Tag Archives: Autism

A.T.TIPSCAST #126: Proto-Chapter for Technology Tools for Students with Autism, Part 2

Cover of the book Technology Tools or Students with Autism

This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning Read&Write software solutions. Click on the banner below to learn about the amazing Read&Write products.

Texthelp ad that links to http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/campaigns/attips

 Use promotion code ATTIPS14SAVE10 to get

10% off online orders of Read&Write!

Cannot be combined with other offers. Offer expires March 31, 2014.

Episode Overview-

Episode #126 features a recording of the first draft of the “Classroom-based Technology Tools” chapter for the book Technology Tools for Students with Autism published by Brooke’s publishing. The chapter was authored by Christopher Bugaj, Melissa Hartman, and Mark Nichols. When the chapter was first drafted, it was written as a story following a fictional student with Autism named Mike through his day describing the tools he and his classmates used to accomplish different tasks. Unfortunately, when the chapter was pieced together with the other chapters in the book it just didn’t seem to flow properly. The chapter was re-written to follow a more traditional, essay-like approach. This episode features a reading of the original chapter, which the authors believe still has its merits as a useful way to help people learn about different ways to implement technology in the contemporary classroom for students with Autism. In this episode we hear about Mike’s afternoon following lunch which starts with a sensory break followed by math, recess, science, and concluding with packing up for the day.

This episode is once again hosted by two of the co-authors of the chapter, Melissa Hartman and Mark Nichols.

A.T.TIPS in this Episode –

A.T.TIP #397 – Chill-out station

A.T.TIP #398 – Talking avatar app, like Talking Tom Cat

A.T.TIP #399 – Geocaching (http://geocaching.com/live/)

A.T.TIP #400 – Dry erase boards to display answers

A.T.TIP #401 – Digital “Turn In” folder on a school’s network

A.T.TIP #402 – Colored tape as a visual border to teach boundaries

A.T.TIP #403 – Reviewing a virtual tour of new environments prior to attendance

Upcoming Presentations –

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Roanoke, Virginia

A Room Full of Brain Power: Designing Options for Every Learner with Mark Nichols – 1:30pm on December 9th, 2013

MEGA EnGAMESment: Making Educational Gaming Accessible – 8:45am on December 10th, 2013

Assistive Technology Industry Association

Orlando, Florida

REGISTER NOW! —> Digital Make N’ Take: Digging Deeper           with Beth Poss – Two-Day Preconference on January 28th and 29th, 2014

Professional Development Smackdown with Beth PossKirk BehnkeMike Marotta, and Diana Carl – 12pm, January 30st, 2014 in Caribbean VII

Twitter 101 with Beth Poss – 4:30pm, January 31st,2014 in Caribbean II

Creating Core Vocabulary Culture: A Little Help From Our Friends with Sally Norton-Darr and Judith Schoonover – 8am, February 1st,2014 in Bonaire 2

ATIA Webinars

Low Cost Ways to Provide More Options To Help Students with Reading and Writing – 3:30pm – 4:30pm ET on November 12th, 2014. Webinar for the Assistive Technology Industry Association

Getting Your AT Party Started: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions About Program Building with Sally Norton-Darr – 3:30pm – 5:00pm ET on December 11th, 2014. Webinar for the Assistive Technology Industry Association

Contact Information-

Follow me on Twitter

Send an e-mail to attipscast@gmail.com

Register as a fan of the show to receive e-mail alerts for new episodes

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A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #125: Proto-Chapter for Technology Tools for Students with Autism, Part 1

Cover of the book Technology Tools or Students with Autism


This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST is sponsored by Texthelp, provider of the award-winning Read&Write software solutions. Click on the banner below to learn about the amazing Read&Write products.

Image that reads "Start the new school year off right! Give your students Read&Write for the Desktop, Google, or iPad. Award-winning software solutions for individuals with learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, or reading and writing difficulties. Free trials and special IEP Pricing are available now! Texthelp

Episode Overview-

Episode #125 features a recording of the first draft of the “Classroom-based Technology Tools” chapter for the book Technology Tools for Students with Autism published by Brooke’s publishing. The chapter was authored by Christopher Bugaj, Melissa Hartman, and Mark Nichols. When the chapter was first drafted, it was written as a story following a fictional student with Autism named Mike through his day describing the tools he and his classmates used to accomplish different tasks. Unfortunately, when the chapter was pieced together with the other chapters in the book it just didn’t seem to flow properly. The chapter was re-written to follow a more traditional, essay-like approach. This episode features a reading of the original chapter, which the authors believe still has its merits as a useful way to help people learn about different ways to implement technology in the contemporary classroom for students with Autism. In this episode we hear about Mike starting his day on the bus to school, completing his morning work, participating at the writing station, going to art, and then transitioning to lunch.

This episode is hosted by two of the co-authors of the chapter, Melissa Hartman and Mark Nichols.

A.T.TIPS in this Episode –

A.T.TIP #390 – Social situation stories

A.T.TIP #391 – Calming music for self regulation

A.T.TIP #392 – Mini-offices

A.T.TIP #393 – Thicker pencils

A.T.TIP #394 – Graph paper for lining up math columns

A.T.TIP #395 – Visual timer on Interactive White Board

A.T.TIP #396 – Water bottle for self regulation

Upcoming Presentations –

Virginia Society for Technology

in Education Conference

A Room Full of Brain Power: Designing Options for Every Learner with Mark Nichols – 1:30pm on December 8th, 2013 at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education Conference in Roanoke, Virginia.

MEGA EnGAMESment: Making Educational Gaming Accessible – 8:45am on December 10th, 2013 at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education Conference in Roanoke, Virginia.

Assistive Technology

Industry Association Conference

REGISTER NOW! —> Digital Make N’ Take: Digging Deeper           with Beth Poss – Two-Day Preconference on January 28th and 29th at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Professional Development Smackdown with Beth PossKirk BehnkeMike Marotta, and Diana Carl – 12pm on January 31st at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. Room – Caribbean VII

Twitter 101 with Beth Poss – 2:20pm on January 31st at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Creating Core Vocabulary Culture: A Little Help From Our Friends with Sally Norton-Darr and Judith Schoonover at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. Date/Time- TBD

ATIA Webinars

Low Cost Ways to Provide More Options To Help Students with Reading and Writing – 3:30pm – 4:30pm ET on November 12th, 2014. Webinar for the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference

Getting Your AT Party Started: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions About Program Building with Sally Norton-Darr – 3:30pm – 5:00pm ET on December 11th, 2014. Webinar for the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference

Contact Information-

Follow me on Twitter

Send an e-mail to attipscast@gmail.com

Register as a fan of the show to receive e-mail alerts for new episodes

About.me

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A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #117: Coding With Scratch

The Scratch

The Scratch “logo” and mascot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Episode Overview-

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!

Texthelp Advertisement

Episode #117 features an interview with Keith Hicks, technology resource teacher at Woodgrove High School in Purcellville, Virginia who describes Scratch; a free website created by MIT where you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

A.T.TIPS in this Episode –

A.T.TIP #358 – Scratch

Upcoming Presentations –

Mission Possible: Proliferating a Culture of Universal Design for Learning with Beth Poss & Chris Bugaj. June 11, 2013 at the Texas Assistive Technology Network Regional Conference in Houston, Texas.

300lbs of Brain Power (Keynote) with Mark Nichols & Chris Bugaj. July 19th, 2013 at Bridging The Gap.

Can You Hear Me Now? Integrating Audio in the Classroom with Melissa Bugaj & Chris Bugaj. July 19th, 2013 at Bridging The Gap.

Credits – 

This episode features less than 30 second clips of music from the song “From Scratch” by Justin Roberts.

Contact Information-

About.me/chrisbugaj

Twitter.com/attipscast

attipscast@gmail.com

Register as a fan of the show to receive e-mail alerts for new episodes

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #93: The Traitr Feature of Toondoo.com

Cartoon character wearing grey T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers with a voice bubble that reads welcome to Episode 93 of the A.T.TIPSCAST. This episode is all about using the Traitr tool of Toondoo.com to help support students with social-emotional goals.

Episode Overview-

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.

Episode #93 features a discussion of how the Traitr feature of Toondoo.com can be used to help students working on social – emotional goals.

This episode also features a bumper from Marsye Kaplan, the Assistive Technology Team Leader for Baltimore County Public Schools.

A.T.TIPS in this Episode:

A.T.TIP 273 – Toondoo.com

four panel comic with each character saying something about universal design for learning. The first panel features a young caucasian woman with blonde hair saying I can use comics to present content to students. Panel 2 contains a woman from India saying I make comics to express what I know. Panel 3 features a caucasian boy wearing an A.T.TIPSCAST shirt that says I like comics because they are engaging. Panel 4 features an little green alien saying Comics are fun!

A.T.TIP 274 – Traitr feature of Toondoo.com

Example 1 – Students create their own avatars based on the traits in the picture.

Screenshot of the Traitr tool with a digital picture of a 4 yo girl uploaded next to a comic avatar of the same girl.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.

Screenshot of Traitr tool with picture of chris making a sad face next to an avatar of a man who looks like chris making a sad face.

A.T.TIP 275 – ThinkPort.org – Educator tools including downloadable graphic organizing templates, how-to tutorials, a lesson plan builder, and more.

Contact Information-

About.me/chrisbugaj

Twitter.com/attipscast

attipscast@gmail.com

Register as a fan of the show to receive e-mail alerts for new episodes

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #72: Digital Video Strategies

Episode Overview-

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.

Read & Write Gold, TextHelp, and Fluency Tutor logos

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

A.T.TIP #193: “Right Way, Wrong Way” Videos

Right Way

Right Way Visual

Wrong Way Visual

Wrong Way Visual

Images used from http://www.openclipart.org/detail/thumbs-up-smiley-by-skotan & http://www.openclipart.org/detail/thumbs-down-smiley-by-sunking2

Upcoming Presentations-

To view the entire presentation history check out the “Presentations” link at the top of the blog.

Contact Information-

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

Episode #68: AT Smackdown @ ATIA 2011 Orlando

ATsmackdownlogo

Episode Overview-

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.

Read & Write Gold, TextHelp, and Fluency Tutor logos

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).

A.T.TIPS In This Episode-

Previous A.T.TIP #121: www.livebinders.com by Karen Janowski

A.T.TIP #154: www.Posterous.com by Dave Hohulin

A.T.TIP #155: Google Search by Reading Level by Cheryl Oakes

A.T.TIP #156: Wikispaces’ Best Wikis for Education of 201o by Madeleine Pugliese

A.T.TIP #157: WSDs e-Toolbox by Madeleine Pugliese

A.T.TIP #158: www.wiggio.com by Brian Wojcik

A.T.TIP #159: Quick Response (QR) Code Generator feature of http://bit.ly by Chris Bugaj

A.T.TIP #160: http://qrcode.kaywa.com by Brian Wojcik

A.T.TIP #161: Chrome QR Code Extension by Brian Wojcik

A.T.TIP #162:  Theme Font and Size Changer FireFox Extension by Paul Hamilton

A.T.TIP #163: www.easybib.com by Jamie Martin

A.T.TIP #164: Highlighter & Extract Highlights feature of www.diigo.com by Karen Janowski

A.T.TIP #165: www.sweetsearch.com by Jamie Martin

A.T.TIP #166: www.vuvox.com by Chris Bugaj (The Heebie Jeebies Slideshow/Collage Example)

A.T.TIP #167: http://search.creativecommons.org by Jeannette VanHouten

Previous A.T.TIP #1: MS Word Voice Comments by Paul Hamilton

A.T.TIP #168: www.hippocampus.org by Dave Hohulin

A.T.TIP #169: www.fotobabble.com by Karen Janowski

A.T.TIP #170: www.shmoop.com by Karen Janowski

A.T.TIP #171: Readability by Cheryl Oakes

A.T.TIP #172: www.notforest.com by Dave Hohulin

A.T.TIP #173: www.palbrowser.com/physicaldisabilities.html by Jeannette VanHouten

A.T.TIP #174: www.producteev.com by Brian Wojcik

A.T.TIP #175: www.printwhatyoulike.com by Susan Gill

A.T.TIP #176: www.readitlaterlist.com by Susan Gill

A.T.TIP #177: www.awesomehighlighter.com by Susan Gill

Also Mentioned In This Episode-

iPhone Zoomtext app that provides OCR capabilities and text to speech by AI Squared

Write Microsoft to give feeback about versions of MS Word that don’t have a quality version of the voice comment feature as mentioned by Paul Hamilton

Upcoming Presentations-

ESBOCES Model Schools Technology Leadership Webinar Series

Practical AT – March 7th, 2011 – 8:00pm – 9:00pm with Sally Norton-Darr

UDL & Assistive TechnologyApril 4th, 2011 – 8:00pm – 9:00pm with Sally Norton-Darr

Eight is EnoughApril 6th, 2011 – 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Alternative Professional DevelopmentApril 11th, 2011 – 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Participant’s Choice – Social Media/Podcasting OR Web 2.oApril 13th, 2011 – 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Contact Information-

A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and Classroom 2.0

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter.com/attipscast

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #60: Three Random Recommendations

Episode Overview-

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.

Read & Write Gold, TextHelp, and Fluency Tutor logos

Episode #60 features a description of three random recommendations from actual evaluations.  This is the Season Finale for Season 3 of the A.T.TIPSCAST!

 

Podcast Hosting

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #58: Text – to – Movie

Animated Gif of the A.T.TIPSCAST log in lights

Episode Overview-

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.

Read & Write Gold, TextHelp, and Fluency Tutor logos

Episode #58 features a description of how teachers and students can turn text into short, engaging video segments.

 

Podcast Hosting

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #53: High Contrast in Windows

Episode Overview-

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.

Read & Write Gold, TextHelp, and Fluency Tutor logos

Episode #53 features a discussion about the high contrast feature of Microsoft Windows as a tool to help students access on-screen information.

The episode features a bumper from Bill Peters, whose family will be participating in the Bounce for Autism on April 22nd, 2010.  Pump It Up – Inflatable Party Zones,  has partnered with the Autism Society to help spread awareness and raise funds for autism research and family support.  100% of the proceeds go to the Autism Society of America.   The event is happening all over the country in over 140 Pump It Up locations.  You can find out more information and find a location near you from http://pumpitupparty.com or www.autism-society.org.  You can also follow Bill on Twitter at @billpet.

 

High Contrast Window

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #47: x2

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,

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.

Headshot of Proby Patel

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.

Screenshot of Windows Media Player

Screenshot of Windows Media Player

 

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.

2. Windows Media Player 11 Keyboard Shortcuts – Note: Shortcuts may vary based on the version of Windows Media Player you are using.

3. Quicktime 7 Keyboard Shortcuts – Note: Shortcuts may vary based on the version of Quicktime you are using.

4. Real Player Keyboard Shortcuts – Note: Shortcuts may vary based on the version of Real Player you are using.

Upcoming Presentations-

Alternative Professional Development – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 28 – 2:45pm – 3:45pm EST

UDL 2.0 presented with Beth Poss – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 29 – 9:15pm-10:15pm EST

Contact Information-

Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com/attipscast.

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #46: Wordtalk

 

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,

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.

A.T.TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #72: WordTalk

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.

1. WordTalk SlideShare Tutorial –  This tutorial, created by Paul Hamilton, describes everything you need to know about WordTalk.

 

Additional Resources Mentioned-

1. www.iste.org/chewat – Select “Notify Me” to sign up to get an e-mail reminder when the book comes out.

2. Eight is Enough Presentation – This is the slideshow I used during the presentation for IDL.

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 OpenOfficeOpen 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.

Screenshot of Word Magnets

Drag words to make sentences

screen shot of word magnets

Drag letters to make words

Upcoming Presentations-

Alternative Professional Development – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 28 – 2:45pm – 3:45pm EST

UDL 2.0 presented with Beth Poss – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 29 – 9:15pm-10:15pm EST

Contact Information-

Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com/attipscast.

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #45: Sequencing with PowerPoint

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,

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.

The episode features a bumper from Dr. Katharina Boser who is the president of the Individual Differences in Learning Association.

A.T.TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #71: Sequencing with Slide Sorter View in PowerPoint

 

Step 1. Take pictures of an event or sequential activity.

Step 2. Place each picture on a slide (using the Photo Album feature of PowerPoint).

Step 3. Select the View tab and choose Slide Sorter.

Screenshot of Slide Sorter view with slides out of order

Step 4. Drag n’ drop the slides into the correct order to practice sequencing.

Screenshot of Slide Sorter view of PowerPoint with arrow showing third slide being dragged into position as the second slide

Screenshot of Slide Sorter view of PowerPoint dragging the fifth slides into the third slide position

Additional Resources Mentioned-

1. www.iste.org/chewat – Select “Notify Me” to sign up to get an e-mail reminder when the book comes out.

2. Eight is Enough Presentation – This is the slideshow I used during the presentation for IDL.

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)

Upcoming Presentations-

Alternative Professional Development – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 28 – 2:45pm – 3:45pm EST

UDL 2.0 presented with Beth Poss – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 29 – 9:15pm-10:15pm EST

Contact Information-

 Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com/attipscast.

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #44: Alternative Professional Development @ PUWT09

 

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,

Episode #44 is up for your listening pleasure and boy is it a doozy! It clocks in at just under 42 minutes!  Yikes! Episode #44 is kind of a unique episode because it features a recording of a live event. Back on November 14th I was lucky enough to attend the Powering Up with Technology Conference in Prince George’s County Maryland.  At that conference I presented a session called Alternative Professional Development.  I use the term “presented” loosely because, although I was listed as the presenter, the session was more of an integrated brainstorming session.  I was more of the moderator for the discussion than a presenter.  During the session we tried to outline some of the common problems with staff development happening in public schools and then try to come up with some solutions.  During the course of the discussion a bunch of great ideas were mentioned about how to address some of the problems with the typical professional development model.  Furthermore, a number of concrete resources are mentioned that can be used to assist students.  You can access the entire presentation as generated by the audience here:  Alternative Professional Development Presentation from PUWT09.

The episode also features a bumper from Robin Lesht who is a speech-language pathologist from Mount Prospect, Illinois. I met Robin at ATIA 09 where we shared different experiences working in the field of speech-language pathology.

A.T.TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #67: Document Holder from Inverted CD case and Alligator Clip

 

Many a student has strained their neck transposing a handwritten assignment onto the computer because the paper was flat on the desk.  To alleviate the neck strain people started to use document holders so that they didn’t have to constantly shift their field of vision from the paper to the screen and back again.  Sure, you could go out and spend money on a fancy, commercial document holder or you could take an unused CD case that you probably have lying around, flip it over so the hinged cover is upright and then fasten the paper to it with an alligator clip.  Done and done, instant document holder.

  Document Holder from inverted CD case

A.T.TIP #68: www.educatus.com

This website provides over 1000 pre-made lessons/presentations on a wide variety of curricular topics.  The media-rich presentations are similar to a PowerPoint presentation and each one is available to be viewed online via your web browser.  Each presentation is useful as a pre-learning activity where students could be asked to independently review content before a class discussion, as an alternative source of content to complement or supplement another lesson, or as a follow-up/review activity at the end of a lesson.

A.T.TIP #69: www.voki.com

This website allows you to create an animated talking head.  Use text-to-speech or record a voice to have the voki speak the message.  Vokis could be used by a teacher to introduce a lesson, give verbal instructions for an assignment, record reminders to students, provide feedback and more!  Vokis could be used by a student as an alternative means of expression for presentations, practicing conversations, or demonstrating knowledge.  Check out these ideas on how to use Voki in your classroom from The Edublogger.

Check out a Voki I created.

A.T.TIP #70: www.blabberize.com

This website allows you to upload a picture, select a portion of that picture that will move (usually a mouth), and then record a message.  When the message is played back, the selected area will move in time with the message.  Blabberize can be used in similar ways as Vokis.  It could be used by a teacher to introduce a lesson, give verbal instructions for an assignment, record reminders to students, provide feedback and more!  It could be used by a student as an alternative means of expression for presentations, practicing conversations, or demonstrating knowledge.

Check out a video I made in Blabberize

Additional Resources Mentioned-

1. Loudoun County Public Schools’ Assistive Technology Video Archive

2. Evidence that high-speed Internet access is not ubiquitous.

3. More evidence that high-speed Internet access is not ubiquitous.

4. www.delicious.com – Social Bookmarking Site.  Note that the A.T.TIPSCAST uses delicious to share resources on the left side of the page.

5. www.Prezi.com – A new and interesting way to create a presentation.  Information is presented on one large canvas and you zoom into different areas of the canvas to view the information.

6. www.tinyurl.com – A useful way of making long URLs shorter.  Shortened URLs are easier for users to remember (like www.tinyurl.com/nlsstories) and easier for people to type in if entering a URL from a piece of paper.

7. Tonyvincent.info – A link library of useful educational resources created by the keynote speaker of the conference, Tony Vincent.  **Corrected from original post- Tony made a comment below sharing that the site he used to present at the conference was http://tonysite.info ***

8. Radio WillowWeb Podcast – Radio WillowWeb is a podcast for kids
and by kids from the students at Willowdale Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Each new show is called a Willowcast. Each Willowcast can be heard on WillowWeb
as an mp3 digital audio file.

9. ASHA Podcast – The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s podcast features interviews with different individuals making strides in the field of speech-language pathology and audiology

10. Quick Access Toolbar in Word 07 – Microsoft Word 07 features a quick access toolbar that can be customized, allowing for favorite tools to be shown and less used tools to be hidden.  This feature helps to reduce clutter on the screen while highlighting to students some key/important features they could be using in Word.

Upcoming Presentations-

Alternative Professional Development – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 28 – 2:45pm – 3:45pm EST

UDL 2.0 presented with Beth Poss – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 29 – 9:15am-10:15am EST

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode 43: Listener Feedback, For Real – Part 2

 

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,

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 episode also features a bumper from Lisa Givens who works as an educational specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools in Assistive Technology Services. I caught up with Lisa at NECC 09 and I’m just now getting to play her bumper. 

A.T.TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #64: Classroom Acoustic Coalition (via Facebook)

 

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:

1. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Article on 5 Strategies to Promote Good Classroom Acoustics

2. Guidelines for Teachers to Help Minimize Auditory Perceptual Problems

A.T.TIP #65: Onetruemedia.com

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:

1. Professional Development Montage

2. A.T.TIPScast Montage

A.T.TIP #66: Screentoaster.com

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.

Additional Resources Mentioned-

1. Loudoun County Public Schools’ Assistive Technology Video Archive

Upcoming Presentations-

Alternative Professional Development – Powering Up With Technology Conference 09 – Upper Marlboro, Maryland – November 14th- (Time TBD)

Alternative Professional Development – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 28 – 2:45pm – 3:45pm EST

UDL 2.0 presented with Beth Poss – Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2010 – Orlando, Florida – January 29 – 9:15pm-10:15pm EST

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:

Podcast Hosting

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #39: Photo Album in PowerPoint

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,
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.
PAscreenshot1
Although there may be slight variations based on the version of PowerPoint you are using, the Photo Album feature of PowerPoint looks like this:
PhotoalbumScreenshot2
Step-by-step directions for Photo Album Feature of PowerPoint 07
Photo Album in other versions of PowerPoint can be downloaded from the following websites:
PowerPoint 2003
PowerPoint 2000 (requires a free download and install)

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:
Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com
Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #38: Graphic Organizer Interview – Part 2

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,
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.

A.T. TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #54: VUE (Free)
“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.”
VUE Examples and Video Tutorials
A.T.TIP #55: FreeMind (Free)
“FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java.”
FreeMind Examples and Video Tutorials
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:

Super Four Square Template

After selecting a cell, the student can record his voice by going here:

Inspiration Screenshot 1

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.

Inspiration 2

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.

Inspiration 3

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:
Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com
Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #36: CAST Book Builder Discussion

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,
Episode #36 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #36 features a discussion about Book Builder by Sally Norton-Darr, Judith Schoonover, and Mark Nichols.  They will be doing a presentation centering on the uses of Book Builder during the National Educational Computing Conference on June 29th.  They are asking that you leave a comment on this blog post talking about how you use Book Builder, improvements you would like to see to Book Builder, or anything related to your experiences with the tool.

A.T. TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #44 (Redux): Book Builder by CAST
 While you’re there, check out the book Sally and Judie created:

Sally and Judie Screenshot

Water book by Sally and Judie

Support The Cause-

My colleagues will be riding in the local Tour De Cure on June 14th, 2009, sponsored by the American Diabetes Foundation. If you can donate, even a dollar, it would be much appreciated. Select the “donate” button on either website to make a donation.

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:
Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com
Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #35: ART of this World

Episode Overview-

Hey everyone,
Episode #35 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #35 describes two websites that contain online painting programs.  The episode also features a bumper from Julie Bisbee, a speech-language pathologist from San Juan County, New Mexico.  Download the flyer for the Participatory Assistive Technology Conference being held on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at San Juan College.  Also, mentioned in this episode is the “Accessing the Artist Within” project from the Anne Carlsen Center in North Dakota.  Here is a link explaining the QIAT with a link to subscribe to the QIAT Listserv.

A.T TIPS In This Episode-

A.T.TIP #49: Sumo Paint

This is a screenshot of what Sumo Paint looks like

A.T.TIP #50: National Gallery of Art Kids Zone
Check out the student created works over in the A.T.TIPSCAST Flickr Photostream

Support The Cause-

My colleagues will be riding in the local Tour De Cure on June 14th, 2009, sponsored by the American Diabetes Foundation. If you can donate, even a dollar, it would be much appreciated. Select the “donate” button on either website to make a donation.

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:
Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com
Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #34: Digital Visual Feedback Modulators

Hey everyone,

Episode #34 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #34 describes another strategy for assisting students who have trouble maintaining appropriate volume while speaking.  The episode also features a bumper from my mom, Jackie Bugaj.  I’d like to thank Thomas F., Doug G., Michael M., Christopher C., and Timothy C. for their contributions that can be heard at the end of the episode.

A.T.TIP #48: Digital Voice Feedback Modulators

Here are some videos that further explain how to use digital voice feedback modulators.

Visual Feedback For Volume Management:

Visual Feedback With Audacity:

My colleagues will be riding in the local Tour De Cure sponsored by the American Diabetes Foundation. If you can donate, even a dollar, it would be much appreciated. Select the “donate” button on either website to make a donation.

I’ll be presenting at these two upcoming conferences:

1. Teacher Researcher Conference – May 27th, 2009 in Fairfax, Virginia (Session on Strategy-A-Day Calendar on Teacher Desktops as an Agent of Change with technology resource teachers).

2. 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).

If I don’t get to see you at either of those conferences we can still get together virtually over the Internet. 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:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #33: Voice Feedback Modulators

Hey everyone,

Episode #33 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #33 describes a strategy for assisting students who have trouble maintaining appropriate volume, rate, or pitch when speaking.  This episode is one of my contributions to Better Hearing and Speech Month by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  The episode also features a bumper from Speech Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Specialist,  Beth Poss.  Check out the website www.matnonline.com for more information about the Maryland Assistive Technology Network as well as incredible resources related to assistive technology.  I presented on the topic of Alternative Professional Development at the MATN conference which was held on May 7th, 2009.  The presentation was an collaborative effort between myself and the audience.  Here is a PDF of what we put together during the workshop: Alternative Professional Development Presentation from MATN on May 7th, 2009.

A.T.TIP #47: Voice Feedback Modulators

Here are some sample Voice Feedback Modulators

Voice Feedback Modulator #1

Voice Feedback Modulator Sample 1

Voice Feedback Modulator Sample 1

Voice Feedback Modulator #2

Voice Feedback Modulator Sample 2
Voice Feedback Modulator Sample 2

Classroom Voice Feedback Modulator

Classroom Noise Feedback Modulator

Classroom Noise Feedback Modulator

In a case you missed it, here is the link to the video I submitted for the Better Hearing and Speech Month Video Contest for 2009 titled “2 Minute Mouths“. I didn’t win, but I had tons of fun making it and I do think it could be useful to people of all ages.

My colleagues will be riding in the local Tour De Cure sponsored by the American Diabetes Foundation. If you can donate, even a dollar, it would be much appreciated. Select the “donate” button on either website to make a donation.

I’ll be presenting at these two upcoming conferences:

1. Teacher Researcher Conference – May 27th, 2009 in Fairfax, Virginia (Session on Strategy-A-Day Calendar on Teacher Desktops as an Agent of Change with technology resource teachers).

2. 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).

If I don’t get to see you at either of those conferences we can still get together virtually over the Internet. 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:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST SPECIAL EPISODE: Big Announcement #1 – Professional Development

Hey everyone,

I’ve put together a professional development packet for you to download and use within your school or school district.  Here is how it works.

The Problem:

Educators don’t have time to stay after school for staff development, but most, drive to work.  Some educators may be reluctant to utilize new technologies, but most know how to operate a CD player.  Educators are being asked to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of every learner every day.

The Solution:

The A.T.TIPSCAST is a free podcast that provides strategies to help educators differentiate instruction.  As someone who organizes staff development workshops for your school or school district, download the episodes in each volume and burn them to a CD.  Download the question booklet for that volume, print it out, and put it with your newly burned CD.  Devise a method for distribution and then distribute to staff.  E-mail me to get a copy of the answer booklet with all the answers in it.  You’re done!

With minimal effort you’ve introduced three awareness level staff development workshops that educators can take without ever leaving their car!  That’s over 3 and a half hours worth of professional development content at your fingertips with more to come as additional volumes of the A.T.TIPSCAST are completed (Volume #4 isin production now)!

The Resources:

Download these files to make your own staff development workshop out of the A.T.TIPSCAST!

All Files For Volumes 1 – 3:

1. This file contains everything in one download: volumes123everythingincluded (PDF)

Volume 1 Separately (Episodes 1 – 9, Total Running Time  1:12:42)-

1. Question Booklet for Volume 1: volume1package (PDF)

2. CD Label for Volume 1: vol1cdlabels (PDF)

Volume 2 Separately (Episodes 10 – 18, Total Running Time 1:13:21)-

1. Question Booklet for Volume 2: volume2package (PDF)

2. CD Label for Volume 2: vol2cdlabels (PDF)

Volume 3 Separately (Episodes 19 – 26, Total Running Time 1:12:38)-

1. Question Booklet for Volume 3: volume3package (PDF)

2. CD Label for Volume 3: vol3cdlabels (PDF)

This is what it will look like when it is put together:

ATTIPSCAST CD and Booklet

ATTIPSCAST CD and Booklet

If you have any trouble with any of these files, contact me at attipscast@gmail.com and I’ll work with you to get it working!

Join the A.T.TIPPERS group on Facebook and/or Classroom 2.0 ! You can also follow me on twitter.com as @attipscast.

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:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #32: Gift Ideas for Students with Severe Disabilities

Hey everyone,

Episode #32 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #32 is mostly an audio version of my guest blog post over at Patrick Black’s blog Teaching All Students.  The post outlines a personal family experience while providing a number of ideas for gifts that could be given to students with severe disabilities.  It is my hope that educators who find this useful will forward it onto families who will then share it with other family members.  Embedded within the episode are a number of A.T.Tips as outlined below.

A.T.TIP #44: CAST’s UDL Book Builder

A.T.TIP #45: Playlists / CD Mixes

A.T.TIP #46: Tadalist.com

Here is my entry into the Better Hearing and Speech Month Video Contest for 2009 titled “2 Minute Mouths

My colleagues will be riding in the local Tour De Cure sponsored by the American Diabetes Foundation.  If you can donate, even a dollar, it would be much appreciated.  Select the “donate” button on either website to make a donation.

I’ll be presenting at these two upcoming conferences:

1. Maryland Assistive Technology Network Conference (MATN)- May 7th in Maryland (Session on Alternative Professional Development in Assistive Technology).

2. 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).

If I don’t get to see you at either of those conferences we can still get together virtually over the Internet. 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:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #31: Packing Peanuts

Hey everyone,

Episode #31 is up for your listening pleasure! Episode #31 describes the diabolical event that happened to me on April 1st, 2009.  It also describes different ways to you use packing peanuts as assistive technology tools or to support existing assistive technology tools.

A.T.TIP #43: Packing Peanuts

Also, check out these resources associated with the different ways mentioned to use packing peanuts.

1. Deep Pressure and Weight Lifting– An article about the use of bean bag chairs as deep pressure

2. Packing Peanut Dome – Check out how this creative student used packing peanuts!  Wouldn’t this make an awesome chill-out area?

3. Lap Buddies – A school system that is creating and using lap buddies.

Oh, and here is that  picture of Yours Truly getting hit in the face with a pie…

Chris gets hit in the face with a pie

Chris gets hit in the face with a pie

I’ll be presenting at these two upcoming conferences:

1. Maryland Assistive Technology Network Conference (MATN)- May 7th in Maryland (Session on Alternative Professional Development in Assistive Technology).

2. 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).

If I don’t get to see you at either of those conferences we can still get together virtually over the Internet. 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:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #20: Motivational Plans

 

Hey everyone,
Episode #20 is up for your listening pleasure!  Episode #20 describes the strategy of using a motivational plan to help reinforce appropriate behavior.  Episode #20 also marks the end of Season One of the A.T.TIPSCAST.  I’ll be taking a few weeks off due to other obligations but I will return before you know it with A.T.TIPSCAST Season Two!

A.T.TIP #32: Motivational Plans

Here are some more helpful resources on behavior/motivational plans.

1. Terri Mauro’s Resources on About.com

2. Debbie DeSpirit’s Tips on Behavior Plans

Here is a link to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fund raising site to help raise money to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.  Please donate even if it is just a dollar! Even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference.

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:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #18: Amorphous Visual Schedules

Hey everyone,
Episode #18 is up for your listening pleasure. In Episode #18 AMORPHOUS visual schedules are discussed. Below are some examples of AMORPHOUS (or Non-linear) visual schedules.

A.T.TIP #30: Amorphous Visual Schedule:

An example that is more general- For a student that doesn’t need specific visuals, but still needs a visual schedule.  Note the “Unexpected” visuals.

An Example of an Amorphous Schedule

An example that is more specific- For a student that needs more specific visuals on the visual schedule.  Note the “Unexpected” visuals.

Example of Amorphous Visual Schedule

All of these schedules were created using Boardmaker software. If you’re like, “Hey, what the heck is Boardmaker software?” check out Mayer-Johnson’s website.

Here is a link to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund raising site. We’re doing the walk on May 18th, 2008 but you can continue to give even if you’re reading this after that date.  Please click on the “Make a donation” button to donate! Even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation- Make a Donation!

One last thing, here is the link the video of the river running through my backyard.  I admit, up front, that it was way more exciting in real life than the video shows but the point was that it was unexpected, just like things that happen in a classroom everyday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p625PUpsaTA

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 from here:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #17: Linear Visual Schedules

Hey everyone,
Episode #17 is up for your listening pleasure. In Episode #17 linear visual schedules are discussed. Below you will find examples of both horizontal and vertical linear schedules.  Enjoy!

A.T.TIP #29: Linear Visual Schedules

Horizontal:

Example of a template for a horizontal schedule

Horizontal Schedule Sample

Vertical:

Template of a vertical schedule Example of Vertical Schedule

All of these schedules were created using Boardmaker software.  If you’re like, “Hey, what the heck is Boardmaker software?” check out Mayer-Johnson’s website.

Here is a link to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund raising site. Please click on the “Make a donation” button to donate! Even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation- Make a Donation!

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 from here:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #16: Listener Feedback, Sort Of

Hey everyone,
Episode #16 is up for your listening pleasure.  In Episode #16 I answer questions from e-mails and voicemails submitted by “listeners” to the show.  Four new A.T. TIPS are discussed in the show.

A.T.TIP #25: FIRST-THEN-THEN Boards

Here are examples of first-then-then boards:

First-then-then Example 1

 

 

 

 

 

Example of a First-Then-Then Boards

A.T.TIP #26: WWW.FINDSOUNDS.COM

This website is a great place to find sounds

A.T.TIP #27: JUICYSTUDIO.COM for Website Readability Statistics

Here is the link to the Website Readability Statistic Tool.  Make sure you scroll down a bit to see it.  Simply place the URL of the website you want analyzed and hit “Calculate Readability”.

A.T.TIP #28: WWW.THEFREEDICTIONARY.COM

This online dictionary provides an auditory version of each word along with many cool games.

Here is a link to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund raising site. Please click on the “Make a donation” button to donate! Even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation- Make a Donation!

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 from here:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!

A.T.TIPSCAST Episode #13: Communication Bridges

Hey everyone,
Episode #13 is up for your listening pleasure.  Episode #13 features a description of Communication Bridges.  A communication bridge is a way for students to talk about events that happened at school when they get home and talk about events that happened at home at school.

Here is one such example.  Note that you can use visuals in replace of the lines or the text “PE, ART, Music” in the example below.

 

Today In School I…

 

Read this book: _______________

 

Worked on __________ in Math.

 

Learned about _________ in Social Studies.

 

Had this special: PE   ART   MUSIC

The thing I enjoyed the most today was:________________________

 

Last Night At Home I…

 

Read this book: _______________

 

Worked on __________ for homework.

 

Watched ____________ on TV.

 

Had ______________ for dinner.

 

The thing I enjoyed the most last night was:________________________

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the show and please feel free to leave a comment down below or drop me a line at attipscast@gmail.com
You can access the podcast from here:

Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

Thanks everyone and happy listening!