These classes comprise 20 pupils aged S-I 5 who have a mild mental handicap and who may/may not have an. additional physical handicap. We are attached to a regular Primary School with aboul 500 pupils.

Hardware: 2 BBC Master 128 computers, double disc drive, Concept Keyboard, Epson Printer, Single Switch (for child with

cerebral palsy)

Software: Wordprocessors (Stylus, Folio, Prompt Writer, Fairy Tales), Database, Graph It, Logotron Logo, Single Switch Disc
ProJect Aim:
¥ to get to know the park in Tullamore
¥to improve pupils reading/writing skills
¥ to build pupils confidence and self-esteem
¥ to incorporate computers into the work

Egalitarian computer
The computer, thankfully, is blind. It cannot distinguish between the well-dressed well-fed, articulate child (orteacher) and the thin shy, miserable child (or again, teacher). The computer does not discriminate, is not sexist, does not frown or disapprove, and never loses its patience. Handicapped or otherwise, we are all treated as equals by the computer. In a Special Class, this is a real blessing.

O'Gradys LOGO
This year, we wanted to try something different for our project, something all pupils (from John aged 6 to Anette aged 15) could contribute to. We decided to explore the park. Step one was to visit the park and take note of pupilsÕ questions: whatÕs that? who isthis? where did that come from? where will this go to? who did that? why did they dolt? Along this path? No, not that one, this one. Did we go there? We need a map. Lets go back to the classroom and make a map. But how? Forwards, backwards, this way, that way, LOGO.

0' Grady says forward 2 steps
O'Grady says backward 4 stepsÕ
0' Grady says turn to the right (Which is right? Look at your hand,
it's written on it!)

Now the problem is getting Freddy (our screen turtle) to do what he is told (Oh for a floor turtle!). Try shouting at Freddy (known to work in the short term with humans); no good. No matter how loud we shout, he doesn't stir. He's deaf-well, wecan understand that. Send him a note: FD 100, and off he goes! RT 90 BK 300 LT 90. There's no end to it. 'Connor!' shouts Dessie (our hyperactive 8 year old) ÔConnor! Me and you are on the puters!
Forwards, backwards, left, right. From the computer to pacing the floor. LT 90 BK 100. How did we do that? On to the EDITOR (what a blessing!). Now we could write procedures (well some of us could; the others had fun trying).

Hiding from witches
Backtothe park. On the river we met the Children ofLir(later we had hours of pleasure reading and writing about them and making collages). We peeped into the witch's house (the little Council hut in the middle of the trees) and tried to imagine how Hansel and
Gretel had escaped. Thanks to the Concept Keyboard (and the Single Switch for Janet) we wrote our stories as we imagined them. Everybody could do it. We drew the house and coloured the walls.
We even let the witch Ôlive in the shower at the bottom of the classroom for awhile, and if a person wanted to get away from it all, thiswasnÕt such a bad placeto hide (the witch at the otherend of the classroom could often be a lot worse!).

Shapes of thIngs
Backtothe park. The sheds. What shapes arethey? Is that asquare or a rectangle? What about that shape with a circle on the top. A cylinder. What's that?? Look it up in the encyclopaedia: a cylinderis a solid or hollow object shaped like a roller or a soup can.. .We continued on our way, noting circles, cylinders, squares, cubes, triangles, pyramids, a pentagon, an octagon.. Another book? Yes. A book of shapes. Draw them. Colour them. Cut them out. Stick them in the book. Everybody can do it. Put them together to make trains, buses, bicycles, people. Anything. Everything.

Dictionary
Days fly. Reading, writing, not always at the computer, painting, pasting, listening, learning, typing, printing. From Stylus to Folio to Fairy Tales and back again. What program could we use to make a dictionary? (We still haven't found one: let us know if you can help!) We'll have to manage with Stylus. Days later, Denise emerges, dictionary in hand. I did it myself, with only a little help...

Puzzles
Getting tired? How about a little puzzle. Collect a 'd' here. Write down the 4th and 6th letters of the word NOTICE (displayed on the shop wall). WhatÕs the second letter of the word MONUMENT? Collect all ofthese clues as you gothroughthe park. Whenyou have all the letters, you will know the original name of the park - if you can put them together in the right order.

Survey
Excuse me please. Mind if we ask you some questions? We are trying to find out why people use the park. For walking in? Do you like the park the way it is now? Collect the data from the survey. Pie charts, histograms, line graphs. The bestthing about doing asurvey is that you get out and meetpeople.

Adding it all up: LOGO books, shape books, a dictionary, a questionnaire, countless other bits and pieces. Listening, talking, reading, writing, spelling, drawing, painting, sticking, agreeing, disagreeing, typing, editing, printing, tearing, switch on the computer, switch off the computer. Maybe we've learned something, maybe not. But we certainly had fun. And finally, the trip to Dublin. For us, a highlight of the school year: displaying our work at the CESI Student Computer Fair.