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!

Eyebridge, an app with human interaction for visually impaired!

An Eyebridge subscription provides live, on-demand, remote visual assistance to help blind or visually impaired individuals with navigating a crowded street, taking public transportation, object identification or written word interpretation. With a wifi connection and Bluetooth headset, a user connects to the service that automatically enables the rear facing camera on a smart phone for live video assistance anywhere in the world, 24/7!



INTRODUCTION TO EYEBRIDGE from EyeBridge on Vimeo.

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

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!

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.

North Dakota Interagency Program for AT Explains How to Turn an iPad into a High End Video Magnifier

The North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology Blog is always posting useful information, and this post is no exception.  This adaptation was created for under $90 and the Blog includes step by step instructions with photos.  Definitely adding this Blog to our list!

Upper Peninsula MACUL Conference in Houghton!

Mark your calendars for this year's U.P. MACUL conference on Friday, April 26th in Houghton! MACUL (Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning) has hosted a U.P. conference for many years - it's affordable ($49) and close to most of the Region. The Call for Speakers deadline is April 12th and registration closes April 19th. Topics include:

• Google Apps in Education
• 21 Things for Students
• The Great Things You can do with Google Chrome
• 20 Minute PD for Busy Teachers
• iTunesU - Learn Anything, Anywhere, Anytime

This is just a sampling - click the post title for more information. See you there!

ATIA Spring 2013 Webinars

There's some great topics coming up, in fact today's webinar is about new approaches for AT services by Denise DeCoste. Other upcoming sessions include:

• iPads: What are the Possibilities for the Visually Impaired and Blind, April 9
• What's New? Top Apps for Individuals with Autism, April 16
• Sharpen Your Social Media Skills, May 2
• Written Productivity Profile Updates, May 15
• iPad and Writing: Apps for Reluctant Writers and Graphomotor issues

More are listed on the ATIA website for Fall 2013. Webinars cost $39 for one hour, $49 for 1.5 hours per participant. CEU's are offered.

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!!

Free Webinars from AbleNet: Live AND Archived!

New webinars from AbleNet, plus view archived webinars for FREE!  Some of the topics are:

• Switch accessible visual scenes using the iPad
• Switch access to the iPad
• Using the TrackerPro with Predictable for Android (this session is also archived)

Plus check out all the archived webinars at AbleNet University.  There's several on assessing for switch use and switch placement.  Each webinar is 60 minutes and FREE!

Using an iPad to Help Struggling Readers - OT's with Apps

I ran across this very useful site while reading about using an iPad with struggling readers on LinkedIn.  On a side note, LinkedIn has become one of my favorite resources for learning about new products.  I'm a member of two groups on LinkedIn, Assistive Technology Professionals and K12 Assistive Technology Professionals, both have excellent conversations which is where I found out about OT's with Apps.  If you're looking for information on either iPad or Android apps to help with OT intervention, try this site!

Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

Scan this QR code if you want to sign up for Kathy Schrock's periodic newsletter, or click on the post title to be directed to a one-stop, amazing resource for, as Kathy puts it, "Everything"!  If you work with technology in the schools, you'll agree.  Here you'll find technology resources for

• Apps
• Assessments & Rubrics
• Authentic Learning
• Bloomin' Apps
• Concept Mapping
• Connecting your Classroom
• Creating Classroom Web Pages

Well, you get the idea!  Thanks to Jane S. in the Copper Country for sharing this incredible resource!  Be prepared to stay awhile.

August ATIA Webinars focus on Challenges of using Apps as AT

There are so many good options here that it was hard to pick which one to attend.  I'd really like to attend the one on August 14th on the Challenges to Using Apps as Assistive Technology but I may be on vacation. It looks like it will address a lot of the issues we're dealing with.  The post title links to all upcoming webinars.  Other topics include: Technology to Organize and Capture What You Learn and Emerging Professional Development Trends for Assistive Technology.

Certification in Mobile Device use in Education

Now there's a certification program to ensure that educators are prepared to effectively implement mobile devices like, iPads, with students with disabilities.  Courses start in August - some are free, most have a fee, and these may be eligible for CEU's.  The first two courses are free - they are:

• What's New with the IOS 5 Webinar August 29, 2012 (GMT -5)
  August 29, 2012 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm @ Central Time Zone USA- Free online webinar
• Fishing for Apps Webinar August 30, 2012(GMT -5)
  August 30, 2012 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm @ Central Time Zone USA- Free online webinar

The post title will re-direct to the Bridging Apps site.

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!

Complete Guide to Educational and Special Needs Apps

This guide lists apps by skill set, for example: aphasia, apraxia, auditory processing, behavior management, etc.  Over 300,000 apps have been reviewed to compile this guide!  The author, Dawn Villarreal, a parent that created One Place for Special Needs, also wrote a "How To" guide for choosing apps.  Check out How to pick great apps from a sea of mediocre ones.  This site also has lists of online resources, products, events, discussions and groups.  

New Scanning Keyboard App

A student start-up company, ASK Interfaces LLC @ U of M, has created an app and is looking for testers. They are hoping to release the android app before Christmas, and an iPad app in the future. It's a scanning keyboard that activates with any touch of the screen - no switches necessary.

Tobii's Sono Flex app gets high marks

It's been about a month since Tobii introduced their app for iDevices, Sono Flex, and it's been getting great reviews.  Released on October 7th, Sono Flex is one of the first apps developed by a communication device manufacturer.  I finally had a chance to try it today and found it to be extremely easy to customize.  It has over 50 pre-made context vocabularies, and customization is very user friendly.  It's available for PCs as well as dedicated speech devices running Tobii Communicator.

Windows 7 Tablet vs iPad

RJ Cooper has developed a system that's an alternative to the iPad for communication and switch users. It's simply a tablet PC with Windows 7, so any PC software can be installed and the entire device is switch accessible. Why choose Windows over an iPad? RJ has listed some valid considerations, here's an excerpt from his site:
1) If you're a switch user and want complete control over the device, the iPad simply won't allow total control by anything other than finger touch/swipe (or pointer that is 'electrified' as per my 'secret').
2) If you need joystick, or trackball, or head tracker, or eye control, or any other type of alternative input 'global' control (except for switch control *within* a switch-friendly app).
3) You don't want to mess with iTunes at all.
4) You must purchase programs (apps) by Purchase Order, not credit card.
5) You need access over the operating system and file system, menus, and other User Interace aspects.
6) If your user messes around with the Home button, thus exiting the app he/she is supposed to stay in.
7) If your user cannot slide the Slide To Unlock slider to get *into* their iPad (I make a nice training app for this called Slide 2 Unlock at the App Store.  If you're using my Bluetooth Switch Interface or Super-Switch, just clicking it will turn on your iPad and get past the Unlock screen :)
8) And most of all, your IT dept. simply doesn't want to deal with Apple or iPads.

Know any good apps?

We get asked this question almost daily.  There's a wealth of resources - blogs and websites you can find under the iDevice category here, or you can do your own searches.  How about having a great list in one place?  This post title links to the handouts from four MACUL iPad presentations on the MITS website.  First take a look at the handouts for choosing apps, App-Related Websites. Then check out the list of apps for Reading &Writing, Math & Science, and Communication & Visual Supports.

Of course, these lists aren't comprehensive, but a great place to start.  Remember, there's even apps to help you find other, related apps.  Check out Discovr for suggestions of apps similar to ones you like.

When you've had success with apps in education, please share your knowledge at Teacher Recommended iOS apps, a new project of MITS that seeks to match specific apps to learner challenges and content area.  Thanks to MITS and Peter Schaafsma for great iPad presentations.