What child doesn’t love a paint program? Tech4Learning has taken it to the next level with Pixie 2. It is a creativity program that allows students to put their ideas into communication tool for your student's ideas. Students can create original artwork and edit photographs they have taken with a digital camera. Students can write and illustrate stories and record their narration. Students can create newsletters, greeting cards, and books. Students can create digital stories with photos, sound, and art. Use your imagination! Activities are correlated with state standards for Virginia, grades k-2. Check out their website:
http://www.tech4learning.com/pixie/

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We won't bother to try to convey all of the info and buzz about the Acer Aspire that has come out this month. Instead, we'll link you to ANOTHER blog which will link you to other blogs and reviews of this computer that is less that 2 1/2 pounds and less than $400: http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2008/08/acer-aspire-netbook-now-available.html. Hey, why reinvent the wheel?

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you've been irritated about how PC users are the only ones who can take advantage of Premier's low-cost AT tools, you can now stop complaining: a press release this week announced that Premier will now offer its software for both PC and Mac platforms.(Click on http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/05/prweb934344.htm to read more; click on http://www.readingmadeez.com/products for Premier's website).

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 4:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on the link to explore: http://voicethread.com

Click here for some early commentary on the new tool: http://smeech-presos.wikispaces.com/Voice+Thread

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One school is offering a "learning strategies course [that] provides each...student with one Computer on Wheels (COW), essentially their own laptop complete with up-to-date software and programs. The computers allow the students to gain access to an online source of learning tools. That source includes about 40 titles in the board's online library, though they hope to compile more....Since January, eight students, four from Grade 10 and four from Grade 9, have been meeting for one period a day to work on the COWs. 'We spent the first six weeks working with text-to-voice software.' ." Click on http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=976146 to read more.

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

Posted by Mona at 5:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Writing with Symbols by Widget Software has been replaced with Communicate: Symwriter. Can be used for teachers and students! For those of you who own Writing with Symbols 2000 can upgrade at a reduced rate, if you order by March 31, 2008. Go to the website quickly! http://www.mayer-johnson.com/widgit/symwriter/index.htm

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Graph paper is beloved by many for its ability to keep us organized and in columns when we write numbers and letters. If this sounds like a sentiment you agree with, check out http://www.mathematicshelpcentral.com/graph_paper.htm for more than a dozen free graph paper options as well as a freeware graph paper printer application!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Georgia's Tools for Life website ( www.gatfl.org) has some good publications and resources. One is particularly noteworthy to those of us working to put AT into the IEP...

Writing is a complex issue. If assistive technology is required to help with writing the complexity of the task increases significantly. In order to determine AT needs, writing can be broken down into two major areas. The first is the physical aspect of the writing process. Can the consumer use pencil and paper effectively for the tasks needed? The second is the writing process. Can the consumer use correct grammar, syntax, spelling, and organizational skills to complete the required writing tasks? This article will briefly look at several alternatives for each of these two areas by using two case studies.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How many of you have students that are at the early stages of writing and struggle because they do not have the skills yet to write like their peers? Our students tend to avoid or give up any time a writing task is assigned. A great idea is to partner with a teacher of preschoolers or kindergartners and create big books for their classroom. Then your students could create books, using vocabulary they know and then volunteer in the classroom to read their book to the younger children. Everybody wins! Have you ever done this? What did you students think? Caroline Musselwhite has created a document to help explain why these opportunities are important and directions for creating a big book.
Check it out on her site under Tip from May 2003
http://www.aacintervention.com/tipthre.html#May%202003

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "Using Visual Search Mode for Assistive Technology on VCU T/TAC Online Library" »

Posted by at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Code Factory company offers a technology that provides speech to a pocket PC! Mobile Speak Pocket provides a full screen reading program. Thus, individuals who are blind or visually impaired can have access to a portable PDA device. For additional information visit, http://www.codefactory.es/mobile_speak_pocket/mspeak_pocket.htm

Posted by Fran Smith at 5:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Something cool on the AlphaSmart website http://www.alphasmart.com/k12/solutions/studies_customers.html:

Customer Success Stories and Video Clips These stories and video segments illustrate how AlphaSmart customers have applied our products to improve instructional outcomes and achieve student success. They come from across the country, and reflect how different AlphaSmart products can be part of distinctive implementations, but consistently provide a basis upon which teachers and students can build educational achievement.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking for a cool tool that creates correct citations? Once the information is entered, The citation machine, http://citationmachine.net, provides the correct generated citation...a wonderful resource for the busy or challenged writer!

Posted by Fran Smith at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Sharon Jones at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Premiere Assistive Technology, http://www.readingmadeez.com/home.php, offers a potpourri of assistive reading and writing tools including text aloud, text enlargement, word prediction, speaking dictionary, speaking calculator, and visual highlighting software. Recently they've added software that allows language conversion...a wonderful tool for communicating with those whom English is their second language.

Premiere offers several free downloads and a Grant Opportunity for individuals to secure a suite of their products. For more information on the grant application, visit http://www.readingmadeez.com/Grantform.php

Posted by Fran Smith at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've recently been apprised of a new online resource that does a fine job at determining text readability. Visit, http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/tools/okapi/okapi.php

Posted by Fran Smith at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a great 66-minute conversation you'll find in mp3 format at http://www.edtechtalk.com/node/1762, otherwise known as "Women of Web 2.0 Show #32 Assistive Technology":

Join us as we converse with Karen Janowski, BrianFriedlander, Tammy Dupre, Joy Zabala and Deb Barrows, with the Women of Web, Jen Wagner, Sharon Peters and Cheryl Oakes.

Questions:

How is it that we identify assistive technology vs. good educational
practice?

What is the most signficant technology change that has impacted you and
your students in the past 3 years?

What happens when you have one child in a class that has to have a
laptop with spell check for writing papers and the others do not have
it? How do you answer the questions? How do you handle it?

What should happen to Standardized Testing in light of assistive
technology? Should children who have a prescription be allowed to use a
computer or is it an "unfair advantage" as some say?

Talk about learning disabilities and gifted children -- what happens
when a gifted child has a learning disability? Are teachers willing to
accommodate? How does a parent advocate such accommodation?

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Read more here: http://navintmicrosoftcrm.blogspot.com/2007/05/assistive-technology-and-microsoft-crm.html

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Brian Friedlander just posted a review of Livescribe at http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2007/06/livescribe-this-isnt-ordinary-pen.html. Click and read his thoughts on this digital pen that transfers writing to your computer--without requiring a slate/tablet format!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

http://teachinglearnerswithmultipleneeds.blogspot.com/
http://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/

Posted by Fran Smith at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Who's got the new Windows Vista? (I don't.) But if you do, or are curious about how the new Vista operating system will interact with consumers who use assistive technology, here's another source of info: http://blogs.msdn.com/ptstv/archive/2007/02/15/partner-tv-saqib-shaikh-talks-about-assistive-technology-for-windows-vista.aspx

The blog also provides some other accessibility links, to remind us that Bill and friends have AT users in mind:
The Accessibility home page: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/
Accessibility in Windows Vista: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/default.aspx
Accessibility features in other Microsoft products: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/default.aspx

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Continue reading "Spark your thoughts using words and graphics!" »

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Keep reading at http://www.ldonline.org/article/6233

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

http://slatersoftware.com/document.html

Posted by Mona at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "What's in Your IPOD?" »

Posted by Fran Smith at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Excerpt from LD Online ( http://www.ldonline.org):

Helping Students Who Struggle to Write

By: Regina G. Richards (2001)

"Eli shook himself to stop daydreaming .... Writing was definitely the worst task of all. It was just way too hard to remember all the things he needed, like periods and capital letters. And then it was almost impossible to think about how to spell words when he was busy trying to think about the story." 1

Students benefit when they compensate for writing problems because so often writing struggles interfere with learning and prevent them from fully demonstrating what they have learned. Compensating helps them bypass the problem area and still accomplish the goal of the activity. Some example classroom compensations include the following:

Staging:
dividing the task into smaller units and performing each subtask independently. Some students become overwhelmed because tasks appear to be too large or have too many steps. Staging helps them focus on each subtask with greater concentration and an emphasis on quality.

Providing structure for math:
using large graph paper or looseleaf paper turned sideways helps the student alignment numbers properly in multi-step math problems. Some students benefit from having their math problems machine copied in enlarged format with additional white space, as this also prevents errors in copying the problem.

Adjusting writing format:
allowing each student to choose the format that is most comfortable. Some students perform better in manuscript whereas other students perform better using cursive. Allowing work to be completed by computer word processing helps the student use staging more efficiently while also bypassing the mechanical difficulties of letter form and space.

Spelling:
allowing for misspelling on in-class assignments. Hold students responsible for correct spelling on final drafts, encouraging use of a phonics-based spell checker, such as one of the Franklin Electronic Resources® with a speaking component.2

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Sharon Jones at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

http://mayerjohnson.com/SymbolRequest.aspx

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

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

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

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 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

The Palm Beach County Schools Dept of Exceptional Student Education has posted the SETT framework questions as a considerations document that can be completed and shared by IEP team members. Check out http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Records/PDF/1859.pdf.

The areas of handwriting, reading, math, learning/study skills, and computer access are included in the considerations form, with a multitude of suggestions for students and their IEP teams to try (Magic Rub erasers, highlighter tape). A column in the document is provided to evaluate effectiveness.

SETT Framework Consideration Intervention.bmp

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interested? Click on the link to hear the podcast of their conversation ( http://technosavvy.org/?p=298)

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Mona at 7:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*Turn the mose pad over to slow down mouse speed
*Create a mouse house from a video case or 3 ring binder: http://lburhkart.com/mhouse.htm
*Glue a button (or anything with texture) to the mouse button
*Attach velcro to the side of the monitor to make a mouse holder
*Trackball--upside down mouse
*Disable to right mouse key by using the functions in the control panel.

Monitor adaptations tomorrow!!

Posted by Mona at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Mona at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interesting posting on the website for Sabine Parish, LA: A quick checklist for determining student-specific modifications ( http://www.sabine.k12.la.us/standards/CSmchecklis.htm). Some good ideas for us AT-minded folks!

Only one note: many of the "modifications" they list are things I would see not as modifications, but as accommodations or simply differentiated or alternate instruction...

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...because we can't stop brainstorming uses for the wax-covered yarn and are so glad to see even more ideas posted online at wikkistix.com:
wikki funfractions.jpg
...and the manufacturer's site now posts occupational therapy uses for the cool light-tech learning tools ( http://www.wikkistix.com/otuses.htm) as well as general educational uses ( http://www.wikkistix.com/educational.htm).
wikki bestfit.jpg

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Virginia's own Jane Quenneville wrote an article in 2001 that still reads well 5 years later: Tech Tools for Students with Learning Disabilities: Infusion into Inclusive Classrooms is available at http://www.ldonline.org/article/6380. In the article she hits on talking word processors, word prediction, portable note-taking devices, prewriting organizers, and multimedia prewriting prompts.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Register at http://easi.cc/forms/tablet.htm

This web seminar will demonstrate the ability of students with disabilities to use tablet technology and Microsoft OneNote. The tablet offers tool for task accessibility such as handwriting, speech recognition, the use of screen magnification, and screen reading software. With the new smaller models of tablets, you have “big Windows�? applications on a small Windows XP Pro based computer. Add Microsoft OneNote and you have a powerful digital notebook. OneNote is a free form digital notebook tool that can be used with adaptive technology. Tablets can be used by people with dysgraphia, learning disabilities, visual disabilities, or who are blind. More academic institutions are moving to tablet technology and this seminar provides an overview of how it can be used as an inclusive tool.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "INQSCRIBE transcription and Subtitling Software" »

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)