By Google INC (Traced from File:Logo 2013 Google.png) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
I have been a teacher for almost 20 years and I have always worked with students with special needs. Much of my recent work has been with students on all ranges of the autism spectrum. One of the biggest challenges for my students is getting their thoughts and ideas out to the world, both on paper and verbally. In the world of special educators it is referred to as “written and verbal expression”. It’s tricky to tell exactly what gets in the way or which issue is causing what when it comes to students with disabilities expression. Students are complicated and so is writing/speaking. My students have endless IEP goals dealing with generating topics, using graphic organizers to plan their writing, editing checklists, sentence starters, etc. I have color coded, created visuals, scaffolded like there’s nobody’s business and still my students’ progress is slow at best.
Until now.
Ok, I’m being a bit dramatic but it really does feel like a huge shift.
About two years ago my school started a pilot program with chromebooks. The departments were given carts and we shared them. We had an opportunity to try the chromebooks and see how they could be used as a tool to help our students learn. I jumped at the chance to use the chromebooks and hoarded the cart regularly. They were new, they were shiny, and I didn’t really know how to integrate this new tool into my classroom. Now we are officially a 1:1 school. Enter Googledocs!
Here are 5 ways that I use Googledocs with my students and why they work. Continue reading
ReThinkTeach 