A Response to A Breakthrough for Josh: How Use of an iPad Facilitated Reading Improvement

                                                        

I found the article A Breakthrough for Josh: How Use of an iPad Facilitated Reading Improvement by McClanahan, Kennedy & Tate very interesting, because let’s be honest, haven’t we all had a number of Joshs in our class before?!  In the past, I have noticed that my students with ADHD can struggle to attend to the task during independent reading, and often need a variety of strategies offered to keep them interested and engaged during reading time.  Previous to reading this article, I didn’t realize that the strategies I was often offering students were “…focused on targeting behaviour during academic lessons, rather than planning specific interventions to address academic deficiencies brought about by the core symptoms of ADHD, i.e., inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.”  (McClanahan, Kennedy & Tate, pg. 21)  Now don’t get me wrong, I worked very hard with my struggling readers during small group instruction (at least once a week); however, I didn’t realize I could be using a plethora of assistive technologies to maximize learning during their independent reading time.

Kristen’s work with Josh throughout her tutoring sessions compelled me to think about the opportunities available for my students if they had access to an iPad during independent reading time.  Much like Josh, many of my students would benefit from “…the self-paced, individualized format that the iPad offer(s)…” (McClanahan, Kennedy & Tate, pg. 23).  The opportunities that are available, for example through the ability to hear their own reading, phonics activities that come in the form of games, and educational games which address decoding skills, can offer students remediation strategies, without constant one-on-one attention from the teacher. 

Another aspect of the article which struck me as concerning was that some research has found that elementary and middle school teachers are not implementing modifications or adaptations all the time in their classrooms.  Although this is only referred to as “..two multiple case-studies…” (McClanahan, Kennedy & Tate, pg. 56), I can certainly see how it is possible considering the fact that a lot of teachers are often dealing with a great deal at once.  I think that this fact illustrates the importance of having assistive technology in every classroom, so that students can use it frequently and independently, without the support of an adult.  This fact also illustrates the importance of UDL and considering how to design curriculum that is accessible to all learners so that all students have the opportunity to feel the success that Josh did through his tutoring sessions with Kristen. 

In our class discussions and in reading the blog posts of my colleagues, I think it is interesting that discussions of “too much screen time” have arisen.  I do understand the negative effects that can be caused by too much screen time; however, I think that is also important to consider the benefits of using technologies as remediation and teaching tools.  I have often observed my students with ADHD as they were becoming more and more frustrated with their own overstimulation in some classroom situations and thought that I can never really understand how they are feeling, as I do not know what it is like to live in their bodies with that feeling.  I think that we have to consider the positive effects that using technologies can have, if they hold the attention of students, and use that to our advantage as educators, to help teach them and engage them through a variety of modes.  A link to the article can be found here.