In an earlier post, Under
the Hood (http://bit.ly/1jR2KhF), I discussed the complex animation sequences that
are required to make the animated steps look as realistic as possible. As you are well aware, each Animated
Step-by-Step™ (ASbyS) incorporates several animations per page. The animations
are sequentially programmed, i.e.,
each click will advance the program to the next animation. The sequential nature of the animations can be used in conjunction with the safe zone (http://bit.ly/1M1UCp5can) to make ASbyS perfect for giving a
student using a switch a more active role in that group lesson. On the ‘down
side’, however, you do have to be careful to not inadvertently touch the board
as touching the interactive whiteboard (with anything other than the pen tool),
will either trigger an animation or move you to the next page. “Yikes that’s
not what I wanted to do!”
Occasionally a lesson lends itself to assigning sound to
various graphics on the page.
For example, when you touch the colored clothing items on
the page in I Spy with My Little Eye it gives you auditory feedback as to
the correctness of your choice when asked to locate ‘something that is blue.” Similarly
when you touch a printed word or a star in the Parts of the Mealworm lesson, that corresponding word will be
spoken.
On the surface this ‘touch to produce audio’ feature looks
easy enough but it is actually quite tricky given there is often also an
animation sequence on the page. If you
accurately touch the graphic it works great but if a child mispoints and
touches outside the graphic you run the risk of the program advancing to the
next animation or the next page depending upon where you are in the sequence.
Yikes again!
Eventually I figured out the solution to this dilemma … create
a large ‘safe zone’ that is positioned behind the audio-supported graphics. Now
when that child with less than perfect targeting skills misses the target
slightly the outcome is not devastating … it only produces an inert action (a
brief silence) …that does not disrupt the program. Illustrated below are the
‘safe zones’ that lie behind the graphics with programmed actions to produce audio.
I’m sure this is more information that you actually wanted …
or for that matter needed but it’s offered only to let you know that there is
lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work necessary to make that Animated Step-by-Steps
work for a broad range of students. Worth the effort? Most definitely! I want the Animated
Step-by-Steps™ to be as good a fit as possible … for as many students as
possible.
…’til the next post
(new posts every Monday)
Visit my website http://www.animatedstep-by-steps.com
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Email me at canadiangoosse@gmail.com
©2015 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.
Augmentative Communication Consultant
Speech-Language Pathologist
Special Educator
