology prior to
reaching Kindergarten.
STEP 2: GET THE TECHNOLOGY.
• It can be difficult to determine the appropriate assistive technology for a
student
• Sometimes it’s hard to obtain the equipment
A Few Factors to Consider…
#1
The TVI is responsible for assistive technology assessments.
Did you get that? Not the poor, understaffed, overworked, state workers at the California
School for the Blind. We can help but the TVI is ultimately responsible.
A Few Factors to Consider… continued
Money exists.
#2
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Low incidence funding
Special education dollars
District technology budget
School budgets
Lion Club and others organizations
Email Braille-n-Teach for
suggestions/referrals/guidance
ALL EDUCATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF GENERAL
FUND EXPENDITURES
Not
Education Education
Education
Rest
http://www.dof.ca.gov/budgeting/budget_faqs/documents/CHART-E.pdf
A Few Factors to Consider… continued
Trials work.
#3
#4
 If possible, start with a trial before ordering equipment. If the trial
version does not work for your student – go back to the drawing board
and try again.
 Identifying failure is success.
Solutions for home.
 Trials are great.
 Free versions are often effective until your student is more
proficient.
 Purchasing software a certain way can make it accessible for
multiple installs.
When there’s a fork in the road, take
STEP 3: both paths… SIMULTANEOUSLY
Keyboarding?
Games/Music?
BOTH!
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO BE CREATIVE, HAVE FUN, AND
EXPLORE ALONGSIDE YOUR STUDENT.
STEP 3:
Continued…
Let’s first talk about Keyboarding
It is really important but it is only part of the equation
STEP 3:
Continued…
Back in the Day…
Included hard rulers and lots of yelling… but it was effective!
Never mind… You probably like your job and might choose stern correction and supportive methods to
achieve a similar result… right?
STEP 3:
Keyboarding Tips
Continued…
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Work in small groups or one-to-one with students.
Verbally correct every mistake in fingering, posture, and hand position.
Physically demonstrate and correct your students fingering, posture, and hand position
This can be accomplished by anyone (even visually impaired teachers/aids)
Anyone can teach effective typing
o The TVI, general education teachers, paraprofessionals, transcribers, parents,
volunteers, school administration and office staff
o The role of the TVI is to make sure the person doing the teaching knows correct
fingering, posture, how to make corrections etc
Home Row – Focus on it and constantly reference it
Keyboarding programs for independent practice
o They can give parents an avenue to monitor typing without creatively planning content.
o Lessons are good length and manageable in a set amount of time.
Be sure that your student is monitored so they do not develop bad habits.
STEP 3:
Continued…
Games, Music, & the Internet
 This path may actually begin previous to
keyboarding.
 Motivation is key!
STEP 3:
Continued…
Games
o Explore beginning elements of the keyboard including spacebar,
arrow keys, and enter.
o Resources for downloading and a few suggestions
 Working on placing a direct link on our website.
This game is a great game to teach
• Space bar
• Enter
• Arrow keys
Blind Black Jack teaches
• Numbers
• Some letters
• Enter
STEP 3:
Continued…
o All you need is
Music
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Arrow keys
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menu navigation
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enter, alt+f4 and/or alt+tab
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including potential first letter navigation for artists/albums
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Keystrokes such as control+p or space bar
STEP 3:
Continued…
Internet
o Google tips and tricks for simple navigation with Google set as the homepage.
 This corresponds directly with typing as any searches will require letter
knowledge.
o Some websites can be navigated to with help from teaching staff and/or
searches conducted with help so that students can learn simple website
navigation controls using screen reader HTML navigation keystrokes.
 Technology and Recreation and Leisure, are part of the Expanded Core Curriculum
 Incidental Learning
Here are some ideas!
STEP 4
We have created a YouTube page to get you started
STEP 4:
Continued…
Here are some things to start with…
Helpful Tips & Tricks in Windows 7
• Navigating Windows 7
• Make the computer easier to see
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Change mouse settings
Make MS Word Easier to See
Magnifier
Intellipoint software & Magnifier
Accessibility in Windows 8
STEP 5 If stuck, don’t stop, delay, or pause. Find help!
• CSB AT Staff
We are only three people that provide outreach to the entire state of California.
• We are not the most timely
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• Google/YouTube
Perform a simple Google search
• YouTube “how to…”
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• User Guides and manufacturer provided information
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It can be difficult to sift through but it should be something your student learns to do independently.
• Manufacturer support
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Phone and email support can address many issues regarding software/hardware malfunction (this is not
tutoring service)
• Other free online resources
• Paid resources and lesson guides
STEP 6
Acknowledge that technology is designed for
and by people with normal vision
• Technology will continue to cater to the sighted population
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Our students will be slower at navigating many arenas than their sighted or
fully sighted counterparts.
Emphasize the how and the why in addition to the how-to.
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Understand the hardware and how they interact (Monitor, CPU, Mouse, Keyboard, etc)
Take a computer apart and put it back together
• Take it apart, no holds barred. Go as far as your student expresses interest.
Take pictures along the way if you are unsure of how things will go back
together. Remember, this is a Junker computer, so if you do break it, so be it.
• Put it back together, turn it on.
Lesson on the elements of the operating system
STEP 7
Run with it
• Here’s where you have the opportunity to test whether you
succeeded with Step #1 (Step 1 was to get over yourself)
• With Google as your friend, go out and learn how to help
your student progress.
• Many of our students require step-by-step and how to
guides in order to independently complete tasks.
• Encourage students to learn how to self-generate how to’s.
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Note-taking/creating your own notes
Recording
Thank you!