Friday, April 29, 2011
EdCeptional Show #5: Wednesdays with Sam & Sam's Cool Tools for the Classroom
Samantha Fecich was recently a guest on the EdCeptional podcast that I do with Jeremy Brown, Anne Truger and Deb Truskey. I've actually been reading Sam's blog for a while now and am just getting around to posting about it. If you didn't get a chance to listen to the podcast (All About Sam), Sam is a Special Education Technology Integration Specialist in Pennsylvania and she has been sharing her "cool tools" for special education classrooms-Sam's Cool Tools for the Classroom. What's great about all the tools she shares is that she is using them too on a regular basis. Sam also writes a wiki - Wednesdays With Sam - where she shares all sorts of tools, websites, and technology that she uses in the classroom. Have fun checking out all the great resources!
Patrick
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: Whiteforge
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Goalbook
There's an interesting new website that is set to release in the Fall, goalbook. You can watch a video of it at http://enomeinc.com/. After watching the video I'm thinking it's a blend of Facebook and IEP tracking software. It's seems like it could be a great way to follow goals. Feel free to leave some feedback for the developer, I know I suggested that they look at a way to take data and create graphs. I'll be interested in seeing what they come up with!
Patrick
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Monday, April 25, 2011
#AppMondayTAS - Typ-O
The reason Typ-O would be a decent replacement for the standard keyboard is that it does word prediction. Typ-O does word predication pretty well for an app. I used it on my iPod Touch and it did a good job of suggesting words no matter how I spelled them. It is a little limiting in how many choices you can see at once, but that's a limit of the size of the device, not the app. From the screen shots I have seen the iPad version uses the space very well and offers an easier view of the choices. As with all alternate access apps you will need to copy the text and paste it into another app if you want in an email, text or other app. Typ-O also offers text-to-speech speaking the word or the sentence as you choose.
Overall, Typ-O is a solid word prediction app with built in text-to-speech. It is a little pricey - $4.99 for the iPhone version and $14.99 for the iPad version, but worth it if you need word prediction. The only limitation is not the app's fault, but Apple's that I hope gets resolved in newer versions of iOS.
App -
Typ-O - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/typ-o/id370829089?mt=8
Typ-O HD - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/typ-o-hd-writing-is-for-everybody/id372971659?mt=8#
**Reviewer received a copy of this app from the developer**
Also posted on the iEAR.org
Patrick
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
Weekly Diigo Links (weekly)
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tags: home 2epub ibooks ios app pdf video audio education free convert share create books ebooks
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tags: qr quikqr what do sms email education contact information encode qrcode
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adaptivePlay | Switch adapted toys for children with special needs.
tags: adapted switch adaptiveplay AAC augcomm play education therapy home fun
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WhatWasThere - Put history in its place!
tags: history maps whatwasthere google socialMedia education free socialstudies
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MyPhones: a safer way to listen.
tags: myphones headphones education decibels 85 cap safe accessibility iOS Mac Windows
Friday, April 22, 2011
More on QR codes
Recently, I spoke to a group of transition professionals in my area. Now, I'll be the first to admit that transition planning is not something I've done a ton of. I have spent my entire career in the primary grades, so this was an interesting exercise to think of ways to use this technology with older students and adults. Here were some of my ideas:
-Set up a QR code in a job placement/work area, when someone scans it, it links them to a blog where directions for the job site are posted. These directions could be changed on a regular basis and since it is a blog/website you can do it remotely. No need to visit the job site.
-If you are in a suburban/urban area, you could create a QR code that would link the student to the "live" bus times allowing them to see when the bus might be coming.
-Create a QR code with students personal information for them to keep in their wallet/purse. If there is a time when they are lost, they can be taught to pull it out and have someone scan it. Much safer than just leaving personal information in plain text. (Thanks to Jeanne my OT for thinking of this one!)
-QR codes can be attached to different items at a job site, when a student scans it text is revealed, if using iOS they can have it read to them and give them directions for what to do with the items.
-Create a QR code for when a student is finished, it will text the job coach, and let them know they are finished with the job.
I really think the possibilities are endless!!! What makes it so compelling is the QR codes can embed links to websites, text, phone numbers, or text message and it's all for free. You can create all these types of QR codes here at http://qrcode.kaywa.com.
If you are interested in more information on QR codes, check out this information from Judy Okazai from SetConnections.org - QR Codes
And this is a great post about QR codes and how to use them and create a math lesson from Free Tech 4 Teachers - QR Codes in the Classroom
Patrick
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Sunday, April 17, 2011
Teaching All Students Wiki
While you are waiting it occurred to me tonight that I never specifically posted about my wiki that I have - http://teachntech.wikispaces.com. I keep this wiki as a backup to some of the presentations that I've done over the years. I've posted instructions on using Boardmaker, Google Docs for Communication and lots of info on various iOS apps. Feel free to check it out!
Patrick
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Weekly Diigo Links (weekly)
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tags: ebooks create epub free libreoffice openoffice differentiation education ebook assistive technology iOS ipad
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tags: education web2.0 free epub 2differentiate wiki how-to instructions
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tags: education web2.0 free astronomy science software opensource freeware planetarium
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tags: education worksheet make print AT tools web2.0 free beta
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iPhone Development Denver, Colorado - 1st Door Software
tags: education apps iOS iphone ipodtouch research dynavox Edceptional05
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http://www.csha.org/pdf/2011Convention/Sunday/CSHA32711Handout.pdf
tags: education apps iOS iphone ipodtouch articles research Edceptional05 pdf csha
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List of academic paper on autism and iPad / iPod | iAutism
tags: education apps autism iOS iphone ipodtouch articles research
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tags: accessible materials visual online learning education free books ebooks audio
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Weekly Diigo Links (weekly)
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Photo editor online - Pixlr.com edit image
tags: tools photoshop photos image web2.0 editor software freeware education
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FamZoo Family Finance for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store
tags: ipad finance family ipod iphone famzoo education free web2.0 tools apps
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Mobile Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) – New Tools for the SLP | ASHAsphere
tags: EdCeptional #3 assistive technology iTherapy AAC communication special education education
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tags: reading interactive web highinterest lowlevel pictures education
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GoAnimate for Schools and Educators
tags: animation goanimate web2.0 digital storytelling educators schools comics education EdCeptional #3
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tags: ipad apps differentiation edapp mace11 education tool ipodtouch ios
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Voicethread Universal
Patrick
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Monday, April 4, 2011
#AppMondayTAS - Fill the Gap
At this time Fill the Gap comes in many different versions:
- iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/
us/app/fill-the-gap-smudge/ id415104902?mt=8&ls=1 - iPhone: http://itunes.apple.
com/us/app/fill-the-gap- pocket/id417629706?mt=8&ls=1 - Mac: http://itunes.apple.com/
us/app/fill-the-gap/ id415118585?mt=12&ls=1 - Android https://market.
android.com/details?id=com. magmentis.firstwordsfillthegap
The developer has offered 5 codes for Fill the Gap Pocket for iPhone/iPod Touch to giveaway this week. As always you can enter up to 3 times, using the following methods:
**The developer provided the reviewer with a copy of this app**
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Sunday, April 3, 2011
Weekly Diigo Links (weekly)
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tags: youtube safety web2.0 vusafe tools education m86vusafe
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Turn Taker for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store
tags: taker ipod iphone education assistive technology ipad ios ipodtouch
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Touch Trainer for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store
tags: ipad trainer ipod iphone education touchtrainer assistive technology
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Dropbox Forms: Receive files from your web site to your dropbox!
tags: dropbox forms filesharing tools upload files form web2.0 education free easy
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Exploratree - Exploratree by FutureLab
tags: mindmapping visualization web2.0 tools thinking collaboration mindmap education free graphic organizers
Friday, April 1, 2011
To App or not to App...
I am not an iOS evangelist, I do not believe that these devices can cure Autism, save lives or cure cancer. That being said I do see the benefit of having mobile, touch screen devices available in the special education classroom. So lately as the debate around whether the iPad should be considered as an AAC device has left me with some thoughts.
Let me start this debate here, I'm going to focus on the 90% of students with disabilities (I have no actual numbers, just my experience) who have no issues accessing a touch screen. Students who require alternative access like switches or eye gaze would have limited access to an iOS device, not something I like to say, but the truth. One reason these devices are not a cure or right for every student.
So, I want to change the debate. Why is this about the device and not about the apps? The device is important only as a medium. When we look at AAC devices we are looking at whether the Unity system is better than Picture Word Power, not the device, Vantage vs. V+, but the symbol set. So let's look at the apps that we are talking about. If we are looking at communication we have Proloquo2Go, TapSpeak Button, Choice & Sequence, Grace App, Expressive, Speak it! or Voice4u. And that's just the ones I know about. We have apps that give students the opportunity to do a single message (TapSpeak Button), a grid of choices (TapSpeak Choice, Voice4u), full picture supported communication (Proloquo2Go) or text to speech (Proloquo2Go, Speak it!). Why wouldn't we as professional look at a device that has so many choices to give a student at such a good price? If one doesn't work, we can try another. We don't have to change the device we can just change the app.
On EdCeptional we talked about this topic quite extensively. We looked at a white paper from AAC-Rerc, and it covers many of the reasons this debate is changing. I'm not going to get into that debate, but I wanted to share a comment that was left by a fellow blogger and podcaster, Chris Bugaj (@attipscast):
"Thanks for being in my car with me today on my way to school. Nice job everyone! Here's one thought I thought I'd throw into the mix with regard to iOS apps (or apps of any kind really). When it comes to research, I think it is impossible to keep up with the number of apps and the hardware to run the apps. So, in my opinion, the research questions should be focused on the skills we need students to learn, not the tools they use to learn those skills. Instead of the research question being, "Does an iPad work with a student with autism" it should be "Do sequencing activities help with language acquisition?" If the answer is yes then we ask "Can we use the iPad to do sequencing ?" You don't need a research article to tell you that you can use an app on the iPad to do sequencing. Plus, technology is changing so quickly, research being done on the "tools" rather than the "skills" would be impossible to keep up with. Keep up the great work everyone!"Thanks!ChrisAgain, taking the focus off the device and focusing on the app. We don't question whether a laptop can help a student access the internet, but we do look at what browser has the best accessibility features, and can be customized. I especially like what he says about research. Devices are going to change constantly, whether they are from Apple, Microsoft, Google or whoever, if they have software that helps kids learn, they should be considered.
Last thought on accessibility and iOS devices. My daughter is 10 months old, she LOVES iPhones, I have seen her crawl across a room to get to an iPhone, and she understands how to make it work. I'm not saying she's making calls and starting apps, but she understand that if Bebot is on the screen she has to touch it to make it work, but if Gugl is there she can talk and he'll talk back to her. I've seen the same thing for many students with disabilities. They just get how to navigate, it just makes sense to them, especially those kids who have trouble using a mouse and typical computer. It eliminates the back and forth required to navigate. I'm not saying this is a reason to use these devices exclusively, but it is something to consider.
I'm not sure how to end this post, I don't think I've discovered anything mind blowing or new, but maybe it will start helping to change the discussion. iOS devices are a viable option for many students with disabilities, and I think we need to recognize that.
Patrick
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