Through our work with neighboring Offices of Education and Districts, a variety of questions are often presented. The following is a sample of the questions that are most frequently posed.
Q: What Apps Do You Use?
A: As indicated earlier, we view the world of apps as a "moving target." At one time, an application may not be appropriate, but through various updates, it may become a powerful learning tool. In addition, while we fully embrace a large number of educationally focused applications for our students' development, we feel that an emphasis on curriculum and the process of instruction is more important than the applications or software themselves.
Q: I would like to visit your program. How would I set this up?
A: For educators, please forward your requests to Program Specialist, Analee Kredel at akredel@ocde.us. For parents, please contact your district representative to discuss the use of mobile devices and what this may look like within your district.
Q: How is staff trained?
A: A significant number of our staff has undergone (and continues to go through) a variety of inservices focused on using mobile devices within the classroom setting. The trainings focus on many of the following: using the device; linking ideas to curriculum; referral process; appropriate software.
Q: Will these trainings be published?
A: Our hope is that many of our slides and tutorials will be published in the near future. Please continue to check our
Technology and
Additional Resources in the future.
Q: Who initiates the referral process?
A: While our speech and language specialists are essential in driving the referral process, these referrals often comes from a number of members within the IEP. Within the OCDE Touch2Learn program, our speech therapists assist in moving forward with referrals.
