Supporting All Students Learning French as a Second Language with Assistive Technology

April Townsend & Debra Besner

Introductions

Who we are...

Debra BesnerTechnology Resource Teacher - Central

April TownsendTechnology Resource Teacher - Regional

Purpose...Why?

The YRDSB supports all students learning French as a Second Language through purposeful planning that embeds Assistive Technology.

We will examine the different assistive technology programs that we are using to support students through teacher and student voice (inquiry based learning).

Background (STATS)

● 171 elementary 32 Secondary schools● 29 elementary French Immersion (FI)● We compared the number of identified students in FI school

from 5 years ago to current school year excluding Gifted.

IncreaseIncrease in the number of identified students in French as a Second Language Programs at YRDSB

As explained by Archibald and colleagues (2006), “Students with special needs can learn second languages. As with other subjects, they need accommodation, but there is nothing inherent in the learning of a second language that precludes special needs students” (p. 2).

Inclusive FSL

Academic benefits include heightened phonological, morphological, and metalinguistic awareness and enhanced ability to use reading strategies. Researchers have found that such awareness and strategies are transferable and applicable across languages.(pg 11)

Building Blocks

THINKING

UDL

LD Processing Chart

Inquiry Plan

Students Special Needs in FSLAssistive Technology

Assumptions

● FSL learning is interconnected with other disciplines● Educators know their learners● Educators have accommodated/modified their FSL

program according to student’s strengths and needs● Inquiry will lead to differentiation related to students’

strengths, which will in turn, support their learning needs

Inquiry PlanEngage and Explore● The spark

● accessing prior knowledge of Conversational French

● building background knowledge through research and experiences

● exploring questions students haveabout french-speaking communities around the world

Task: Students will research French Speaking Communities...Success criteria:

1. Vocabulary knowledge

2. Research Skills

Students Need:

❖ Phonological Processing

❖ Language❖ Processing❖ Visual Motor❖ Memory❖ Executive

Functioning

Examples of Assistive Technology

SMART Notebook

Clicker 6

Read&Write for Google (Web bar)

(Kurzweil)

Primary

Junior

Intermediate

Task: Students will create an invitation or write a procedure or film review...Success criteria:

1. Understand the format of writing

2. Use of vocabulary

3. Create

Students Need:

❖ Phonological Processing

❖ Language❖ Processing❖ Visual Motor❖ Memory❖ Visual spatial

Examples of Assistive Technology

Read&Write (PDF)

Clicker 6 - Procedure

WordQ - vocab list

Read&Write - add onsClicker 6

(Kurzweil/Dragon/SpeakQ)

Primary

Junior

Intermediate

Task: Students will present their assignment...

Success criteria:

1. Using learned vocabulary

2. Tone3. Voice4. Written script

Students Need:

❖ Phonological Processing

❖ Language❖ Processing❖ Visual Motor❖ Memory

❖ Decreasing STIGMA!!

Examples of Assistive Technology

Yak It!

Scribjab/Puppet Pals 2

Voki

Primary

Junior

Intermediate

In Sum: ● Purposeful program planning with students needs, strengths and interests in

mind● Integration of Assistive Technology in program planning makes it easier to

support students while they are learning French● Looked at a variety of available AT tools and how they support French as a

Second Language learning across the divisions

Q and A

List of Resources● Including Students with Special Education Needs in French as a Second

Language Programs ● The Ontario Curriculum: French as a Second Language (Elementary and

Secondary)● LD Processing Chart● Capacity Building Series: Getting Started with Student Inquiry

Assistive Technology Resources● Clicker 6 ● WordQ● Smart Notebook 11● Kurzweil 3000● Dragon Naturally Speaking● Google Docs with Add-ons:

Speech Recognition and Easy Accents

● Read&Write for Google Chrome

● Yak it! ● Scribjab● Garage Band● Voki● Puppet Pals HD/2

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