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.

Center on Technology and Disability launches new site!

The Center on Technology and Disability just announced the launch of the CTD Institute website. The site has a pleasing layout with sections on professional development (Learning Center), a weekly moderated chat (Cafe') and searchable resources on assistive and instructional technology (Library). Registering for an account is easy and allows access to the chats and learning center events. I'm looking forward to exploring it further.

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.  

Seriously Shiny Chrome presented by Ron Houtman, Educational Technology Consultant, Kent ISD

Ron presented this session at Kent ISD's AssisTechKnow conference on October 9th. Check out these tips, apps and extensions like Readability, Cruxlight and SpeakIT.  

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.

Chrome Resources for Struggling Students

A big thank you to  Lynda S. Hartman, M.A., M.L.S., Assistive Technology Consultant for Northern Suburban Special Education District, Highland Park, Illinois.  Lynda has put together a Google Site dedicated to supporting struggling learners with Google Chrome.  Her categories include Accessibility, Reading Tasks, Writing Tasks and Executive Functioning Tasks.  New things are available in Chrome everyday, and will be added periodically.  Check out how Google Chrome can help you!

Chrome AT Toolbox

Google has many accessibility features built into the Chrome browser and many add-on Apps and Extensions.
What's the difference between an App and an Extension?  A web app is basically a website that runs within the browser and may not require any downloads.  Google Docs is an example of an app because it runs within the browser and doesn't require a download.  On the other hand, an extension affects something global on your browser.  Extensions are downloaded to modify your browser.
The Chrome Toolbox is a searchable collection of free or low cost apps and extensions that follow the user wherever there's an Internet connection.  The tools are attached to the user's profile and available when they're logged in to Chrome.  The collection focuses on alternative access and is searchable by specific task or disability profile.  Check it out!

mATch up Tool Helps Teachers Match Tools to Tasks

The Maryland Assistive Technology Network's mATch up Tool was mentioned during a webinar I attended today and the timing couldn't be better! This wonderful resource is perfect for IEP teams looking for tools during the AT consideration process. The categories are general but open to more specific tasks. Writing, for example, offers specific choices for Handwriting/Keyboarding, Prewriting/Notetaking, Mechanics/Spelling/Editing, and Composition. Choosing a task opens a list of products ranging from No/Low Tech to High Tech. Going a step further, you can choose a product to view a screen shot of it and where to purchase it. This is a great way for teams to build their knowledge about AT tools without doing a lot of research. Thank you Maryland AT Network for devising this great feature mATch up Tool!

Organize apps with Insignio

Thanks to a colleague in Region 1 for sharing this great new app tool!  Have you ever wished there was a way to collect apps you're interested in, make lists and notes about them, then share that information? Looks like Insignio fits the bill. It also connects you to app reviews by therapists and special education teachers.

The site was developed by a group of parents, therapists, teachers and doctors with the mission to "Bridge the gap between technology and people with disabilities". Simply create an online account and watch their short, informative videos to get started. This looks to be a very useful service!

Keyboarding! The Number One Top Post on Common Core & Ed Tech Blog

This week, the Common Core Educational Technology Blog wrote about their all time most popular posts and believe it or not, Keyboarding was the number one post!

Here's some of the most popular sites to support keyboarding:
Typing Web a free, online typing tutor and keyboarding tutorial for all skill levels.  By registering (free) students can track their progress using their proven curriculum.

Key Hero Typing Test No login required, but you can, and save work.

Dance Mat Typing, one of the most fun ways to learn for kids.

FreeTypingGame.net has games, lessons, tests and lessons can be customized.

There's several more listed on the Common Core & Ed Tech post that you can get to by clicking this post title, plus it's interesting to read the comments and hear what others are using. 

Free Webinars on Accessible PDFs and more!

I recently found ADA Online Learning while researching information on accessible websites.  Several teachers have asked how to make PDF files accessible and here's two training opportunities to learn more.  

September 19th: Creating Accessible PDFs Part 1: Building Accessibility into Source Documents 

Session Objectives include how to apply styles and structure to Word and PowerPoint documents and how to set up accessibility options in PDF converters, such as Adobe Acrobat

November 21st: Advanced Accessible PDF Part 2: Tables, Forms and More!

ADA Online Learning has a wealth of archived webinars on the topic of accessibility, including how to use the website accessibility evaluation tool, WAVE at wave.webaim.org.  

Free Upcoming Webinars from AbleNet University!

• Universal Design in Your Preschool Classroom: August 15th
• Getting Your Classroom Ready for Students with Autsim: August 28th
• QIAT (Quality Indicators for AT with school focus) A four part series of webinars begins Sept. 18th

All webinars are FREE with amazing presenters like Joy Zabala and Penny Reed!

AbleNet University also has an impressive list of recorded, on-demand sessions including:

• Establishing and Maintaining Supports for AT
• Matching AT Supports to Service Needs
• Overview of Coaching Skills to Support AT Use
• Switch Access for the iPad

This is just a partial listing.  Click here for more upcoming webinars, or to register.

Dasher - Zooming Text Entry Interface for Composing Written Information

This method of text entry may not be for everyone, but it certainly holds possibilities for those that have difficulty with a standard keyboard. Pointing to letters creates a zoom effect and the more you zoom in, the longer your piece of text will be. It's actually quite difficult to explain, so the post title will direct you to a YouTube video of the program in action.
This interface was designed for efficiency - probable pieces of text are given more space than improbable words, for example misspellings. The language model learns the way you write and remembers words you've used before. You can train it to your writing style by simply opening a document you've previously composed.
The Dasher project is supported by the Gatsby Foundation and by the European Commission in the context of the AEGIS project - open Accessibility Everywhere: Groundwork, Infrastructure, Standards). Dasher is free and can be downloaded here. http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/

Free AAC Photo Printables, and Much More!

Like British Columbia has SETBC (Special Education Technology BC), the United Kingdom has SENICT (Special Education Needs Information Communication Technology). And like SETBC, SENICT has put together a wealth of resources, many that are free. I just came across their general website of resources that anyone can submit entries to. In addition, they have a site for the SEN Teacher with tons of free printables, downloads and weblinks where you'll find free AAC Photo Cards, Math Activity Printables, Literacy Activities Printables and much more. What's better than FREE? We tried out the AAC Photo Cards and our Speech therapists had good reviews. Worth spending time at, but be warned, you could be there awhile!

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!

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.

Free Switch Accessible Activities to Play Online or Download

This is just one of the many categories of switch, mouse and touchscreen accessible activities you can download from Ian Bean's website. A while back I posted about Priory Woods, a school for children with special needs in the UK, and their free online switch activated videos. Well it turns out that Ian Bean, the fellow that wrote the Switch Progression Road Map (see earlier post) was a teacher and website developer there. He went on to work for Inclusive TLC and now provides training and consulting around the world. I've spent most of the morning on his Facebook page where Ian posts on a daily basis. You may also be interested in his free monthly newsletter.

Switch Progression Road Map - free download from Inclusive TLC

If you're working with a student that's using switches, this is a highly recommended read! The Switch Progression Road Map is a free download published by Inclusive TLC in 2011. Written by Ian Bean, this 60 page resource documents in detail every step of switch skills progression from cause & effect to confident scanning. I'm so glad I found it and can pass it along!

There's an app for that! But is it right for my student?

How many apps have you downloaded that you've only used once? An average of 26% of apps are only used once! With thousands of apps available for education alone, how can you sort through and find the right ones for your students? I just ran across this article that provides some great tips to help you decide if an app is appropriate before downloading or buying it. Besides the common sense tips like reading reviews and finding YouTube videos that show the app in action, here's some other thoughts to consider:

• Are additional in-app purchases necessary to make the app functional?
• Do advertising messages pop up during use?
• What privacy policies are connected to the app? Are you agreeing to share information with the developer?
• Before updating an app, check if the update is useful. Some updates remove important features that you may have depended on. 

There's plenty of sites that review apps and provide more on this topic. While writing this post I came across a Blog, Apps in Education, with a link to a Google doc that you can add to and re-share! It's a collaborative guide to what apps do what. Many thanks to all that have contributed!
 What apps do what ??? Collaborative classroom guide  - - -> PLEASE ADD YOUR IDEAS AND RE-SHARE!!