"Dolla Holla" (Thanks for the great phrase Kayla)

So, yesterday I posted about all of the amazing items that Chelsea and I found at the Dollar Store and how we tried to view those items with our assistive technology glasses on. That was a really fun experience and very eye opening. As Mrs. Weslford says, "We won't look at the Dollar Store the same way!" 
 

From all of the items that we found at the Dollar Store, the adapted iPad glove was one of our all time favourites. As is evident from our excitement in this photo! (Chelsea will love me for including this! Sorry Chelsea, I couldn't resist)

A simple winter glove
can be easily modified
to create a smart glove for
use with an iPad or
touchscreen. This is great for finger  isolation and reduces  those pesky accidental hits. 

Our creation:

Our invention has three main features which provide ease of use for our student:   

First: Elastics around the cup provide for easy gripping (resulting in fewer slips and spills) 
 Second: Suctions on the bottom allow for the cup to be stable on a given surface decreasing the possibility of spillage

   Third: The clothespin/straw adapter keeps the straw in place without having to hold it. 

These things combined make drinking easier and more enjoyable.

We created our invention for a student with hand dexterity difficulties and poor hand motor control resulting in jerky movements. Our invention can be used in multiple settings (school, home, restaurants etc.).

 

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We saw some REALLY creative and innovative things today! Everybody really put their thinking caps on for this assignment and definitely did some thinking outside of the box. I was amazed at all of the ideas that I got. From the dinosaur pencil grip, the car pencil holder, the chip clip key holder, the adapted straw holder, the magnifying glass necklace a la"Flavor Flav",
the one handed cooking creation, the modified spoon, the sensory necklace, the adapted seat cushion, the communication board to the zen calming wand.....it was an AT smorgasbord!

iMovie time: When Mrs. Welsford first said that we were going to have to make a trailer using iMovie I'll be honest, I thought there was no way that we would pull this off in 45 minutes. My creative juices had run dry but...as soon as the five of us got together the juices were back! The iMovie app was so incredibly easy to use and so much fun. I can see how this can be used in the classroom to motivate and inspire students to get creative. I really liked the way that Mrs. Welsford had us use the App. In creating our trailer around our three main "take aways" from this course, we reflected on the content of the past twelve days. I can see how using this in the classroom in a similar way would be beneficial. You could have students create iMovies on a specific topic. They would absolutely LOVE this! I really liked that the music and template are already provided. This added to ease of comfort when using the App. I think that everyone made some pretty creative trailers. It's interesting to see different people's take on the same task. Here is our movie. Enjoy.

We all agreed rather quickly that our three take aways from this course were: 
1. -The Myth of Average -  the idea that there is no average and therefore trying to fit our students in to the 'average' mold is simply NOT possible. 
2. Presume Competency - This was a term that I had never heard before this course but boy am I glad that I have heard it. It means,
assume your student is aware and able to understand even though they may not show this to you in a way that you are able to recognize or understand. Assume your students can understand when they are being spoken of and to. Talk to your students like you would ANY student. Treat your students with respect and as an equal without pity or infantilization.
3. Universal Design for Learning - creating curriculum that provides multiple ways of representation, expression and engagement. 

I hope that you enjoyed our video and our creation! I certainly enjoyed all of yours. 
Thanks