UCP-Infinitec AT Blog

ATIA 2010 Orlando Call for Presentations Open Now!

2009-06-23T09:06:00.002-05:00

Come enjoy sunny Orlando and present at the 2010 ATIA Conference in Orlando!

(OK, it's not always sunny, but even 60 degrees beats 5 below zero!)

The call for presentations is open until July 3 and you can learn more and submit electronically by clicking here.

Professional Development

2009-06-23T09:02:00.002-05:00

I've been hearing different reports from districts, so I want to ask you:

How will you be addressing your professional development needs during the coming year?

Have your professional development budgets been slashed?

Are you allowed to attend conferences/out of district trainings?

ATIA Chicago Call for Presentations Extended!

2009-03-25T10:11:00.005-05:00

OK, all you Assistive Techies - here's an unprecedented opportunity to present in a national forum - the ATIA 2009 Chicago Conference!

The call for presentations has been extended to April 13, 2009. Submit your presentation today!

You can click here for more information or the link below:

http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3558

WATI Materials - FREE!

2009-03-05T11:22:00.004-06:00

OK, part of me is happy that we get INCREDIBLE materials for free, but a bigger part of me is very, very sad.

WATI, the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative, one of the motherships of Assistive Technology, has lost its grant funding. In the interest of brevity and lower blood pressure, I will not opine further...

The only bright shining light about this situation is that all of the amazing, incredible, outstanding, brilliant materials that WATI has put together over the years are now available to you for free. You heard me correctly, FREE!

Yes, "Assessing Students Needs for Assistive Technology" (4th ed.) is there. So is "How Do You Know It, How Can You Show It?" And so much more!!! You can download these materials as PDF documents by clicking here, or visiting the link below.

http://www.wati.org/?pageLoad=content/supports/free/index.php

A big "thank you" to WATI for their many years of serving students and teachers in Wisconsin and around the country. You will be missed :(

Exploratree - Amazing Graphic Organizer

2009-02-25T11:07:00.004-06:00

I love my Twitter network. Just love them. What an amazing group of brilliant minds. One of those brilliant minds is @AngelaMaiers.

Angela shares a plethora of wonderful sites (she is an educational consultant, and you can learn more about her services to schools by clicking here)

Anyhoo... One of the websites that Angela shared yesterday just knocked my socks off. If you have students who benefit from organizing their thoughts visually, you'll want to explore Exploratree.org.uk Registration is free and it offers some absolutely beautiful templates, and the ability to create your own graphic organizers.

Check out Exploratree.org.uk

Balabolka - Free Text-to-Speech App

2009-02-24T15:53:00.004-06:00

Hold onto your hats for a very exciting find! (hat tip to my friend Leann Todd from Sedgewick County Area Educational Services Interlocal Cooperative in Goddard, KS by way of a presentation at ATIA 2009)

Balabolka, is a freeware text-to-speech application that runs on Windows platforms from 98 - Vista. It uses the voices that you have installed on your computer (including wonderful non-English voices - perfect for use with non-English text from Wikipedia or that you've copied from Google Translate).

There are a host of other features, too. Variable font size, magnifier, pronunciation exception, start, stop, and pause. It will read DOC, RTF, PDF, FB2 and HTML files, and you can alter the font color, background color, and skin of the app.

Now for my favorite features: You can install it as a desktop app or run it off of a portable USB drive. No installation on the host computer is needed! AND, if that weren't enough? It will also convert text into WMA, OGG, MP3, and WAV files.

Am I gushing? I feel like I'm gushing...

There is so much more that this app can do - check it out for yourself!

Click here or the link below to download Balabolka!

http://www.cross-plus-a.com/balabolka.htm

TechMatrix Research

2009-02-20T11:44:00.009-06:00

A big hurdle that we've run up against in providing AT is the new mandate that the tools we select be based upon peer-reviewed research when practicable.

OK. Where do I even start?

How about TechMatrix.org?

If you've never been to TechMatrix.org, ya gotta go there. Whenever I've trained AT teams about Assessment, and we've walked through the SETT framework, and the team members just don't know what tools are available to fit the features that their students need.

On TechMatrix, you can search for AT, Reading, Writing, and Math tools. AND, you can generate a matrix of tools by feature. When you've generated your matrix, you will see your list of tools that offer those features across the top and a list of features on the left side.

If you click on the name of the tool at the top of the page, it will take you to another webpage that will give you additional information about the tool (webpage, price range, etc.) It will also give you a tab that lists features, and a third tab that lists... Research.

And the amazing thing is that the research is based on the features that the tool offers, not the tool itself.

I've tried to upload a Jing screencast of this tool and am currently wrestling with the size. I'll post it as soon as I win ;)

Dynavox's Implementation Toolkit

2009-02-20T11:30:00.003-06:00

I am currently sitting in a presentation by Dynavox representative Bethany Diener about Dynavox's new training resource, the Implementation Toolkit.

All I can say is, "Wow!" Whether you use a Dynavox product or not, check out this site. There are so many incredible resources for assessing AAC needs, training users on their devices, training communication partners, where to even start, etc.

Please click here or the link below to visit this incredible site.

http://www.dynavoxtech.com/training/toolkit

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Children

2009-02-04T08:42:00.003-06:00

From the THE Journal, here are the Top Ten Web 2.0 Tools for Young Children. Check it out by clicking here or visiting: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23898

A Tribute to Miss Doris

2008-11-04T10:56:00.004-06:00

Today is a day in which Americans celebrate their freedom to vote. I was heartened to see the large turnout at the polls at 6:00 this morning. My first thought was that my grandfathers would have been proud. One was fond of telling me that "if you don't vote, you don't have any right to complain..."

And then as the line snaked its way into the polling place, I could hear the beeps of the "scantron" machine (OK, I know that's not what it is, but it's the closest analogy I could think of) and heard people talking about being able to vote electronically. That brought Miss Doris to mind.

Miss Doris was a consumer at one of UCP's adult service centers. When I met her, she was in her late 60s. She had Cerebral Palsy and some other issues that left her unable to speak. She used a Dynavox 3100 to communicate, using a pillow switch. I had the pleasure of programming her scanning vocabulary on the device when I was in graduate school. She also accessed a computer's word processing software using an Intellikeys keyboard and a homemade keyguard.

Miss Doris was stuck in a nursing home for years without the ability to communicate her wants, needs, thoughts, frustrations, or considerable sense of humor. She was overjoyed at the prospect of coming to UCP and, because of technology, was able to share her thoughts with all of us. She was very active in writing her representatives and advocating for services for people with disabilities. She once told me (with a twinkle in her eye and grin on her face) that it came in handy that her father had taught her to swear many years ago.

I learned a lot from Miss Doris. As my job changed, I didn't get a chance to visit with her as much as I would have liked. In 2004, because of the availability of an electronic voting system, Miss Doris was able to vote for the first time in her life. She was 72. When she was asked what she was thankful for that year, she answered,

"I AM THANKFUL FOR BEING BORN IN AMERICA AND HAVING THE FREEDOM TO SAY WHATEVER I PLEASE AND GO WHEREVER I WANT ESPECIALLY LEVINSON SCHOOL IN OAK PARK.

FOR HAVING A WONDERFUL FAMILY,WHO EXCEPTED FOR WHAT I AM.

AND MOST OF ALL, HAVING THE RIGHTT TO VOTE FOR THE CANIDATE OF MY CHOICE."

Miss Doris passed away last year, and I think of her often for the many things she taught me. When it comes to election time, I think of her words, and am all the more grateful for having known her. It makes me appreciate the freedom to vote a little more. We may have trouble with technology that frustrates us, but for Miss Doris, it was technology that allowed her to fully participate in her freedoms as an American.

Cheers, Miss Doris. And thank you.

Brain/Computer Interface

2008-11-03T11:36:00.003-06:00

This was a segment on 60 Minutes that I thought you should see. It is truly amazing where technology is taking us!

Watch CBS Videos Online

After watching the video, my only thought was that we already have some incredible software that could speed up how quickly people are able to communicate. Abbreviation expansion and word prediction could really help.

(Hat tip: Lifehacker.com)

Impairment Simulators

2008-11-03T09:30:00.002-06:00

Click here to check out these vision and hearing impairment simulators. They are from the Inclusive Design Toolkit website, which has a ton of wonderful information and resources.

SMART Table

2008-10-23T08:18:00.002-05:00

Check out this video about the SMART Table from the folks that brought you the SMART board. Very cool. Lots of potential for kiddos with disabilities!

New Fave - Evernote

2008-09-04T08:28:00.002-05:00

I think I may have stumbled upon a goldmine (organizationally speaking). Check out Evernote. This cool little tool is available as a downloadable application for your PC or Mac, a web app (for when you're away from your primary computer), and a version for your mobile phone.

Save text notes, images, forward your Reqall emails into Evernote, title them, tag them, and you have a searchable database of files. Even the text inside the images you scan or upload is searchable - great use of OCR!

I'll post more on Evernote later - but check it out at http://www.evernote.com

By the way, did I mention that you can get a basic account for free?

New Blog! Teaching All Students

2008-08-22T08:36:00.002-05:00

Got a new blog for your rolls: Teaching All Students. This is Patrick Black's new blog - you might recognize his name if your a part of the QIAT listserve. He's a brilliant young man who is teaching in the Chicago 'burbs.

Check out his blog by clicking here, and don't forget to bookmark it!

JOTT and Alternatives

2008-08-22T08:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all who posted comments to my lament over Jott coming out of beta. While there is a free version, and I could get most of my favorite features for only $3.95 a month, I think I'm learning that I'm just cheap. A Skinflint. Miserly. ;)

(An amazing transformation, because I was the King of the Impulse Buy at one point in my life!)

I have been playing with two "alternatives." reQall and Evernote

reQall is probably the most similar for users of Jott. It has some pretty good speech recognition, and a few nifty features. For example, it will try to recognize keywords like 'reminder' and sort your messages accordingly. You can also listen to your Reqall notes from your phone, if you're on the go. Note: I did notice that reQall is also in beta currently. I'd hate to have you fall in love again, only to have your heart broken. I know that there are others, but I've only been playing with it for a day or so. You can post your favorite features in comments...

The other tool that I'm excited about is Evernote. This cool tool works via web browser, iPhone, SmartPhone, or Mac/PC download. And they seem to sync nicely together! You can upload audio, text, and images to this site. Cooler yet, the text in your images (provided it's legible and not too out of focus) will become searchable. I know that this tool has applications that I'm not thinking of in my cold-medicine-induced mental state, so feel free to share your experiences with Evernote and what you're using it for.

JOTT out of Beta :(

2008-08-21T08:51:00.002-05:00

I love JOTT, as you could probably tell from previous blog posts. However, now JOTT is out of beta, which means that they are charging for some of their features (like emailing).

I am bummed, and not sure if I'll continue to use the service or not. If you are a JOTT user, what will you do? Are you aware of other alternatives? Please share!

HippoCampus

2008-08-07T15:40:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to Christi Fant for passing this gem along on the QIAT listserve!

Need homework help? Check out HippoCampus:

This site is amazing. Look up your topic of interest in the left-hand column, and a then click the textbooks tab. Find the textbook you're using and click on it. In the right-hand column a list of pages and chapters will open up. Find the one(s) you're working on, and voila! You have an interactive explanation or reading of those pages.

Wow, wow, wow!!!

Click here or the logo above to visit HippoCampus.

Atomic Learning's New AT Video Training Library

2008-08-06T08:29:00.002-05:00

Need training on a piece of AT software? Check out Atomic Learning's new Assistive Technology Tutorials.

They have tutorials on SOLO, Boardmaker v. 6, Clicker 5, Inspiration, and many more!

Atomic Learning is a great site. Individual subscriptions start at around $99.

Check out Atomic Learning by clicking here.

Math Activities from Interactivate

2008-08-04T08:38:00.002-05:00

Need math activities to help you get a jump on things to supplement your curriculum for the year?

Check out Interactivate. It offers students and teachers different interactive tools, activities, and lessons.

Click here or the link above to visit Interactivate.

Hat tip: QIAT listserv

Online Master's Degree with Specialization in Assistive Technology

2008-06-04T16:28:00.002-05:00

Been wanting to pursue an advanced degree in Assistive Technology, but need the flexibility of an online environment? Bowling Green State University has an online Master's in Education, specializing in AT - and there's even a financial incentive!

Click here to learn more.

(Hat tip: Online College Blog)

Friday-Eve Frivolity: For those of us who love to graph and chart...

2008-05-29T09:11:00.007-05:00

Math Chart (Hits a little too close to home!):

more graph humor and song chart

Graphing Aerosmith:

more graph humor and song chart memes

Graphing The Princess Bride:

more graph humor and song chart memes

Check out GraphJam.com.

AAC Funding Information

2008-05-28T10:08:00.001-05:00

We've had a number of folks ask us for resources in the area of funding for AAC devices. Here is a wonderful resource from a wonderful blog that should be in your bookmarks, del.icio.us account, and RSS aggregator.

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs: Funding Sources for AAC

Check this post out, as well as the others... This blog is an excellent source of information!

What I Did During My Summer Vacation...

2008-05-27T16:19:00.005-05:00

Summer is almost here! Well, at least I hear it's arriving in certain parts of the US - we were fortunate enough to have 2 days of 70 and 80 degree weather over the Memorial Day weekend, and are back to a lovely 50-degree rainy/drizzly day. (I don't know if drizzly is an actual word, but I like how it sounds!)

So, what are you going to do differently in your classrooms during the coming year, in regards to technology? Introducing any new tools to your students? Are you going to use any new tools for personal productivity or to teach with? Are you going to learn something new, tech-wise, over the summer?

Let us know - It'd be interesting to learn!

Swamped

2008-05-07T14:22:00.008-05:00

OK. It's that time of year when we're up to our ears in annual reviews, evaluations, end-of-the-year training, etc. (Hence my excuse for not posting more...)

I hearken back to the days when we filled out IEPs that had carbon copies, so that each party could have one. My last year teaching, we hired a tech person to write IEP software for us.

So, all you techie special ed. teacher types:

What are you using for IEPs now?

Has technology helped or hindered your IEP process? Saved you any time?

What features or tools do you wish you had access to that would save you time and effort?

This is a test to show...

2008-04-15T11:52:00.001-05:00

This is a test to show off the capabilities of jott. Check it out. www.jott.com listen

Powered by Jott

Second Life

2008-04-15T10:05:00.006-05:00

Anyone have a Second Life? Anyone over the age of 25 know what on earth I'm talking about?

Second Life (SL) is a virtual world, in which you create an avatar - an online representation of yourself, and explore a very detailed virtual world. You can buy and sell, build, explore, attend a concert, take part in a training, and much more. Now, not all areas of Second Life and its participants are G-rated, so please use wisdom and discretion. However, there is such wonderful potential for education for all of us with this tool!

Which is my reason for this post.

How cool would it be for our students or consumers with disabilities to have the freedom of exploring a virtual world? You control your avatar with simple keystrokes. So, hook up an Intellikeys keyboard and create an overlay that corresponds to the keystroke controls. Voila - an accessible world!

I'm still learning about getting around SL, and will try to post about how we can use this tool, and provide access to this tool as I learn more.

Caution, though. It's free and highly addictive! :)

Second Life

Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?

2008-04-09T09:31:00.002-05:00

Interesting article in the THE Journal, written by Dave Nagel. A couple of good quotes:

"The fifth-annual Speak Up survey polled more than 367,000 "education stakeholders"--parents, students, administrators, and teachers--andfound that while 66 percent of administrators, 43 percent of parents,and 47 percent of teachers said they believed "local schools are doing a good job preparing students for jobs and careers of the future,"students disagreed. Among middle and high school students, 40 percent indicated that teachers are limiting their use of technology in schools, and 45 percent said that school "security" practices, such as Web filtering, were limiting their ability to take advantage of technology for learning."

And:

"The students in many ways are far ahead of their teachers and parents not only in the sophistication of their technology use, but in the adoption of emerging technologies for learning purposes," said Project Tomorrow CEO Julie Evans, in a statements released to coincide with the survey release. "It is in our nation's best interest that we support and facilitate student usage of technology for learning."

Food for thought...

Click here to read the whole article.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

AutoSummarize in Word 2007

2008-04-08T15:55:00.003-05:00

Microsoft Word 2007 users rejoice! Autosummarize isn't gone, just hidden!

Lifehacker cites instructions posted at the How-to Geek blog on how to access this "missing" gem in Word 2007.

Click here to learn more. Happy Auto-Summarizing ;)

UDL Resources

2008-04-01T16:07:00.002-05:00

AT. UDL. IT. LMNOP. Never let it be said that we're at a loss for acronyms in the field of AT. Er, Assistive Technology that is...

OCALI, the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, in partership with the Ohio AT Network, has a wonderful series of video clips and resources that will introduce you to what UDL (Universal Design for Learning) is, and share how AT, IT (Instructional Technology), and UDL all relate to one another.

It's definitely worth checking out! Click here to visit the OCALI website.

Hat tip: QIAT Listserve

Just want to encourage...

2008-04-01T14:56:00.001-05:00

Just want to encourage any of you out there who are bloggers and need a quick way to post things to your blog, please check out jott.com, you'll see the link posted below it is a very quick very easy way to post links and post to your blog through your cell phone, check it out. listen

Powered by Jott

I'm testing out Jott...

2008-04-01T14:53:00.001-05:00

I'm testing out Jott with blogger to see if I can post on the run.

Powered by Jott

Big News!! Save the Date!

2008-03-27T11:26:00.002-05:00

Exciting news from ATIA! For the first time, ATIA will be hosting a second AT conference.

When: October 28-31, 2009
Where: Schaumburg, IL (just west of Chicago)

More details will follow as they become available, but I have to say that I'm quite excited about having a national AT conference in my backyard! :)

AAARGH!

2008-03-07T11:29:00.000-06:00

I am a total dork.

I decided that I would take Blogger up on their offer to update my blog's template, so that I could more easily manipulate some of the elements on the page.

Doofus that I am, I also wiped out all of my formatting and my blog has reverted to the basic page elements that come with a basic template.

So, please be patient while I take some time to get things back to the way that they used to be.

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most...

Zoho Writer

2008-03-07T11:24:00.001-06:00

For those of you who love all things Web 2.0, check out Zoho Writer. What a cool tool!

Not only is this an incredible online word processor, but also database, presentation application, meeting application, chat app, and much more!

I'm just exploring all this site has to offer - what a great way for kids to collaborate online!

I'm Speechless... An Update

2008-02-29T09:24:00.001-06:00

Back in March, I posted a powerful YouTube video about a young woman, Amanda Baggs, who has Autism. An explanation of her video follows:

"The first part is in my "native language," and then the second part provides a translation, or at least an explanation. This is not a look-at-the-autie gawking freakshow as much as it is a statement about what gets considered thought, intelligence, personhood, language, and communication, and what does not."

Wired Magazine has picked up Amanda's story and featured it in their print and online versions. Thought provoking, to say the least. Here is the link to the article and a re-posting of the video below.

Does this make you think differently about the students with disabilities that you work with or the adults with disabilities with whom you interact?

Text Messaging Pen

2008-02-13T17:02:00.002-06:00

If you have sore thumbs from texting so much, this could be the dawn of a new day for you... Introducing the D:Scribe Pen.

A pen. A fountain pen. Staggering technology.

Except that this pen happens to connect to your cell phone via Bluetooth, recognizes your handwriting, and sends SMS messages through your phone.

I'm going to hold off and wait for the Bluetooth version of the slate, thank you very much... ;)

Click here to read the article...

Hat Tip: OhGizmo!

Sleep Apnea Mimics ADHD

2008-02-08T08:59:00.000-06:00

Ok - not strictly AT, but I though this article from MSNBC.com was worth a look. Click here to read the article.

We've always known that sleep was a major contributor to how our students functioned, but this was eye-opening (no pun intended).

Google Docs adds Survey Function!

2008-02-07T13:04:00.000-06:00

Need some quick feedback? Hate having to send out surveys, collate and analyze the information? Wish there was a quicker way?

Poof. Wish granted...

One of my new favorite tools, Google Docs has added a new feature to their spreadsheets which allows you to create a survey very quickly and easily.

Download Squad has a good roundup of its features. Click here to read the article.

(Image courtesy of http://www.clipart.co.uk)

UPDATED - The Ultimate Student Resource Guide

2008-02-04T17:57:00.000-06:00

UPDATE - 2/8/08:

Karen - thanks for the heads up - the link has been corrected and now takes you to the correct article :)

Another good article - need good Web 2.0 resources? Check out this article from Lifehack.org:

The Ultimate Student Resource Guide

Twitter for Academia

2008-02-04T17:52:00.000-06:00

Here is a great tool that I had heard about, but never used: Twitter. And if you're wondering how Twitter can be used in the classroom, here is a great post:

Twitter for Academia

Free Stock Photography

2008-01-14T08:35:00.000-06:00

Need a photograph to add to a communication board or software activity? Worried about copyright? Can't find a photo that you need at a price you can afford?

Will free work for you?

The Stock.XCHNG is a royalty-free photo site that has thousands of photos to choose from.

I use this site all the time, and it has some wonderful photos!

Click here to visit Stock.XCHNG.

Creature Discomforts

2008-01-07T14:48:00.000-06:00

Check out this ad campaign out of the UK, sponsored by Leonard Cheshire Disability. Cute, catchy, and a powerful way to spread awareness of accessibility for all. Their goal is to get the general public to see disability differently.

The characters are all voiced by persons with disabilities living in the UK, and each has a different story to tell about how accessibility, or the lack thereof has effected their lives. You can watch the ads, learn more about the voice actors behind the characters, and even send an e-card.

Click here to watch more Creature Discomforts ads.

New Mac Text-to-Speech Software!

2008-01-07T14:37:00.000-06:00

OSX users rejoice! There is now free, text-to-speech software available for OSX!

Type It, Read It is a freeware application that was developed by a brilliant young man (and friend of UCP-Infinitec) and is a very slick little application.

I have received many phone calls from folks wondering how they could get their hands on a text-to-speech application that was available for OSX. Click the link below to visit the School Freeware.com website and download away!

Click here to visit School Freeware.com.

DrawAnywhere

2007-09-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick and easy tool for you to use when concept-mapping: DrawAnywhere.

This cool little tool is totally web-based (hurrah!), and provides a lot of very nice features. You have a number of flowchart symbols and clip art to choose from, and can manipulate their color, borders, and gradients. You can add text to your project and export it in a number of formats, as well as print it out.

You do need to register to use this free service, but what a great little tool! Visit DrawAnywhere to get started!

(Hat tip: DownloadSquad.com)

Web Classes and Webcasts: Mayer-Johnson and Don Johnston

2007-09-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

Here are links to a couple of good professional development opportunities. The first is from Mayer-Johnson, and is a series of online classes. You can visit their website by clicking here.

The second is Don Johnston's incredible line-up of webcasts. Register to be a part of a webcast focused on NIMAS, RTI, Differentiated Instruction, and more! Click here for more information.

Crayola is More Than Crayons!

2007-08-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

I've seen these Crayola commercials for some very cool school tools, but I somehow missed this one.

Check out the Crayola Total Tools Audio Ruler.

This talking ruler measures in quarter-inch increments up to a foot, and does so by measuring a thin line of disappearing ink.

OK, really. How cool is a tool that measures out loud and uses disappearing ink?! And how much is this little gem going to set me back, you might ask? Well, according to the CrayolaStore.com, it runs a cool $7.99.

Have any of you used this with a student yet? How about a student with a learning or physical disability? Seems like you would be able to use more of a gross motion to use it. What do you think? And have you seen any other cool new school tools? (A little Wednesday afternoon assonance for you all :)

(Hat tip: Gizmodo.com)

Virtual Etch-a-Sketch

2007-08-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

How do you adapt an Etch-a-Sketch for kiddos with physical disabilities? You do it online, of course!

Online Etch a Sketch is a virtual version of the famous toy. To draw, simply press an arrow key. To "shake" the board clean, press the 'C' key.

Easy enough to adapt! If you're using an Intellikeys Keyboard or switch interface, just program your cells or switches to be arrow keys and a 'C' key. Then, anyone can play!

(Hat tip: Download Squad)

Monday Morning Motivation - Hemispheres

2007-08-06T09:15:00.000-05:00

From the Inspire the World! website:

"Adele Schneidereit, co-founder and CEO of the Inspire the World Foundation is a woman with Cerebral Palsy, a birth defect that causes paralysis of one or more limbs, will fly around the world in a small aircraft to spotlight global awareness in finding a cure for the crippling disorder. The target date for the voyage is Spring of 2009.

Ms. Schneidereit, not yet a pilot, will video-chronicle the trials, tribulations, and successes of a person with Cerebral Palsy preparing for her first flight, the rigors of a flight physical, successive learning flights, ground school, testing, and finally a flight around the world."

Infinite Potential Through Technology - 'nuf said.

(This movie is being filmed by Aspect Studios. Click here to visit their website.)

New Geography Game - Statetris

2007-07-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

Need a new geography game to keep the interest of all of those digital natives in your classroom? Check out Statetris.

This addicting little game is like playing Tetris with the US States. There are 3 levels of difficulty, and the game is controlled by using the arrow keys. The easy level and medium level require you to turn the state "right side up." The hard level doesn't tell you the name of the state, and requires you to turn it "right side up."

Since the arrow keys control the game, this activity can be adapted for students with physical disabilities through the use of a switch interface or adapted keyboard like an Intellikeys. I haven't found that you can control the speed at which the states appear, but if you get one incorrect, it just re-cycles that state so that you can try again later.

Statetris is all online, so no downloads or installations are necessary. There are also some other fun geographical activities on their website. Click here to visit the Statetris site.

(Hat Tip: Download Squad)

Speechless

2007-03-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

After watching this video, posted by a young woman, Amanda Baggs, who has been labelled by her doctors as "low-functioning austism," I'm speechless. Her explanation of the video is taken from the YouTube website:

"The first part is in my "native language," and then the second part provides a translation, or at least an explanation. This is not a look-at-the-autie gawking freakshow as much as it is a statement about what gets considered thought, intelligence, personhood, language, and communication, and what does not."

As someone who has worked for years with students who have had difficulty communicating or any other form of disability, I wonder if I have it all backwards. I won't see things the same way again.

Thoughts? Post them below.

Many thanks to Ms. Baggs for this powerful statement. Please do yourself a favor and read her blog, too. It can be found by clicking here.

(Hat tip: Rob McCausland, Clippings for PEG Access Television in a repost of Andy Carvin's original article, which can be found by clicking here.

The Connected Classroom - UPDATE

2007-02-15T14:05:00.000-06:00

UPDATE (3:30 PM) Thanks to Karen Janowski, whose comment (read below) filled in some additional detail on this video's origins. I neglected to read all of the posts on the QIAT listserv when I came across the video, and to give credit where credit was due...

It was created by Karl Fisch for a presentation that he was doing for his high school staff. You can read more about it by clicking here.

This particular video was adapted from Mr. Fisch's video by Kristin Hokanson. You can read more background on the whole story by visiting Karen Janowski's wonderful blog, Ed Tech Solutions. Check it out daily.
_____________

This short video came to me via the QIAT listserv and I thought it brought up some important points.

What do you think?

Podcast or Online Audio?

2007-01-30T09:46:00.000-06:00

This post came out of discussions that took place at ATIA about the definition of "Podcast."

According to Wikipedia, a podcast is:

a media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers... A podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.

In my head, if it's syndicated audio or video, then it's a podcast. The method of playback is irrelevant - it's the method of delivery that makes the content a podcast.

If you go to a website, and they have a video that you can watch online, but not subscribe to, is it a podcast? Or just online video?

Perhaps it's just all semantics, but what are your thoughts on what distinguishes a podcast from audio or video that is played online? Please leave your comments below.

ATIA Podcasting Presentation Available Now!

2007-01-29T11:23:00.000-06:00

I've just returned from ATIA, where (among other things), I presented on podcasting. My powerpoint notes and instructional movie clips can be found by visiting the ATIA Podcasting Blog, or clicking here.

There will also be a couple of interviews conducted at ATIA that will be posted to the BEST Podcast blog within the next few days.

Contrary to popular belief...

2007-01-23T09:56:00.000-06:00

... I have not fallen off the face of the planet :)

I've just been out of the office a lot, conducting trainings on data collection, Intellitools, etc. And now I'm getting ready to head out to ATIA, where I'll be presenting on Saturday on podcasting.

So check back here for podcasts of the presentation materials.

More to come from (hopefully) sunny Orlando!

WOW!!! Great AAC Funding Site

2006-12-04T16:00:00.000-06:00

If you have ever tried to obtain funding for an AAC device, you know what a frustrating process it can be. First, you have to try to find the source of funding, and then each source of funding has different requirements, and if you forget to dot an I or cross a T, then you get REJECTED!

(OK, it might not be quite that dramatic, but when you're in the middle of applying for funding, it can feel that way.)

AAC Funding Help is a website that I ran across that was developed by a familiar name in the AT world - Mr. Lewis Golinker. Many of you know Mr. Golinker's name - he's been a tireless advocate for people with disabilities for many years. He started the Assistive Technology Law Center in Ithaca, New York, and now provides us with this incredible resource.

Not only does AACfundinghelp.com provide information about funding sources, but also a link to a report coach to help you in the formation of your letters to various funding sources.

Wow, wow, wow! You can visit the AAC Funding Help website by clicking here.

Turkeys Go 21st Century

2006-11-22T09:57:00.001-06:00

I couldn't possibly resist posting this. Butterball is getting into Web 2.0 by offering turkey podcasts. They provide tips on meal planning and food safety.

Consider it assistive technology for cooking up your thanksgiving bird :)

You can visit their site by clicking the link above, or by clicking here.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

(Hat tip: Red Herring.com)

A New Look at Search Engines

2006-11-16T16:19:00.000-06:00

Almost everyone is familiar with the search engines Google and Yahoo! (Actually, hasn't Google officially become a verb?) Their interface is very much the same - you type a word or phrase into a search box and press enter, which results in a list of articles or images.

Enter Quintura.

I stumbled across a blog posting about this site today, and have been intrigued ever since. Quintura goes about things a bit differently. It's sort of a dynamic search experience. You type your search term into the ubiquitous search box, but instead of just a listing of possible websites, you are shown a visual map of your word or phrase and its related concepts. And if you hover over a search term, any other related terms will appear. The sites that are related to each term change on the bottom portion of the page. Below is a screenshot. I am searching the term computer.

I am then going to hover over home, because I would like to see what sites offer information about home computers.

You can see how the terms expand around your area of interest. Quintura works the same way with images. (Use at your own risk - I haven't found an image filter on this site.) They are also developing sites geared towards women and children.

So we have a visual search engine - sort of a cool concept. What do you think about it? Would this be helpful to any of your students? How? Post your comments below.

(Hat tip: Download Squad)

Feeling Your OATS?

2006-11-09T13:49:00.000-06:00

I was at the Mid-State Coalition meeting yesterday when a colleague suggested that we demonstrate the Open Source Assistive Technology Software (OATS) website.

As its name suggests, the OATS website contains some incredible, open-source (read: "free") software that has been developed for people with disabilities.

I'll let you explore the site, and try to highlight some of the applications that are listed there in coming posts.

Firefox Text-to-Speech Plugin!

2006-11-08T17:07:00.000-06:00

For those of you who use Mozilla's Firefox internet browser, you have one more reason to love this application. A new text-to-speech extension has been created that will read text on a webpage aloud.

This very cool extension is called CLiCk, Speak and has been developed by Charles L. Chen. It offers a very simple interface (see image below) and since it uses Microsoft SAPI voices, has multilingual supports.

Thanks to Mr. Skip Stahl from CAST for posting this information to the QIAT listserv! Click here to visit the CLiCk, Speak website.

Great Resource from CDWG

2006-11-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

The Big Deal Book of Technology for K-12 Educators, Fall 2006 is a resource about which I was made aware by a post from Jane Ricard on the QIAT listserv.

There is great information about:

Check it out by clicking the links above, or by clicking here. You can also visit the CDW-G website by clicking here.

Friday Frivolity

2006-11-03T13:25:00.000-06:00

It's been a long week, and you all deserve a break. How about going sledding? No snow, you say? I don't like winter sports, you say?

Well, you can create your own sledding course right from your computer desktop, without the hassle of putting on snow pants.

Introducing Line Rider. This fun little Flash application challenges you to draw slopes and hills for your little sled-rider to brave. Simply draw a few lines, hit the play button, and watch your little sled-rider with the red scarf careen up and down your virtual sledding hills. Be careful not to make them too steep - this program takes the laws of physics seriously!

Enjoy this little diversion, and have a great weekend! Click here to visit the Line Rider website.

(Hat tip: Download Squad)

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Soundfield Systems But Were Afraid to Ask...

2006-11-02T18:14:00.000-06:00

Classroom amplification systems have become more and more in demand (at least around here) in the past few years. And how do you know what you should look for in a system? Should it be an FM system? Should it be IR? Should you use a personal or tower unit? Or should you have a wall or ceiling mounted system? Am I stuck in an infinite loop of questions?

Thankfully, the government of Alberta, British Columbia put together a nice guide to soundfield systems. It is a PDF document that can be downloaded by clicking on this link. It's a nice little resource that I stumbled across while perusing my email from the QIAT listserv.

Check it out!

(Hat tip: J. Hopkins, QIAT listserv)

Interesting Survey Results

2006-11-01T17:22:00.000-06:00

Will Richardson, whose blog (weblogg-ed) and book (Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms) are must-reads, has posted results from an interesting internet survey he conducted. (And in which I participated...)

This survey asked some interesting questions about the use of what he has termed "the Read/Write web." (Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, etc.) You can see the questions and results by clicking here.

Here's a summary of the results from a couple of the questions:

56% of the respondents said less than 10% of teachers were using these tools, and an additional 19% of the respondents said that less than 25% of teachers were using these tools.
Biggest barriers to the use of Read/Write web tools? Lack of time (17%), lack of professional development (20%), lack of leadership on a local, state, and national level (18%). Surprisingly, security/privacy concerns rated only 6%.

How different do you think the results would be in Illinois? Sounds like it might be fun to replicate the survey locally... Are your districts/agencies using blogs, podcasts, and wikis?

New Episode of the BEST Podcast Now Available!

2006-11-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

The lastest installment of the BEST podcast is now available at:

http://bestpodcast.blogspot.com

We recorded live at Closing the Gap and have a wonderful interview with Joan Breslin-Larson from the Minnesota Department of Education about research that she and her colleagues have done in the are of monitoring and due process.

Very Cool, Free Text-to-Speech Readers for PC

2006-10-30T17:39:00.000-06:00

Principle #1 of Universal Design for Learning is,

"To support recognition learning, provide multiple, flexible methods of presentation."

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning by David H. Rose & Anne Meyer (2002)

Here are a couple of free software applications that will allow the user to provide some of those "flexible methods of presentation" in the are of reading.

ReadPlease 2003 is a simple application that lets the user open or paste text into its main window and have the text spoken aloud to the student. There are a number of voices from which to choose, you can vary the rate of speech, change the font size, and even translate the text into different languages!

UltraHal is my personal fav in free text-to-speech applications. It runs in a full-sized window, will speak items copied onto the clipboard from any application, speak instant messages, as well as allows the user to copy or open text files in its main window to be spoken. My all-time favorite feature of this software is that it will convert text into .wav files.

This means that a teacher could copy a passage from Edgar Allen Poe's "A Cask of Amontillado" (which can be found at Project Gutenberg) and paste it into either application to be read aloud. If this passage were pasted into UltraHal, the teacher could convert it to a .wav file which could be burned to CD and listened to at home. (You could actually go a step further and open that .wav file in Audacity, save it to MP3, and download it into your portable media player, too.)

Now your students with reading difficulties or who are auditory learners can have their text in visual and auditory formats.

Voila! Universal Design for Learning. For free!

Closing the Gap Roundup - Part II

2006-10-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

Will I sound tragically unhip if I say that this post is a "shout out" to all of the folks that attended CTG this year?

Anyone who has gone to the Gap knows that it is a non-stop flurry of information that no one can possibly process. I was only able to attend a handful of presentations, and I know that the same holds true for all of you.

So I want to learn from you. And I'd love it if you learned from one another, too. So, if you attended Closing the Gap this year, please post a comment about:

Your impressions of the conference,
any speakers that really impressed you,
new tools that you saw and fell in love with in the exhibit hall, or
how you are using what you learned in the classroom.

You don't have to answer all of the questions, just pick one or two. Posting is simple, just click on the comments link in the bottom right-hand corner of this post.

Let's see where this can go!

Closing the Gap Roundup - Part I

2006-10-27T09:20:00.000-05:00

I've linked to both of these sites over in the right-hand column of this blog, but thought I'd add a mention here.

There are great blogs out there that provide phenomenal information about AT and tech for learning. The first is Karen Janowski's site,

Ed Technology Solutions - Teaching Every Student

She has a wonderful summary of some of the new things presented and introduced at CTG.

Another name that you might be familiar with is Dr. Brian Friedlander. His blog is entitled:

Assistive Technology

Dr. Friedlander also has some wonderful posts regarding CTG.

Here at the Gap!

2006-10-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Bloomington, Minnesota!

I'm here at the first full-conference session at Closing the Gap. It's been wonderful to see old friends and meet new ones.

We had a wonderful meeting with the NATE network last night, and I especially enjoyed a conversation with Brian Friedlander, Brian Wojcik, Nora Bardi, Karen Janowski, Jane Ricard, and Jodi Nibbelin. We had a wonderful discussion about Web 2.0 and it's potential impacts in Special Ed. and AT.

I'll try to post reflections from the sessions and exhibit hall throughout the next two days.

Here is a blog that I've been meaning to post about for awhile. Please go visit Ed Technology Solutions - Teaching Every Student. Karen Janowski might be a familiar name to those who are on the QIAT listserv, and this is her blog. What a wonderful source of information. I'll also be adding a link to the sidebar for her site as soon as I can.

Bulletins as events warrant or I have time to post them :)

Instructional Strategies to Meet the Needs of Students with Autistic Disorders Presentation

2006-10-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

OK, all of your Infinitec North Coalition members - I need your information.

And to get your information, I'm willing to cough up a prize. (OOOH! AAAH!)

For those of you that will be attending/attended Susan Stokes' presentation: "Instructional Strategies to Meet the Needs of Students with Autistic Disorder" on October 6, I want to know what you learned from it.

Please write in the comments section of this post in response to any or all of these questions, or post your own thoughts:

1. What did you take away from the presentation that you want to try in your classroom?

2. What did you actually try and how did it work for you?

3. Did you have a student or some students in mind when you went to this presentation? Did you get information that will help you serve them better?

4. Is this an important topic area, and should we be providing more training and additional resources in this area?

Those of you who make the time to respond will be entered into a drawing for a CD copy of Susan Stokes' video, "Individual Visual Schedules." The names of everyone that posts will be put into a hat, and the name of the winner will be drawn on October 13, 2006. Please post as many times as you would like, but to make if fair, your name will only be entered for the prize, once.

Let's have fun and learn from each other! Maybe we can even have Susan check in and offer ideas and feedback!

You may also want to log into the new il.myinfinitec.org website to check out related resources, such as:

Individual Visual Schedules Video - Streamed online for CPDUs!

Mayer-Johnson Group Buy information - Boardmaker at more than 45% off!

Macromedia Breeze Presentation - Using Boardmaker in the Classroom

Learn Science through Videos

2006-09-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

Confused by Chemistry? Frazzled by Physics? Do you just need a visual means of grasping those pesky chemistry concepts? Then do I have the site for you...

Dr. Carlson's Science Theater.

Dr. Carlson's Science Theater is a "video podcast of cool science demonstrations. Join Dr. Matt Carlson as he risks life, limb, and dignity to bring you the finest science videos on Earth."

You can watch the videos by clicking on the link on Dr. Carlson's blog, or by subscribing via iTunes.

Hat Tip: Lifehack.org

Danger-sensing Wheelchair

2006-09-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

Have you ever driven a motorized wheelchair? How about worked to teach a student how to drive one? Both can be hair-raising experiences, especially if the driver has any sensory/perceptive difficulties. And what happens if the driver gets too close to a set of stairs or is going too fast when approaching an intersection?

Well, the brilliant minds at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in cooperation with the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, have developed a camera array and software that will slow or stop a motorized wheelchair when it senses danger. This technology is based on danger-avoidance technologies available in some higher-end cars. (Note: The links above may take you to sites written in Japanese - but they still have very cool pictures of what this technology can do!)

Check out this summary article for yourself by clicking here.

Hat Tip: SlashGear.com

Back in the saddle again!

2006-09-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

Good grief. I've beaten my own record for not posting to the blog.

It's been an extremely busy start to the school year, starting with the birth of my daughter. Lena Elise was born on August 8, and is growing like a weed. Needless to say, my time has gone into other, more diaper and bottle-related activities.

But we're back. And I've got a lot of exciting items to share. But I want this year to be different. I want to hear from you. A blog is not supposed to have only one voice. I want to learn from you and get your feedback and input on the items that are posted. We're going to find out what you are doing with the training that you're receiving - how you're implementing it in your classrooms, what went well, what flopped, and what you would do differently. And I'm going to throw some prizes in the mix to whet everyone's appetite.

So buckle up and let's ride!

Gearing Up for a New School Year - Writing

2006-08-01T13:45:00.000-05:00

For many of you, the school year will be starting soon, and I'm going to feature some websites focusing on different content areas, with some modification ideas for kiddos with more significant disabilities.

I'm going to try anyway.

So let's kick things off with a great writing website. The internet and new technologies like blogs and wikis are creating exciting, motivating new opportunities for students to write. If you need a place to get started, check out WritingFix.

This website is sponsored by the Northern Nevada Writing Project and the National Writing Project, and based on the 6 Traits of Writing, (Idea Development, Organization, Voice, Conventions, Sentence Fluency, and Word Choice). This website provides wonderful interactive writing prompts, tools for poetry, tools for journaling, tools for writing across the curriculum... I could go on for hours. There is a ton of great material here.

So what about writing for students that have more significant learning or cognitive disabilities? WritingFix provides a great place to start. The prompts and ideas can be very easily adapted to software, like Clicker 5, that would allow a student to write by selecting symbolic representations of words. Or, if the student needs auditory feedback to help detect spelling and grammatical errors, use this site in conjunction with a talking word processor, like Intellitalk 3 by Intellitools, WriteOut:Loud by Don Johnston, or free downloads like ReadPlease! or UltraHal. If the physical act of writing is causing difficulty, perhaps a portable word processor or classroom computer can be used for writing. There are many, many possibilities for accomodating and modifying content to make it accessible to all students.

Click here to visit WritingFix.com.

(Hat Tip: Gamra Zenaidi, TechLearning.com.)

FY07 Group Buy Forms Now Online!

2006-07-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

The Illinois Infinitec Group Buy for FY07 doesn't begin until September 1, 2006, but for those who want to get a jump on spreading the word to your districts and schools, the forms and flyers are now at www.coalitionconnection.org. They can be found under AT Leader Supports.

The Writer, Intellitools, Mayer-Johnson, and Don Johnston (coming soon) informational flyers are all posted. Here's looking to a great Group Buy!

Technology, Education, and Culture

2006-07-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

OK, this may be a little much before your first cup of coffee on a Monday morning, but I ran across this post on one of my favorite education blogs, CoolCat Teacher Blog. Have you ever heard that Assistive Technology is "just a crutch" for a student? How about "regular" technology? Does the integration of technology into the curriculum supplement or detract from a student's education?

Here are a few thoughts from the post:

"Education fails when it is not engaging and relevant. In third world, industrialized countries, the students expect and can be made to sit in desks like robots. They can have three hours of homework. Education is the way out for many students. It is hope for many.

We bemoan the fact that America is slipping in education and seek to emulate the countries who are leading us. There is a significant flaw in that. Cultural differences can be significant. To expect a child in India to behave exactly like a child in Japan or China or America is not a correct assumption.

This is not to bemoan the shortcomings of America or any other places. Shortcomings or strengths, cultural differences must be accounted for in teaching delivery methods. America does have a culture of entertainment, television, X-boxes, computers, and personalized everything. We are who we are. Do I agree with it? Not entirely.

But when I stand in front of a room of wriggly teenagers and look to educate them, I must understand the culture to which they belong. To pull them from their electronic culture and sit them in a pioneer-model schoolroom would be like putting me under a tree sitting on a rock with Socrates. (I think I'd rather drink hemlock than sit on a rock all day!) I could learn from Socrates but I would be distracted by the rock!"

Food for thought on an early Monday morning. What are your thoughts - I'd love to hear them...

Click here to read the whole article.

"The Touch Messenger" by Samsung

2006-07-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

Greetings from beautiful downtown Chicago!

I am working out of our downtown office today, and feeling a little spoiled as I'm working in an office with a great view of the Chicago River.

(No, that's not a joke - it is pretty from here. I just wouldn't want to swim in it. And Chicago isn't really blue - I took the picture through the window.)

But anyway, back to the world of AT.

Check out this cool concept phone from the folks at Samsung. It won the Gold Medal at the Industrial Design Excellence Awards and uses what seems to be a refreshable braille system to write and read text messages.

Now I'm not that old, but I did manage to miss the text-messaging craze. In other words, I only text-message sparingly, and it takes awhile to compose a message. I know that there are people out there who can carry on a conversation in almost real-time via text-message. Is this a sign I'm getting older?!?

This concept phone isn't available commercially yet, but would allow persons with visual impairments a way to access the text-messaging features of this cell phone. You can read the article, but clicking here.

New Literacy Grant Available

2006-07-17T16:37:00.000-05:00

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy's 2007 National Grant Competition applications are available for all who are interested at the Foundation's website.

From the Foundation website:

"Ranging in size from $44,682 to $65,000, the ten winning grant applications were chosen from nearly 550 proposals, submitted by a wide variety of private non-profit and public organizations including libraries, correctional institutions, universities, housing projects, and public schools."

The goal of the grant is "to develop or expand ten programs that will improve the literacy skills of parents and their children."

For more information, please visit their website,

http://www.barbarabushfoundation.com/nga.html

Pathfinder Underground

2006-07-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you use Prentke-Romich's Pathfinder, you've got to check out Russell Cross' site, Pathfinder Underground.

This site is a wealth of information about vocabulary, new icons, teaching strategies, and activities for Pathfinder users. There is so much here, I couldn't hope to describe it all. Visit Pathfinder Underground by clicking here.

HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY INFINITEC AT BLOG!!

2006-07-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

July 12, 2006 marks the 1-year anniversary of the UCP-Infinitec AT Blog. I hope that you've enjoyed visiting this blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Here's to many, many anniversaries to come!

iTunes Tutorials

2006-07-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

Confused about how to play digital music - downloaded (legally, of course) from the internet, or how to turn your music collection into a digital music collection that can be played in iTunes?

Apple.com has made some very cool tutorial videos available on their website on how to use iTunes.

Click here to visit their tutorial website, or visit http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/itunes/index.html

Free E-Books - Offer Expires August 4, 2006!!

2006-07-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DOWNLOAD FROM OVER 300,000 EBOOKS FOR FREE!!!

In celebration of Project Gutenberg's 35th Anniversary, the World eBook Fair is allowing the general public to download any of their 300,000 titles at no charge from July 4, 2006 through August 4, 2006.

The World eBook Fair has a goal of having 1 million electronic books in their library by 2009, and normally charges a yearly subscription of $8.95.

C'mon... With 300,000 titles to choose from, there has to be something that you haven't read :)

You can visit their website by clicking here or going to http://worldebookfair.com/

(Hat Tip: Kim Komando.com)

Dave Edyburn's 90 Days of Professional Development

2006-07-05T13:59:00.001-05:00

If you haven't ever read a copy of "Special Education Technology and Practice," it is well worth a look. Developed by Dr. Dave Edyburn, it contains wonderful articles and research. You can visit the SETP website by clicking here. You can request a free sample copy while you're there.

Dr. Edyburn has come up with a very cool way to learn something new each day this summer and published it a new article. He's entitled it "SETP 90 Days of Summer" and it contains not only a great PDF of the article, but an interactive calendar with links to each professional development activity.

You can access both the PDF and the Electronic Calendar by clicking here or visiting http://www.setp.net/summer/90days.html

Previews of Coming Attractions...

2006-07-05T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hot off of the QIAT Listserv and the AT Technology Listserv:

Mayer-Johnson is going to be offering a version of Boardmaker for families called Boardmaker @ Home. Here is the scoop as posted by Jeannette Van Houten:

"Hi! Mayer Johnson has a new release of Boardamaker @Home. It is not listed on their website at the moment but it is available for purchase. Boardmaker @ Home is slightly less comprehension than the standard boardmaker 3,800 PCS symbols Color and BW but it is family budget friendly. I only have very basic information but Mayer Johnson has a flyer that they are sending out. The stipulations on purchase are that the parent must order on their own (can’t go through the district with PO or Credit card from district) and it has to be shipped to the user’s home. There might be more stipulations but those are the ones that were stressed to me."

Initial estimates of price put Boardmaker @ Home at around $150. That's just an idea and the actual price could differ. If you call Mayer-Johnson, they can send you more information. Their number is 800-588-4548.

(Hat tip: Jeannette Van Houten, QIAT Listserve, AT Technology Listserv)

2006-07-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

Clipart from: http://graphicdesign.about.com/
and http://www.hellasmultimedia.com/webimages/default.htm

Off on Vacation

2006-06-23T17:17:00.000-05:00

I'll be out of the office and probably not blogging until after the Independence Day Holiday. I'd like to say that I'm going to be sitting by this pool eating chips and salsa, but that'd be a big fib...

I still may be munching on chips and salsa - just with a paint roller in one hand :) With baby arriving in around 8 weeks, I have some serious household projects to complete and this is the perfect time to do them.

Until the next post, have a safe and happy Independence Day!!!

How about a little summer reading?

2006-06-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

Don't have the time to sit and read a book? Are you an auditory learner, and enjoy listening to books? Then I have the site for you!

Free Classic Audiobooks is pretty much self-explanatory. This site contains many books that feature live narration, as well as computerized narration. Some even include the visual text so that you can follow along as the book is being read.

And did I mention that they're free?

This site has everything from Treasure Island to the 9-11 Commission Report. Visit their site and enjoy some summer reading at http://www.freeclassicaudiobooks.com

Great Symbol Resource - Picture SET Database

2006-06-20T10:55:00.000-05:00

For those of you who work with students with expressive and receptive language difficulties, the Picture SET Database is a treasure-trove of communication boards and WWS2000 printouts for a wide array of curriculum areas and everyday life-skills.

As you can see in this image, taken from the Picture SET website, the interface itself is image driven. The parent site of this database, Special Education Technology - British Columbia (SET-BC) has some cutting-edge resources that I strongly encourage you to explore.

Congratulations Lori and Josh!!!

2006-06-06T07:42:00.000-05:00

We just got word this morning that Lori, our phenomenal AT Specialist for Equipment, has given birth to a beautiful baby girl at 4:01 AM. She weighs 6 lbs., 5 oz. and from the sounds of the crying in the background of the voicemail (baby, not Lori), she is strong and healthy.

We send our best wishes and congratulations to the new Mom and Dad!

New Audio Features

2006-06-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

Check out these cool new audio features!

Talkr is an application that allows users to listen to blog posts, instead of just reading them. By clicking on the link in the right-hand column, you can also subscribe to the RSS feed and listen in iTunes or other media player. They can also be downloaded into your MP3 player.

It uses synthesized speech to read the content, which may be disconcerting to some. Also, since the speech is synthesized, certain pronunciations can be "interesting."

I really like this feature and would love to know what you think about it.

If you'd like to add this feature to your blog, visit Talkr.com.

Had a great post, but my blog ate it.

2006-06-01T20:45:00.000-05:00

Do you ever just want to throw your computer out the window? I can't even blame the computer - it's the application this time.

I just spent two hours working on a post that showed you, step-by-step, how to use the new audio features of this blog, provided by Talkr. When I went to post it, the software asked me to log back in. When I went back to my post, poof. Gone.

So the reason that I don't have a new post for you is that my blog ate it.

Aaah, summer!

2006-05-31T17:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are already out of school for the summer, congratulations on another spectacular year! For those of you who have a few days left, our thoughts and prayers are with you... ;)

While you're on vacation, be sure to check back here for the latest and greatest in AT. We'll be here all summer, so give us a call or drop an email if you need anything.

(Especially if you're vacationing in Hawaii or some tropical paradise and need to have an AAC device hand-delivered to you. It is our mission to serve.)

Enjoy your vacations and thanks for a wonderful year!

Need Tutorials?

2006-05-31T17:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a great tutorial site, hosted by the Resources Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in sunny Florida. (Sunny isn't quite the draw when it's 90 degrees out, eh?)

Anyhoo, this is a great site that has tutorials ranging from Appleworks to Access and Photoshop to Writing with Symbols.

You can visit their site by clicking the following link: Resources Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Dasher - My Favorite Text Input Software

2006-05-22T14:48:00.001-05:00

Not only is Dasher one of Santa's reindeer, but it's also a very exciting text-input project out of Cambridge University.

Dasher has been around for several years - I did a presentation on it back in grad school, and version 4 is now available for download.

It is completely different from anything you've experienced before. I hated it before I really sat down and used it. It's fast, it's fluid, and it's fun.

They describe it better than I can...

"Dasher is a truly innovative free software package that allows the user to write efficiently, without a keyboard, by simple steering gestures. Writing hello with Dasher Steering with an ordinary mouse, beginners can write at 25 words per minute after an hour of practice. Dasher can be used equally easily with touchscreens, head-mice, or eyetrackers. It's useful for people with special needs, for children, and for anyone who wants an alternative to a keyboard. With Dasher, you can write in almost any language. Dasher is available for all the major personal computer platforms: GNU/Linux, Windows, and MacOS-X. It's free software, and will always be free.

Dasher is fast, efficient, easy to learn, and fun to use.

To try it out, visit www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/. Read the tips for beginners, download Dasher, and steer away!"

Here is an image to give you an idea of what makes Dasher different:

Visit their website at: www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/

Website Accessibility Lawsuit - Issues to Consider

2006-05-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

There is a lawsuit in California between the American Federation for the Blind and Target, alleging that Target is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit alleges that because Target's website is inaccessible to persons with disabilities, they are denied equal access to goods and services.

This lawsuit could have far-reaching impact, because many websites do not include basic accessibility features in their programming (this blog included, up until today). It also will test whether or not the ADA applies to websites and website technologies developed after its inception.

Clear as mud? Here's an example:

For a person with a visual impairment who uses a text-to-speech application to read the web, links in a webpage mean nothing. There is no description to be read. By adding an alternative text tag, these links can be titled or captioned to include a description of what they are or where they point. The same holds true for images.

For example, the following links are to the source of this story, ZDnet.com.

Hold your mouse over this link, but don't click on it.

See? Nothing happens. If you click on it, you'll be taken to the source of this post. But if you're using a text-to-speech app, it gives you no information about where to click.

Now hold your mouse over this link.

Vive la difference! You should have seen a "pop-up" title explaining what the link was. This is text that can be read via text-to-speech technologies.

I have been very remiss in making even the most basic changes to make this blog accessible. Starting today, I'll be putting this type of tagging in place so that this blog is more accessible to all readers. There are probably other changes that should be made, and as I learn about them, I'll try to put them into place as well.

(Hat Tip: ZDNet.com, Between the Lines blog)

Intel's New Low-Cost Laptop

2006-05-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

Code-named "Eduwise," this laptop is geared towards teachers and students, running either Windows or Linux operating systems, and containing a wireless connection. This laptop was built in response to the "One Laptop Per Child" project out of MIT. The OLPC is slated to cost around $100, but would only available for purchase by large government organizations.

The information on the Eduwise seems to suggest that it would be available to all students and teachers around the world. It's cost is $400.

Click here to read the article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

To see pictures, click here.

(HT: Engadget.com)

New Search Engine

2006-05-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

Here is a cool new search engine, specifically for people with visual impairments.

Big.com is a simple search engine that allows the user to search the web with enlarged print. There are three font sizes to choose from.

Click here to visit Big.com.

(HT: Kim Komando Weekly Newsletter)

"New Legs"

2006-04-26T09:53:00.000-05:00

With the advent of robotics, there have been a number of innovations in the field of mobility.

Check out this story from Japan about a new method of mobility for people with physical disabilities.

Click here to read the story.

(Hat tip: Engadget.com)

Top Ten Weirdest Keyboards Ever?

2006-04-03T09:42:00.000-05:00

I found this post on Fosfor Gadgets and immediately thought to myself, "These are all adapted keybords!"

So, far from being the weirdest keyboards, there may be some tools in this list that you might find helpful. Keyboards truly come in all shapes and sizes!

You can view this listing by clicking here.

(Hat Tip: Fosfor Gadgets)

A Wednesday Afternoon Diversion

2006-03-29T15:40:00.000-06:00

It's been a moderately quiet day here in the office - I'm thinking that a lot of you are on Spring Break.

So for those of you who are still hard at work, here's a little diversion to lighten your afternoon load.

Enjoy this clip of a wonderful French horn player...

You can also click here to visit this wonderful site :)