Technology @ High Point, vol. 19

Tech for teaching and learning in our new space

Fill Your Toolbox!

Well-implemented technology gives classroom staff loads of tools for teaching students with a broad range of learning styles. The time investment in learning new technology will make teaching easier and assist students in advocating for their life-long learning. This newsletter PD is intended to help you learn new technologies at High Point a little bit at a time, slowly filling up your teaching toolbox throughout this chaotic school year.

This Week's Tech Feature:

Pouring Cups

Pouring Cups allow students to tip a cup Velcroed to the rotating plate both clockwise and counter clockwise at an adjustable speed. It uses 2 switches to move the cup in both directions. There are 2 versions of the Pouring Cups. Half of High Point classrooms have the stand version that sits on a table with a fixed-height pouring cup. It looks like this:

The other half of High Point classrooms have the Pouring Cups on the Flex Mount Arm. The Flex Arm allows for adjusting how high the cup needs to dump into, but it always needs to be clamped to something. It looks like this:

The Pouring Cups can be used for dumping all kinds of materials for cooking, art projects, gardening, science experiments and so much more. You can also use the rotating plate with anything you can Velcro to it and it will rotate when the switches are pressed. You could attach a pointer to point at items around a circle... you could create a circle with symbols using Boardmaker or LessonPix. What other creative ways to use the Pouring Cups can you think of?

Pouring Cups @ Enabling Devices

Who is it for?

Pouring Cups are for

any student who needs to perform activities of daily living using switches
all students who have difficulty coordinating the movement to pour materials

Setup Instructions

Be sure the Pouring Cups are within the student's field of vision. Place the switches in an accessible location for the student. For the stand Pouring Cups, place it on a surface and put the bowl under the pouring cup. For the Pouring Cup with Flex Mount, clamp the mount to a surface and place the bowl underneath. Set the pouring speed using the adjustment knob. Plug in the switches to the Pouring Cup. Here is a video showing the setup of the Pouring Cups:

Maintenance

The Pouring Cups device can be cleaned with disinfecting wipes. The cups can be washed in a dishwasher or handwashed with other dishes.

The Pouring Cups are powered by 4 AA batteries. Turn Pouring Cups off when not being used to conserve batteries. Take batteries out if it won't be used for a long period of time (i.e. during the summer).

Ideas for Using This Tech in the Classroom

zoom_out_map

Sand Art

Use several cups. Put different colored sand in each cup. Allow students to chose which cup to attach to the Pouring Cups device and they can add as much of that color as they want to a glass container and switch cups of colored sand as needed to design their own sand art creation.

zoom_out_map

Make a Choice

Use LessonPix to find or create a choice spinner (there is a simple template in LessonPix you can find by searching for "Game Spinner") and attach it to the Pouring Cups device behind the rotating plate. Velcro a pointer onto the rotating plate (you could use a straw or pencil, etc.). Allow students to press the button to move the pointer to the choice they want to make. Students can make choices about the weather, or senses, or feelings or anything else that is offered to them.

zoom_out_map

Gardening

The Pouring Cup can be used to start a garden. Use the Pouring Cups to pour soil into a pot, pour the seeds into the soil, pour water on the plant. The speed may need to be adjusted dependent on what needs to be poured.

Past "Tech @ HP" Newsletters

"Tech @ HP" Feedback Survey