Health and Safety bingo

Now also available as a zip file download : Health and Safety Bingo.rar

Health and Safety Bingo Cards

Health and Safety Bingo cards to download.I have used them with my Entry 1 and Entry 2 Edexcel students with learning difficulties .

There are individual files,a large file with about 10 cards and a calling card .

Using mobile phones and QR codes

I recently had and email asking if I was interested in using QR codes to develop independent travel with our students with learning difficulties.It wasn't until I was watching CSI NY this weekend that I began to understand!

This Saturday's episode of CSI NY Dead Inside Episode 7 featured QR codes. Watch the video below for a very quick explanation:

I can see that they would enable access to the Internet quickly and without writing.

There is a You Tube video about how to set your phone to read QR codes

One downside is that using the Internet with your mobile phone is expensive.

The Rix centre -a learning disability innovation centre at the University of East London is looking at the use of QR codes to widen accessibility for people with a learning disability.There is a video featured on the Big Tree Talk blog about accessing the web using picture cards as QR codes.

A web camera is linked to software which turns everything in to black and white images.

This enables the QR codes which are on the back of picture cards

to link directly to a website.

I would like to see QR codes replace the over long, complicated user name and passwords which currently stop many of our students using college networks independently.

Tell me about your job?

Learning with CKUK is a site designed for adults with a learning disability.It has many resources to explore . On the theme of work it has 3 interviews about people's jobs which are easy to understand and could be read together using the whiteboard.

Snap! Get involved SOON .

Mencap are running a photography competition. Photographs have to taken by someone with a learning disability or be of someone with a learning disability. See my previous blog entry. The closing date is March 9th.

I came across some good photos on The Big Tree blog showing This is Me,the exhibition of Snap!2008.

More adding to 10

Although it is February and half way through the academic year we continue to work on addition skills. We are adding to 10 and trying to add by counting on .We have enjoyed using Hit the Button at the end of our lessons.
To find this activity Click on the Number Bonds button then bonds within 10

This activity can be found on WMnet in the Interactive Whiteboard section

Skills for Working and the Excellence Gateway

The QIA Excellence Gateway has a publication

Skills for Working available as a large PDF .

The guidance is written for staff working with adult post-16 learners with learning difficulties or disabilities in the range pre entry to level 2.

Skills for Working offers ideas and suggestions on how to support the development of literacy, language and numeracy skills for learners in a vocational context.It also offers guidance on working with employers (page 49) and supporting people to move on from education to work. The appendices has examples of locally-devised materials developed with and for learners.

There is a Work Experience Log book (page 142) . These are examples rather than templates to download and use. There is also a DVD which accompanies this publication.It includes a 30 minute video introducing Yvonne, a learner on a work preparation programme.

The publication can be ordered on the QIA website and is free. QIA also has an example of good practice:

Brent Adult and Community Education Service offers a programme to find realistic work placement and develop independence for learners with learning difficulties or disabilities with a wide range of partners.

Preparing for work

Here are some resource to use when teaching students with learning disabilities about the world of work.
There is a series of Writing with Symbols stories in e-live from Symbol World

There is now a new symbol world site (Oct 2011)

Horse Riding Instructor
Face Painter
Musician
Rabbit Show Judge
Film maker
Child care manager
Working as an aquarist
Working as a vet
Worm farmer
Naturalist
Working as a carpenter

View on the new symbolworld site

SEN Press has a series of readers based around work experience costing 4.99 each.
There is a demonstration page which will give you an ideas of the level .
Books in the series include:

Fast-Food Restaurant
Charity Shop
A Garage
Supermarket
An Interview
An Animal Charity

Talent website (register to download resources) has 7 pre entry to entry 1 resources based

around the topic jobs including:

Jobs/places of work/duties - An activity to match simple job descriptions to jobs.

Jobs and shops a PowerPoint used to describe different jobs and their places of work followed by a speaking activity.

Readwrite Plus ESOL Entry 1 Unit 10

is mainly based around speaking and listening

skills on the topic of work.There is an audio

script at the end of the PDF document .

The hard copy can probably be found in you college library and comes with an audio CD.

Skillsworkshop website has
Work an E1 resource which matches job titles to pictures.

Mencap website has as section called My Life My Work.
This has two videos:
Ben's work experience in a restaurant
Josie loves working in reception

The Community Channel has a short video ShopMobility showing a young man with learning disabilities working as a volunteer.

Elsewhere on the net there are examples of supported work projects. Many F.E. colleges work in partnership with these organisations and they are often the next step for students with learning disabilities.
Here are two examples:
Garvald Edinburgh runs a bakery and recently featured

in a film Breadmakers by Yasmin Feda which can be viewed on the BBC website.

Aldingbourne Trust in Sussex runs horticulture, catering and wood work projects

Music on the whiteboard

I thought these instruments were great and I will be trying them out with my students tomorrow in our last half hour of the day . There are a series of instruments to play. They can be downloaded here and saved on to a memory stick.They can be played directly from the site although the layout is not designed for this.

Sensory World Music Room is another good site to make music and experience the sounds of instruments .