Tag: educators

Proloquo2Go

App/Tool Overview

Proloquo2Go is an amazing communication app that has transformed the lives of many individuals and won many awards throughout its history. This app is an AAC, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication app, which means it allows its users to communicate with others in ways other than speaking. There are a variety of differently abled people who benefit from this app; the list includes, but is not limited to, individuals with autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities that impact an individual’s ability to speak uninhibited. One of the reasons this app is so widely lauded is that it has been created to reach out to so many different people through so many different avenues; it is available in English, Spanish, French, and Dutch and can be accessed on iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. Furthermore, the app is extremely customizable, letting its users create the ideal interface and range of abilities for their own individual preferences and needs. The app has an astounding number of features to aid its users in easy communication, but some of the most widely used features are the inclusion of ‘core word’ vocabulary lists, Text to Speech abilities in a variety of voices, dialects, and accents, use of images alongside words, and functions to help develop fine motor skills while working on fluency of language. This app, at its core, enables its users to develop language, communicate, and more freely express themselves despite difficulties or disabilities.

School Library Applications

Proloquo2Go would be extremely valuable in a school library setting because it would allow every single student, regardless of ability, to express themselves, communicate, and use the library’s resources to their fullest extent. The school library is more commonly known in many institutions now as the media center, or something of that ilk, which means that it encompasses so many important resources for students. This is an amazing feature, but it also means it can be difficult for students who lack fluid communication skills because they will have more difficulty navigating through all of these resources. Having this app available would be so valuable because students would be able to very clearly state their needs and wants to library staff, who would then be able to assist them in accomplishing their goals. The school library, or media center, exists to serve all of its students, so the staff who work there need to do all that they can to have access to and aid all of their students, regardless of ability.

The library is also a place for students to go to work independently and take a moment for themselves if desired, so having this app available for students in need to develop their communication fluency would be very helpful. It would be a wonderful idea to have this app available on some sort of device, preferably an iPad, to be available at all times for students who would like to work on their own when they have free time to do so. Having a more private and secluded spot in the library for this to happen would be very beneficial for students to feel safe and confident when using this app and developing their language skills.

Classroom Teacher Implications

Classroom teachers would be able to use Proloquo2Go in all of the same ways that a school library would. Again, the focus for this app is to help students develop their language and communication skills, so it is important for them to be able to do so in all of their school environments. It would be beneficial for a school to buy several copies of this app so that students are able to have access wherever they go in their school. Students who could greatly benefit from this app would achieve the most with continued practice and consistency, so it is important to have this app in a variety of places like the library/media center, the students’ classroom, the PT/OT classrooms, and other resource rooms where these students receive services. The more practice and time with this app that the students receive, the more confident they will feel when communicating.

Further Information

For more information about Proloquo2Go, please follow this link to access their webpage: https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go

A second link to follow is the from the Apple App store, which provides more information: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go/id308368164#?platform=iphone

This app is a bit more of a financial commitment than other assistive technology apps; it costs $249.99 on the Apple App Store. While this is a bit of a steep price, it can be extremely beneficial for users who decide to purchase, so make sure to do your research before deciding on purchasing.

Positive Penguins

App/Tool Overview

Positive Penguins is a wonderful app that was created to enable children to participate in short, guided meditation. The app’s main function is to provide a five minute mediation for students that will help them to address their emotions, take a break to check in or cool down, and aid them in having time to think problems over uninterrupted. The app offers this meditation as well as a game mode that helps children to connect with themselves and figure out their emotions in a way that is more active. It is accessible for children of varying abilities because it has text as well as sound, and the ability to either record responses audibly or type them out. These features allow students with both vision and hearing disabilities to access the app. A note on this particular app-it is only available on the Apple App store for iOS devices.

School Library Applications

This app is extremely valuable for all school professionals: librarians, teachers, counselors, lunch and recess aides; the list goes on and on. While a school’s primary function is to be a place of learning, it is also the space where children spend most of their time during the week, so there should be a focus on mental and emotional health as well. This app allows educators to bring a focus to these areas without having to lose any significant instructional time.

In terms of the library in particular, I think school librarians are able to offer special assistance in terms of mental and emotional health because they do not always have the restricted time and schedule that classroom teachers have to adhere to. Libraries could have this app available on I-Pads in a space in the library that has comfortable seating and that is out of the way of the more trafficked areas. Librarians could simply keep this app open for students and allow them to take a mental break with the assistance of Positive Penguins when they are feeling overwhelmed or stressed. This would be beneficial to students because they would know that even at their most difficult moments, they have a safe space to come to and unwind in. They will be able to take a few moments for themselves, recenter with the guided meditation, and then continue on with their days a bit more at ease.

Classroom Teacher Implications

While I think using this app in order to aid in students’ mental and emotional health is equally as important for teachers as it is librarians, I think that teachers may be able to implement it in a slightly different way. While it is easier for librarians to have the app open for use at any time, when it comes to a teacher in her classroom, I think using the app for meditation as a group would be easier. Teachers could lead the class in a guided group meditation at many points throughout the day; it could be the start to the day right after students have come into the classroom, it could be at the end of the day for students to reflect, it could be any point in the middle of the day when the class feels as if it needs to refocus. Lastly, similarly to the set up in the library, teachers could also have the app open during times such as recess or independent reading time so that students are able to have access to the app whenever they individually feel the need.

Lastly, I think that both teachers and librarians could educate their students on the app and its accessibility outside of the school day as well. Because this app is accessible on any Apple device, many students have the ability to use it at home or at the public library as well. Educators should inform their students about how to access and use the app on their own time. This is because students (and people in general!) can always benefit from a few minutes of quiet reflection, especially when in a stressful situation. Educators should strive to aid students in their well being in all places in their lives, so helping them to use this tool of meditation outside of school is just as important as it is within the school day. The healthier a student’s mental and emotional states, the more success they will find both in their education and their personal lives.

Further Information

To access Positive Penguins and find more information about it, please use the following link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/positive-penguins/id570371342

The cost of the app is $.99.