Day 7: Linda Burkhart's Ideas and Social Movie Clips

In her work with augentative communication, Linda Burkhart lists some critical factors to facilitate successful learning:

1. Focus on Interaction and Communication - Not the technology
2. Assessment is an On-Going, Dynamic Team Process
3. Use Multiple Systems, Multiple Modalities, ‘Light Tech’ and ‘High Tech’
4. Active Learning is Critical
5. Children Learn Language through Natural Immersion in Language -Input before Output - Start Young if Possible, but It’s Never too Late
6. The ‘Juggling Act’ for Children who Have Significant Multiple Challenges
7. Motivation is Key
(these summary points were in a pdf handout distributed by Barb Welsford today)

I was especially challenged to juggle ALL of these elements, since my learning curve with the Movie Maker technology was so extreme. I found myself getting lost in the software application and not remembering that it's just the tool to bring the appropriate focus on the communication. While this AT is very much "High Tech", active learning by both the teacher and the student in adopting these technologies will be at the forefront, out of necessity!

This is my Neighbourhood movie, my first movie in Windows 7 Movie Maker. I started this self-teach process at 1:00pm and just finished 5.5 hours later! Only 1:27 of video to show, but I keep reassuring myself that it was an investment in personal learning. This stumble and falter method is NOT my favourite learning style. I need a supper break - my eyes are rectangular from staring at this monitor!!!

(Now back to the keyboard at 9:30, after some much needed food and a walk)

Today was a challenging day. I was a baby boomer (born between 1943-1960) learner "of a certain (read old) age" cast upon the waters of a classroom geared to the learning background of the dominant subgroup in the class, the digitally native millinnials (born between 1980-2000). It was clear right from the beginning of today's session that I was not comfortable being turned loose to transfer (nonexistant) video creation skills to a new goal, making a social video for an imaginary child with autism. Both the context of the task and the technical skills were WAY outside my experience, yet somehow the other members of our small group saw me as the technical expert. Soooooo, not true!

I experienced a high level of stress, and it was compounded by my perceptions of the group's expectations of the expertise I brought to the group. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to dramatically stretch previous learning and experience to meet the current learning goal, but already recognizing that the conceptual framework was entirely absent. I was addled!

So, the next time a child says aloud "I need a break" I promise to truly hear that request and to not dismiss that learner need.
I was present in that overwhelming moment today and I was far beyond frustration. Carl is right, this IS like being fed with a fire hose!