TinyEYE Helps Buffalo Trail School District!
BTPS will trial a jurisdiction-wide online speech-language program for Program Unit Fund (PUF) students who are enrolled in Early Childhood Services (ECS), the first online program of its kind in Alberta.
Hi Again,
We just received a press release from Buffalo Trail Public Schools. We have been working with them for the last little while and it’s been great! I wanted to share this with you before the weekend!
BTPS to Pilot TinyEYE Program
Date: January 16, 2008
Location: Wainwright, Alberta
BTPS will trial a jurisdiction-wide online speech-language program for Program Unit Fund (PUF) students who are enrolled in Early Childhood Services (ECS), the first online program of its kind in Alberta.
The school division has partnered with TinyEYE Technologies of Saskatoon for a six-month pilot program.
The TinyEYE program will enable the Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP) from Something to Talk About Speech-Language Therapy Services to connect with young students via school computers, while using a headset and web camera or schools have the option of using their own Smartboard technologies. Using the TinyEYE online program, the SLP will be able to:
- Conduct therapy
- Connect with educators and parents
- Create reports
- Manage the caseload schedule all from a centralized location
Teacher assistants in the school will assist and guide the students during session times. Parents and students will also have access to speech and language homework assignments in a video game format.
A demonstration/training session for the program was held at Wainwright Elementary School on Wednesday, January 09, 2008. Tracy Smith, Buffalo Trail’s PUF Coordinator, is excited about the accessibility of the program. “The technology as presented is very user friendly. Students must have mouse-click skills, the adult being the Teacher Assistant or the parent have to access the internet, and the Speech and Language Pathologist has to follow the program outline step by step.”
The benefits for a school jurisdiction are obvious, said Director of Student Services Crystal Tower. “An SLP in collaboration with school staff using this program will be able to provide ongoing therapy and will allow for the flexibility of staff and students to access the program at their convenience. Cost and time efficiencies are the administrative bonuses of using this online program.” As all existing programming will be remaining the same, the online portion of delivery is being seen as an additional therapy benefit to the students.
“To be able to have a Speech-Language Pathologist work from one location will be a real benefit for our students," said Board Chairman Brent Romanchuk. “Less travel time for an SLP will mean more time for students, and the homework assignments in video game format will appeal to any child. The Board of Trustees is delighted to be involved with the TinyEYE pilot program.”
“I am very excited that the TinyEYE program will be trialed in our jurisdiction,” said Superintendent Nancy Spencer-Poitras. “With our existing videoconferencing/Smartboard network in Buffalo Trail and the TinyEYE technology, we can provide more effective programming for our students with speech language issues. I see ECS students leaving this program with better communication skills, more self-confidence, and more prepared for learning in Grade 1.”
For more information, please follow this link.
