Seeking Information from Educators Who Work with Students on the Autism Spectrum

We would love to hear from you if you work with students on the Autism Spectrum. Please click on this link to complete a short form about the use of technology with this population of students.

We would be grateful if you would pass this along to your colleagues as well.

THANK YOU!

Tech Tips from an Assistive Technology Specialist

In my work as an Assistive Technology specialist, my vision is to work myself out of a job. When I am no longer necessary, that will mean that all students have access to the technology that they need to make effective progress. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening anytime soon.

In the meantime, it has never been easier to share knowledge about tools and strategies. First of all, there are so many free social networking tools that allow effortless sharing of information. Secondly, the companies themselves have provided us with many extension resources that extend our capabilities with their products. Here are a few assistive technology resources that I'd like to share. My hope is you will find them of value as you begin another week.

I have fallen back in love with IntelliTools Classroom Suite, which is now up to version 4. Yes, it is now easier than ever to use. But, the true strength of this program is the incredible activities that other educators upload to the Activity Exchange. Anything by Cindy Kerr (have you seen her In My Classroom or Treasure Hunt activities? Definitely explore these!), or Byron Wilkes from Learning Magic is worth exploring. And Region 5 just added a "Three Choice!" Activity! - They modified the Two Choice template for all of us - we now have two distractors which is awesome! Here's a quick video I created that shares some tips that help me use the Activity Exchange:


Thanks to a tweet from Dave Hohulin, I know now about the Dynavox-Mayer Johnson Implementation Toolkit. Watch the video on their website to learn about all the resources they have compiled and how easy it is to access them. This site is an incredible resource for those who are new to AAC as well as those who have a great deal of experience in the augmentative communication field.

Another great resource is provided by AbleNet, Inc. They have created the AbleNet Wiz with a numerous curriculum ideas covering a variety of content and skill areas.



The last resource I will highlight in this blog is all the extension activities that are available through Inspiration, a graphic organizing, visual thinking and learning tool. Inspiration has numerous resources available at their website. They also have created the Inspired Learning Community where you can quickly sign up to become a member, download and share lessons and ideas.

Extension activities make us look smart. And they help to integrate and implement the tools in ways that engage and help our students succeed. Are you taking full advantage of the resources?

(Please feel free to share additional resources as this is just the tip of the iceberg).

WordTalk- Better Than Ever

If you have been reading this blog, you know how much I love WordTalk, a FREE text-to-speech plugin for Word on the PC, that highlights every word as it reads it. Well, WordTalk has been improved and has two new features that make it even more valuable for classrooms. It's also easier than ever to use.

Click on the picture below to see the new features in action.

Is there any reason why this program is not loaded on the computers in your classroom? Show all your students this tool for reading and editing their work. It is fantastic!

The Power of Images: Twitter Version

Thanks to Beth Knittle for teaching me about Twitter Mosaic. Now I have a visual representation of my PLN, the people on whom I depend for making me look smarter than I actually am.

Get your twitter mosaic here.

iPods in Math Class

Need another reason to use those ubiquitous iPods in class?

Scroll down to read this middle school math teacher's description of how she used iPods in her math class in a blog post entitled, "Plugged in Students." When the lesson was completed, she asked her students what they thought of it and their responses attest to the success of the assignment.
This one speaks volumes:

Here is the best quote and an insight into my reluctant learners: "I don't really like to learn but this was fun."

A vital part of the success was the students' ability to control how they received the information. Those who needed repetition could review the video as often as needed. The teacher spoke about how there was silence during the lesson (the first time all year) because these kids were ENGAGED!

The applications across all content areas are unlimited. The point is that students were engaged and in control of their own learning - they could set the pace that worked best for them, review the material as often as necessary and it was an innovative way for them to see a tool used that promoted their learning. We call this generation the plugged-in generation but they still need to be guided in how to use the tools and devices to facilitate knowledge acquisition.

Just had to share another example of success that I came across today via Twitter.

Ten Tips for Tuesday

You may have noticed the dearth of posts lately. I'll try to make up for that with this post, Ten Tips for Tuesday.

• Dave Edyburn's annual round-up of the best Special Education Technology Literature (What Have We Learned Lately) is worth a read. Check it out. We all benefit from his work. Thank you, Dave!
• The need to equip and empower our struggling learners has never been more critical. Fortunately, the availability of tools and strategies makes this easier than ever. If you haven't already read it, read, Toolbelt Theory for Everyone, by Ira Socol to understand the urgency of empowering every student for success. Tools matter.
• Now that you understand the importance of offering tools to your students with learning challenges, head over to the UDL Tech Toolkit Wiki. It's constantly updated and links to a number of free tools that improve access to the curriculum and remove the obstacles to learning. If Glogster is blocked in your school, you can navigate to the categories on the left side of the home page.
• Bookshare.org has improved it's website to create a more intuitive user interface for students with print disabilities. Check out the Newberry Award Winners List. Watch the testimonial videos of students who benefit from the services that Bookshare provides. Learn abou the new reading tools available including free access to higher quality Acapela voices for Bookshare members and Read Outloud by Don Johnston. To withhold this free service from your students with print disabilities should be illegal!
• Accessible Book Collection now offers free subscriptions to assistive technology professionals. This is great news so that you can now demonstrate how to use this site and to evaluate it's effectiveness for your students. You must meet the following qualifications: you work for a school system or similar entity

• you have responsibility for students in more than one school

  you train teachers in the use of assistive technology

  your email address is associated with a school district or similar entity

  you are a resident of the United States
  

• Did you know that Recordings For the Blind and Dyslexic now offers the ability to download their audio books directly to a Windows computer? Many districts have subscriptions to RFBD so check out this new feature. No need for their proprietary listening devices.
  
• Check out Vocaroo, the easiest online audio recording tool ever. You can send the recording via email or post it on the Internet. This has so many applications for kids with print or written expression struggles.
• A great resource for using ubiquitous iPods in Education can be found here in a wiki developed by Lisa Thumann. And then tell your kids about this article 100 Ways to Use Your IPod to Learn and Study Better and let them use the tools that work best for them.
• Google For Educators continues to expand it's resources. Check out the fantastic, new Google Earth 5. Have you tried Google Sketchup for your students on the autism spectrum?
  
• This last tip is for you. Please leave any new tips you must share in the comments section.