School districts often struggle to develop consistent practices for meeting the assistive needs of students receiving special education services. This fun yet professional book will help PK-12 educators learn a process to improve how they consider, select, and implement technology to help all students!
This book:
Provides a methodology for transforming educators into experience designers by adopting a mindset of inclusive practices.
Details how an educational team can effectively request assistance to determine technology needs.
Explains how to provide assistance by coaching an educational team through a process to make informed decisions about technology needs.
Describes a proactive approach to professional development for individuals and for those who train others on the use of technology.
Assists individuals or teams in creating an action plan for developing a culture of inclusion.
Interweaves stories, songs, games, activities and other exciting features to make the experience of reading the book fun!
The New Assistive Tech is a catalyst for breaking down walls between special education and general education, and will help all educators realize they have tech knowledge (and can build upon that knowledge) that can be used to support all students, including those with disabilities.
School districts often struggle to develop consistent practices for meeting the assistive needs of students receiving special education services. This fun yet professional book will help PK-12 educators learn a process to improve how they consider, select, and implement technology to help all students!
This book:
Provides a methodology for transforming educators into experience designers by adopting a mindset of inclusive practices.
Details how an educational team can effectively request assistance to determine technology needs.
Explains how to provide assistance by coaching an educational team through a process to make informed decisions about technology needs.
Describes a proactive approach to professional development for individuals and for those who train others on the use of technology.
Assists individuals or teams in creating an action plan for developing a culture of inclusion.
Interweaves stories, songs, games, activities and other exciting features to make the experience of reading the book fun!
The New Assistive Tech is a catalyst for breaking down walls between special education and general education, and will help all educators realize they have tech knowledge (and can build upon that knowledge) that can be used to support all students, including those with disabilities.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning Read&Write software solutions. Click on the banner above to learn about the amazing Read&Write products.
Episode Overview –
Episode #150 is a review of the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens from an educational perspective.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning Read&Write software solutions. Click on the banner above to learn about the amazing Read&Write products.
Episode Overview –
Episode #149 explores the idea that the cultural perception of school is a miserable experience that people need to trudge through rather than actively enjoy and suggests ways to change that perception.
A.T.TIPS in this Episode –
A.T.TIP #476: The C.U.R.R.E acronym (Curiosity, Uniqueness, Risk-Taking, Real World, and Enjoyment)
One-day Pre-conference –Evolution of an AT Team: Real World Experiences Shaping Practices (with Sally Norton-Darr, Stacy McBain and Mark Nichols) REGISTER NOW!
ISAAC Conference in Toronto, Canada – August 2016
AAC Practitioners in the 21st Century: Leveraging Our Efforts through Social Media and Digital Technologies (with Carole Zangari)
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning Read&Write software solutions. Click on the banner above to learn about the amazing Read&Write products.
Episode Overview –
Episode #139 features three song parodies from The Nightmare Before Christmas. My apologies to Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. As you listen, please keep in mind that I’ve never had one singing lesson, ever. In case you’d like to sing along, I’ve added the lyrics below.
This is Technology
Boys and girls of every age
wouldn’t you like to see something strange
Come with us and you will see,
our use of technology
This is technology, this is technology,
students scream when they see its sight
This is technology, everybody make something,
click or press to squeal with deeeelight,
It’s our time, everybody scream,
in this time of technology
I am the one you hold in your hand
screen gone dark and battery glowing red
I am the one sitting in your lap,
keyboard up and ready for your tap
This is technology, this is technology, nology, nology, nology, nology
Press the button to go home,
everyone post things all day long
Its our time, don’t we love it now,
everybody’s waiting for the next surprise
Pinch that corner, then,
zoom in if you can,
that gadget only weighs an ounce and don’t break the..
screen,
this is technology,
front and back and going green,
Aren’t you wired?
Well, that’s just fine,
say it once, say it twice,
take a chance and hold the mice,
write while you type, yeah it’s alright
Everybody scream, everybody scream,
its our time for technology
I am the boy with the tears on his face
gone in a flash with a tablet in place,
I am the girl who you need to teach
I am the one who you need to reach,
I am the teacher trying to get it right,
Making their futures nice and bright
This is technology, this is technology, nology, nology, nology, nology
slender tablets everywhere,
make it fun so we all care,
that’s your job, know what I mean?
in our time of technology
In this time don’t we love it now,
everyone’s waiting for the next surprise
A.TTIPSCAST
helps you with the facts
will help you learn just how to be
Give you tools so students win!
This is technology, everybody scream!
Please make way for a very special guy
Our man Chris is king of the Tipscast,
everyone hail to the tipscast Song
Now, this is Technology, this is Technology, nology, nology, nology, nology
In this time we press home everyone hail to the techno song
On on on on turn it on on on on on on on
—————————————————————————————————-
Chris’s Lament
There are few who deny,
That technology is the best,
For it’s benefits are renowned far and wide
When it comes to surprises
With a backlit light
We make things without even trying
With the slightest little effort
using hashtags and alarms,
Twitter helps teachers find what they seek
With a mic in your hand
And a dulcet tone,
Podcasts swept many listeners off their feet!
Yet year after year,
It’s the same routine
And students grow so weary
when we lecture things.
And I BET!
They like making things,
But they’ve grown tired of the same old thing…
Oh, somewhere deep inside their bones
An emptiness began to grow,
There’s something out there in the wide unknown,
A longing that they’ve never known
They can master it alright,
with strategies out of sight
teachers guide them rightwhen others can’t
They might think it’s yucky or they’re super unlucky
that they’re learning more in Finland, what’s the chance?
And since they have read, they can fill others’ heads
To spread technology integrations.
Any woman or man can learn like they can
But hurry ‘cause we need those educations
Oh you there please do understand
That the song I sing should make you grin
you’d lose that frown,
if you only understood
We can’t give it up,
that wouldn’t be good
We can’t fill that empty place all alone
Students need to explore the great unknown
Give praise and praise year after year
Makes students smile from ear to ear
——————————————————————————————————-
What’s This?
What’s this? What’s this?
There’s tools everywhere
What’s this?
There’s strategies in the air
What’s this?
I can’t believe my eyes
I must be dreaming
Wake up, Chris, this isn’t fair
What’s this?
What’s this? What’s this?
There’s something that I dig
What’s this?
There’s students making things
What’s this?
The schools are lined with
Little children laughing
Everybody seems so happy
Have I possibly gone appy?
What is this?
What’s This?
There’s children using tech
Instead of using pens
They’re busy building joys
And absolutely no one’s ever sad
There’s apps on every screen
Oh, I can’t believe my eyes
And in their bones I feel the choice
That’s coming from inside
Oh, look
What’s this?
They’re putting things online,
they post!
Why they looks so engaged,
inspired!
They’re gathering around to share a story
Roasting worksheets on a fire
What’s this?
What’s this?
In here there’s so much that is free,
how queer!
And who would ever think
And why?
They’re creating unique things
Let’s see what this electric gadget brings
And there’s a smile on everyone
So, now, correct me if I’m wrong
This looks like fun
This looks like fun
Oh, could it be I got my wish?
What’s this?
Oh my, what now?
The children are amazed
But look, there’s something underneath
All tools, no glitches here to block them or ensnare them,
very little mobile things
Secure them in their dreamland.
What’s this?
The worksheets are all missing,
the nightmares can’t be found
And in their place there seems to be
Good feeling all around
Instead of screams, I swear
I can hear learning in the air
The spark of thoughts and reason
Are absolutely everywhere
The sights, the sounds
They’re everywhere and all,
around!
I’ve never felt so good,
before!
This empty place inside of me is
filling up
I simply cannot get enough
I want it, oh, I want it
Oh, I want it for my own
I’ve got to know
I’ve got to know
What is this place that I have found?
What is this?
UDL? Hmmmm???
A.T.TIPS in this Episode –
A.T.TIP #453: Song Parodies to Represent Content for Learners
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning Read&Write software solutions. Click on the banner above to learn about the amazing Read&Write products.
Episode Overview –
Episode #138 features a recording of a Google Hangout on the concept of Universal Design for Learning. Derek Kaufman, a Google certified educator in Northern Virginia invited me to say a few words describing Universal Design for Learning. To our surprise, two leaders in the field of assistive technology and Universal Design for Learning showed up to participate in the discussion! Luis Perez and Marvin Williams added their own insights and experiences to help explain why developing curriculum and lesson plans using a Universal Design for Learning approach is necessary in contemporary education. The entire presentation was recorded and can be found below.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning literacy solution Read&Write GOLD. To learn about Read&Write Gold and Texthelp’s suite of web apps click on the banner below!
Use promotion code ATTIPS13SAVE10 to get 10% off online orders of Read&Write GOLD!
Cannot be combined with other offers. Offer expires July 31, 2013.
Episode #119 features a review, including spoilers (you have been warned), of the new Superman movie, Man of Steel, and how it relates to contemporary assistive technology and educational practices.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning literacy solution Read&Write GOLD. To learn about Read&Write Gold and Texthelp’s suite of web apps click on the banner below!
Episode #101 of the A.T.TIPSCAST features a brief discussion about what comes next in one’s personal quest to learn more about the implementation of the Universal Design for Learning framework. Download a .PDF Transcript of this episode.
This is the first episode of Season 6 of the A.T.TIPSCAST!
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #98 features a discussion of how literacy skills can be improved by simply turning on the captions while watching television and other videos.
A.T.TIP 285 – Turn on Closed Captioning while watching any video to improve literacy skills
Read Captions Across America Campaign – The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) initiative launched in association with the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual “Read Across America” campaign meant to spread the word about the benefits of captions for all readers.
captionsforliteracy.org – Research, posters, and instructions pertaining to the benefits of turning the captions on for learners
I’m a super hero geek and proud of it. I didn’t just grow up reading comics. I played games about super heroes, watched super hero cartoons, created robust fight sequences and narratives (often in that order) with super hero action figures, and pretended I was the one taking down the bad guys.
It was “Super” fun!
Today, I get to relive those adventures with my two little ones by fighting giant robots, thwarting the plans of treacherous villains, and protecting the lives of the innocent baby dolls scattered around the room.
This is “Super” fun!
Over the past few years, the folks at Marvel have been releasing movies starring some of their most popular super heroes. Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor have each had their own summer blockbuster movie (Iron Man actually had two). These movies set the stage for the ultimate super hero team up, bringing all of them together in The Avengers.
Without even asking me about it, my wife made babysitter arrangements and pre-purchased the opening night tickets. She had watched all these movies with me, loving the Iron Man movies the most. She wasn’t nearly as excited as me to see The Avengers but when I told her it was directed by Joss Whedon, creator of her favorite show of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she was all in.
As you can probably guess, on the night of the big event, I found myself grinning from ear to ear, mesmerized for over two hours. Despite the fact that I was ten years old again, I couldn’t help but draw some parallels between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and contemporary practices in the world of education and assistive technology.
SPOILERS FOLLOW YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
The Tesseract as Curiosity and Engagement-
The movie starts with an action packed sequence of events where the villain of the movie, Loki, steals the Tesseract; a powerful energy source with the potential for creating sustainably clean energy for the planet. Loki plans to use the Tesseract to create a portal into space through which he can bring an invading alien army.
It comes to light during the movie that Loki has not been the only power looking to use the weapons for less than peaceful purposes. S.H.I.E.L.D. (a government agency) works to exploit the power of the Tesseract to create its own set of unique weaponry which can be used to keep the peace. Good intentions to be sure, but by keeping this fact a secret they cast a nefarious shadow of doubt over the entire organization.
The Tesseract is unharnessed energy, not unlike the enthusiasm of students entering school. Have you seen the overflowing brightness behind a kindergartener’s eyes before the first day? It is brimming with hope, eagerness, curiosity and a desire to learn. The raw energy is palpable. Students come to school, en masse, already engaged. Therefore, keeping them interested in school should be as easy as saying some incredibly cool catch phrase. Unfortunately, somehow, it’s not.
Educators, throughout the entire span of students’ educational careers, have the massive responsibility of helping students continue to feel engaged in their learning. It is not the fault of the Tesseract that people are trying to exploit it. Likewise, it is never the students’ fault if and when they become disengaged with learning.
Students DO NOT CHOOSE to be bored.
The power of the Tesseract is like that of curiosity in students. Curiosity can be kept flowing through students by providing them with options about how they’d best like to learn. Curiosity will continue to drive student’s engagement when they get to make choices about how they’d best like to learn.
For now, the curriculum is set, static, and determined, but the ways for students to experience that content is changing, dynamic, and flexible. By providing students with options, you give them freedom, much like an Avenger keeping the world safe from a race of invading aliens. If educators approach each lesson plan by saying, “What’s the best way I can engage each learner?” and then successfully execute those lessons, they will have taken a heroic first step.
A Group of Individuals Does Not a Team Make –
The Avengers brings together a group of individuals, each with his or her own set of unique traits and abilities which add something to the whole. Each character has a skill set that makes them a valuable asset and which makes them vital to the success of the mission. When an Individualized Education Program is being developed, individuals from different disciplines and perspectives come together for a common purpose. Each individual member brings his or her own set of talents to the table to formulate a plan which outlines the instructional needs of a student. However, a group of individuals working toward the same cause does not necessarily make it a team.
Throughout the course of the movie, the Avengers learn that individual feats of strength and demonstrations of skill might be impressive (and fun to watch) but don’t necessarily equate to getting the job done. It isn’t until the end of the movie, setting egos aside and learning to work together, do the Avengers truly form a team. Likewise, when developing and implementing an Individualized Education Program, the team should work synergistically, not separately. It is not the job of the speech therapist to work on goals related to communication, the job of the occupational therapist to work on fine motor goals, the job of the physical therapist to work on gross motor goals, the job of the parent to work on things at home, the job of the general and special education teachers to work on academic goals, or the job of the administrator to ensure that everything gets done. Rather, it’s the job of everyone, to work on every aspect of every goal, collaboratively. When this happens, the individual skills of professionals blur into something cohesive, a true team forms and the student is the one who ultimately wins.
Character Before Technology–
Each hero in the Avengers utilizes a weapon that matches their individual set of skills. Captain America uses his iconic shield. Iron Man is outfitted with a suit of armor. Thor wields Mjolinir, a mighty hammer. Hawkeye shoots a bow. Black Widow uses acrobatics and firearms. And the Hulk is a weapon all unto himself.
In this movie, just like in all of the other Marvel movies, the focus is on the character, not the tools they use. The weapons support the characters, not the other way around. In this way, the weapons used by the heroes are similar to the process of selecting a device or strategy for a student.
When Steve Rogers was becoming Captain America, the plot wasn’t the discovery of some shield made of Vibranium and how someone could use it. Rather, it was about a man who stays true to himself while facing incredible circumstances. In Iron Man, the story isn’t about a man who sets out to develop an invincible suit of armor but rather, creates one out of necessity. Thor’s hammer serves as a symbol for doing what is right, but the story of Thor centers around humility. Bruce Banner’s main conflict comes from an internal struggling for control not about the ramification of experimenting with gamma radiation. In truth, what gets to the core of all of these characters has nothing to do with the tools they use, but rather, who they are as people.
Device selection happens in much the same way. When selecting an intervention for a student or class, the question should be centered around who the student is and what they needed to accomplish, rather than the idea of having a tool and wondering who could use it. For Marvel, it’s not “We have this shield, suit of armor, mystical hammer, gamma radiation, bow, etc. We should give them to someone”. Instead, it’s “There’s this complex character who faces intense problems. What type of tools should we provide this person to help solve these problems?” For selecting specific assistive technology for students, it shouldn’t be “Look at this shiny cool tool, who should use?” Instead, it should be “This student (or groups of students) has a problem. Which tool(s) can this student (or these students) use to help address that problem?” When devices are selected based on the character of the student, rather than the other way around, one can be sure that the student is getting what is needed.
Sacrifices –
Agent Coulson has been described as the glue that holds the various Marvel movies together and helps to maintain continuity. The character makes an appearance in many of the other Marvel movies. He is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who helps to bring the individuals together because he believes in the idea of forming a cogent team of Superheroes. Agent Coulson makes the ultimate sacrifice to provide the final catalyst for driving the group to work together as a team.
Many educators do this too. Many live for their students, providing countless hours way beyond the limits of the typical work day to provide the very best service they can. They believe they are making a difference, investing in the future, and truly impacting the lives of students in a positive way. Coulson died because he believed in the Avengers. Educators sacrifice money, resources, and (most importantly) time to the idea that students, no matter their ability, can and will learn.
Also like the Avengers, educators perform these selfless tasks with mixed levels of support. At the end of the movie, the director makes the point to show how the public reacts differently to the knowledge that heroes exist. Some embrace the heroes, thanking them diligently. Others question their true intentions. Some even outright blame the heroes for the invasion. Educators, despite their passion and sacrifices, receive this same mixed response from the public at large, however, educators shouldn’t be chastised or scorned. Rather, they should be respected and revered for being the heroes they are.
Fun–
Overall, the Avengers is a fun, action-packed thrill ride that brings a helicarrier-load of laughs and smiles. Engaging characters drive a compelling plot all supported by the backdrop of a fascinating universe. Working in the field of education is much the same. Teaching, and supporting students, is one of the most enriching and rewarding professions. It is filled with memorable, meaningful, jaw-dropping moments that leave an impression, move you to tears, and can make you feel like you’re the hero you always wanted to be.
My wife doesn’t read books. She devours them. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was no exception. I, however, find it difficult to read a book during the school year. My literature consumption primarily takes place in the form of audiobooks or podcasts during my commute. That said, when my wife circled last Friday on the calendar and said, “We’re going to see The Hunger Games” I felt the urge to read the book before seeing the movie.
As luck would have it, my in-laws came to visit the weekend prior to the movie coming out. In an effort to give them some alone time with their grandkids, I barricaded myself in our bedroom and went to town on the novel.
I knocked it out in two days; a record for me.
I was eager to experience the phenomenon in the same way as my wife so I could have something intelligent to say when the inevitable discussions comparing the film adaptation to the literary work occurred.
Once again I couldn’t help but see correlations throughout the story to the implementation of technology following a Universal Design for Learning framework.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
The story, which is mostly the same between the book and the film, is, at its core, one of rebellion, defiance, and self discovery. It involves 24 children between the ages of 12 and 18 placed within a large, outdoor arena to fight to the death for the purposes of entertaining the masses. This annual death match, known as The Hunger Games, was established to keep the working class in line as a reminder of the power of the ruling class. The contestants in this gladiatorial bloodbath are known as “tributes.”
The tributes in the story have a diverse set of backgrounds, skills, and traits, making each one unique and special in some way. My brain immediately equated the tributes to students within a classroom, struggling to survive through the arena of school, trying to win at education, competing with one another for acceptance into college or for scholarships. Just like in the story, despite the cut-throat competition, alliances and friendships are formed. In both the story and within schools, individuals realize that collaboration and teamwork prove more successful than standing alone.
If the tributes in the arena represent students, then the supplies and weapons used to kill opponents would represent the technology necessary to complete a task. The tributes make decisive choices about what tools they need to accomplish their objectives of staying alive and killing others. Likewise, students within an environment following the principles of Universal Design for Learning utilize an array of tools to accomplish their mission of learning the content and achieving educational goals. In the arena, the wrong set of tools could equal pain, suffering, or even death while the correct set of tools matched to an individual’s skills could prove most effective. In school, choosing the wrong set of tools could equal the loss of precious time but the right set of tools, matched to an individual’s abilities, could make a significant impact in student performance.
Blazing hot days, freezing cold nights, swarms of deadly insects, wild mutated animals, and poisonous vegetation are just a few of the hazards prevalent throughout the arena. These conditions are controlled by the gamekeepers in order to provide the maximum entertainment value for the audience. Like in the arena, the school environment itself can be manipulated to shape the challenge facing a student. Educators should engineer environments with the educational goals of students in mind. For instance, if a student has a language goal of making requests then placing desired objects out of reach provides the student with an opportunity to communicate. Likewise, if a student is physically having difficulty accessing something within his environment, like a computer or interactive whiteboard, the educator must manipulate the environment to provide access. Either way, the educator molds the environment in a manner conducive to the needs of every learner.
The protagonist of the story is a character named Katniss, a 16 year old girl thrust into the midst of the carnage. She is provided a mentor named Haymitch who has the primary task of preparing her for the battle royale. During the actual event, Haymitch is also responsible for garnering “sponsors” for Katniss who will fork up cash to provide additional necessary tools not already in the environment.
In this way, Haymitch works like an assistive technology trainer guiding students in ways to successfully utilize the technology already present within the environment. Likewise, when that technology proves too restrictive or limiting, it is up to the assistive technology trainer to provide additional possibilities for the student. Haymitch goes to sponsors asking for additional supplies while an assistive technology trainer goes to vendors looking for tools that might meet the needs of students.
When Haymitch obtains a sponsor who provides supplies, he sends it to Katniss via parachute with a note attached with advice on how to best use it. In similar fashion, when assistive technology trainers acquire a new device to help students they provide training and tutorials.
In the end, Katniss teaches the establishment of the ruling class a lesson that despite attempting to control the chaos, something unpredictable can occur to upset the rhythm of the status quo. Educators attempting to provide and implement a variety of technology options to students should recognize this very same fact. A universally designed classroom strives to provide an atmosphere of controlled chaos and insulated entropy. Students provided with a multitude of choices about tools and activities they wish to use to best demonstrate their knowledge or which best engages them in the learning process might get messy. Almost always, something can go wrong. The unexpected will occur. Unlike the Gamekeepers in The Hunger Games, educators should expect this. Even more so, they should embrace it.
Providing a universally designed environment, at times, might feel like a difficult task, but remember no one is alone. Anyone can call out to others, like the song of a Mockingjay, to ask for help. Perhaps a model of a peer is all that is needed for the spark to begin Catching Fire within a colleague. Educators across districts (way more than the 12 outlined in the story) are working toward accomplishing similar goals. Sharing accomplishments and demonstrating successes is the best way to spread the culture of universal design for learning.
As you move forward, continuing on your own mission to provide options for students, I only have these words of encouragement: May the odds be ever in your favor.
Example 1 – Students create their own avatars based on the traits in the picture.
Example 2 – Students use uploaded picture to learn about an emotion. By practicing how to create the emotion, students learn how to identify the emotion represented in the picture.
A.T.TIP 275 – ThinkPort.org – Educator tools including downloadable graphic organizing templates, how-to tutorials, a lesson plan builder, and more.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #92 features a number of easy-t0-implement strategies to help students learn to be better spellers and to correct spelling errors.
The Spelling Bee – An audio story about a fourth grade boy who practices for the school spelling bee using a variety of creative ways involving both low and high tech tools.
As soon as I saw the trailer for Moneyball I added it to the Netflix queue. I didn’t feel compelled to see this movie in the theater because a) I’m not a big fan of baseball and b) I tend to spend theater dollars on movies laden with impressive special effects to maximize the big screen experience. I was, however, interested in learning how mathematics and statistics could be applied in an formulaic approach to change how people think. When it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar I bumped it up in the queue.
Like in the last blog post about a movie, I wasn’t expecting to find correlations between a mainstream film and contemporary educational philosophies like Universal Design for Learning. My apologizes to my wife for the frequent pausing of the DVD to take notes. I couldn’t help it. Ideas just kept pop flying into my head.
The movie, based on a true story, stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, a former baseball player turned general manager for the Oakland Athletics. The movie opens at the end of a successful season for the Athletics. Instead of celebrating however, Pitt finds that his star players have left to take higher paid contracts on other teams. Faced with replacing these high profile names within a limited budget and frustrated with a staff using traditional scouting methods, Pitt begins looking for a different approach to fill the missing roster spots.
The scouts, in my view, echo the mindset shared by some educators that “this is the way we’ve always done it and it has worked out fine so far.” To some extent, this might be true. For sure, I grew up filling out an exorbitant amount of worksheets and I feel like I received a decent education. But, could it have been done differently? Could my educational experience been even more meaningful? I think so. More importantly, does this traditional approach of providing worksheets to practice a concept work for everyone? I think not.
The movie demonstrates, in glaring fashion, that change is difficult. People who have been doing something the same way for years, no matter the profession, resist change. Pitt’s character proposes a shift away from tradition and it meets with opposition.
Moving education away from a continuous flow of worksheets following a rigid, one size fits all philosophy into a new world where students are provided with choices as to how best they’d like to engage in their own learning would yield better results.
On a trip to negotiate with the Cleveland Indians Pitt meets a Yale grad, played by Jonah Hill, who pitches a radical new theory of player evaluation. Hill suggests that a wide range of individual variables can each be given numerical values and a quotient can be calculated from these numbers. This quotient can then be used to get the most productive players for the money available. The final quotient they use to evaluate a player’s value, the one of paramount importance to Pitt and Hill’s characters, is tendency to get on base.
For years I’ve thought that a merit-based system of pay would be a benefit to education. The theory is simple. Pay teachers based on performance. The most poignant argument against a merit-based system is how to make it equitable based on all the variables present in a classroom. Once I tried to make a list of all the variables that would need to be considered if a merit-based system were to exist. The list was as big as the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
Hill’s character in the movie quantified each relevant variable and generated a formula which he used to boil it down into one number. To me, if this exists for all the relevant variables present on the baseball field, then this same approach could be applied to evaluate, and thus pay, teachers according to a quantified value. The approach, as applied to baseball, is called sabermetrics. It would an interesting project for a class of individuals studying statistics to try to duplicate these efforts applying them to contemporary classroom variables. The result might just produce an equitable system for paying educators based on productivity rather than solely on a traditional step approach.
Once Pitt’s character implemented the new approach I leaned over to my wife and said, “If this works right off the bat (pardon the pun) it is going to be a really short movie”. Predictably, the new approach didn’t work right away and the nay-sayers felt justified in their negative prognostications. In the movie, things go awry for Pitt and Hill but they stick to their failing approach, dedicated to see it through to the end.
To me, teachers implementing different or varied technologies in their classrooms to meet the needs of the different and varied learners in their classrooms should understand that sometimes things don’t work the right way, right away. Chaos might ensue. Like Pitt and Hill’s characters, stick to it. One loss on the baseball field doesn’t mean the entire season is a wash. Likewise, one lesson where the technology didn’t work correctly or where students got confused doesn’t mean the approach isn’t solid. If you make an error, letting the proverbial ball roll between your legs, that’s okay. Brush off the dust and use it as motivation to hit a home run at your next “at bat”.
Furthermore, in some instances technology might work to help a student the instant it is put in place. However, in most cases, it usually takes time to successfully implement a technology tool. Consider the examples of implementing word prediction for a student with spelling difficulties or an augmentative communication device for a student who has never used one before. Although these tools can be powerful and life-altering when used overtime, it usually takes some time for a person to learn to use these tools effectively. It typically takes patience, practice, training and time for a student to truly integrate these tools to make a difference in their lives. Therefore, like Pitt and Hill’s characters, stick to it. If the decision to place a device was founded on solid evidence, then it is likely to work. Don’t give up. Chances are, you won’t strike out.l
Faced with a doomed team at the bottom of the standings, the duo move out of their introverted comfort zones to enact the help of the players. Once the players are educated about the philosophy and brought on board as partners in the approach , positive results begin to occur. The Athletics, remarkably, begin to win against teams that can afford much higher paid players. In this same way, students should be made aware of the teacher’s educational philosophy and be accepted as cohorts in the approach. Like the players on the team, students will work to improve (and help each other to improve) if they have a shared vision, outlook, or campaign to get behind. Set and share an obtainable and collaborative classroom goal. Authentically involve the students in as many decisions as possible in an attempt to reach that goal. Refer to it and reflect on it together so no one starts striking out on bad pitches.
Likewise, this same approach of establishing and sharing a common goal works for any group or people working together. Grade levels teams, assistive technology teams, school wide and system wide faculties, or any group of people working to achieve a common goal will produce better results if everyone has taken ownership of that goal.
In baseball, the general manager doesn’t necessarily need to fix a flaw in a batter’s swing, he just needs to create the environment in which the player himself can grow to make adjustments. In this same way, a teacher does not need to dictate solutions to solve every problem students encounter, but rather, provide the proper guidance and support to let the students develop their own solutions.
In the end, of course, Pitt, Hill, and the Athletics go on to prove that their system works. The movie claims that professional baseball, steeped in tradition and history, changed forever after that season. In the following years every team changed to adopt Pitt’s new statistical approach to player evaluation and acquisition. The profession, and the economy surrounding it, was forever altered largely due to the ideas and efforts of two men.
Educators can have that same impact on their chosen profession. Whether looking at education globally or at each of its subsequent parts (like assistive technology), long standing practices should be challenged, turned over, and re-examined to see if they are truly effective. We might find that embracing new approaches, and showing the determination to stick to these approaches, could result in an effective grand slam for education as a whole.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #90 features a discussion of tools that can be used to summarize text.
Episode #89 features a look at the free fraction tools provided by ConceptuaMath as well as a few other tools useful for visualizing, representing, and understanding fractions.
Despite having seen all the previous Mission Impossible movies, when I saw the preview for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol I thought, “Ick.” Then, when I heard from a few Twitter friends how much they enjoyed it, saw some additional television spots playing that catchy theme music, and noticed that it was directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, The Iron Giant, etc.) I changed my mind. Still, I was thinking I’d add it to the Netflix queue and get around to seeing it a year or two from now.
Over the winter break my in-laws came into town giving my wife and I an opportunity to have a day out together. We did some shopping, grabbed a bite to eat, and went to see Mission Impossible for the heck of it. As it turns out, we both really enjoyed it.
What I found most interesting about the movie were the parallels in the story to building and maintaining an assistive technology team. Without providing any spoilers, the movie centers around a small team of professionals who use technology to overcome problem after problem in order to achieve their objectives. The team utilizes their different talents to assess each situation by analyzing their environment and then implementing technology to address the issues.
To me, this is exactly how a team of educators considers assistive technology for a student. The team analyzes the situation, determines what goals need to be met, and then decide what tools are necessary to address those goals.
Approximately half way through the movie the team of good guys realize that they will not be able to acquire any more resources. They are forced to find solutions using only what they have available to them. When implementing technology for a student, educators should first look to what they already have in their environment. Technology that is present and available to every student is always the best place to start and typically these tools are considered the least restrictive solutions. Furthermore, in the current fiscal environment of shrinking budgets, using what’s freely available first, before looking for external solutions that cost money, helps to keep funds available for when a student absolutely needs something to be purchased.
As the events of the plot unfold, the team finds that technology fails them…over and over again. As the technology fails, the team is forced to improvise to continue on their mission. Unfortunately, this holds true in the world of education as well. Technology breaks down and back-up plans needs to be implemented so students aren’t left floundering without the supports they need to help them achieve their goals. When the technology goes down, it’s up to the educational team to review, revise, and react, often in innovative ways, to make sure students succeed.
At the end, it’s no surprise, that Tom Cruise’s team is victorious. As team leader he gives a short speech explaining how proud he is of the team for their resiliency, collaboration, and never-give-up attitude. Even if you think the mission in front of you is impossible, whether it be stopping a terrorist from enacting his nefarious plot or assisting a student in achieving his or her educational goals, the edict is the same- failure is not an option.
Providing necessary technology to help students achieve their educational goals is your mission, and if you’re a good educational team, your only choice is to accept it.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #86 features a round robin resource sharing event conducted during the Virginia Society for Technology in Education 2011 Conference in Roanoke, Virginia known as the “Strategy Smackdown.” Participants in the Smackdown shared different tools useful to help educate students.
Also, I’d like to thank Adam Bellow for contributing the bumper at the beginning of the episode. You can check out his website at http://edutecher.net.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #85 features the first of two episodes describing the use of websites featuring activities which utilize webcams to engage students through interactive, gesture-based activities.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #84 features the second of two parts of a recording of a discussion at the George Mason University Assistive Technology Share Fair of 2011 about the educational uses of podcasting.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. To learn about these products and their new suite of web apps go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #82 is a recording of an event where Chris and his wife Melissa describe a variety of educational tools as they conduct a paranormal investigation.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #80 features an interview with Mark Barlet, co-founder of the Ablegamers Foundation. Mark describes the goals of the foundation, how people can get involved to support the foundation, and shares some ways the foundation has helped people get their game on! This is the last episode of Season 4 of the A.T.TIPSCAST. Look for new A.T.TIPSCAST episodes in the Fall of 2011.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #78 features an interview with Cynthia Clark, a high school teacher and the recipient of the 2011 Recognition for Excellence in Supporting Special Education Secondary Teacher Award from the Special Education Advisory Committee. Cynthia describes her program where students scan pictures to practice vocational skills.
A.T.TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #204 – Scanning Pictures as a Work Job
Cynthia and her scanning station
Scanning Directions
Order Form
50 Picture Envelope
Upcoming Presentations-
To view the entire presentation history check out the “Presentations” link at the top of the blog.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by the Intel Reader. Learn more about this handheld, portable device with built-in optical character recognition and text-to-speech technology at http://careinnovations.com/reader.
This episode features a brief description of optical character recognition (OCR) and features an interview with Steve Gallo from Intel – GE where we talk about the implementation of the Intel Reader for students and in the classroom.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode features a brief crisis of conscience moment which leads the host to question the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as an educational practice. Chris postulates on what the future of the American workplace would look like if every student learned according to the principles of UDL.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #75 features an exploration of the various settings to make adjustments to the way a user controls the mouse when working on Windows XP and Windows 7.
A.T.TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #200 – Mouse Properties of Windows XP and Windows 7
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by the book “The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools”. Learn more at http://iste.org/chewat.
This episode features a description of a scenario where a student with mulitple articulation difficulties is communicating effectively 90% of the time but needs help when telling about novel situations. A strategy was put in place that is effectively helping that student communicate with others during these times. This episode is one of my contributions to Better Hearing and Speech Month by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
A.T.TIPS –
#199: Providing Contextual Communication with a Camera Phone
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #73 features an audio version of an article about online learning for a partnership between the International Society of Technology in Education (www.iste.org) and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (www.ontariodirectors.ca). A version of the article is being published by CODE for their newsletter, the CODE Chronicles. According to the spirit of the article, I thought it would be best to have the article exist in multiple formats. You can read the article, listen to the article, and/or enjoy the comic.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #72 features a discussion of the use of digital video with students, in educational evaluations, and in educational reports.
A.T.TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #191: Scripting for Video Production
A.T.TIP #192: Students Interviewing Others on Video
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools. Learn more at http://iste.org/chewat.
The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools
Episode #71 features a clip from a live presentation at Temple University where Beth Poss and I describe www.wallwisher.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #68 features a round robin resource sharing event conducted during the Orlando ATIA 2011 Conference known as the “A.T. Smackdown.” Educators like Dave Hohulin, Karen Janowski, Brian Wojcik, and a host of others shared different tools that they have found useful to help educate students. With this go round, I got to be there in person to record the live event!
Also, I’d like to thank Eliza Anderson, for contributing the bumper at the beginning of the episode. You can check out the free newsletter/e-zine with information on how to subscrive and contribute over at http://atprogramnews.com
Special thanks to Dave Hohulin and Brian Dowd for sharing their notes of the event (which helped tremendously in putting the list below together).
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #67 features a recording of a live event from a presentation Beth Poss and I did at Temple University back in November of 2010. Beth and I are doing a Pre-Conference Workshop – UDL 2.0 Hands on! on January 26th from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Sign up and join us for a day of interactive fun! The episode also features a bumper from Sean Sweeney. Check out his Edublog Award Winning blog www.speechtechie.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #65 features a round robin resource sharing event conducted during the Chicago ATIA 2010 Conference known as the “A.T. Smackdown.” Educators like Dave Hohulin, Karen Janowski, Brian Wojcik, Patrick Black, and host of others shared different tools that they have found useful to help educate students. Lucky for us they had the foresight to make an audio recording of the event! You can check out a full list with brief descriptions of each tool over at http://teachingall.blogspot.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
When Chris and Melissa wake up in a strange room after a Halloween party they meet the notorious Saber Saw who asks them if they want to play a game. Will they win?
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #59 features feedback from listeners of the podcast which lead into additional A.T.TIPS.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #58 features a description of how teachers and students can turn text into short, engaging video segments.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #57 features a description of two resources to help students with spelling. The first tool helps students while studying spelling words and the second tool helps students fix misspellings.
A.T.TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #98: Spell with Flickr (http://metaatem.net/words/) – The image spelling “ATTIPSCAST” above was created using this website.
A.T.TIP #99: Correct a Sentence Window on http://gingersoftware.com. Try copying and pasting the following sentence into the window on the Ginger Software site:
“Mi smrt phrend iz reedng a booc wth an oarng cvr.”
Presentation Information –
Miss the presentation in Second Life of “Fun and Practical Strategies using (Assistive) Technology with Students”? No sweat! Here’s a link to the Google Doc with all the resources shared! Feel free to add more while you’re there!
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #53 features a discussion about the high contrast feature of Microsoft Windows as a tool to help students access on-screen information.
This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp Systems, provider of award-winning literacy solutions including Read&Write GOLD and Fluency Tutor. For more information, go to www.texthelp.com.
Episode #52 features a discussion about the use of puzzles and a classic set of toys from the 80s as educational tools to practice fine motor skills, enhance visual-spatial abilities, utilize logical reasoning skills, build vocabulary, and more!
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
No new audio with this post. It is a blog only update to let you know that the Question Booklets for Volume 5, 6, and 7 are now available. If you’re new to the A.T.TIPSCAST and you’re not sure what that is, you can find out more by checking out the special episode about professional development posted back in May, 2009.
You can find the Question Booklets for every volume by clicking on the “Free PD Kits” link in the top right corner of the page.
Volume 7 (Episodes 45 – 49, Total Running Time 1:09:35)-
Episode #50 features a discussion about the educational uses of video conferencing.
The episode features a special segment from Claire, the daughter of one of my colleagues, and her friends who delivered the audio on a CD within a bowl full of Jell-O.
Episode #49 features a description of how to use the Autocorrect function of Microsoft Word as a way to practice errorless learning.
The episode features a bumper from Jeannette Van Houten, an assistive technology curriculum strategist from New Jersey. I was fortunate enough to meet Jeannette at ATIA 2010 in Orlando.
A.T.TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #75: Autocorrect in Microsoft Word
Step 1. Click on the Office Button
Step 2. Choose “Word Options”
Step 3. Select “Proofing” and then “AutoCorrect Options”
Step 4. Put the text you want to have replaced in the “Replace” box and the text you want to appear instead in the “With” box.
AutoCorrect in Word 2007
Or just watch this cool www.woopid.com tutorial I found on YouTube.com:
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #48 features an interview with the free to use website Vozme.com. To my knowledge, this is the first time in history when a person actually got a sit-down interview with an actual website. Vozme.com and I discuss strategies for using the website to create .mp3 files from text.
The episode features a bumper from Christine Southard and Lisa Parisi who are two fifth grade inclusion teachers in Long Island, New York. I was fortunate enough to meet Christine and Lisa at NECC 09 and attend their presentation about the tools they use to differentiate instruction for the students in their classroom. It was at their presentation where I learned about Vozme.com.
Episode #47 features an interview with Proby Patel, a fourth year medical student at Ross University. Proby and I discuss strategies for managing the massive amounts of content students experience. Specifically, we discuss the uses of speed controls of digital media players to help students experience content faster.
Proby Patel
The episode features a bumper from Brian Wojcik who is the special education/assistive technology center coordinator at Illinois State University. For some reason the embed code isn’t working for the video of Brian’s bumper but you can watch it directly from here: Brian Wojcik Bumper.
A.T.TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #73: Variable Playback Speeds for Digital Media Players
In Windows Media Player, version 11, open the file you want to watch. Click on the Now Playing tab, then Enhancements, and then Play Speed Settings to control the playback speed.
Additional Resources Mentioned-
1. http://iste.org/setsig – The Special Education Technology Special Interest Group from the International Society for Technology in Education (also known as ISTE). The SETSIG’s website has a wiki with links to ongoing discussions about using technology for students in special education as well as a handy assistive technology primer.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #46 features another excerpt from the presentation for the Individual Differences in Learning Association in Howard County, Maryland. This excerpt describes WordTalk; a free text-to-speech plug-in for Microsoft Word.
The episode features a bumper from Karen Janowski who is an assistive technology consultant, an assistive technology specialist for a school district in Massachusetts, adjunct faculty member at Simmons College, and school board member in her town. She is also one of the innovators behind the UDLTechToolKit wiki, which contains a plethora of resources useful for differentiating instruction.
WordTalk is a free text-to-speech add-in for Microsoft Word. You can find all the details about which versions of Word it works with along with other frequently asked questions, installation instructions and more over at the WordTalk download page.
3. 2009 Edublog Award Winners – Congratulations to all of the winners! Let me recommend you head over there to check out all of the nominations and winners. The A.T.TIPSCAST placed seventh out of 26 in the category of “Best Educational Use of Audio“.
4. CliCk, Speak – A free, open source text-to-speech extension for the Firefox web browser.
5. Text-to-Speech in OpenOffice – Open Office is a free suite of programs including a word processing program. OO Text To Speech is a free download for this program.
6. Word Magnets – Type or paste text (words or letters) into a box that then makes each word (or letter) a separate moveable object. Perfect for word scrambles or sentence generation on an interactive whiteboard.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #45 features a brief breakdown of the skill of sequencing followed by a recording of a portion of a presentation I did for the Individual Differences in Learning Association in Howard County, Maryland.
3. Edublog Award Nomination – Vote for the A.T.TIPSCAST! The A.T.TIPSCAST was nominated for a 2009 Edublog Award in the category of “Best Educational Use of Audio“. Voting is open to the public and ends on December 16th, 2009. Even if you don’t vote, let me recommend you head over there to check out all of the nominations. The list of all those nominated in all of the different categories is a tremendous resource in itself, so I hope you check it out (and vote for the A.T.TIPSCAST)
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This is a blog-only post. There isn’t any new audio, or official A.T.TIPSCAST episode, associated with this post but don’t click away yet! This post outlines my nominations for the 2009 Edublog Awards. In my experience most educational bloggers, podcasters, and Tweeters do so on their own time, after work hours because it is their passion. They aren’t asked to do it and they aren’t paid to do it, but we all benefit from the many hours they put into their craft.
The Edublog Awards provide a way to recognize these enormous efforts. Here are my nominations for the 2009 Edublog Awards:
Best individual blog – Teaching All Students by Patrick Black – (www.teachingall.blogspot.com) – Fresh ideas, multiple resources, and practical solutions for differentiating instruction for EVERY student.
Best individual tweeter – Melissa Techman (www.twitter.com/mtechman) – In my estimation, the most prolific person on Twitter. Melissa is the first to share valuable resources and insights moving us all forward with her conversations and input.
Best new blog – The Tech Flash by Mark Nichols (www.thetechflash.com) – Although the first post was in October of 09, The Tech Flash is already proving to be one of the most pertinent blogs about technology for all students (with a special focus on students with disabilities) not to mention resources for teachers, administrators, and parents alike.
Best teacher blog – Speech-Language Pathology Sharing by Eric Sailers (www.speechlanguagepathologysharing.blogspot.com) – There aren’t many speech-language pathologists who integrate technology in their practice and share those experiences with the world at large. Few skills are as important to a student as the ability to communicate, let alone communicate effectively. This well-planned and thorough blog provides support to every teacher who has a student with communication difficulties.
Best educational use of audio – Teacher 2.0 podcast by Rodd Lucier (www.thecleversheep.com) – I could be wrong about this, but I believe the willingness of teachers to listen to an audio file correlates directly to the length of that file. The longer the file, the less likely it is that a teacher will listen to it. The Teacher 2.0 podcast provides succinct yet thought-provoking topics on education technology that make listeners feel like they are part of an active conversation rather than a passive member of the audience.
Best educational wiki – The UDLTechToolKit by Karen Janowski & Joyce Kazman Valenza (http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/) – Simply the best collection of tools on the web for differentiating instruction. A teacher could get lost for hours in the possibilities for students. Any visitor instantly begins to see solutions for students they work with on a daily basis.
Best educational use of a social networking service – The Assistive Technology Ning by Brian Wojcik (http://assistivetech.ning.com/) – The Assistive Technology Ning provides individuals who are interested in the topic of assistive technology with a way of having virtual discussions including the ability to share multimedia (text, video, audio, images, etc.) while also providing a way to have a visual representation of its participants.
I hope you check out these fabulous resources and, if you agree with my choices, consider voting for these fantastic creations, projects, and initiatives to recognize the dedication of these individuals. Find out more information about how to participate over at The Edublog Awards.
Episode #43 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #43 features some more feedback from listeners of the show. There was still too much feedback to fit it all into just this episode so you can expect to hear at least one more Listener Feedback episode in the future.
The focus of the Classroom Acoustic Coalition Facebook group is to bring about awareness about acoustics in the classroom. In the episode Signal-to-Noise ratio is mentioned as something to consider when working with students. The following are some other helpful resources about S/N and classroom acoustics:
This website allows you to quickly upload pictures and videos (.mpegs, .mpgs, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .wmv, .jpg’s and more) and then select from a number of free montage styles and music to create a nicely polished, professional looking, special effect ridden video. Once finished, the website generates a URL for your video that can be shared. The website is easy to use and would allow students to be able to create flashy presentations above and beyond just a simple slideshow. Plus, there is nothing to install. All of the controls and design occur right there on the website all for free. The only downside is that only some of the montages and music is free. For access to the complete library you need to become a premium member and pay a fee. Also, to export the video into another file format you need to be premium member. The following are some of the videos I’ve made using this website:
This website allows you to capture a video of whatever is happening on your screen. You can export videos as .swf files (flash) and .mov files, which means you can save the videos right down to your computer. You can choose to record the entire screen or record a rectangular area of the screen. Screentoaster.com is a great way to capture and share what a student has done on a computer and is also a great way to capture any lesson done on the computer. Also, a student could capture work they’ve done on a home computer to share back with teacher. It is also great for making short video tutorials providing directions for how to do something on the computer. Students could watch these videos over and over again as a way to have instructions repeated as many times as necessary.
If I don’t get to see you at NECC we can still connect virtually. Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Run! Run! Run for your lives! Episode #42 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #42 features a visit to Count Edula’s mansion where he asks about some tools he can use to help organize his “hypothetical” zombie army. Chris’s suggestions just so happen to be useful tools to help students as well.
Google Earth lets you to zoom anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. Google Earth is a free software program you can download and install on your computer. When you launch the program you see a celestial view of the earth. On the left hand side you see a search window. Type in any location, hit the magnifying glass icon, and watch as you zoom to that location. Also on the left side of the screen you’ll find a section called “layers” click on any of the boxes there to add additional features to what you see in your search. So, for instance, if you select the “3D Buildings” layer when a 3 dimensional image of a building is available you will see that building in three dimensions. Try it by searching for any major city, like Chicago, and you’ll see a three-dimensional representation of tons of different buildings or try doing a search for one of the lighthouses along the Outer Banks. In more remote locations like those you can really see the difference between the 2 dimensional representations and the 3 dimensional representations. There is a street view layer that is awesome where you can see, where available, a 360 degree digital image as if you were standing at a given location. Students who have trouble visualizing how tall something is, or what something might look like, or how a structure might appear in real-life, can experience these places in a very tangential way. Using Google Earth before or after a field trip or community-based instructional trip can bring a totally new dimension to the learning experience. What’s nice about Google Earth is that it’s totally free. Students can download it at home to explore on their own. Again, this is just scratching the surface of what it can do as there are all different types of layers, including shipwrecks, weather conditions and forecasts, and global awareness.
Google Earth 5 allows you to create a tour by creating a movie. One of the icons is a little video camera. Just click on that video camera icon and then the little red record button that appears. Teachers can use this with students to give a little video tour of where they are going or where they have been. Students can also use this feature to demonstrate their knowledge. A student records themselves traveling from place to place in Google Earth to demonstrate they know how to get to a location from a location, that they know where on the globe an event occurred or where a place is actually located. You could even use it as an alternative way to tell a story. Instead of writing that essay on what they did over Winter Break, students can virtually take the teacher and other students to that location by showing it on Google Earth.
Mystudiyo.com is a website that allows you to create assessments using all sorts of different media. There are different assessment types to choose from, but the one that I think is easiest and most relevant to students is the multiple choice type of assessment. Once you choose your assessment type the website takes you through a series of questions to set-up your quiz. It’s like a quiz wizard that walks you through creation, step-by-step. You can choose from different looks of your quiz and you can add introductory media using text, an image, or video to give directions which is perfect for students who might have trouble reading instructions. You can also have text, an image or video accompany each question, which means you could read each question aloud and save it as a video to have a much more accessible assessment. At the end of the assessment a student can be presented with a scoreboard to see how well they did. Once you’ve finished creating your quiz the website generates a unique URL for your quiz. Take that URL and distribute it to students for them to take the quiz on your computers or, if possible, on their own home computers. See how well you can do on the quiz created by Count Edula for his zombie horde.
Shorttext.com allows someone to either type or copy/paste text directly into it. Then, once they are ready, they click on the “Create URL” button to make a URL for that text. In the future, they just go back to that unique URL to access that text again. It’s a handy way to save information. For instance, students who tend to lose things, like thumbdrives or assignments, can post it to Shorttext.com. Then, all they need is the URL to go get it. Unlike a thumbdrive, the URLs can be shared with a teacher or in a safe location that doesn’t get transported to and from school. There are some other tools on the net that might be better for organization of assignments and such, but shorttext.com has a very simple interface without lots of buttons or other functions. This makes it less intimidating, which is why I like it and which is why it might be perfect for some students and teachers. Check out a piece of intercepted correspondence from one of Count Edula’s zombie field generals.
Points of Interest:
Mentioned in the podcast is an article by the New York Times about Wikipedia’s new policy about editing entries about living people.
Also, if you haven’t seen this Common Craft How-to video, well, it might be worth your time to help you prepare for the impending apocalypse.
I hope to meet you at any or all of these presentations. But, if you can’t make it to those, and you’re interested in any of this (or other) content for workshops in your district please contact me at attipscast@gmail.com. We can work together to set something up either in person or virtually!
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #41 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #41 features some feedback from listeners of the show. There was too much feedback to fit into one episode so you can expect to hear more in the future.
The episode also features a bumper from Sally Norton-Darr and Judith Schoonover about the new version of CAST’s BookBuilder. Judith and Sally will be doing workshops on this at the following professional conferences if you’re interested in attending:
If I don’t get to see you at NECC we can still connect virtually. Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
The next episode should be coming out shortly but, in the meantime, something strange happened. I received this strange invitation today when I got home from work. Check it out:
Well this was the big secret project I’ve been working on that I had mentioned in previous episodes. I introduce to you now “The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools: Building or Improving Your District’s AT Team” by Christopher Bugaj and Sally Norton-Darr. The book is being published by the International Society for Technology in Education (better known by the acronym ISTE) and will be available for pre-order in February March of 2010.
The Content:
As the title suggests the book provides strategies of building an assistive technology program in public schools. Answers to common questions such as “How do we consider AT for every student?”, “How does assistive technology get documented in an IEP?”, “What are some effective ways of working with Instructional Technology?”, “Who should be on an AT Team?”, “When and how do you write an AT evaluation report?”, “What is the most effect service delivery model?”, “How do you adequately follow-up with teachers and students?”, “How do you collect data and demonstrate progress?”, and “How do you build a comprehensive assistive technology program?” are all found in the book.
The Style:
The book is written in such a way that it is easy to use and fun to read. We wanted to create a book that wouldn’t feel like a chore to read. Therefore, the book is laced with engaging analogies and humorous stories which emphasize and clarify the points being made. In the future we hope to have some excerpts for you to sample, both in text and audio formats. Throughout the book we provide procedures that have not only been relatively easy to implement but also have proven exceptionally effective for us. In fact, that was kind of our mantra for the book, “If it’s working for us, why wouldn’t it work for you?”
More to Come:
I’ll be sharing more information in the coming weeks and month about purchase information, pricing, and how you can help spread the word about the book if you’re interested in helping out.
I hope to meet you at any or all of these presentations. But, if you can’t make it to those, and you’re interested in any of this (or other) content for workshops in your district please contact me at attipscast@gmail.com. We can work together to set something up either in person or virtually!
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #40 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #40 features an interview with Miss Mel, the host of the Night Light Stories podcast which features free original children’s stories! The episode also features a bumper from Nancy Stewart, the lead special education teacher at Avoca School District 37 in Wilmette, Illinois. You can check out her blog Mad Math Beyond Numberdome and her school blog.
If I don’t get to see you at NECC we can still connect virtually. Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
No new audio with this post. It is a blog only update to let you know that the Question Booklets for Volume 4 are now available. If you’re new to the A.T.TIPCAST and you’re not sure what that is, you can find out more by checking out the special episode about professional development posted back in May.
The Resources:
Download these files to make your own staff development workshop out of the A.T.TIPSCAST!
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #39 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #39 describes different ways to utilize the Photo Album feature of Microsoft PowerPoint to facilitate digital storytelling. The episode features a discussion with the newly-improved, fan favorite, B-Bot!
A.T. TIPS In This Episode-
A.T.TIP #57: Photo Album Feature of PowerPoint
In PowerPoint 07 Photo Album can be found in the “Insert” tab. It is built right into this version.
Although there may be slight variations based on the version of PowerPoint you are using, the Photo Album feature of PowerPoint looks like this:
I’ll be presenting at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC)- June 28th – July 1st in Washington, D.C. (Poster Session: Chew the P.H.A.T-Policies and How-to’s in Assistive Technology with Sally Norton-Darr).
Contact Information-
If I don’t get to see you at NECC we can still connect virtually. Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #38 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #38 features Part 2 of the interview with Chris Cummins, a high school English teacher and adjunct professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia who is currently teaching a class on Literacy and Technology. The second part of the interview focuses more on specific tools that can be used to create graphic organizers while also touching upon some ideas about implementing graphic organizers across the curriculum.
“The Visual Understanding Environment (VUE) is an Open Source project based at Tufts University. The VUE project is focused on creating flexible tools for managing and integrating digital resources in support of teaching, learning and research. VUE provides a flexible visual environment for structuring, presenting, and sharing digital information.”
A.T.TIP #56: Record Sound Feature of Inspiration (Not Free)
Students who can tell you a story (or explain an essay) orally but who have difficulty expressing those thoughts in a written format can use the “Record Sound” feature of Inspiration to complete writing assignments, like stories, essays, or essay questions on tests. The strategy involves the students recording one thought per cell in a web or outline created in Inspiration. Once they have recorded each sentence orally they can go back, listen to the sentence in the cell, and begin typing it in. Every time they get stuck with spelling or forget what they were going to type they can re-listen to their own recording to type it in. The following screenshots explain how to use the “Record Sound” feature of Inspiration.
Let’s say you have a graphic organizer that looks like this:
After selecting a cell, the student can record his voice by going here:
Once the student has selected “Record Sound” the following window will appear. Use the red record button to begin recording. Use the “Save” button to save the recording.
Once the sound has been saved the selected cell will display a “speaker” icon in the upper right hand corner. Double-click on this speaker icon to hear the recorded message as many times as necessary while the student types the words.
Additionally, teachers could use this feature to leave hints or reminder to students when developing a graphic organizing template.
Upcoming Conference Presentations-
I’ll be presenting at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC)- June 28th – July 1st in Washington, D.C. (Poster Session: Chew the P.H.A.T-Policies and How-to’s in Assistive Technology with Sally Norton-Darr).
Contact Information-
If I don’t get to see you at NECC we can still connect virtually. Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
Episode #37 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #37 features Part 1 of a two part interview with Chris Cummins, a high school English teacher and adjunct professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia who is currently teaching a class on Literacy and Technology. During this first part of the interview Chris and I talk about a few different styles of graphic organizers as well as discuss how to implement graphic organizers in a high school setting.
I’ll be presenting at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC)- June 28th – July 1st in Washington, D.C. (Poster Session: Chew the P.H.A.T-Policies and How-to’s in Assistive Technology with Sally Norton-Darr).
Contact Information-
If I don’t get to see you at NECC we can still connect virtually. Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com.
Leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com. Let me know what you think of the show! You can access the podcast and register as a fan of the show from here:
This book:
The New Assistive Tech is a catalyst for breaking down walls between special education and general education, and will help all educators realize they have tech knowledge (and can build upon that knowledge) that can be used to support all students, including those with disabilities.
Episode #118 features an interview with Michael Milliman, a 
