Reflection on 20% Project

When I learned that we would be doing the 20% Project, I had no idea what I would do and was not very interested.  After I decided to research the use of technology in Speech Pathology, specifically in speech therapy, I became more interested and enjoyed looking for information. When I began this project, I knew that Speech Pathologists are using technology such as iPads and tablets during therapy, but I did not really know the extent to which they are using them. By researching blogs and websites, I was able to get a better understanding of the apps and tools that Speech therapists use.  I also learned that there are hundreds of Speech Therapy apps that can be used in therapy, and that they have apps that focus on fixing the different disabilities that patients may have. As I collected information, I wanted to be able to present my findings in a way that they might be able to help people.  I decided to create a website that had the information that I found, as well as links to speech games for practice, suggestions for therapy apps, and tutorials on how to use some of the apps. Below is a link to my website: http://technologyinspeechtherapy.weebly.com. I did not have many difficulties with my 20% Project and really enjoyed researching how apps are used in Speech Therapy to help and motivate patients.  I think that people enjoyed learning about my product at the showcase and were interested to learn more about my website.  After I showed my product, I used my iPad, that I had previously downloaded a therapy app on, to demonstrate how Speech Pathologists use the apps in therapy, and I think people enjoyed seeing how the apps work.  I hope that my website will be able to help people and hope it will be a good source of information.  

Update On My 20% Project- 4th Blog Post

I have learned a lot about Speech Pathology while working on this project.  I have also learned that speech therapists are now incorporating more technology into therapy settings, and encouraged to use electronic tools such as iPads and computers.  As I have learned about the use of technology within speech therapy, I have been documenting my findings on this blog.  Although I have learned a lot more than I did when I began this project, I am still interested to learn more.  I would like to learn more about and how to use the apps that Speech Pathologists use in therapy.  To learn more about this topic, I would like to download some of the apps onto my iPad so that I can play with and learn about the apps that are most popular within speech therapy.  My project relates to what we are talking about in class because it focuses on the use of technology within speech therapy to motivate, teach, and promote creativity within the speech patients.  Through the use of technology, the patients are motivated to come to therapy because it is fun and exciting. They are also learning and practicing their speech through the use of the apps.  Creativity is also encouraged through apps that allow the patients to practice their speech through storytelling.  This project has taught me that technology is not only useful in schools and classrooms, but is also very important in Speech Pathology.

My 20% project will benefit all who are interested, working in, or are affected by speech therapy.  Students aspiring to become Speech Pathologists may find this project interesting for future reference when they are thinking about incorporating apps and technology into their therapy sessions.  My project will also be very helpful to parents and all who are affected by speech impediments who want to learn more about the therapy apps, why they are used, and how to use them.  I would like to share what I have learned with anyone who is interested and willing to listen.  No matter if my audience is young or old, I want to create a product that every age can easily understand and benefit from.  

I plan on using my blog posts, as well as a presentation on how to operate some of the apps, to communicate my findings with my audience.  I will present my findings through Weebly.com.  I will also use Jing to create a screen capture of an editorial of how to use some of the speech therapy apps.  My product will be a website that anyone can use to learn more about the use of apps in speech therapy and how to use some of the apps.  The information on my website will be from my findings and will explain why Speech Pathologists are incorporating technology into speech therapy. I will deliver this information through articles and examples. I hope to create a product that is interesting and helpful to all who are interested.                  

Update On My 20% Project

After researching the use of apps in Speech therapy, I now understand the extent to which many different apps can be used as therapy tools.  Even though using apps as speech therapy tools is a fairly new idea, there are already hundreds of different kinds of apps that are directed towards specific speech impediments.  The Speech Pathologist can use these apps to work with the patient, and to have the patient practice on their own.  I think that these apps can be very useful to Speech pathologists and their patients because they are new and exciting, and are effective and fun.  

There are many different apps for different speech disorders.  Some of the apps focus on:
1) vocal apps
2) articulation apps
3) apraxia of speech apps
4) fluency/voice/hearing apps
5) expressive language apps
6) syntax apps
Here is a link to examples of these apps
http://consonantlyspeaking.com/posts/2013/01/consonantly-speakings-favorite-ipad-apps-to-use-in-speech-language-therapy-sessions
These are just a few examples of the many different apps that are available for Speech Pathologists to use in speech therapy.  For some children, going to Speech therapy is not always an easy thing.  Children may be embarrassed or scared to go, and through the use of these apps, the Speech Pathologist can make it a fun and enjoyable place to be.  By using therapy games, the Speech Pathologist is able to work on the patients speech impediment while allowing the patient to play and have fun. These speech apps should be used as aids in speech therapy, not as a sole-treatment method.  Although many of the apps can be used outside of therapy sessions for practice, some applications should be used solely under the observation of the speech-language pathologist. 

After learning about the different kinds of apps and how they are used in speech therapy, I have decided to create a screen capture video on how to use some of the speech applications for practice outside of therapy.  I will explain more about the apps and preform a demonstration of how the applications can be used.  My goal is to create a product that shows how technology is used in speech therapy, and how speech therapy can be fun and exciting, inside and outside of the therapy room.

For my final presentation, I plan to show my screen capture product on how to use some of the speech therapy apps.  I hope to create a product that is not only easy to learn from, but that is informative and interesting.  My product will show how speech therapy is advancing further into the world of technology, and how technology is an important aid to speech therapy.                   

Extended Comment About Blog Post

This is a blog site that I found that relates to how technology is used in Speech/Language Pathology.
http://blog.asha.org/2011/05/26/technologys-emerging-frontier-in-speech-language-pathology-part-1/

    In this blog, Tanner explains that speech pathologists are beginning to incorporate more technology within speech therapy.  Speech pathologists are exposing students to new and different technologies while working towards language and speech goals, which will help children adapt to a future involving continued use of technology.  The use of technology will keep the students attentive and motivated which will help in the efficiency of treatment of the students speech/language disorders.  It is important for the speech pathologists to keep an eye on the ever growing technology, because the technology devoted to speech/language pathology is just beginning.  Tanner explains that the way in which speech pathologists use technology is even changing.  There are continuously more and more blogs reviewing different treatment apps and therapy ideas which SLPs share with each other.  This blog showed me that technology is an important tool in speech therapy, but also as a way for SLPs to communicate and share with each other.

Below is another blog site I found on how technology is transforming speech/language pathology.
http://www.360healthcarestaffing.com/expert-thinking/Blogs/Post.aspx?assetId=ef8310d1-079d-4359-bb2f-41d1420369c0

    This blog explains how technology such as tablets and apps are being used as therapy tools in speech therapy.  Tablets are fun and motivate patients to keep on practicing, even when exercises become repetitious.  Clients want to use the tablet, and a motivated client is an improving client.  Because tablets are so versatile, they allow the speech pathologist to use them with people who have a wide range of diagnoses and needs.  Tablets are also portable and light, which means the speech therapist can take his or her tablet from client to client.  There are many different apps that are available for therapists, and this blog lists and explains some if its favorites.  Some of these apps include: Comprehension TherAppy, iName it, Language Forest, Naming TherAppy, SLP Goal Bank, and many more.  The tablet allows the speech therapist to use the different apps to captivate and work with the client no matter their age or diagnoses.        
     

20% Project- Driving Question

Question: How is technology used in Speech/Language Pathology?

I decided to do my 20% project on "How technology is used in Speech/Language Pathology" because I would like to learn more about the use of technology within speech therapy. Speech and language has always interested me and I want to be able to help people who cannot speak or who have difficulty with speaking.  My passion is working with children and I hope to one day become a Speech Pathologist within a school.  When I was assigned this project, I thought it would be very interesting to learn about how technology is used as a therapy tool in Speech Pathology.  After a little research, I found that technology is used to motivate patients and help them practice their speech/language skills. Many different educational apps are now being used in therapy to collect data, record conversational samples, and to motivate students.  The use of technology can aid in the efficiency of treatment of speech/language disorders by keeping the attention and motivation of the students.  Because language is social, the use of technology is just a therapy tool for gaining the student's attention so that more opportunities for interaction can occur. Different types of technology such as iPads and computers are now used in speech therapy.  These motivate the patient to keep on practicing because it is fun.  The versatility of iPads and tablets allows a speech pathologist to use them with a wide range of people that have different diagnoses and needs. Technology is always growing and changing and it will continue to be a very useful tool within Speech/Language Pathology.