iPad Apps for Special Education Students

Here are some iPad apps that were recommended by Randall Palmer from the Children's Institute, Verona, NJ.  I enjoyed seeing all the quick demos!

Communication Apps:

• Scene Speak: This app allows you to take a picture and audio-lable the items. $10.  Works great with younger children.


• Proloquo2go: a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking.  Works great, but is expensive. $190


• Verbally: An app that does what proloquo does.  Try the free version, which may be all that is needed.  There is an upgrade version for $99


• Functional Communication System: This is new and has the advantage of using real images instead of stick figures.  $50

Social Skills:

•  Sōsh:  is a mobile app designed to help ‘tweens, teens and young adults improve social skills. It is especially designed to be used by individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Randy couldn't say enough about this app.  It is for high functioning students and is packed with options.  It includes a dictionary of idioms, talking strategies, recognizing feelings,  voice meter that is helpful in speech therapy, a shredder for ridding negative thoughts, and more.  $40


• Stories to Learn:  Students can create their own social stories that include pictures and audio. $13.99


• Conversation Builder:  Neat app! Students select responses  and record their voices. $9.99


• Sharing Timer:  an animated timer with sound effects show kids when it’s time to take turns


• Look in My Eyes:  A game-type format to help children learn to make eye contact. $2.99

Activity Schedules:

• Chore Pad HD: an electronic checklist.  Can add rewards if you wish. $2.99


• First Then Visual Schedule:  designed for caregivers to provide positive behavior support to increase independence and lower anxiety during transitions through different activities.  $9.99


• Video Scheduler:  Blends activity schedules with video modeling. $12.99

Self-Regulation:

• Time timer:  A visual timer that would be helpful in any classroom.  $1.99

Misc Supports:

• Read2Go by Bookshare: an accessible daisy e-book reader. $19.99


• Constant Shopper: is visual shopping list with pictures of items  $2.99


• Dragon Dictation: voice to text app that is very accurate.  Free!


• Twin Calc: Two large screen calculators that work side-by-side.  $.99

Moms with Apps:  a catalog of great children's and family-friendly apps. Search by educational categories and age groups to discover new apps and developers. Check out their website for "Free app Friday" where vendors make their products available free for one day only.

Curriculum 21

Heidi Hayes Jacobs was a keynote speaker at FETC that I very much enjoyed due to her common sense suggestions.  She is the author of six books, most recently, The Curriculum Mapping Planner: Templates and Tools for Effective Professional Development, co-authored with Ann Johnson, a book available on ASCD.

Her message:  "We do not need educational reform.  We need new-form."  She believes that we are using 19th century schedules , 20th century curriculum,  and our students are 21st century learners.  The time to make changes is NOW, as the common core curriculum standards are implemented.

Strategic replacement of curriculum is what needs to be done.... short term replacements with long term vision.   Dr. Hayes Jacobs recommends for every school to do the following:  Have every teacher in the school choose one upgrade.  Example: convert a persuasive essay assignment into a persuasive videocast.  The move to the Common Core Curriculum standards is a huge opportunity to upgrade.  Think of the collective difference this could make if everyone made just one upgrade to their current instructional practice.

To help teachers identify their one upgrade, the Curriculum 21 Clearinghouse can be used.  Websites and web 2.0 applications have been reviewed and tagged with curriculum-friendly terms to make it easy for teachers to choose curriculum and topics.  It's a tremendous resource; check it out!

 

Moving to Google Apps

I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with Rushton Hurley at the FETC Conference, "Google Docs and Forms in Gory Detail."  I enjoyed it and am feeling more confident than ever that moving to cloud computing and Google Apps is the right thing for my school district to do next year. 

According to Rushton, "The collaborative nature of Google is why we all should switch from Microsoft to Google."  Another teacher said  "Using Google Apps has been the best innovation in my career; there is not a more dynamic tool to impact student learning. "

It will be a change for our folks, and change is always difficult.  Users will have to make a shift when working with Google Docs.... Example: the home screen is just too huge.  However, once you remember to switch to using the Google tool at the top to search for files, it's not a big deal. 

I look forward to working with teachers in my district.  I learned some things that our teachers are going to love, such as  how to make a self-correcting quiz, how to take advantage of the data in Google lists when using spreadsheet, and providing feedback to students that they cannot throw away after looking at their grade. 

Some things I like about Google Apps (short list):

• I like the convenience of being able to work on a file on one device and open it up and continue on another without ever having to hit a save button! 


• I can work on a project with someone who lives far away in real time.


• There is less email!  Revisions are saved without having to send the latest version to other team members.


• One username and password for a whole slew of applications.


• Once you set up the people you want to share files with in a collection, you're done; all you need to do to share with the same group is drop a file in the collection.

Some things I still need to figure out:

• How to work on Google Docs offline if I am in an area where I am unable to connect to the Internet.  At the conference I used Evernote when the wireless was down, but I heard there was a way to use Google Docs offline.


• The toolbar options are limited when using a mobile device (tablet). There may be a way around that, too. 

Infographics as a Creative Assessment

I attended one of Kathy Schrock's sessions at FETC and the topic was using infographics as a creative assessment.  I saw the value of using infographics with students before there was a term for it, so I huried to this session.  (I even subscribed to USA Today just so that I could cut out the "snapshots" that were always on page one and incorporate them into lessons with my 6th grade class.)  

Recently, I have been working quite extensively on the role of technology in the Common Core Curriculum Standards.  I know that using infographics could be extremely useful as a means to:

• Integrate information using multimedia


• Write with formatting and illustrations


• Collect info from multiple sources


• Create technical information in a visual format


• Understand and use sources in acceptable ways, following copyright laws


• Strategically use multimedia in presentations


• 
  

   Translate quantitative/technical words to a visual form

  
  

What are infographics, you ask? 

 See Kathy's intro video below (2.5 min) and then take a look at all of her examples and how-to's.

Infographics as a Creative Assessment from Kathy Schrock on Vimeo.

 Her extensive list of resources can be found here.

Software, sites, and tools to create infographics:

• Glogster (example)


• Picktochart


• Inkscape


• Aviary Phoenix


• Aviary Raven


• Sumo Paint


• Sketchpad


• Pixlr

I challenge all educators to look around for infographics in their day-to-day lives and to think of ways to help students understand and create them for themselves!

QR Codes for Teachers

A few teachers have asked me recently to explain QR codes.  Nobody can explain things as good as Lee LeFever at Common Craft, so I recommending watching his video; it is just over two minutes in length. 

Then start to think about the implications for a classroom teacher.  This post on the Teaching Happily Ever After blog may give you some ideas as well as provide some how-to information.

Try it out!  Here's a QR code I just generated in about 10 seconds on my computer using Kaywa QR Code Generator.  You'll need a QR code reader on your smart phone.  Go to the "Market" or "App Store" to find a free one to use.  I use an app called QR Droid on my phone, but there are lots of other options. 

GRAND RAPIDS LIP DUB VIDEO

This isn't a typical Yes Tech! post, but this video gives me the chills and needs to be shared!  I think of all the planning for this video and the collaboration and technology involved and know that it was a HUGE undertaking.  The video was created in response to a Newsweek article that put  Grand Rapids, Michigan on the top ten list of "dying cities" in America.  Over 3,000 people participated in the filming and it shows off the beautiful scenery of downtown Grand Rapids.  I love the ending, videotaped from a helicopter  The video is almost 10 minutes in length, and is well worth your time.   Congratulations to the creators and the people of Grand Rapids!

On a Techie High

The annual MACUL Conference was held this past week.  The word on the street is that the conference was the best ever.  This is good news to me, because I'm on the Board of Directors and helped plan and carry it off.   :)    There were over 4,000 attendees and I could feel the high level of energy and enthusiasm among those who were there.  I kept really busy with organizational tasks throughout the conference, and was only able to make a few of the sessions, so I look forward to keeping my own learning going; there are many ways to do this:

• Check out the awesome resource materials posted by presenters on the Speakers' page of the MACUL website.


• Browse through the #macul11 tweets. Conference attendees posted quotes, links, ideas, questions, photos, and more.


• Follow the discussions going on at MACULSpace.  I just added a forum for sharing your "best of MACUL" stories.


• Read the posts on the MACUL Conference Blog.


• The keynotes and some of the featured speakers were videotaped.  The videos will soon be available on Michigan Streamnet.

But wait... there's more!  The day after the MACUL Conference, my district hosted the Stir it Up with Discovery Education Conference.  It was sponsored by Discovery Education, and it was like a "mini MACUL Conference."  Many educators who were not able to get away for the MACUL Conference came. There were 75 attendees from at least 15 SE Michigan school districts.  We were lucky to have Discovery Education's Mike Bryant, Matt Monjan, and Porter Palmer there.   The Michigan Discovery Education Leadership Team planned and presented at the event: Cheryl Lykowski, Eric Strommer, Gina Loveless, Lisa Wickman, Cindy Carson, and me.  Walled Lake educators who presented included Mark Lada, Randy Micallef, Jennifer Bond, Rob Osterman, and Mark Hess.  Support for technology integration by the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools administrative team was apparent, as many attended:  Superintendent Gutman; Assistant Superintendent Barry; Director of Technology & Data Analysis, Mark Hess; Director of Community Relations, Judy Evola; and the hosting school's principal, Brad Paddock.  AWESOME!   You can check out the conference wiki for session handouts and other electronic resources.

I'm tired physically, but am intellectually energized!

Student Access to Discovery Education Videos

Discovery subscribers:  Do you know that there is a way for students to view Discovery videos on their own computers?  Perhaps you have found some excellent videos you would like students to watch as homework.  Maybe it would be helpful for your students to have access to videos about the same topic, but at differing levels of difficulty/depth.   Sharing videos with students is possible with Discovery’s Builder Tool.

It is easy to set up.  Save the content (videos, images, podcasts, etc) as you normally do.  Then open the assignment builder wizard.  Just follow the prompts and fill out the required information.  After three steps, you end up with a custom URL to post on your web page or Moodle site. 

Get started by logging on at http://www.discoveryeducation.com, and then go to “My Builder Tools.”  Go to the Assignment Builder section and click on “Create New Assignment.”



If you have any difficulty using the wizard, a step-by-step guide is available on the Walled Lake tech integration website:  http://www.wlcsd.org/files/457499/discovery%20builder%20tools.pdf

Wolphram Alpha, Your Expert Assistant

Are you tired of researching a topic using Google, which returns thousands of documents and websites that may or may not have the (correct) information you need?  If so, you will want to check out Wolphram Alpha, an online system for computing answers to questions.   Your questions are answered with words, data, charts, graphs, and images.  What is the difference between a search engine like Google and Wolphram Alpha? 

Google = finding information that has been published online.  

Wolphram Alpha = answering questions about what people know collectively.  It’s like having an expert assistant nearby.  And yes, there's an app for that.

You have to try it to believe it!  http://www.wolframalpha.com/. See what happens when you enter text such as:

• Weather in Walled Lake, Michigan


• 1/6 + 5/12 + 3/4


• Life expectancy


• Carbon


• Polar Bear


• 10 M&Ms

Added February 6, 2011:  This post is part of an Ed Tech Blog Carnival, organized by Danny Nicholson, a UK educator.  Lots of interesting topics were submitted.

Kindle e-Book Review

I received a Kindle as a gift for by birthday in October. I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences after having used it for the past few months. Overall, I am very happy with it!

What I like about it:

• It's light to carry.


• I can make the font larger so I can read in bed without glasses.


• I can access any of my books on my iPod Touch using the free Kindle app.


• I can look up words in the built-in dictionary.


• Many books have a text-to-speech "read to me" feature (and the electronic voice isn't too bad).


• Lots of books are available for free and/or low cost (Amazon, Project Gutenberg, Open Library, Many Books, and Internet Archive).


• I can preview a book before purchasing it.


• LONG battery life.  I've only charged mine twice.

What I don't like:

• I cannot share the books that I purchase with my family and friends, even those who own their own Kindle. (NEW 1/3/11: a big thank you to Grace Kat, who shared info about sharing Kindle books in her comment below.  Many books CAN be shared one time for up to 14 days.  See info on this page of Amazon's web site.) 


• I enjoy reading blogs that are free on the Internet.  The blogs that are available for viewing on the Kindle cost $5 a month and most are not updated regularly.

I think it won't be long before e-readers catch on in the K-12+ education market.

Must-Have Guide to Facebook for Teachers

Someone in my PLN, Jackie Gerstein, shared a post on EduDemic (via the Discovery Educator Network Diigo group) that included "A Teacher's Guide to Using Facebook" by Bernadette Rego.  She's licensed it with Creative Commons 3.0, to allow others to use and share it.  Thanks, Bernadette!  She's included some helpful tips that I think ALL teachers should read, even if they don't currently use Facebook.   It's 21 pages, but don't let that scare you; it won't take more than 10 min to read. 
Teacher's Guide to Using Facebook (Read Fullscreen)

Cool Use of Mindomo

I'm planning a new online course, and found this graphic organizer as I was working.  It was made by Jester Isaksson using Mindomo.  It's a neat way to organize and share web 2.0 tools!

Thinking about Upgrading to Windows 7

People I know who are using Windows 7 seem to like it, so I'm considering upgrading my home laptop that is currently running Vista Business.  I know that there are upgrade paths that work and others that do not.  I found Windows Upgrade Avisor to be helpful as I investigated which version I should purchase for my system; it's a free download.  I ran the tool and learned that I must install the 32 bit Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise.

The features that interest me the most include:

• Quicker boot-up and shut-down time.


• Better compatibility with other software and hardware devices.


• The Snap feature to compare two versions of a document sounds neat.


• Improved memory usage by running fewer processes in the background.


• The Ultimate version comes in over 30 languages; users can switch back and forth, something that could be very handy for bilingual and ESL students. 


• The integration of Windows Live could be convenient for file sharing and collaboration.

Now the cost...  From the Microsoft Website $200-$220, depending on which upgrade package I choose.  From JourneyEd, the costs are the same at this time.  I want to upgrade, but I'll have to wait.

Skype and Author Network

Wouldn't it be great to invite authors into your classroom or library to video chat with students before, during, and/or after reading their books?  Author Mona Kirby and School Media Specialist Sarah Chauncey developed a website to help schools and authors connect, the Skype and Author Network.  See list of authors here.  

Arrangements for Skype visits are made via email and/or phone between the author and the teacher or media specialists.  Authors offer two types of visits:  free "meet the author" visits lasting 10-15 minutes, or longer in-depth visits with the time and fee determined by each author.   Enjoy!

Image from Superkimbo in BKK, Flickr Creative Commons license

WatchKnow

 

 

 

Teachers:  Are you on the hunt for YouTube-like videos that you can use for instructional purposes in your classroom?  Do you want to have your students create projects and view videos that will help them learn academic content?   As you know, there are many educational videos on YouTube (and other sites), but these sites also have inappropriate videos... those you do NOT want your students to access.  WatchKnow may be the answer for you.  It is a new wiki portal that categorizes short videos by topic.  There is also an age filter; search for only those that are appropriate for the age in years of your students!

This is a community where users make it better by contributing, so be sure to register for an account and add videos as you find those that are useful for your classroom.  Sources could be YouTube, TeacherTube, GoogleVideo, National Geographic, HowCast, SlideBoom, SchoolTube, Graspr, 5 Minute LifeVideopedia, InternetArchive, and eHow.  

The advisory panel includes experienced teachers and experts in educational media and library science.   This group reviews media and moderates the online community. 

Enjoy!

Extensive List of Useful Tools for Teachers

Wow... this huge list of useful tools for teachers by Naomi Harm of Innovative Educator Consulting has many sites that I want to spend some time checking out.  Categories:  bookmarking tools, copyright free digital photos, capturing programs, converters, digital photo editors, digital photo project tools, flash and share your presentations, interactive whiteboards, music, photo  hosting/sharing, productivity, students, timeline creators, URL shorteners, video programs, web 2.0 repositories, and virtual worlds. There is also a link to download the list as a PDF at the bottom of the page.  Enjoy!

Screencast-o-Matic

I learned of a new screencast tool from Chris Ozias (Pinckney Technology Integration Specialists) while at the "Tech or Treat" MACUL/Discovery Education Event on Saturday.  It's called Screencast-o-Matic.  No download and no account registration required!  I just recorded a quick screencast to introduce an 8th grade inquiry-based science lesson I developed.  Creating the screencast was super easy (no need to read any directions or change computer settings).  There are many saving options:  MPEG-4, avi.  Or share direct to youtube (However, this didn't work when I tried it) or to Screencast-o-Matic.  There is some advertising, but it didn't seem offensive.  I'm thinking that this could be used easily by students!

I Love Shelfari

Shelfari is a social networking site for people who like to read books.  Users create a virtual bookshelf to keep track of books they are reading, have already read, and want to read.  You can connect with people with similar interests to share thoughts and book reviews, get book recommendations, and discover good books you didn't even know existed.  It is free and sign-up is quick and easy. 

Here's an example of how I use the site.  I was browsing the books of some of my Shelfari friends and kept seeing the book Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds.  I read the reviews:  Presentation Zen:  Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter).  I'm counting on it helping me create more effective presentations for delivery of teacher professional development, and according to the reviews on Shelfari, it will do just that.  I ordered it from Amazon and it should arrive any day! 

Google Earth Updated Imagery

 

 

Google Earth released new and updated imagery and higher resolution 3D terrain for many locations, including Michigan!   If you have not visited Google Earth lately, you need to check it out!  I took a quick screenshot of Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes (NW Michigan's Lower Peninsula).  I have vivid memories of running up and down the dunes with my family as a child.  It's time to go back for a visit!  Does this sound interesting to you?  Visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitors Bureau website.

"Snorkeling" at the MACUL Conference

I have kicked the nasty pneumonia that kept me from attending the MACUL Conference this year. Thanks for all the get well wishes that so many of you sent during the conference. Since I was not able to attend, I've been hounding everyone in my district who attended to share their experiences with me. The feedback from people in my district who did attend was overly positive as you will see by their comments below.

The first person I bumped into told me that the MACUL Conference was the best conference she has ever attended. She told me that the Alan November keynote was the perfect start to a fantastic conference. Last weekend, she spent some time exploring some of the new tools she was introduced to at the conference and shared a video she made with GoAnimate (a very cute invitation to her son's birthday party).

Many people in my district were only able to attend the pre-conference. They appreciated the in-depth hands on approach. Several were wowed by Jason Ohler's digital storytelling session. One teacher stated "I was impressed with his focus on story over glitz. His framework offers a boost to teachers who believe they do not have the time, money or skills needed to encourage students to create stories of their own." Someone else said "His story mapping models are a great way to help kids organize ideas into something with meaning." Teachers from one of our middle schools have already scheduled a digital storytelling workshop to offer teachers at their building. Another teacher has plans to transform a poetry unit into a poetry digital storytelling unit.

Several people were introduced to Google Docs. "I think that GoogleDocs has lots of possibilities for the classroom. Its ability to have users revise the same document in real time is incredible. Peer editing will be so much fun!" 

"Steve Dembo had tons of cool things to share. His energy and knowledge are inspiring. The most important thing I came away with from his presentations is a better idea of how fast the tool kit is growing and the idea that the educational applications of the new web need to be developed and then shared with others."

 One teacher used a clever metaphor. She said, "I learned about many web 2.0 tools which I liken to snorkeling: I have seen the surface of the web, but there is so much more underwater." My advice is to pick one and give it a try; soon you'll be swimming for more!