ADSHE Professional Development Day 21st September 2013
Top Tips
Ø Set up a Dropbox or Sugar Sync account and sync folders and files to smart ‘phones, iPads and laptops (Tony Smith ).
Ø Explore the very friendly and interactive Quizlet.com and create virtual flashcards that can be viewed as print-outs or on screen, including on mobile ‘phones. Includes audio, pictures, quizzes and games (Kerry Pace, Diverse Learners).
Ø Just talking can be enough – it clears the student’s thoughts (Anne) – Then you can learn how / what they are thinking (Andrea).
Ø Print off diary calendar months as pages (perhaps that whole term plus the first month of the next term), enter all deadlines and key social events, use small post-its to break down tasks backwards from the deadline. Creates a visual resource for time management, an aid to memory and a reflective tool for future independent study (Diane Dobbs).
Ø Recipe for students who can’t express their thoughts in words: Ingredients – white board, flip chart or wall lining paper, board markers and Post-its
Method – 1 hour with the tutor, brainstorming / word-storming ideas onto paper and Post-its (get everything out of the head to ‘clear the deck’). Cluster words together into themes. Take 3-4 days plus, to walk past the poster, adding words and phrases. Use question words to direct research - who what where when why how (Barbara Kelly).
Ø Use pads of yellow lined paper to make any notes for students during study skills sessions. It’s easier for them to read plus yellow paper stands out within their pile of other papers so is easier to find again for future reference ().
Ø Using revision cards, play Logic Dominoes – you can place a card if you can justify the connection to the previous card ().
Ø Academic Phrasebank from Manchester University (Tony Smith ).
Ø Dyslexic teachers – website for dyslexic teachers helping with planning; help with tests for qualifying as a teacher ().
Ø NHS students: sheet with suffixes and root words (medical) plus prefixes with meanings. Often given out during nursing course at University of Northampton (sue and ).
Ø Get students to keep a log of activity (including down time). It will make them much better at time management when they see where the time really goes (). A little Hawthorne effect doesn’t go amiss, either J
Ø David Pollak’s ‘Brain.HE’ website is invaluable on information for dyslexia, dyspraxia etc. both for students and tutors.
Ø Useful Study skills website for students with dyslexia is the Sheffield University site: SHEFAC.
Ø Students helping students: on magic/whiteboard, get the students to write / draw the strategy that has worked best for them. Turn this into a screen saver, card, poster – very creative and provides evidence of learning.
Ø Pocket address book – alphabet along the side. Add complex spellings, drugs, medical terminology etc. (Kerry Penman).
Ø TechDis website has a list of free Open Source software including screen readers (go to the FOSS page). Using these with the free downloads (JACK&JESS) provides a quality alternative to TextHelp and Claro Read ().
Ø Times Tables! A4sheet of paper, 12 Post-it notes (different colours are useful for different tables), write the sum on the front i.e. 1x2= and the answer underneath, say the whole sum and have a peek to check, work up to RANDOM level and put them around the house to revise ().
Ø Exam access dilemma … try Daniel Soper’s free Z score calculator http://danielsoper.com/statcalc3/calc.aspx?id=22 ().
Ø Adapted from Grunfeld: The Big Book of Me ().
Project / Dates / Estimated time / Real timePart 1
Part 2
Part 3