Students with ASD engage well with technology
Since September last year I have spent every Tuesday working in
Norwich at City College in the excellent and evolving Rugroom, a
specialist learning and social centre for learners on the autistic
spectrum.
In May last year colleagues from Cleveratom (2006-2011) and myself engaged with
the Rugroom project to help select and embed the right learning
technology into a new space being designed for students with ASD, by
students with ASD. To read about how the project was founded, and
launched officially earlier this year, click here.
I'm on the train back from Rugroom as I write this, it is nearly 7.30
in the evening and I thought I'd take some time to begin reflecting on
the last year, the learning, achievements, next steps and outcomes
from this whole process so far.
My battery is getting low, so I'll leave this blog entry for now by
reflecting on the photograph and return to writing it from my desk
tomorrow.
In the photo we can see Tim constructing an areoplane in some great
free Lego building software. To his right Alex is learning how to
navigate a flight simulator, working out the best angle for take off.
Over the desk Cara is building a comic and out of site Gemma is
putting together a website, Katy has just built an animated GIF using
Photoshop and Flash and Kirsty is uploading to Youtube a movie she has
been making.
Quite simply the technical ability, creative thinking and desire to
achieve by these particular students is nothing short of exceptional.
More tomorrow.