Hilery Williams, former Glow official and Outreach Teacher in Dyslexia Support for East Lothian, has been recognised for her innovative approach to collaborative and technology-based learning at iansyst Ltd’s Dyslexia-Friendly Best Practice Awards 2009. Hilery submitted a compelling entry about the impact of assistive and collaborative technology on learners across East Lothian. Created to recognise and celebrate best practice for dyslexia provision in education, this year’s theme was ‘Celebrating the Strengths of Dyslexic Students’. Entrants were required to explain how they work to establish a dyslexia-friendly environment that helps their dyslexic pupils to fufil their potential. 

Hilery works with staff, parents and children across 35 primary schools and 6 secondary schools, to overcome barriers to literacy and learning. This deserving winner has received a range of assistive technologies to further support her work with dyslexic students.

Hilery began her career as a history teacher and has spent 20 years supporting learners by seeking out the best assistive technologies and implementing innovative approaches. She believes that technology is crucial for children with dyslexia to excel and remains dedicated to finding new ways of helping pupils to learn efficiently and effectively.  As a passionate advocate of collaborative learning Hilery was instrumental in the construction and rolling out of Glow – the digital network of Scottish schools – during a three-year secondment to the Scottish government in 2002. Glow enables children to share knowledge and learning with one another and encourages a dialogue between teachers. Hilery feels that enabling children to communicate with one another in a digital environment is critical in building confidence. 

This innovative approach to collaborative and technology-based learning was exemplified in a recent event where six different schools linked up online to watch a talk by a well-known children’s author. During the online link-up classes from each school then took turns to perform an extract from the author’s book using puppets they had made themselves. Each performance presented different interpretations and ideas about the book in question allowing the children to learn from each other. Hilery is currently working with a group of children using resources researched from the internet; the children have jointly mind-mapped a discussion around a YouTube video. This will ultimately lead to a multimedia presentation to be posted up on Glow and made accessible to schools all over Scotland. These children will then be able to coach classmates and teachers to help them use technologies effectively. Hilery explains, “I think it is so important to focus on what learners can do, not where they have difficulties. It is essential that educators are able to create a positive environment for dyslexic children. In this respect, assistive technologies can liberate the teacher just as much as the pupil – they really are a fundamental part of creating a dyslexia-friendly culture.

 “I am a passionate believer in the power of technology to improve a child’s learning experience. Learning can be incredibly frustrating for children with dyslexia; poor literacy skills can so often prevent expression of understanding and knowledge. We consistently get feedback from parents and children alike that without technology, pupils get angry and even totally disinterested in education. Assistive technologies are crucial in releasing these children to achieve their full potential. I am absolutely delighted to be the recipient of this award and I’m really looking forward to trialling the technology supplied by iansyst Ltd with my students.”

Sharon Goldie, Education Consultant at iansyst Ltd and one of the judges for the award, comments: “Hilery’s work in East Lothian has been outstanding. She has championed investment in assistive technology and fostered a culture of confidence among her colleagues as well as her students. Hilery’s open-minded and imaginative approach to technology in learning has really helped frustrated young people who are able to understand, but unable to express their knowledge. Hilery’s use of technology to remove contextual and conditional barriers to learning represents a truly holistic approach to education. By allowing pupils to personalise their learning through technology, Hilery has helped young learners in East Lothian to become independent, autonomous learners.”

Hilery received the latest Dell laptop with an assistive technology suite of software including mind mapping software, MindGenius; literacy teaching software, Nessy; text-to-speech software – ClaroRead, and audio note-taking software, Audio Notetaker. The total bundle is worth over £1000.

iansyst Ltd will be calling for entries for the Dyslexia-Friendly Best Practice Awards 2010 from October 2010. To register your interest and to receive an update when the awards are open for entry, please visit www.dyslexic.com/award. Alternatively, please send an email with your contact details to senco-award@dyslexic.com.