Chrome Tools: Extensions & Apps for All Students

This PowerPoint is a compilation of some excellent Chrome apps & extensions available to everyone! A few are paid, but most are completely free and available at the Chrome Web Store. Click on the post title for the PowerPoint.

Local Classroom Technology Integration Specialists

Gaby's website

Justin's website

We find ourselves very fortunate here in the U.P.!  We have some awesome Instructional Technology Integration specialists to help us out with issues related to Google Chrome, iOS devices, Android, etc. Here's a few sites where you can find instructions (Justin's video tutorials) and resources (Gaby's Diigo collection). Justin works with Dickinson-Iron districts and Gaby can be found in Marquette-Alger districts. It's great to have these experts to rely on!

ChromeAT presented by Mike Marotta, ATP

Here's another resource put together by Mike Marotta who demystifies apps and extensions for Reading, Writing, Math, Learning and Visual Impairments.  

New Chrome AT Toolbox 2.0 Beta

Back in March, I posted about the Chrome AT Toolbox, a searchable collection of free or low-cost apps & extensions. Well, now it's even better and easier to use! With V2, the database has been rewritten and anyone can write reviews to Chrome apps & extensions. New reviews are posted automatically and the database is searchable with filters for Tasks and Keywords. For example, you can search by the Task Organization, and by Keyword Bookmarking to narrow results. The editors are hoping to start fresh with new reviews, and if you disagree with a review, you can share your perspective.

Keep this valuable resource in mind when you're looking for ideas - I know I will! Thank you to John Calvert and Mark Surabian for creating it.

QIAT Resource Bank - UDL Apps!

Have you been to the QIAT Resource Bank lately?  I was looking for a document and ran across this beautiful Placement of Core Apps Serving Learning for All!  Each of the three separate sections, Representation, Expression and Engagement, list apps in categories by student area of difficulty: LD reading, LD writing, LD executive functioning, physical, visual, hearing and communication.

If you're looking for educational app, I'd start here!  Thank you to Barbara Welsford, M.Ed., ATP, ADE for putting this together!

This is just one example of the excellent resources on the QIAT Resource Bank.  Check it out at http://indicators.knowbility.org/resource-bank.html

Free/Low Cost Assistive Technology Resource

Keene State College, Office of Disability Services has developed a very user friendly web resource of free/low cost AT programs. Categories are Reading, Writing, Vision, Hearing, Fine Motor/Dexterity, Communication, Digital Text Support and Study Aids. It's well laid out and includes the platform compatibility. It also lists built-in accessibility tools for Windows and Mac as well as Web Browser Accessibility Extensions for both Firefox and Chrome.

Free Voice Recognition (speech to text) in Chrome

Have you ever wanted to try voice recognition with a student but didn't want to purchase the software, or don't have a device to run the free app? With TalkTyper, dictation is free to anyone with a computer and Google Chrome, a free web browser. Speech input has been around for a long time and has certainly improved recently, especially the Nuance app, Dragon Dictation for iOS devices. Talktyper is different, it's a free service and a wonderful solution to those that don't have an Android phone, iPhone or iPad to work with.

Click on the post title to link to TalkTyper, then click the Microphone icon and begin speaking. It works best to dictate one sentence at a time. If the speech was recognized correctly, it will appear in red. To hear it, click on the Speaker icon. If your speech wasn't recognized correctly, click the Alternatives button to view other 'recognitions', (what it thinks you said) or just repeat the sentence again. If the text is okay, click the Okay button, and your text will be added to the box at the bottom.

When you're all done, click the Copy button and paste the text into a document, email, blog, or tweet! (If the copy button doesn't work for you, remember that the shortcut for copying is "Ctrl-C").  

Remember, TalkTyper is only available if using Google Chrome! To remove unwanted ads, install the Chrome extension Adblock Plus. Dictation is available in several languages too!

UDL Guidelines - A Digital Wheel

Remember the AT Consideration Wheel? Well this is an online wheel of UDL guidelines and checkpoints!  The graphic was designed by the Maryland Department of Education and Howard County Public Schools. If you're in need of ideas, here's a one-stop, fun and easy to use tool. Just click on the arrows and the wheel turns to more ideas on a different topic.

Texthelp Read&Write Google Chrome App

Texthelp, the company that brings us Read&Write Gold, has developed a Google Chrome app, Read&Write, with some useful accessibility features for Google Docs. I've added it, and it is available whenever I use Google Docs. Words are highlighted during text to speech and there are settings for different voices, speed and continuous reading options.

As you can see in the first image, it has a picture/symbol dictionary too. Other neat AT features include a built in word dictionary with speech feedback, ability to collect highlighted sections, a vocabulary tool and the fact finder feature that automatically does a Google search of the selected word.

This app is free and currently only works with Google Docs, although they have another web app for Read&Write Gold license holders with full web accessibility.

Need practice with keyboarding? Touch-typing tutorials found here

Keyboarding is one of the most common recommendations for students that struggle with writing, although it's not always taught in our schools.  Thankfully, there's plenty of free, online tutorials that offer instruction and practice.  Most will evaluate skills initially, then offer practice exercises and games to increase proficiency.  Progress reports can be motivating, especially if there are end goals for increased speed and error reduction.  This site, All the Touch-Typing Tutors, lists free and share-ware downloads.  Each site listed has a good description of its features and a screen shot.
Thank you to Kindy Segovia for the post about this site on her Blog. Kindy Segovia's Blog is a great resource for all things AT and UDL.  She is the AT Consultant at Kent ISD.

MACUL in Munising!

MACUL comes to Munising again this year for the annual U.P. Educational Technology and Business Conference!  Friday, May 4th at Munising High School and registration of $45 covers both breakfast and lunch.  Keynote speaker will be Paul Galbenski, Michigan Teacher of the Year.  Some of the sessions include:

• 21 Things 4 Students
• Google Docs for All
• Research and the iPad
• The Magic of Livescribe Pens for Students and Teachers

Several vendors will be on hand too.  Hope to see you there!

Audio Audio Audio!

THREE UPCOMING SESSIONS

1. Monday, 1/16 @ 3:15pm Register http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AudioJanuary162012REGISTRATION

2. Monday, 1/30 @ 3:15pm Register http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AudioJan302012REGISTRATION

3. Friday, 2/3 @ 3:15pm     Register http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AudioFeb32012REGISTRATION

Event Description: This session will cover everything from free tools for recording and manipulating audio in your classroom to converting digital text into mp3's, a little on podcasting, converting audio formats, creating audiobooks, and organizing all of your classroom Audio!

This session is hosted by PATINS Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstsruction for All Students

Virtual History Museum

 The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) June newsletter features an interview with Dr. Cindy Okolo, a special education professor at Michigan State University and project director of the Virtual History Museum. The interview explains how the Virtual History Museum got started and describes how it can help struggling students learn about Social Studies and History in a motivating, interactive way.  "The Virtual History Museum is a web-based history-learning environment designed to promote the historical understanding of all students and offer cognitive supports that will enable full participation and success for all students in diverse classrooms."  Click on the post title to read the interview, or check out the Virtual History Museum at:
http://vhm.msu.edu/site/default.php

Developing Social & Emotional Skills through Multi-Media - Focus on Stress & Resilience

This site was started during Summer 2010 as resource for the YMCA summer program. It is a collaboration between Marquette Area Public Schools and the Promising Futures program of the Lake Superior Community Partnership. It's focus is on Stress and Resiliency for students: Developing Social & Emotional Skills through multi-media Creation.
The project explored issues of Stress and Resilience that students face, then created videos and recordings using still and mini-video cameras, computers and audio files all about Stress and Resilience.

60+ Educational Uses for Livescribe Pulse Pens

This document is available through the Livescribe Blog at edlivescribe.com. The document is divided into sections for Student, Teacher, Administrative and Parental Uses. There's also an ESOL and ELL section. So many creative ideas for using this versatile tool! The website mentions significant savings for schools too - I've left a message to find out more, stay tuned...

Access the Google doc version through this post title

A wealth of information at Onion Mountain Technology

If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Judi Sweeney speak at a conference, you can still gain from her experience by checking out the Handout and Article Downloads section on her website. The Eye Movement handout is enlightening! There's even a great chocolate pudding cake recipe!

Interested in Blogs? Want to start a Blog for your classroom?

Edublogs has a new international directory of blogs divided into 14 categories. You can search blogs by subject area (history, social studies, mathematics etc) and connect with teacher, class and student blogs from all over the world. There's also a section on setting up your own blog and how to use blogs with students. Once you've created your own blog, why not add it to the edublog directory to increase exposure.

Interesting Articles: Role Playing Technology Based Games for Thinking and Learning, and others...

Click on this post title to see monthly Newsletter articles from Family Center on Technology and Disability. June 2010 - Revolutionary Evolution: Will Consumer Apps Replace Specialized AT? May 2010 - STEM Curricula in a Technology-Based UDL Framework: A Formula for Narrowing the Middle School Science/Math Achievement Gap? April 2010 - Epistemic Games: Role-Playing, Technology-Based Games for Real-World Thinking and Learning

Survey reveals gaps in school technology perceptions

Survey reveals gaps in school technology perceptions

Webinars from Closing the Gap

Check out these two upcoming webinars:
Editing Digital Video with Dan Herlihy
Thursday, July 22, 2010
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Central Daylight Time
The iPod touch and iPad as Assistive Technology
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Central Daylight Time
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Central Daylight Time