Technology to Support Literacy for Learners with Complex Needs

Starts 16th April, 2024

8-week course which costs
£ 250 per individual

Welcome to this CALL Scotland course on Technology to Support Literacy for Learners with Complex Needs. This is an 8-week self-study course supplemented with 8 online workshops Tuesdays from 4.00 - 5.30 pm delivered by the CALL Scotland team.

This course would suit anyone involved with supporting children and young people with complex learning needs who are looking to develop their skills and practice.

About the course

This is an online 8-week course with live workshops on Tuesdays from 4.00 - 5.30 pm delivered by the CALL Scotland team and guest speakers from TeachUsToo. This course would suit anyone involved with supporting children and young people with complex learning needs within a specialist provision, mainstream or special school.

Participants will be asked to reflect on what literacy should look like for children and young people with Complex Learning Needs. And in doing so, explore technology tools and strategies that support the development of emergent literacy skills for pupils with complex access and learning challenges. Participants will explore alternative access to reading and writing for learners who use eye gaze, switches and touch and learn about relevant hardware, software and apps for Windows, iPads and Chromebook devices. Participants will be expected to actively engage with the online workshops through discussions and reflective questions.

The structure of the course will be as follows:

Week 1 (16th April): An introduction to literacy & complex needs
Week 2 (23rd April): An introduction to Assistive Technology and Alternative Access
Week 3 (30th April): Technology to support Writing
Week 4 (7th May): Technology to support Shared Reading
Week 5 (14th May): Technology to support Independent Reading
Week 6 (21st May): Technology to support Alphabetic and Phonological Awareness
Week 7 (28th May): 'Wow!' Tools
Week 8 (4th June): Putting it into practice, where next?

You can expect...

12 hours of online learning
Weekly further reading and information
Weekly Q&A sessions
Access to a bank of ideas and ready-made resources

Also...

Upon completing the course, you will receive a University of Edinburgh/CALL Scotland certificate as evidence of your learning.
This is an ideal course to undertake as part of practitioner enquiry and will support you in making changes to your teaching practice and ultimately improving the learner experience.

Aims of the course

Develop an understanding of Assistive Technology and how it can be used to teach reading and writing to children and young people with complex learning needs.
Extend and enhance your knowledge of best practices.
Consider and engage with frameworks and assessments to utilise appropriate technologies to meet different learning and access needs.
Increase your confidence when working with technology to enable curricular access.
Connect and share with other educational professionals.

Learning Outcomes

Identify a range of assistive technologies, resources and strategies to support the development of reading and writing skills for children and young people with complex learning needs.
Explore the latest research and thinking about creating inclusive literacy classrooms.
Apply practical assistive technology skills within your setting to facilitate new opportunities for your learners.
Create a personalised literacy & technology map to help you plan and put what you've learned into practice.

Course tutors

CALL Scotland team members Claire Harrison and Joanna Courtney are your course tutors. Both have many years of experience in supporting children and young people with complex learning needs.

Further questions

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions before signing up: claire.harrison@ed.ac.uk

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