Share Your Input for Jan 21 Meeting with New Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan

Carol Broos is one of 12 teachers asked to be on a round table committee with Arne Duncan the new Secretary of Education under the new Obama administration, meeting on Jan 21. She is asking for input on her Wiki relating to what you feel is most important to share with the new administration about education, NCLB, etc. If you would like to share or just read what folks are writing go to:

http://education20.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
You can add a comment or add to the wiki text under edit. The topics are in the column on the right.

You can see Carol’s home page under classroom 2.0:
http://www.classroom20.com/profile/beatechie

and the forum for teachers to share on the future of education is:
http://www.futureofeducation.com/

All the best to you!
Lon




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Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI): New Look, Great Resources

Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative or WATI, has been a great resource. I have used their consideration guide as a handout to sped case managers so they have something to look at as they think about low, mid and high tech AT. I can't be at every IEP meeting and oftentimes the team isn't sure yet whether or not they need me. The guide helps kick-start the discussion and give ideas in my absence.

There are some nice documents and guides in the free resources area. The WATI Assessment materials (Student Information Guide, Consideration Guide, Environmental Observation Guide, AT Planning Guide, and AT Checklist) are used throughout the United States. The consideration guide and the AT checklist have been especially helpful. They are both within the packet of materials - the WATI Assessment materials. Download the whole set to get the components for consideration. WATI has updated the site and it looks terrific and their links are set up nicely.

When I was a Closing the Gap in Minneapolis last October, I ran into the director of WATI in the exhibit hall and we talked about the site. I had heard it is their last year of grant funding and I wanted to know if the online materials would still be available if their funding ran out. The director shared that she had been working hard to get the new site up and hopes to continue the archive of materials. We discussed having her on No Limits 2 Learning Live - Blog Talk Radio, and I am going to set up a time to have WATI share with us.

In the meantime, take some time to head over to WATI and checkout their resources. If you like what you see, send a friendly email to WATI and let them know how important their materials and services are outside Wisconsin. We can all use a little WATI!

All the best to you!

Lon




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Assistive Technology Implementation: Keep it Simple!

Do you ever get dragged down in the mire of trying to think out each step of how to successfully implement assistive technology? Do you get into the "detail-itis" until it grows into a formidable project that you just aren't implementing well at all? Join the club!

I had a huge "Ah-ha" moment today and I want to tell you about it...
An SLP, a sped teacher and myself have been working on finding the right augmentative communication device for a middle school student. Last spring we trialed one make and model and are in the process of getting a trial kicked into gear on another. We have the software for the dynamic display device on a computer for the student to practice on until we get the real one for a 2 week loan. The problem has been that between all three of us as specialists, we have been trying to learn the software, get digital pictures on it of teachers, places around the school, etc. and find meaningful activities to practice with and see how the student responds. He is of regular cognitive ability, just has a real pronunciation and a language processing problem.
With tight schedules to work with, winter storms and closed schools before the holidays and the the holiday break, we had yet to get the student on the computer to explore the software.
Today the SLP and I sat at the computer and debated on how many folders were on the screen, how complicated it could be and confusing for him, etc. Finally, I said, "I would just like to simplify this whole process and let the student explore and look around the software awhile with me today. We are spinning our gears and making this whole thing too complicated. He can't drag this desktop computer around anywhere, so it can't be a real portable communication device for socialization in the lunchroom, etc. Let's wait until we get the real one to put some pictures and topics on. We have just got to bite the bullet and jump in - sink or swim!"
Even though the SLP agreed, she was still nervous that the student would just click around randomly on everything and not really accomplish anything. I re-assured her I would guide him
in his exploration and see what he could do. I wasn't upset with anyone and I wasn't frustrated, I was just feeling like I had been procrastinating and using "getting it right" as an excuse to not dive in where I was in unfamiliar territory. My message to you is - when you get that feeling, it is time to dive in!
So...enter the student.
We have worked together for several years and I have supported various SLP's in Elementary and now middle school that have worked with him. He is so ready for and wants a device. He has been very patient but is very motivated to communicate right now. He and I get along great and he had decided last summer that he wanted to try this new device out this year. I just felt bad that it had taken us until now to start. He sat down and I showed him the general main screen board and where it linked, how to write a sentence with the icon buttons and then click to hear it. He got excited.
We went to panels that were scenes: a classroom, a fast food restaurant, etc.
It was almost lunchtime and he began to build a sentence. "I want a hamburger." He looked at me and smiled. "I want a cheeseburger, chicken strips, pizza, pickles..."
"You must be VERY hungry!" I said. He laughed.
He checked out sizes of drinks and asked for a small drink icon and fries after it in the sentence strip, meaning a small fry. He wanted me to help him get small and large size buttons on the food menu page so he didn't have to use the cup size buttons. We set up the sizes in the foods and he was able to order sizes he wanted and build the requests.
By the time he was ready to go to lunch, he had made sense out of several of the boards, found things he wanted, was frustrated because some of the buttons didn't have the speech activated, and had me set the behaviors on them to speak the label. He watched me and by the last few, he was even doing the programming! (That says something about the software too - it was Series 5 semester ware for the V and Vmax from Dynavox.)
Do you think I felt like I shouldn't have jumped in today? No way! It was a huge success. By letting go of the fear of the unfamiliar and exploring with the student, I learned about him, the software and his potential. I found out that he can do much more than we give him credit for. He learned about me and how I can partner with him to get the most out of the device and I learned something about me too today - keep it simple and dive in. Kids are more flexible than we think and they survive more of our idiosynchrasies than we would ever wish to admit.

All the best to you!
Lon



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High Tech Helps Autistic Kids Communicate on NBC Video

I was excited to see a human interest story on the Los Angeles NBC affiliate news this past weekend. The Hope Technology School in Palo Alto, CA was featured. The video showed students combining their use of a Lightwriter for text to speech communication and the new HP TouchSmart touchscreen PC.
After watching, I explored links to both the school and the technology and found the video to share with you here. I want to look into the program being used on the TouchSmart. If anyone knows about it, please share a comment on it with us.
Enjoy the video!



All the best to you!
Lon




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The Fusion Keyboard Offers Full Package for Writing, Communication and Text to Speech

I have discovered a keyboard that I have been playing with and recommending for trials lately. It is called The Fusion keyboard. It is made by Advanced Keyboard Technologies (The Writer Learning Systems). When I first heard about the keyboard at a state-wide A.T. meeting, I looked them up online. They had a place to request a demo to be sent and so I requested one with text to speech. I received one promptly and the company was very easy to work with. Because of this, I have been recommending this demo loan to teachers who want to try one for students in their classes who need text to speech support. One thing I will mention is that the standard demo shipped is the Fusion without text to speech. You will need to contact them and request a text to speech version keyboard.
When I received the keyboard it came with a manual, a charger/power adaptor, a case, headphones and a wireless USB receiver for a computer to send documents from the Fusion to a workstation. In the manual it said that to send a document, you open a blank word processing document and then with the receiver plugged in, press send on the Fusion and it will load onto the page. I used the Fusion to write this review and used the send feature to get it on my computer. It typed out on my Word document as I watched. Very cool.
The Fusion has some great features that were helpful for me from an assistive technology standpoint. First off, since my eyes get tired easily, I used the backlight on the screen. I accompanied this with a large font size for easy reading. I used the text to speech, set to read each sentence after the period so I could proofread by hearing it read back to me. In addition, each word was highlighted as it read so I could follow along as it read - a great feature for students that need the extra support. You can use the option key and speak key to speed up or slow down the rate of speech.
I turned on the word prediction and used it too. I found that you can set the word prediction choices to be read back to you. By selecting the numeral for each one, you can hear it, and then selecting it again enters it in the sentence.
There are some nice features for working with students on keyboarding or writing. If you are wanting to have students write using vocabulary words, you can set up a split screen and have a word list on the right for students to use in a set of sentences. There is a set of built-in writing prompts to choose from for building writing assignments, or you can write your own and save them as internal documents. You can also set up internal folders under topics and save assignments.

There is a built in score feature that allows the student to press the "score" key after doing a writing assignment and it will give feedback on time spent, any errors and advice on making the piece more interesting (the ifactor). There are 8 or 9 "good writing checklist templates" that can be used to check writing samples. You can also set up your own custom writing checklists as well.

Built-in Keyboarding Software
The Fusion has a built-in keyboarding tutorial program with 120 lessons and practice drills. These drills build skills and reinforce homerow. The drill assessments are timed for WPM and accuracy. Reports can be sent to a computer as well as sending documents for printing.
The Fusion has a dictionary, spell checker, thesaurus and a translate key. You can highlight text, cut copy, paste and delete text easily. A compact flash memory card can be plugged into the back of the Fusion to save and transfer files with a card reader.
The settings include a sticky keys on/off, an on/off on writing helpers to disable for assessments, and full menu settings for speech, word prediction, writer tools, send and setup.
The basic Fusion word prediction package is $249. The text to speech packaged Fusion is $369.

The Fusion fills an AT need:

I have been looking for a compact, portable and lightweight way to give text to speech communication to non-verbal students and this has been the best setup I have found so far. I like that the speaker is built in to the Fusion so there are no clunky external speakers sticking out.
I would recommend the Fusion trial to you if you are looking for text to speech, writing or communication support tools for AT as part of an IEP. The fact that you can borrow one for 30 days and use it first, gives you the option of borrowing theirs instead of purchasing one of your own for trials within your school or district. Although, in talking with one of our OT's yesterday, we already think we will be needing one to trial often enough for short show and tells before a longer 30 day trial, that we should probably have one anyway.
I can't say enough about the positive experience I have had with the company. They have package prices for lab sets to be used in classroom instruction to check into as well. I believe your time exploring their Fusion Keyboard will be time well spent.
All the best to you!
Lon

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Remember to Use the Credo for Support

Welcome to 2009!
A mother of one of our students visited my office before Christmas after checking out my blog and site. I had visited her office a year ago or so and on the wall was a poster, "Credo for Support" and I had appreciated what it said. When she came in to see me, she said she had noticed that I had videos on my blog and brought me a link to the You tube video version of this credo and thought I might like to share it on the blog.
Whether you have seen this before or not, it makes good sense to listen to it now and then to remind all of us in education, advocacy and therapy, how we should relate to those with special needs. I hope it challenges you as you step into a new year of service.




I wish you the best as we move out together into new projects and and new goals.

Lon



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Happy New Year!

May 2009 be the best ever for you as you work towards seeing assistive technology and learning come together for those you serve.

Happy New Year!

Lon

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