July 26 Inclusive Environment

July 26

In the News
Senate Includes Education Technology Funding as Critical Component of U.S. Competitiveness Agenda: http://www.cosn.org/about/press/071906.cfm

Teachers Get Tech-Savvy: http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=5383&CHID=2
"Rural Educators Migrate To JMU To Learn About New Technologies"

Textbook funds can't be used for laptops, AG says: http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=5383&CHID=2
This article is from Texas.

Lesson Plans

MarcoPoloNY: http://www.nyiteez.org/MarcoPoloNY/

Conservation lesson plans: http://www.greenwing.org/dueducator/lesson_plans.html

Detailed Elementary Curriculum Guide: http://www.ocup.org/units/phase1/ecu_project.pdf

Everything is Made of Something: http://www.mii.org/pdfs/study/StudyoftheEarth.pdf

Lesson Plans 4 Teachers: http://www.lessonplans4teachers.com/

One Computer Classroom: http://www.studyplans.com/onecomputer.htm

Penguins: http://www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/guides/pdf/penguin-k-3.pdf

Whales: http://www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/guides/pdf/whales-4-8.pdf

Informational Sites
ADHD and Giftedness: What Do We Really Know?: http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,23-26128,00.html

Autism: The Autism Connection: http://autism-connection.org/
A non profit web site dedicated to providing information and resources about Autism to the community.

Certificates for Teachers: http://www.certificates4teachers.com/

Cornerstones: http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/

Council for Exceptional Children: http://ideapractices.org/

Disabled Online Users Association: http://www.doua.org/index.html

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001): http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html

Gifted/LD: http://www.ldonline.org/article.php?id=0&loc=24
This page has links to several articles.

Gifted LD - Just the Facts: http://www.hopkins.k12.mn.us/pages/north/ld_research/gifted_ld.htm

GT World: http://gtworld.org/gtspeclist.html
GT World is an on-line support community for gifted and talented individuals and those who support and nurture them.

Hoagie's Gifted Education Page: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

Information About Deafblindness: http://www.deafblind.com/info-db.html#Braille%20displays

International Children's Digital Library: http://www.childrenslibrary.org/
Here you will find the texts of over 250 children's books from all over the world. Some are in English and the rest in a wide variety of languages from Spanish to Chinese. There are also bilingual — English plus another language — texts. Users can search the texts, which range from early primary to middle school grades, by category, title, author or place in the world.

ixquick: http://www.ixquick.com/
This is a search engine you might like to try.

John Hopkins Center for Technology in Education: http://cte.jhu.edu/aboutus_overview.html

Kart00: http://www.kartoo.com/flash04.php3
This is a search engine that gives results in a graphic format.

Microsoft Accessibility: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility
Microsoft Accessibility Tutorials: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/default.aspx

Neuroscience For Kids: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

OnScreen: http://www.imgpresents.com/onscreen/onscreen.htm
This is an onscreen keyboard but also uses word prediction. There is a free demo available by filling out the registration.

Parents of Gifted Learning Disabled Children: http://www.geocities.com/athens/1105/gtld.html
"The goals of our nationwide non-profit organization include supporting parents, students, and educators as well as spreading information to increase the awareness of GT/LD individuals."

The Resource Room - Free-Sprited, Structured Multisensory Learning: http://www.resourceroom.net/index.asp
Resources for people who learn differently, or have learning difficulties or learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia.

Rubrics for Teachers: http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/

Technology and Media Division Of The Council for Exceptional Children: http://www.tamcec.org/index.htm

Twice Exceptional Newsletter: http://www.2enewsletter.com/
There is a subscription cost to receive the newsletter, but a free sample is available at the site.

Twice Gifted Website: http://www.twicegifted.net/ld.htm

Universal Design for Learning - supported with Assistive Technology: http://homepage.mac.com/seilts/udl_at/index.html

WiViK® on-screen keyboard (virtual keyboard) software: http://www.wivik.com/

Wordweb: http://wordweb.info/free/
You can look up parts of things such as all the parts of a wall etc...just by typing the word...so for the word "wall" you get everything from dado to wainscot...plus definitions, synonyms, types (abdominal wall), part of (fortification), etc.

Scenarios
DeafDigest presents two scenarios -
Scenario 1 - a hearing person and his company are dining at a fancy restaurant, and he whips out is credit card to pay for the dining check. The credit card company blocks it. Angry, the hearing man whips out his cell phone and discusses the problem with the credit card customer service representative and gets his credit cleared in few seconds. And the check gets paid, amid some embarrassment.
Scenario 2 - a deaf man and his company are dining at a fancy restaurant and the same thing happens. What if he does not have a TTY pager with him to contact the credit card company via relay service, or what if the customer service person refuses to accept a relay call?
Discrimination? Very definitely so. And the credit card companies, more paranoid than ever, have been blocking charges even if the person involved has been prompt each month with payments.

This is a true story published in DeafDigest. It took place in a football game many years ago. A deaf football coach was using signs to convey plays with his deaf quarterback. The referee came to the deaf coach and ordered him to stop using signs. Crazy referee? Yes, but the coach circumvented it by "communicating" with his assistant coach on the sidelines. The deaf quarterback "eavesdropped" on the conversation to get the play signals. The referee came to the deaf coach and ordered him to cease and desist. The coach replied "you cannot tell me to stop communicating with my coaching staff." The referee relented. And the deaf team won the game.

Materials
AAC Connections http://www.aacconnections.com/
Technologies for individuals with speech impairments

Accessible Book Collection: http://www.accessiblebookcollection.org/

ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG): http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

Assistive Mouse Adapter: http://www.montrosesecam.com/Products.html
For people with hand tremors, pointing and clicking a computer mouse can be one of life's most exaperating challenges. the Assistive Mouse Adapter uses technology like that in camcorders to filter out shakes and jitters from a user's hand.

assistivetech.net: http://www.assistivetech.net/index.cfm
This site is a resource for assistive technology (AT) and a link to a wide variety of AT and disability-related information. Their searchable database of AT is designed to help you target solutions, determine costs and link to vendors that sell products.

Autism clues tracked - UNC-CH scientists aspire to lead in search for causes: http://newsobserver.com/news/story/3420326p-3040680c.html
The federal government is pouring big dollars into ambitious students about autism, and scientists are devising new tools to hunt down causes and care.

Barrier Free Education: http://barrier-free.arch.gatech.edu/
Barrier Free Education is a resource site helping students with disabilities gain access to math and science education. The text and links at this site are intended to inform and assist students with disabilities, parents, and teachers.

Bookshare.org offers 17,000 royalty-free texts: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5057
For special-education teachers, providing required reading for blind and learning-disabled students is a significant challenge. Now, thanks to the aid of Bookshare.org, a non-profit digital book service based in Palo Alto, Calif., educators have access to a library of thousands of titles they can download and reproduce for use on screen readers or as MP3 files.

Classroom Sound-Field Amplification Systems: http://www.hear-more.com/classamplification.htm

Click and Type Virtual Keyboard: http://www.lakefolks.org/cnt/
"Click-N-Type is an on-screen virtual keyboard designed for anyone with a disability that prevents him or her from typing on a physical computer keyboard. As long as the person can control a mouse, trackball or other pointing device, he or she can send keystrokes to virtually any Windows application or DOS application that can run within a window." And it is free!

District Technology Planning for All Students: Helping to Meet the IDEA '97 Mandate: http://www2.edc.org/LNT/news/Issue9/feature1.htm
"School districts today are faced with multiple needs generated by standards-based reform, the implementation of technology, and the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Through the collaboration of general and special education in its technology planning, Concord, New Hampshire has worked to align those efforts."

Dr. Mac's Amazing Behavioral Management Advice Site: http://www.behavioradvisor.com/
This is a good site for information and a place you can ask questions regarding Behavioral Disorders.

Drake Music Project: http://www.drakemusicproject.com/makepage.asp?cpageid=1
" The Drake Music Project is a UK-based, nationally represented, arts charity working with disabled people. We were the first (being founded in 1988) and are still the only UK charity working in the fields of disability, music and technology.
We passionately believe that everyone should have the opportunity to share the joy of music-making."

DynaVox: http://www.dynavoxsys.com/

EARS for EYES Program: http://www.earsforeyes.org/
This program provides, free of charge, audio cassette lesson tapes that teach adaptive daily living skills to the vision impaired and their caregivers.

Enabling Devices: http://www.enablingdevices.com/

Freedom Scientific Learning System Group: http://www.freedomscientific.com/lsg/

The Geometer's Sketchpad: http://www.keypress.com/sketchpad/index.php
60 day free evaluation can be downloaded.

Guide to Wheelchairs and Assistive Technology: USA TechGuide: http://www.usatechguide.org/
"A Web Guide to wheelchair and assistive technology choices, wheelchair views and reviews, and related information and articles. Promoting user involvement in the selection of appropriate assistive technology."

Helping Helpers Brochure: http://www.ldonline.org/helpinghelpers/pdf/brochure.pdf
"For many children, the most rewarding part of the week is the time spent in after-school programs, clubs, and activities. Volunteers play an essential role in making sure each child has a great experience. The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation has provided us with a generous grant to help volunteers work with and relate to children in their groups who may have a Learning Disability (LD) or Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We have put together a free brochure and companion section on LD OnLine with some basic strategies volunteers, mentors, or teachers can use to make the time they spend with all children more rewarding."

IEP4u Objectives: http://www.iep4u.com/

IntelliTools: http://www.intellitools.com/
Demo's at: http://www.intellitools.com/Demo/index.php
Many people have used IntelliTools Classroom Suite to author books. The program allows you to import pictures, record your own sounds or student voices, add animation, allow students to draw and create and is accessible to all users. In addition, it can be non-linear, which opens the door to a choose your own adventure book as well. Visit the IntelliTools website at www.intellitools.com and view the Activity Exchange for many free samples.
IntelliTools Reading: Balanced Literacy: http://www.intellitools.com/Products/BalancedLiteracy/home.php
This is a K-1st grade level Literacy program that provides a comprehensive, school year long support for students learning to read. It uses an onset rime approach to phonics, as well as other activities that are based in Pat Cunningham's work on the 4 Block Model.

Judy Lynne Software, Inc: http://www.judylynn.com/prog_win.htm

Knowbility: http://knowbility.org/index.jsp
Accessible technology to support the independence of people with disabilities

Law, Health Policy and Disabilities Center: http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/

Math Pad: http://www.infouse.com/mathpad_public/
Math Pad enables students to do math scratch work on the computer. It also helps students who cannot
otherwise line up the math problems (because of perceptual issues) do it on the computer. Students with mild physical issues use Math Pad as a way to help conceptualize borrowing and carrying. The fact that it can be seen on the computer(with the highlighting functions for where to regroup) helps.
Math Pad can also be used as a teacher tool. Type in the math problems and then print them out as an accessible worksheet. For some students that has been helpful, especially for visually impaired students. The workshee can be type out and then enlarged on the photcopier.
Math Pad Plus is the fractions and decimals program.
With this version, Word problems can be typed and they will be read aloud. It also enables higher level math to be done on the computer. It enables fraction manipulatives to be used on the comptuer. This is helpful for kids who cannot do that with real manipulatives.

Media Access Generator (MAGpie): http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie/
"Developers of Web- and CD-ROM-based multimedia need an authoring tool for making their materials accessible to persons with disabilities. The CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) has developed two such tools, version 1.0 and 2.01 of the Media Access Generator (MAGpie), for creating captions and audio descriptions for rich media."

Minomech Enterprises: http://www.minomech.com/
“Mind over Machine,” Access to High Technology for Individuals with Special Needs

Modification Checklist: http://www.createdbyteachers.com/modchecklist.html
from CreatedbyTeachers to help with IEPs

NaturalReaders: http://www.naturalreaders.com/
The the free version of Natural Reader will highlight each word as it reads it.
Note: The site says,"If you have installed AT&T Natural Voices in your computer system, the program will not be functional."

NextUp.com: http://www.nextup.com/
NextUp Talker 1.0 is an Assistive Technology product specifically designed for people who have temporarily or permanently lost their voices. With the range of natural, human-sounding voices available from NextUp.com, as well as a host of quick and convenient shortcuts for conversational, commonly-used sentences and phrases, NextUp Talker allows users to easily communicate with others despite vocal impairments, using Windows-based Desktop, Laptop or Tablet PCs. You can download a free 30 Day Trial version of NextUp Talker at: http://www.talkforme.com/downloads.html

Pager/call bell/buzzer - type products available for persons with progressive degenerative disorder and no intelligible speech for a "calling" device that would require relatively light touch and little strength. Each is wireless and equipped with a switch jack so you can plug in any kind of switch if the built-in switch is inaccessible to a given user.
o Adaptivation’s Personal Pager: http://www.adaptivation.com/
o Enabling Devices’ "Personal Pager": http://enablingdevices.com/viewproduct.aspx?id=630&session=adult
o Enabling Devices' "Handy Call Chime” http://enablingdevices.com/viewproduct.aspx?id=199&session=adult

Researchers hail dyslexia breakthrough: http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,9865,1220980,00.html
Researchers at Exeter University have been studying a new treatment for individuals with dyslexia which includes balance and motor-strengthening activities. This technique is based on the theory that the cerebellum is partly responsible for making reading and writing an automatic process.

Special Connections: http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/index.php
This is a website designed for all educators to use to help all students access the general education curriculum.

Talking E-mail: http://www.4developers.com/talkmail/
14 day free trial

Talking Signs: http://www.talkingsigns.com/
Talking Signs® technology is an infrared wireless communications system that provides remote directional human voice messages that make confident, independent travel possible for vision impaired and print-handicapped individuals.

Teach-nology: http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/iep/

TextAloud: http://www.voicefactor.com/productVFB.htm
TextAloud uses AT&T: http://caruso.naturalvoices.com/demos/ and NeoSpeech voices: http://www.nextup.com/neospeech.html. You can open a file in their window and have the words highlighted as TextAloud reads. You can set the text size, color and the highlight color. The cost is $29 for TextAloud program and $25 for the AT&T voices. They also have a proof read feature. You highlight a paragraph in your document and press a hotkey. A textbox pops up and reads and highlights the words. You can also have the highlighting work so it shows the read word in a different color. This way the word is not masked by a overlapping color.

Training and Techical Assistance Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA: http://kihd.gmu.edu/ttac/index.htm

Uniquely Gifted: http://www.uniquelygifted.org/
The site includes annotated lists of resources in many areas -- specific special needs, Special
Education law, IEPs, support groups and much more.

Wireless pagers assist the deaf: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3607030/
Wireless pagers like the BlackBerry and the T-Mobile SideKick are helping the deaf enhance their communication abilities.

Writers: http://www.keyboardinstructor.com/ecm/Home.html
Writers are similar to the Alphasmarts but these keyboards transfer kids writing via IR to the computer, have built in thesaurus that really builds vocabulary, spell check, built in writing prompts, etc. and are less than $200 a unit.

Assignment:
1. Demonstrate how one set of materials provides access and which of its features are universally designed. Compare and contrast this with how AT would be used to provide access.
2. Prepare a presentation to discuss how a school could improve access by adding universally designed instruction for one grade level/topic area.
a. Identify features of the materials used that appear to be consistent and features that are inconsistent with UDL. Describe how these materials might be changed to be universally designed.
b. Discuss how the school could deliver universally designed instruction in this area to improve access and promote progress in the curriculum.

This site began in March 1998 and was created by Janet Luch. It was last updated on July 27, 2006
Email to studyplans@yahoo.com.