Toothpaste

Image: Imagine symbols

I love this blog entry from Autism Teacher about how she set up a tooth cleaning regime in her class and her dedication to saving toothpaste !

Electrical Safety

This blog entry was updated on 30/10/15.I was disappointed to find how many good resources has been removed by IET and Sellafield

   Spot the Hazard - from EDF electrical safety at home Electrical safety around the home from switched on kids


Electrical safety signs from Classroom activities Sellafield
  Dangers in the Bathroom worksheet Also see my blog entries for Health and Safety

Snap! Winners

Mencap Snap! 2010 competition has now finished and the winner announced. You can see the winning photos at The Guardian

Mencap are also taking the photos on tour so you can see them for yourself at the following locations:

London
Belfast
Newcastle
Portsmouth
Bedford
Liverpool
Birmingham

Remember The Wilderness Downtown

Do you remember where you lived as a child ?

The Wilderness Downtown is an interactive film by Chris Milk featuring "We Used To Wait" by Arcade Fire
I don't think you could watch this at your college - there would be far too much buffering ! Enjoy it at home.

Recycling

This film is about the recycling process for mixed waste. It is an American on You Tube Recycle Bank but still a useful film because of the good visual presentation . I will be using it with my entry level students .

4 other places to look for resources for teaching about recycling

My blog entry on recycling has a link to recycling games suitable for students with learning disabilities.

Learn Any time : Reduce Reuse Recycle -links

A quiz about recycling aluminium
(no pictures and requires reading)

A quiz about recycling from Recycle Zone
(no pictures and requires reading)

 A video from Terracycle showing how plastic pens are recycled 

Relationships-Staying faithful

Will's story from BBC Ouch!
Is a good resource for using with young adults with a learning disability (entry level)
In this story Will finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and he is worried about settling down. He is tempted to be unfaithful with one of Diamond's friend Laura and struggles with the dilemma -Stay with Diamond or go with Laura?
We get to look at his two options .
Also see my blog entry Us 5 from BBC Ouch

Classroom timers for the Interactive whiteboard

From Class tools a countdown timer with sound

COUNTDOWN from Kent ICT
sorry to see this is now only available to Kent schools.All schools should be able to use these resources.   

Use this you tube video instead

Using countdown timers in powerpoint





Virtual stop watch

From Jim Luther's Assistive Technology Collection‎
countDown is a simple standalone countdown timer to download that provides visual and auditory cues regarding the timer's status.

Get rewarded for sharing your resources

TES are offering a £10 voucher for every 3 special needs resources uploaded to their website. The offer runs to the 31.10.10. Details of the scheme can be found here.

Soundbeam

‘Soundbeam is an award-winning device which uses sensor technology to translate body movement into digitally generated sound and image.'
We have a Soundbeam 5 on order and today we have been looking at ideas for using the Soundbeam with adults with learning disabilities

This video from Capability Scotland shows how the Soundbeam can be used successfully with adults with a learning disability and or physical disabilities.

Nordoff-Robbins music therapy are experienced users of the Soundbeam and this video is an inspiring example:

Two others to watch:

Soundbeam in action from You Tube

Soundbeam’s use in Secondary education

Teachers TV Secondary ICT kit (6 minutes in)

Looking Back

Yet again the holidays are over...Before I started my summer break I was looking back at lessons I had taught and began to write a summary of the year. One of my most enjoyable days was working at a Leonard Cheshire Disability home. I taught Personal Development in the morning and Photography Film and Animation in the afternoon. I have written quite a few blog entries around Personal development and Photography and this blog is a summing up of my enjoyable Monday mornings. No doubt I will have new challenges this year(possibly including a first time at pottery...)

My Personal Development course included:

Exercise to music

At the start of each session I used some brain gym activities set to music. (a bit simpler than these)

Ice breaking Games.

A good source is Talkabout activities

Disability Rights

• Studying the film My Left foot

• Talking about Ernie’s friend Joey Deacon and his book Tongue Tied

• Watch and discuss the Leonard Cheshire Change the Way you See Disability campaign @ www.creaturediscomforts.org/ .
  
• Write our own charter of rights

Current Affairs

Recalling the main news of the week and discussing important points. We used music and passed an object around the group. When the music stopped the person holding the object had to talk about a story from the news(often with a bit of help!)

See my blog entries on current affairs


Assertiveness

• Using the Talk about series work sheets and DVD to learn about aggressive, passive and assertive behaviour
  

Politics and the General election

• Identifying the three main parties and their leaders
• What is local government and our right to have a say
• The structure of National Government
• The role of the Royal family
• The importance of voting and how to vote
• A visit from our MP Peter Bottomley

  

I will now of course have to re write my work sheet:Who is the Prime Minister?
See my blog entries for Politics