#170 – SEND and Inclusion

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Hello! Welcome to this first episode of our newest series, What Matters in Edtech, supported by Bett. This series is all about the things that matter in education, and how and when tech might help.
You can follow the conversation using #edtechpodcast
What’s in this episode?
In the first episode, we are looking at Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
We look at those working across teaching, learning and research supporting those with special educational needs and disabilities. We look at how their efforts are making way for better identification of learning needs, better innovation in assistive technology, and more inclusion in the classroom, at a time when grade pressure is charged with marginalising SEND learners.
The challenges to schools for implementing support for SEND are many, and they don’t just finish once students have left for further education or employment.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
People
Sophie Bailey is the Founder and Presenter of The Edtech Podcast

Sophie is the founder of the iTunes new and noteworthy, The Edtech Podcast. The mission of The Edtech Podcast is to improve the dialogue between ‘ed’ and ‘tech’ for better innovation, through storytelling. The podcast is downloaded 2000+ times a week, from over 145 countries with the UK, US & Aus in the top 3. Sophie is a mentor and advisor within the edtech community. If she’s not interviewing a University Lecturer, School Leader, Ex-Angry Bird, NGO, or Investor about education innovation, she’s chasing her son around the park or binge-reading Homo Deus. Twitter: @podcastedtech
John Galloway, Inclusion and SEND Specialist, Tower Hamlets

John is a specialist in the use of technology to support the inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the curriculum. His work covers all phases of schools and learners with a very broad range of SEND. He has devised and delivered courses at post-graduate and foundation degree levels, and taught teaching assistants at many different levels, including NVQ. His articles have appeared in TES, Guardian, Special Children, SECED, and Special World, along with a diverse range of blogs. His several books include co-authoring, ‘Learning with Mobile and Handheld Technologies’ ‘ winner of Best Book in the 2015 Technology and Innovation Awards. Twitter: @johngalloway
Sarah Jones, Year 3 and 4 teacher, Head and SENDco at Norham St Ceolwulf’s Church of England First School at Berwick Upon Tweed
Twitter: @Miss_Jones_83
Dr. Duncan Astle, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge

Duncan is a Programme Leader at the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, and a Fellow of Robinson College, University of Cambridge. Prior to this he completed his training at Durham and Nottingham, and held fellowships at Oxford, Royal Holloway and Cambridge.
He is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist and his research uses multiple methods to explore how brain systems develop through childhood, in typically developing children, children with disorders of attention, children with genetic mutations, and children with problems in classroom learning. This programme of work has been supported by the Royal Society, the British Academy, the Medical Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council and various charitable foundations. Duncan currently serves as the Chair of the Cambrige NIHR BioResource’s Scientific Advisory Board, is an Editor at Cortex and the Journal of Neuropsychology, and has won a number of Early Career Prizes for his research. Twitter: @DuncanAstle
Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Global Head of Accessibility, Microsoft

As the chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, Jenny Lay-Flurrie has helped create a hiring program through which the company identifies and trains people with autism. She ran the first pilot program in 2015 and has since scaled it, holding it four times a year. Jenny, who is deaf, has also chaired Microsoft’s Disability Employee Resource Group, and in 2014 was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House for her work. In announcing her appointment as chief accessibility officer in early 2016, Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith credited Jenny with creating a culture of change at the company. Before joining Microsoft’s London office in 2005, Jenny worked for T-Mobile and Energis in the U.K. Twitter: @jennylayfluffy
Helen Caldwell Senior Lecturer in Education (ITE – ICT), University of Northampton

Helen has over 15 years teaching experience and held an ICT Co-ordinator role for nine years, working across a group of schools to develop their capability with ICT. She was an assistive technology advisor for Milton Keynes Council and a regional and web portal manager for the Open University Vital CPD programme. Helen’s university teaching and CPD work covers the use of technology across primary school subjects, implementing the computing curriculum and assistive technologies for SEND. She is a member of the Primary National Curriculum for Computing in ITT Expert Group supporting tutors and trainees in ITT in preparing for the new curriculum and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Her research interests include eLearning and social networking in Higher Education, and computing and digital literacy in Primary Education. Twitter: @helencaldwel
Leena Haque, Senior UX Designer & BBC Neurodiversity Lead

Leena is currently a Senior UX Designer at the BBC and also their Neurodiversity Lead for a creative initiative called CAPE (Creating A Positive Environment) The aim of CAPE is to promote the idea that differences in brain functioning, such as autism and dyslexia, are not disabilities, but natural variations and that differently-wired brains can help devise new design processes, drive innovation and find fresh perspectives. Leena has Autism & ADHD but considers them her super powers. She is passionate about inclusion, raising awareness for Neurodiversity and promoting different thinking styles. She has also developed diversity training workshops, produced some creative short films and written various blogs for different online publications. Her goal is to remove barriers and inspire the young, talented creatives of tomorrow so they can fulfil their aspirations regardless of disability or impairment.Twitter: @L1LHulk
Sean Gilroy, Head of Cognitive Design, BBC
Sean is the Head of Cognitive Design for BBC UX&D and a Neurodiversity lead, based at MediaCityUK in Salford, England. In 2014 he co-created BBC CAPE (Creating A Positive Environment), a unique initiative advocating Neurodiversity and designing innovative solutions to remove barriers to employment for Neurodivergent people.
As CAPE grew, Sean then created and now leads the Cognitive Design function as part of the BBC’s UX&D department, which aims to evangelise, shape and deliver the concept of Cognitive Design; recognising the value of Neurodiversity & Diversity of Thought to deliver evolved, inclusive processes and solutions. Sean’s passion for inclusion originates in his previous career as a Chartered Management Accountant, during which he worked across many different industry sectors and included the role of Finance Director, BBC North. Twitter: @S67Sean
Quotes from this episode
“It’s more about that independence, autonomy and attitude towards children and young people’s use of technology – that’s possibly the biggest barrier as opposed to the technology itself.”
“The label itself isn’t very predictive of the kinds of cognitive difficulty a child will have”
“The fact that creativity isn’t being nurtured in the education system, I think that’s quite a tragedy.”
References from this week’s episode
- John Galloway
- Braille devices
- Audible
- Siri
- Alexa
- Google Translate
- Voice Typing in Google Docs (G Suite)
- Microsoft Office 365 Speak
- Microsoft Office 365 Dictate
- Immersive Reader for OneNote
- Phonics
- Read&Write for Google Chrome by Texthelp
- Cosmo by filisia
- Filisia Interfaces
- Clicker7 by Crick Software
- DocsPlus
- Off-rolling: exploring the issue – research carried out by YouGov for Ofsted
- JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications)
- Education, health and care (EHC) plan
- SEND code of practice
- Dr Duncan Astle
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge
- Neuroimaging
- Machine learning
- Dr Joni Holmes
- Sue Gathercole
- Centre for Attention, Learning and Memory
- Phonology
- Working Memory and Learning: A Practical Guide for Teachers
- Leena Haque
- Sean Gilroy
- BBC UX&D
- BBC CAPE (Creating A Positive Environment)
- Neuroscience
- Neurodiversity
- Cognitive psychology
- Autism
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- ADHD
- GoPro
- Binaural sound
- SEND (Special educational needs and disability)
- Unconscious bias
- Read&Write
- Dragon Speaking
- Assistive technology
- DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowances )
- Mordor
- New Scientist Live
- Creative Diversity Network
- CDN UK Broadcasting Diversity Awards 2019
- Project CAPE immersive VR experience
- BBC Wales HQ
- Helen Caldwell – University of Northampton Profile
- Helen Caldwell – Twitter
- University of Northampton
- Assistive Technology in Education – EdTechnology’s definition and in-depth examples
- Computing – explained by Teach Computing
- CPD – definition by The CPD Certification Service
- Special Education Needs and Disabilities – definition by Gov.UK and resources
- Technology for SEND in Primary Schools: A guide for best practice – amazon
- Voice Recognition
- Word Prediction
- Talking tins
- Apps in the Assistive Learning space
- Tele-presence
- Drone / unmanned aerial vehicle
- Virtual Reality
- AV1 – No Isolation
- Be My Eyes
- Cybathlon
- Maker Movement – The Rise of the Maker Movement, report by Enterprise Nation
- Maker Movement
- Maker Faire – one of the largest champions of Maker / DIY Movement
- Guardian Article: Artificial limbs made 3D printers
- Makey Makey
- Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST Centre)
- E-books
- Flipped learning approach / Flipped Classroom
- Puppet Pals – app source
- Explain Everything
- Augmented Reality
- Virtual Reality Headset
- Immersive Technologies – PWC article
- Digital Leadership, Postgraduate
- Pupil Referral Unit / Alternative Provision
- Robot Therapy
- Empathy
- Vivienne Mills, Headteacher at Milton Keynes Primary PRU
Norham St.Ceolwulf’s Church of England First School - Sarah Jones
- SENCO
- SEN award – National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination PG Cert
- Intervention in schools
- SEN Assistants
- Dyslexic tendencies – British Dyslexia Association
- Clicker, dyslexic tendencies support app
- IEP
- Educational Psychologist
- Dyslexia Help
- Tools to help with dyslexia
- Good Schools Guide, classroom support for children with SEN – further reading
- How to include children with special educational needs and disabilities, British Council
- Support for children with special educational needs ‘in crisis’, Guardian Oct 2019
Thank you to Bett
The What matters in Edtech Series is produced by The Edtech Podcast and supported by Bett.
For more SEND content and support, check out the BETT 2020 programme where SEND and inclusion is a key theme, with co-curation input from some of this week’s guests. Register here. To search across all events, browse across our global events calendar.
Bett is the first industry show of the year in the education technology landscape, bringing together over 800 leading companies, 103 exciting new EdTech startups and over 34,000 attendees. People from over 146 countries in the global education community come together to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education, as well as seeing how technology and innovation enables educators and learners to thrive. Each year our CPD-accredited seminar programme provides over 300 hours of workshops, talks and discussions addressing the most prominent issues in education, delivered by the people who are leading change and innovation.
Find out more and register today: https://www.bettshow.com/
Tell us where you are listening in from
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