Norwalk School District staff unveil playground communication boards at 10 elementary schools

Norwalk School District staff described a new set of playground communication boards installed in October at 10 elementary schools intended to support language development, bilingual access and safer, more inclusive play for students from pre-K through fifth grade.

Angela Rinaldi, assistive technology specialist and special education teacher for Norwalk School District, said, “We’re here to talk about our playground communication boards that were designed for 10 of our elementary schools in the district to promote language development, increase communication throughout all aspects of their day, and, to provide an inclusionary model for communication.” Rinaldi spoke with Chris Olson, assistant principal at Cranberry Elementary School, who added that the boards “are designed to mirror the technology that our students currently use on their communication devices.”

The district installed the boards in October (year not specified in the presentation). Officials said the boards were strategically placed at elementary school playgrounds and are intended to give students visual tools that match the icons on their personal communication devices. Each board has English on one side and Spanish on the other, and contains two QR codes: one with instructions for use and one that opens the communication board on a personal device such as an iPad or phone.

Olson said the design leverages students’ existing training on their personal devices so the icons on the boards are already familiar. He said, “It’s really created a universal language for our students,” and that the boards are meant to facilitate interactions with peers and teachers from pre-K through fifth grade.

Rinaldi emphasized safety and accessibility benefits, saying the boards reduce the need for students to remove or handle personal devices that can be difficult to use or that have straps. “The students do not have to bring out their their devices,” she said, adding that the boards present a larger, stationary version of a student’s communication interface to promote safer, more inclusive play.

The presentation focused on how the boards are intended to be used; presenters did not specify a formal evaluation plan or next steps for expansion during the remarks. District staff did not identify a year for the October installation during the presentation.