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Saturday, September 3, 2011

Unique Learning System

Unique Learning Program has really upped its game this school year.  Some of the new features include:
  • More file formats for the supportive files including Power Point, Classroom Suite and Saltillo.  
  • Unique GPS (which stands for Goals, Preference and Skills) which is an assessment system 
  • addition of Core Materials for all levels
  • addition of Transition Materials for all levels
  • addition of a Transition Passport to the high school level
  • Online Checkpoint (i.e. quizzes)
  • Unique Support Center - online help for teachers and others
  • online library of adapted books in many levels
My future wishes for Unique Learning Program:
  • improve online accessibility including but not limited to
    • switch access to all online materials
    • low vision support in the form of
      • larger symbol options when using print materials
      • auditory scanning with switch access to materials
      • ability to change formatting of online materials in terms of size of symbols, color of symbols (black on white, white on black, color on yellow, etc) and font sizes
  • more attention to "Participation Level"/"Level One" (students with severe cognitive challenges) in all materials and resources *especially in the transition portfolios and math materials* (Materials continue to be designed for mixed ability classrooms/inclusion classrooms, meaning those of us severing primarily or only students with severe/profound disabilities still will be unable to use many materials without significant adaptations)
  • a least one theme related switch accessible game a month 
  • four-five "Measure It" recipes a month with all or most "low choke hazard", "nut-free" and "gluten-free" (most special education settings cook weekly and most have one or more students with choking precautions or food allergies)
  • at least four writing activities and science experiments per unit that can be used "out of the box" with students who have severe/profound intellectual disabilities
  • attention to AAC instruction, especially on the "Participation Level" (i.e. ability to customize communication boards and symbol training in addition to sight word training)
  • access to materials on iOS and Android platforms
  • a four year rotation of themes instead of a three year (because my students stay with me for four years due to our state guidelines)
  • a broader range of themes so that all areas of the curriculum are touched upon in the theme rotation (in three years of teaching Unique we have done US Civics and History many, many times, but rarely do we do World History or Ancient History)
  • a even broader range of support materials to include Tobii Communicator, Test Me, Score Me, Choose It Maker, Proloquo2Go, Clicker5, Interactive Whiteboards and (I know this is a stretch) Dynavox and Boardmaker
  • activity exchange to share materials made by teachers/therapists
  • automatic updating of AAC systems using Symbolstix to include boards related to monthly themes, core curriculum and transition materials

2 comments:

  1. Today Unique added 3 more science lessons to every unit. Ask and you shall receive! I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but I wish they were experiments and not reading/questions.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome suggestions. I agree. Did you contact them with the suggestions? I keep meaning to do that, but haven't yet.

    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete

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