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October 31, 2006

Interactive Math Website

I recently found this great website for interactive math activities. Many of the acitivies are appropriate for secondary math teachers but some are also great for elementary teachers. Check out the area on probability.

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/

Posted by Mona at 3:47 PM | | Comments (1)

October 30, 2006

A Few Google Tools for Educators

images2.jpg
Google.com, the online search engine, is fast becoming a powerhouse of useful digital tools. In addition to the numerous resources, images, and now videos one can search, Goolge provides some advanced functionality as well. For example, one can search scholarly articles, electronic books, or a news archive. Simply click on the advanced link to the right of the Google search window to find these resources. And, if you're trying to translate text from a foreign language, click on the language tools to dig deeper.
http://www.google.com

Posted by Fran Smith at 5:06 PM | | Comments (0)

October 27, 2006

Alphabet soup for AT

The Assistive Technology Educational Network (ATEN) of Florida has posted a great "alphabet soup" document for the field of AT. Click here http://www.aten.scps.k12.fl.us/resources/aysk.html
to see the list of acronyms to know. This list is tailored to Florida, but any AT team could adapt it as a resource for staff!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:01 AM | | Comments (0)

October 26, 2006

New Symbol Idea??

Did you know that Boardmaker will create a symbol if you provide them with an idea or graphic? If you have a need for a symbol that is not included in the Boardmaker library, click on the link below and submit a request. Any new symbols that they create are also available on the monthly tips section of their website.

http://mayerjohnson.com/SymbolRequest.aspx

Posted by Mona at 3:32 PM | | Comments (0)

October 25, 2006

Writing AT in the IEP

If you haven't seen it before, take a look-- the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) has a concise info sheet/article on Writing AT in the IEP
www.wati.org/AT_Services/pdf/atintheeip.pdf

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 4:43 AM | | Comments (0)

October 24, 2006

Attainment's Word Rule Set is great hands-on tool

Our library now has Attainment's WordRule Set!
WordRules.jpg

"Teach word meanings and spelling for high priority words with an engaging hands-on tool! Students practice learning defi nitions, then self-check their spelling. Users simply slide the insert up or down until the desired word is located. Alphabetized words include number, calendar, direction, math and high frequency words plus homophones and synonyms. Set includes two durable laminated 91/2�? x 5�? WordRule sleeves and 9 color-coded laminated inserts."

Contact our library to check this out, or see the Attainment website:
http://www.attainmentcompany.com/

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 4:35 AM | | Comments (0)

October 23, 2006

Monthly ideas from Boardmaker

Working with Boardmaker? Check out Mayer-Johnson's Activity of the Month section available at:
http://www.mayer-johnson.com/Downloads.aspx

October 2006 ideas included: Starting Sounds BM (Boardmaker), Jack-O-Lantern BM, Halloween Pictures BM, Count the Leaves BM, Comparing Leaves BM, Columbus Reading BM, Columbus Day True or False BM, Apple Foods Book BM, 5 Little Pumpkins BM+, Columbus Reading BM+ (BM+ materials require Boardmaker Plus.)

An entire year's worth of seasonal ideas are available in the archives...what a great resource for getting your creativity flowing!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 12:30 AM | | Comments (0)

October 20, 2006

Get started with Boardmaker!

Click here and take a few minutes to review what's great about Boardmaker:
http://www.mayer-johnson.com/TipsAndTricks.aspx?DirID=Boardmaker

Beginners: Try "General Feature Overview of Boardmaker" to get started.

Pros: Take a look at the "Boardmaker Idea Book" for creative ideas!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 12:02 AM | | Comments (0)

October 19, 2006

Need Inspiration?

Try convincing the folks around you to use more digital media by showing them these great literature lessons using Inspiration/Kidspiration:

http://www.thedigitalscoop.com/tips/kidspiration_templates.html

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 12:55 AM | | Comments (0)

October 17, 2006

Got iPods on the mind...for read-aloud tests and more

Nice story (written by the company, but still nice) about using iPods to help kids:

iPod Helps Special-Needs Students Make the Grade: Profiles in Success: Louisa-Muscatine Elementary School
http://www.apple.com/education/profiles/louisamuscatine/

From the story:

When L-M acquired its first pair of iPod players, teacher Andy Crozier admits that creating and formatting the tests took time and energy. But with the help of iLife ‘06, his team has dramatically reduced the time needed to record audio and video files, test them, and download them to an iPod. Now, Crozier says, in minutes anyone with an Apple notebook or desktop computer and GarageBand 3 can add rich digital content to their tests, and make them available to students.

“GarageBand 3 makes it simple to capture the audio, as well as the graphics and the test questions,�? says Crozier. “We just scan a test in, or type the questions in another program. Then it’s pretty much a drag-and-drop of the text, along with the audio recording, into GarageBand. We’ve gone from three hours to create the first test, to where I can produce a short test in ten minutes that’s scanned and ready to go.�?

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 12:01 AM | | Comments (0)

October 16, 2006

Great multi-tasker -- check it out from our AT lab!

The 4-in-1 Activity Center from SuperDuper Inc. is a great tool that includes a magnetic board, card holder, mirror, and write-on/wipe-off board. Click this link to see a full-sized flyer with the many uses of this tool:
View image

Interested in checking out the 4-in-1 Activity Center for 3 weeks and trying it with your students? Contact our Region 8 AT lab toll-free at 866-465-0412 and let us know!

Need a link to our library and AT lab? Click here: http://www.vcu.edu/ttac/Library/Library.htm

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:04 AM | | Comments (0)

October 13, 2006

Behavior management visual/verbal cues with soft toys

Great idea from a middle school collaborative teaching team! The pair wanted to reduce the number of repetitive verbal redirects they provide to students who are "getting in each others' business" and to students who are reacting without "thinking before they speak."

They decided to place an octopus-shaped stress ball on the desk of any student who is "getting in each others' business" and pairing with words like "keep your words to yourself" or "keep your tentacles to yourself."

They decided to place a brain-shaped stress ball on the desk of any student who is "thinking before they speak" and pairing with words like "let your brain tell you what to do" or "think first."

First they'll model this for the students, then they'll try it out. Sounds like a great behavior-cueing activity--any comments from the field?

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:36 AM | | Comments (0)

October 12, 2006

Quick fixes for slow writers

If a student writes slowly, you are probably considering a range of assistive technology devices and skill-building sequences. In addition, however, you may want to try one of these quick fixes:

1. Start adding word banks to your fill-in-the-blank/cloze worksheets and notes. Place a number in front of each word or phrase in the word bank and instruct the student to place only the number in the space, not the word or phrase.

2. Write word banks on a sticky note and try #1 above.

3. Write the answers on separate small sticky notes and stick them all to one piece of blank paper. Instruct the student to place each sticky note in the correct space on the worksheet.

4. Use rubber stamps to respond (easiest when few stamps would be needed--short math problems, etc.).

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:06 AM | | Comments (0)

October 11, 2006

Dry erase markerboards for math

Use the dry erase marker to sketch a graph and write questions directly on it—errors don’t matter since the line is easily erased and redrawn.

Use the axes to graph results from survey or other data! Cling film sticks to the board, and stamps can be used on the board if you use dry erase stamp pad ink.

Students can hold up their answers to be checked at a glance! They can pass a challenge question on to the next student!

Flip the board over and the blank side can be used for other individual response and participation activities.

fraction and operation dice 012.jpg

Our AT Lab has one set of 30 of these light and flexible X-Y coordinater grid markerboards for checkout, complete with markers. Do you teach in Central Virginia and are you interested in checking this set out of our AT Lab for a few weeks to use in your classroom? Call us at 800-426-1595 and ask for our library, or come by the VCU T/TAC at 10 E. Franklin St in Richmond!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:15 AM | | Comments (0)

October 9, 2006

Sometimes you just want to leave it up to them...

...so let the students make their own spinners.

Wet-erase spinner boards can be used by students and teachers to address a variety of concepts in a user-friendly, hands-on way that allows students to be part of decision-making.

Students can write the options onto the spinners with a wet-erase marker and either use their own or trade with another student.

Assignment length, task type, or specific operations are just a few of the things that can be determined by this participant-centered tool.

Spinners can be used in independent student centers or stations, small group activities, whole class instruction, and extension activities.

fraction and operation dice 007.jpg

Our AT Lab has several sets of 8 of these light, reusable spinners for checkout, complete with markers. Do you teach in Central Virginia and are you interested in checking a set out of our AT Lab for a few weeks to use in your classroom? Call us at 800-426-1595 and ask for our library, or come by the VCU T/TAC at 10 E. Franklin St in Richmond!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 7:06 PM | | Comments (0)

October 6, 2006

A resource for accessible books

Bookshare.org is part of Benetech, a company that is always looking for technology solutions that empower people and change their lives. Bookshare is a subscription based digital library of books, magazines and newspapers designed for people with print disabilities.You may join as a yearly subscriber with access to all of the material for download or you may purchase individual books/magazines/newspapers for a fee. Copyrighted material is protected and certain rules and restrictions apply. It is a wonderful opportunity for people who have not been able to access latest best seller or participate in book groups at the local coffee shop. Has anyone seen any other digital libraries that contain material beyond the classics? How do your students access novels and other reading materials required in core subjects?
Here is the website.
http://www.benetech.org/literacy/bookshare.shtml

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 2:36 PM | | Comments (0)

AT Blog Presentation at Upcoming Conference

The VCU TTAC assistive technology team members will be presenting at the upcoming Virginia Department of Education's Technology Leadership Conference, Nov 29-Dec 1, 2006. Our topic, "The AT-TechNet Blog - Providing Assistive Technology Support to Regional Teams", is scheduled on Thursday, November 30, 2006 at 1:45 PM.

Posted by Fran Smith at 10:30 AM | | Comments (0)

October 5, 2006

Publishing Accessible Online Powerpoints

The Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard for Microsoft Office provides a tool for creating accessible Powerpoint and Word documents online. The tool is simple to use and when installed, attaches directly into the user's Microsoft Office program. A free version for up to 5 slides is available or a professional version. For more information check out http://www.accessiblewizards.uiuc.edu

Posted by Fran Smith at 1:21 PM | | Comments (0)

October 3, 2006

UDL activity about how our brains work!

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) has an online activity about how to learn your brain-related strengths and challenges as related to UDL (Universal Design for Learning).

Everything we do involves three major networks in the brain: cooking a meal, driving to work, planting a garden, reading a book. Across and within the brain networks, we all have different combinations of strengths and challenges and these differences shape the ways we learn and work most effectively.

We offer this activity to get you thinking about how your brain works, and how your unique strengths and challenges affect your willlingness and ability to engage in different tasks.

Click here for the activity: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/main.cfm?t_id=12.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:16 AM | | Comments (0)

October 2, 2006

Learning about and practicing Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The Teaching Every Student (TES) section of the CAST Web site supports educators in learning about and practicing Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The site includes Case Stories on:
- Reading Challenges in [Elementary] Social Studies
- Engaging High School Students in Writing
- Teaching Probability in Middle School

Here's the beginning of the case story related to reading in social studies:

Mrs. Jones, a fourth grade teacher, is concerned that her students' diverse reading abilities prevent them from understanding social studies material and achieving the standards set for fourth grade. She is frustrated that she only has 45 minutes per day for Social Studies instruction.

She has 29 students -- 14 girls and 15 boys. Her students represent a heterogeneous mix of backgrounds and abilities. She has six students who have identified disabilities and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Of these six students, four have a specific learning disability, and two have speech and language disabilities. Four other students are English language learners. In addition, there is a great diversity of reading ability across the classroom population, particularly in the areas of decoding, comprehension, and language. Although Mrs. Jones can provide instruction for groups and individuals to accommodate individual needs during the 1 ½ hour language arts time, the 45-minute time allocation for social studies does not allow time to differentiate instruction.

Mrs. Jones' dilemma is how to help all students achieve the social studies lesson goals given the short time period and the widely diverse skills levels of students.

Click here to keep reading: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/casestories/cs1/

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:50 AM | | Comments (0)

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