Comments on: Lars Liden and Chris Whalen, Co-Founders of TeachTown http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/ipro-teachtown/ Advancing Technology Innovations for All Students Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:52:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: TeachTownCSO http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/ipro-teachtown/comment-page-1/#comment-13 TeachTownCSO Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:23:31 +0000 http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/teachtown/#comment-13 Stacy: Although TeachTown fits in nicely to an existing ABA program, many of our customers use the program without an additional ABA program. For instance, some of our biggest success stories are in school districts and speech-language clinics. This program can be very effective as a supplement to an ABA or developmental program (e.g. RDI, SCERTS, Floortime). The program also works well on its own when other options are not available. In these cases, I strongly advise that the parents and schools print out and do the naturalistic off-computer activities to help with generalization and mastery of the concepts taught in the software. I hope this helps! -Christina Whalen, PhD, BCBA TeachTown Chief Science Officer Stacy:
Although TeachTown fits in nicely to an existing ABA program, many of our customers use the program without an additional ABA program. For instance, some of our biggest success stories are in school districts and speech-language clinics. This program can be very effective as a supplement to an ABA or developmental program (e.g. RDI, SCERTS, Floortime). The program also works well on its own when other options are not available. In these cases, I strongly advise that the parents and schools print out and do the naturalistic off-computer activities to help with generalization and mastery of the concepts taught in the software.
I hope this helps!
-Christina Whalen, PhD, BCBA
TeachTown Chief Science Officer
VN:F [1.0.9_379]
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)
]]> By: TeachTownCSO http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/ipro-teachtown/comment-page-1/#comment-12 TeachTownCSO Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:19:41 +0000 http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/teachtown/#comment-12 I think that you raise an excellent point and that anyone starting a new intervention of any kind needs to closely examine the individual needs of the child. Also, I think it is very important for those developing new technologies to do the following: 1) Don't re-invent the wheel, use proven scientific methods for teaching. 2) Provide room for individualization within the technology (e.g. TeachTown automatically adjusts to each child's performance and individualizes the curriculum to meet the individual child's needs. This addresses your point about how important it is to make sure that the intervention matches the child (AND the wishes of the caregivers!). 3) Continuously seek feedback from consumers - this addresses your point about professionals needing to listen to the needs and desires of the parents and also the children (i.e. the child should be learning and enjoying it and there should be data to support the child's success). At TeachTown, our development decisions are literally made by our parents, teachers, clinicians, and researchers using the program. 4) Conduct experimental research to identify effective aspects of the technology I think that you raise an excellent point and that anyone starting a new intervention of any kind needs to closely examine the individual needs of the child. Also, I think it is very important for those developing new technologies to do the following:
1) Don’t re-invent the wheel, use proven scientific methods for teaching.
2) Provide room for individualization within the technology (e.g. TeachTown automatically adjusts to each child’s performance and individualizes the curriculum to meet the individual child’s needs. This addresses your point about how important it is to make sure that the intervention matches the child (AND the wishes of the caregivers!).
3) Continuously seek feedback from consumers – this addresses your point about professionals needing to listen to the needs and desires of the parents and also the children (i.e. the child should be learning and enjoying it and there should be data to support the child’s success). At TeachTown, our development decisions are literally made by our parents, teachers, clinicians, and researchers using the program.
4) Conduct experimental research to identify effective aspects of the technology
VN:F [1.0.9_379]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
]]> By: RollTide Man http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/ipro-teachtown/comment-page-1/#comment-11 RollTide Man Fri, 15 Jun 2007 21:11:35 +0000 http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/teachtown/#comment-11 I just stumbled into TeachTown and could not resist posting a comment. This format is a great integration of technology and ABA methodolody. My hope is that we will not forget that our learners have individual aspirations that may just show up if we let them have unbridled access to technology. I am currently looking at qualitative procedures to better represent learners with disabilities. From some interactions with caregivers, including parents, I have noted that the caregiver tends to have a distinct understanding of learner needs, sometimes so distinct, it does not match with the learner. Is anyone out there that has a sense of what I am talking about? I need some affirmation that others have encountered disparity in wishes, desires, aspirations of special needs learners and the adults that deliver instruction and life to the learner. Hit me! I just stumbled into TeachTown and could not resist posting a comment. This format is a great integration of technology and ABA methodolody. My hope is that we will not forget that our learners have individual aspirations that may just show up if we let them have unbridled access to technology. I am currently looking at qualitative procedures to better represent learners with disabilities. From some interactions with caregivers, including parents, I have noted that the caregiver tends to have a distinct understanding of learner needs, sometimes so distinct, it does not match with the learner.

Is anyone out there that has a sense of what I am talking about? I need some affirmation that others have encountered disparity in wishes, desires, aspirations of special needs learners and the adults that deliver instruction and life to the learner.

Hit me!

VN:F [1.0.9_379]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
]]> By: stacy rush http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/ipro-teachtown/comment-page-1/#comment-10 stacy rush Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:20:34 +0000 http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2007/06/12/teachtown/#comment-10 It is so exciting to read about technology developed and "tested" by those personally involved in the special needs community. Is Teach Town appropriate only if the child is involved in an ABA program at his/her school, or are there stand alone components of the program that would be effective if the child were not involved in an ABA program, but in a less structured behavior management program? Is Teach Town designed in such a way that IEP goals could be developed around its delivery system? Technology is such an attractive and successful tool for some students with autism, and I am delighted that care has been taken to avoid some of the pitfalls of this attraction. I am equally impressed to read that there has been an effort made to offer opportunities for generalization into social contexts of skills learned through this progarm. It is so exciting to read about technology developed and “tested” by those personally involved in the special needs community. Is Teach Town appropriate only if the child is involved in an ABA program at his/her school, or are there stand alone components of the program that would be effective if the child were not involved in an ABA program, but in a less structured behavior management program? Is Teach Town designed in such a way that IEP goals could be developed around its delivery system?
Technology is such an attractive and successful tool for some students with autism, and I am delighted that care has been taken to avoid some of the pitfalls of this attraction. I am equally impressed to read that there has been an effort made to offer opportunities for generalization into social contexts of skills learned through this progarm.
VN:F [1.0.9_379]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
]]>