TEACHER Specific
Adapting the course for different disabilities involves adjusting the complexity of the concepts, activities, and the depth of understanding required, it can also require the adjustment of the physical component and language that are used. Here are some suggestions for tailoring TapeBlocks for specific disabilities.
Establish language to orient the block prior to any explanations.
Use the tactile affordance of the componence to enable independent circuit making and success recognition. The vibration motor and fan motors are excellent for this. Use the buzzers with caution, although they are an effect sound cue, they can be annoying in a classroom situation.
Be aware of the non-tactile aspects of the physical components. It is not possible to feel that the wires are covered in plastic so only the end of the wire is conductive. This needs to be explicitly explained.
Cutting small piece of conductive tape while peeling the white backing paper is difficult for blind students. Using small round conductive stickers is a much better solution.
Encourage students to use foam blocks in shades that assist them in making sense of the different types of blocks and their purpose and functional relationships.
Color coding can be used as scaffolding to support the placement of switches in the middle as a yellow block between a red and green block. Using prior knowledge of traffic lights.
The planned sequence of learning is important for people with intellectual disabilities. Providing a completed set of TapeBlocks for exploration and discovery should be provided before attempting to make the TapeBlocks to make the process less abstract.
TapeBlocks provide the opportunity for differential repetition to introduce concepts and repeat them to reinforce understanding. This can be achieved in creative ways by integrating crafting into the activities.
Making button and switch TapeBlocks is quite difficult as the components need to be place in a different configuration to the pattern has been learned. Extra support may be required to minimise frustration.
Use multidirectional components so that success is physically easier.
Have assistants hold the components in the place of adaptive switches or use big switches in the circuits.
Use the appropriate communication tools to provide interactions.