One of the hardest things with using the iPad in the classroom is finding the time to go through all of the apps in the iTunes Store listed under the education banner. We have started to list some of the apps we've found under each of the Key Learning Areas.
I had a request for some apps for the iPad that could help with phonics and early reading and writing for young children with Dyslexia. I found this list of apps for Dyslexia today and thought I would pass it along from the University of Michigan. A nice set of Apps...did you know Bookshare has a FREE app for Android now: Go Read? Have a great Weekend, Lon
The iPad has LOTS of accessibility features for folks, but what about switch access and accessibility interfaces for scanning on the tablet and within apps? There seems to be one switch for one app developer and another switch for another app developer but they don't work together. There's lots of work to do to create uniform standards for accessible add-on devices and apps. This and other topics were batted around in "A Life of Learning Magic: An Interview with Byron Wilkes", as I interviewed the CEO of Learning Magic Inc. You can listen to the interview HERE. The mobile app craze and the lack of a standard among companies for apps and switches that specialize in SPED and learning has made it difficult to see where the future is heading in access for the end users. Byron discussed the changes that need to take place in the new iPad, Android, Kindle world to make programming, tools and peripherals uniform for users with disabilities. Have companies that sell Clicker 5, Classroom Suite and My Own Bookshelf toyed with developing them as apps? I asked Byron this question since his Learning Magic content played on these software titles. Listen to what Byron shares on this subject. I would highly recommend sitting in on this 40 minute discussion. I welcome your comments and discussion too!
Here is a developer, KomodoOpenlab/ TECLA that has made the main iPad and some applications accessible with scanning and a single switch. there are other videos and they have an interesting website. Maybe we can get them on the talk show to share their ideas too:
You can also listen to the program on the right side bar in the Blog Talk Radio Player. All the best, Lon
This Extreme Metals Vapor Pro features a monochromatic color scheme with a satin finish achieved by bead blasting the aluminum frame prior to anodizing.The new Vapor Pro is the most rugged, lightweight, and versatile iPhone 5 case we've ever made. This "field ready" case can take anything you can throw at it. Rugged, Lightweight and versatile design. CNC machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum. The look is all about intense satin colors, with a soft warm feel.
Learning Magic, a pioneer in interactive learning on the computer will be closing its doors the end of December 2012. The company, founded by Byron Wilkes, has been dedicated to developing materials and templates for students with special needs to access the fun of learning through motivating topics such as wildlife, nature and ecosystems around the world. Byron teamed up with experts in the SPED Learning and Speech Language Pathology field to develop materials that addressed key learning concepts in fun and motivating software. Many of these activities featured hundreds of photographic images Byron took of fish in coral reefs, roaming under a rain forest canopy or trekking across Kenya with camera in-hand to capture the "magic" that led to learning in a special way. I thought of him as a Marty Stouffer, Marlin Perkins, Jacques Cousteau and Crocodile Hunter rolled into one for special needs kids. His packaged units, complete with vocabulary, writing starters and lesson plans were designed to play in software such as Intellitools Classroom Suite, Crick Clicker 5 and SoftTouch My Own Bookshelf.
A set of his photography available to use in your own lessons, PCS and Topic/Communication Boards:
I first met Byron when he came down and participated in an Eastern Oregon Summer Institute for teachers. He spent a couple of days with me helping in my classes and sharing his software and concepts for interactive and adapted learning that fostered writing and reading in high interest titles for students with learning or physical impairments. Byron donated his product library to our Assistive Technology Center for our teachers to trial for purchase. Through the years I have run into him at many national conferences and sessions and he has had a great impact on me.
Byron sent out an email sharing:
"We want to first thank the thousands of teachers/therapists/parents and others who have worked with us in the creation/testing and use of our proven products. Our website (www.learningmagicinc.com) will go off line at the end of December, so we encourage you to go to our "Goodies" section and download as many of the free IntelliTools Classroom Suite, Clicker 5 and My Own Bookshelf activities as you would like.
Our commercial products will remain available throughout the end of the calendar year or until inventories run out. If you would like product or pricing information please feel free to email us at info@learningmagicinc.com.
Thank you again for your support and encouragement throughout the years"
Thank you Byron for your investment in children and the thousands of students who have had more fun learning because of you and your efforts! I am looking forward to hearing about your next great adventure!
You can listen to Byron share about his life's work and his thoughts on the future of technology and special needs on Blog Talk Radio, Wednesday November 28th at 10 a.m. The archive will be available on the side-bar player afterwards as well. All the best... Lon
The type of stylus used on an iPad or other tablet screen can be crucial for the success of a student trying to write, draw and select areas on a screen. Fine and gross motor issues need to be considered in the process of selecting a stylus for children with orthopedic impairments and there are an array of choices. OT's with Apps ran a nice list of them in a recent post I am linking here: iPad Adaptive Styluses for Individuals with Mobility Impairment. They shared:
A stylus with a long bendable extension:
A stylus with a handle grip:
A stylus adapted on a snorkel mouthpiece to use in the teeth:
...and many more! Links to the places to purchase these and other adapted styluses can be found in the linked post. Think about the access piece for your student The right stylus might open the door to greater success and productivity. All the best, Lon Bookmark this on Delicious
This past summer, the new Proloquo2Go Version 2.0 was released. I have been excited about the new basic and core vocabulary feature. You can choose an option for a basic or core word vocabulary. You can also choose how many columns you want it to be which can correspond to the level of the user. PR Web put out an explanation of it this way:
"Version 2.0 offers two completely new research-based vocabularies: Basic Communication for beginning communicators and Core Word for more advanced communicators using or developing their language skills. An analysis of commonly used sentences has shown that the new Core Word vocabulary reduces the number of steps to build a sentence by more than 30%, when compared to the previous version of Proloquo2Go." I wanted to link some resources to read and watch that take you through the paces of the new version.
Webinar and Video Tutorial Resources on Proloquo2go: Autism Plugged In presented a Proloquo2go iPad Demo Workshop. The videos of the day workshop have been uploaded to You Tube and you can access the list of topics here.
