Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday comes to you from Suzanne Phillips, Communication Teacher at Imagine!’s Longmont CORE/Labor Source (CLS) hub. Today, Suzanne talks about the new iPads they recently acquired at Longmont CLS, and how they are planning to put those iPads to good use. 

It is finally time! Imagine!’s Longmont CORE/Labor Source (CLS) is proud to introduce you to our newest tech addition - a fleet of shiny new iPads!

We couldn't be more excited about the arrival of 10 iPads, a first for Longmont CLS. We have been preparing for this for a long time, and we have plans to integrate these devices into every classroom and job site at CLS. There is so much that we can do with these devices! Here are a few of the plans we have for these new tools:

• We will use them to create daily visual schedules for clients. 
• There will be a Google translate app and an ASL dictionary on every device. We have several clients at Longmont CLS whose primary language is not English - these apps will make communication with these clients quicker, more effective, and educational for all involved. 
• We have several apps dedicated to money math concepts, certainly an important skill for each of our clients to practice and master. 
• We have an app dedicated to what we call "checking in." This app is simple and can easily be used by non-readers. The first page has a variety of facial expressions - students can touch a smiling face, a frowning face, an angry face to indicate their current mood. This app has several other pages that students can scroll through - pages that display colors, seasons, numbers, letters, weather, etc. I have used this app with clients that do not communicate verbally to ask them what the weather is, how they are feeling, what color their shirt is, etc. It is a very effective tool! 
• We have a variety of generalized interactive educational apps that are designed to help students learn and practice reading, writing, math, science, and fine motor skills. 

This is just a tiny snapshot of the plans we have for these new devices at Longmont CLS. Not only are these devices customizable to every client, classroom, and job site, but they are just fun. The apps are engaging and students will be able to practice skills at their own pace. I cannot wait to see what the Longmont teachers and job coaches do with these devices, the possibilities are endless. I will report back with success stories soon - stay tuned!