Batavia teacher says technology helps with social skills

The use of technology in the classroom has been a boon to special needs students, according to Rebecca (Becka) Butler, a special education resource teacher at J.B. Nelson Elementary School in Batavia.

Butler, who holds a bachelor of education degree from Northern Illinois University and a master's in educational leadership from Aurora University, has been teaching for seven years, and is in her third year at J.B. Nelson.

The Daily Herald caught up with Butler to find out more about how technology has impacted her teaching style.

Q. What do you find most rewarding about working with special needs students?

A. Students can have a variety of needs, from reading, math, and/or writing difficulties to behavioral concerns. It's so exciting to see students make progress of any kind. I had a student come to me last year who learned letter names, sounds, and how to blend, causing him to grow six reading levels. He had some of the most academic growth I've seen in my time as a teacher.

We worked so hard together, one-on-one each day. I used his favorite things to motivate him and you could see it working. I had several students last year who responded so well to being able to see their goals and their weekly achievement toward them. It motivated them to do better each week.

I also find a lot of joy in them growing behaviorally and socially. I love to see the students learn to make new friends, how to do a life skill (cook their own food), or just make it around the school without my help.

Q. How have innovations in technology made a difference in the lives of students with special needs?

A. I feel like many people think of tech for kids as iPads and Chromebooks, but there is so much more in special education that I see working for kids.

There are devices that can speak for students, such as DynaVox and the Vantage Lite. There are also apps that perform the same functions on iPads. I've seen students' communication improved so much by this technology. I also find so much in the Google products available to educators, too.

I use Google sheets to have students track their own IEP goals and progress. They love it. I have found that they've grown so much more being involved in the process of looking at data and talking about what the data is telling us.

I also use Google Read&Write to allow students who cannot read well to have items online read to them. It makes the children feel so much more independent.

Q. Tell us about two or three new iPad apps that you're excited about and why?

A. I absolutely love Class Dojo, Dreambox, and Too Noisy. Class Dojo is this amazing program (app and on the computer) that you can use to track behaviors, communicate with parents, and chronicle all of the wonderful things students are doing in a portfolio for you, the student and their parents to see.

We've connected Class Dojo points to a menu of items they can earn with different "costs." The students love the prize box, where they can trade in 50 Dojo Points. Dreambox is a math intervention that we use for K-5 students. It's available on the iPad and on the Chromebook.

The iPad app is great because I can take my iPad around from room to room and provide services right in a child's classroom without disrupting their day. Dreambox is engaging and teaches the students math without them really realizing how much they are learning.

In the resource room we put the students' names in a drawing for a gift card at the end of the week if they have used Dreambox 40 minutes a week or more (a great idea started by the teacher I shared a room with last year).

Lastly, I love Too Noisy. This app monitors the volumes of the students with a gauge that moves up and down. If they are too loud the moon will change from yellow to orange, and then to red. If they stay too loud for too long, the screen will "crack" and a buzzer will sound, letting them know to quiet down.

This keeps me from having to constantly ask them to quiet down and teaches them how to manage their own volumes.

Q. What are some tips you have for students with special needs about navigating social media? What about for those who may be developing social skills?

A. Social media can be a great social tool for students who have developing social skills or social difficulties. It allows them processing time while communicating because they are behind a screen, not face to face.

However, I did think that it should be used carefully. It's somewhat less of a concern teaching at the K-5 level, but when I taught a high school life skills class three years ago, we talked about this topic almost daily. We discussed how to be safe, such as only using your first name or a nickname online, not posting your picture on websites that weren't secure and speaking kindly online.

These teens didn't realize that the internet is developing a portfolio of your behavior with every strike of the key. We talked about how employers can Google your name and quickly find your posts on message boards, your photos, and your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.

This was difficult for my children with developing social skills because they badly wanted friends and making them online was much easier, but they weren't cautious about who they "friended."