Exceptional Paradise

I've started reading a great blog about teaching students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. Since I'm a teacher of these students, I have a vested interest in some of the topics. She has a great post about her rules for working with assistants here. The insights she share really struck a note with me, because it is the same chord I try and strike with my assistants. She really gets it right. This and other quick easy tips make it a great blog to read!

Patrick

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: Shashchatter

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They Might Be Giants - Science

I was reading about a new CD that will be coming out by They Might Be Giants. I'll admit I haven't listened to them in quite a while, but have always loved their music. So this CD is different and I actually think I'll get it! It's called Here Comes Science. In reading about this I found out that TMBG has started doing kids music (a great genre for them) and have 3 other CD/DVD combos - Here Come the 123's, Here Come the ABC's, and No!. Now they've added Here Comes Science to the mix.

Wired Magazines, GeekDad reviewed the CD/DVD combo here. And even includes a track list for the upcoming release. Danny over at The Whiteboard Blog talks about the CD as well, and give some ideas for songs that teach science concepts and are fun to listen to (think Particle Man!). I think this CD with included DVD will delight and educate many a child. It releases September 1, but you can pre-order on Amazon.com today!

Patrick

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20 Tech Tools and Resources for Special Education Students

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes for OnlineCollege.org, an accredited online college resource.

20 Tech Tools and Resources for Special Education Students

Finding tech tools and resources for special education students is a great way to increase student comprehension and classroom productivity. Here is a selection of 20 free tools for special education teachers and students.

Thunder - Thunder is a free downloadable screen reader. The software makes tests, quizzes, and books more accessible and understandable to students with reading difficulties.

LibriVox - LibriVox features a large assortment of free public domain audio books read by volunteers. The site is a great way for students with reading difficulties to explore poems, stories, and other literature.

Bookshare - Bookshare provides free audio books and periodicals to students with qualifying disabilities. The site is backed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.

Do-It - The University of Washington's Do-It program provides many different resources for special education students, including online math lessons, tutoring, explanations, and visual aids.

E-speaking.com - E-speaking.com offers downloadable speak recognition software for your computer. It allows students to use their voice instead of keystrokes to command their computer.

LAT Kids - This educational site for students with disabilities features several tools and resources that make life easier through technology. Resources include an online library, speech augmentative communications, and a smart instant messenger.

Mindomo - Mindomo offers free software for creating mind maps. This visualization method is an excellent way for students to formulate and organize ideas.

Visuwords - Visuwords features an online graphic dictionary for a visual demonstration of words and concepts.

KartOO - KartOO is a visual search engine that provides images of pages as well as text. Search results include news, images, web pages, and online references.

Interactives - This interactive education tool features strategies, content, and activities for teaching concepts that are difficult for some students to understand.

Quizlet - Quizlet is a free flashcard creation site for students who want to find or create flashcards of their own.

Do2Learn - Do2Learn is an activity site created for children with special needs. The site provides games, songs, communication activities, and print resources.

Education World - Education World provides many different resources and tools for teachers, including articles and lesson plans for assisting special education students.

MySchoolog - This free web app provides students with easy-to-use tools for organizing school life. Students can schedule weekly lessons, drag and drop lessons, and establish assignment reminders.

RFB&D - Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic provides several resources for learning through listening. The site also offers audio books for every subject and grade level for a fee.

Ghotit - This site features free assistive writing tools for special education students. Ghotit offers a spell checker, an online dictionary, and text to speech software.

BrainPOP - BrainPOP offers interactive games and learning tools for all subjects. This educational site works especially well for teachers who want to help special education students better understand difficult subjects.

Help Read - Help Read is free Internet and text reading software for students with dyslexia or reading difficulties. Once downloaded, this software reads the material on the screen for you.

Mindplay - This teaching site features resources and tools for students with ADHD/ADD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. Resources include reading assessments, games, downloads, and speaking lessons.

EdTechTalk - This education technology podcast discusses the benefits of technology in the classroom. EdTechTalk provides useful information for special education teachers who want to implement technology in the classroom.

Thought on Communication

So instead of working on my lesson plans, planning for the first day back from break, I'm sitting on my couch writing a blog post. Why? I really don't know. I've been having thoughts about different things, and one of the main ones is how to integrate more communication into my classroom day. This is one of those things that took me a little while to understand as a teacher of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

In college I learned all about teaching reading to all students, theories, how to do so many things, but they never really touched on how important communication was to all of it. I can teach 10 students to recognize letters, but how will they use it if they can't communicate? This kind of realization is something that took my years to understand. I just hope that our new batch of special education teachers is able to grasp it much more quickly than I. Communication is everything to our students!

Patrick

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Remnant Book

I was at a workshop yesterday and one idea brought up was called a Remnant book. I'd never heard about this idea. They explained it as a journal for students, but instead of writing or pictures, it included an item. The students were asked to bring in an item that represented something they did over the weekend, parents were asked to write a small note to explain the significance. One student brought in a napkin to represent that he set the table. I immediately thought of the power of this. Students could have a representation that they could then use to write and communicate about. It's always said that if it's not personal students will not be as involved. I just think this is a really interesting strategy to help keep students engaged.

Patrick

PRC Pictures

For those students using a Vantage or a Vanguard communication device this is the post for you. Prentke-Romich has provided a copy of all the icons available in their picture set as a download. These photos can be loaded into your computer and be used in Boardmaker. Here's a description from PRC:

Download the current PRC icons. These icons are the same for all PRC devices. They are available in BMP, GIF, and JPEG format and contained within a single ZIP file. If you need an icon for a device or for use in a PC, then use the bitmap (bmp) file. MAC users will need to use the gif or jpeg files. The files include a page of instructions for using the PRC icons.

Here's the link to download the file:

PRC Pictures

For those of you using a Mac, the pictures can be imported into iPhoto, if you are using windows you will need to copy and paste the photos into word or Boardmaker. If you have questions doing this please feel free to e-mail and ask!

Bookshare.org

Yes, it's been a few days since I posted, I hope this post will make up for it. A great website for all students with disabilities is Bookshare.org. This is a site dedicated to providing digital texts to all students with disabilities. Recently the site received a large grant to provide this service FREE!!! Read about it here.

The texts provided are digital and able to be read by most text readers. A free download of the Victor Reader which will work with these texts. Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (SCD) qualify under the Learning Disability section, or physical disability if they have a specific physical limitation that keeps them from accessing printed materials. You can sign up an individual or you can sign up by school or ogranization.

So head over to Bookshare.org and get started using digital text to help your child or student!

Patrick

Stories in a New York Minute

A elementary classroom needs to have 1500 books in it to be considered a well stocked library.
Caroline Musselwhite

I don't remember exactly where Caroline got this information, but in looking around I don't know of many classrooms that have 1500 books. One way to increase the number of books in a classroom is by writing them yourself. Caroline recommends taking a topic and writing 4 quick stories - a noun story, verb story, adjective story, & preposition story. The books should be supported by photos or illustrations. Books can then be used to support a theme or topic of the month. Here's a link to the original information posted by Caroline Musselwhite:


Stories in a New York Minute

Fun Boards from Mayer-Johnson

A great resource for interactive and new material for Boardmaker is Mayer-Johnson. They post a new activity each month that is able to be printed and some are interactive (requires Boardmaker Plus or SDP). Each month is themed so it's great if your looking for something new to do that month. Take a look at them here, click Activity of the Month to check them out:

Activity of the Month

Teaching All Learners

One blog that I have come across recently, is Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs. It is written by another special education teacher, Kate Ahern, from Massachusetts. I have not gotten through all the posts, but there is so much information. This blog touches on so many different aspects of teaching children and is a great resource for all educators and parents.

Beginning Literacy

Earlier this year, I attended a workshop by Caroline Musselwhite. Other than being an absolutely engaging presenter, I learned quite a lot. One of her main points was that all students (with or without significant cognitive disabilities) need three types of reading materials - Enrichment, Transitional, & Conventional. Here's a .pdf that talks about the process of creating and using these types of books. The chart at the end of the file:

Beginning Literacy Framework

This was created by Caroline along with several other people at Don Johnson. Check out Caroline's site AAC Intervention. She has monthly tips on how to get more literacy into your day.