TREATS - Technology Resources for Education's

Assistive Technology Solutions

 

Weekly Resources for the Assistive Technology Service Provider Community

 

Volume 6, Issue #9 for Week of 2/28/05

Compiled by David Grapka (mailto:David@Trecenter.org)

 

Technology Resources for Education (T.R.E.) Center TRECenter.org

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Note: Some links are time-sensitive.  Access to some may require registration or free subscriptions.

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Our goal is not so much the imparting of knowledge as the unveiling and developing of spiritual energy.”  Maria Montessori

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

·    http://www.systemschange.syr.edu The 10th conference on Inclusive Schools and Communities for Children and Youth seeks proposals for presentations.  If you or a colleague would like to present at the conference, please post a proposal on the website to be considered and potentially entered in the conference program.

 

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING WEBSITES OF THE WEEK:  

·    http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2005/02/20/magazine/20IDEA.html&tntemail1 February 20, 2005.  The Therapeutic Mind Scan By PAUL RAEBURN (NYT) How looking at a patient's brain might improve the diagnosis of psychiatric ailments. Brain-scanning technology has already helped researchers identify abnormalities in the lobes of people with A.D.H.D., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychiatric ailments. Studies also suggest that it's possible to track physical changes resulting from the use of psychotherapy or medication. If scanners could uncover the signs of distinct mental illnesses in the soft folds of the brain, the way X-rays can reveal a tumor, and monitor treatment effectiveness, they would revolutionize psychiatry.

·    www.recordedbooks.com. This site claims that this year, over 3,000 more schools are improving reading skills with research-proved and teacher-tested “Recorded Books that accelerate gains in fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.

 

ACCESS SOLUTIONS:

·    http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/Download.mspx This free program, Intellipoint, allows you to program the functionality of your mouse buttons. (from Tracy Schraven).

 

ADMINISTRATIVE “SYSTEMS CHANGE” SOLUTIONS:

·    http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/tech_suite/  If you find yourself responsible for making good decisions about selecting, acquiring, implementing, maintaining, and securing technology in your education organization, this resource has been developed for you.

·    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/education/24child.html?th Report Faults Bush Initiative on Education. By SAM DILLON. Published: February 24, 2005

·    http://www.thegateway.org/ The Gateway to Educational Materials Consortium provides educators with quick and easy access to thousands of educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial Internet sites.

·    http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/articles/technolo.html NYSED’S Office of Curriculum and Instruction: Guidelines for Instructional Technology Planning and Application

·    http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/rd/ntpg.asp Network Technology Planning Guide (NTPG) provides the framework for technical aspects of the network while allowing vast flexibility to individual sites as to how they will use the tools of the network once they become available.

·    http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/guidewww/gqhome.htm Resources for Guiding Questions for Technology Planning  Resources for Guiding Questions for Technology Planning  How is your vision linked to and/or supportive of other programs?

CONSULTING SOLUTIONS:

·    http://www.infone.com Infone: More than directory assistance! Provides an incredible level of concierge-type services in addition to traditional directory assistance. (from Dick Larkin)

·    http://www.explore-sbi.com This site allows you to build your own Web site, even if you know nothing about Web sites, HTML code, or anything else.

 

DEPARTMENT SOLUTIONS:

·    National NCLB Report New Release: National NCLB Report. A new report released yesterday by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) called for numerous changes to give states more flexibility in the No Child Left Behind Act.  "ECS Report to the Nation: State Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act" pointed to five issues that "need immediate attention and consideration":

·    Order the ECS report: http://www.ecs.org/html/publications/BrowsePublications.asp?issueNum=195

·    RESOURCES http://www.ecs.org/html/Special/NCLB/ReportToTheNation/docs/Resources.pdf

 

FUNDING SOLUTIONS:

·    http://www.schoolgrants.org/  A resource from which others here might be able to benefit...

 

PARENT SOLUTIONS:

  • http://www.jimabbott.info If you are working with a child with a hand challenge, Jim Abbott, the famous one handed professional pitcher has put up a personal message to parents, and links to sports disabilities sites.  It is a nice reference to keep handy when you find a parent or child who needs some motivation. (Lilly Walters Schermerhorn)

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

  • http://members.aol.com/srousell/sim-dis/index.htm This site contains a collection of computer based artifacts that simulate aspects of disability. It is intended that the simulations will be used for training and awareness raising activities with staff and for teaching students in areas where an understanding of disability is required.

 

READING SOLUTIONS:

  • http://www.fcrr.org/FCRRReports/allreports.asp This website has a listing of reading programs and other reading related articles that should provide you with what you are looking for... The site was compiled by Florida Reading First and listed as a resource on the NYSED reading first web site. (From  Dana Retherford)

 

RESEARCH SOLUTIONS:

·    http://www.searchwordpro.com This is a shortcut for searching the web, created by Paul Krupin, a researcher for the Department of Energy.  IT’s worth the 17.95 annual fee to have this kind of power at your fingertips.

 

VENDOR PARTNER WEBSITES AND NEWS:

*         http://www.accessiblebookcollection.org              Accessible Books

 

*         http://www.aacconnections.com                              AAC connections

 

*          http://www.ablenetinc.com                                     Ablenet

 

*          http://www.alphasmart.com                                    Alphasmart

 

*        http://www.closingthegap.com                                  Closing The Gap

 

*        http://www.colligo.us                                                 Reading: Access and Comprehension

 

*        http://www.cricksoft.com                                         Crick Software

 

*        http://www.ea-software.com                                    Educational Activities Software

 

*        http://www.enkidu.net                                               Enkidu joins Dynavox

 

*          http://www.greatleaps.com                                     Great Leaps Reading 

 

*        http://www.infogrip.com                                           Home of the “BIGtrack”

 

*        http://www.inspiration.com                                       Inspiration

 

*        http://www.intellitools.com                                       IntelliTools, Inc.

 

*          http://www.kurzweiledu.com/products_k3000win_demo.asp

 

*        http://www.laureatelearning.com                             Laureate Learning Systems

 

*          http://www.magictouch.com                                    The Leader in Touchscreen Technology

 

*          http://www.madentec.com                                      Madentec

 

*        http://www.nasdse.com                                             RIATT at NASDSE

 

*        http://www.rjcooper.com/2+2                                  R. J. Cooper

 

*        http://www.sunburst-store.com                               Sunburst Software

 

*        http://www.texthelp.com                                          Makers of Read and Write Gold

 

*        http://words-plus.com                                               Words Plus

 

Please forward T.R.E.A.T.S. to your friends and colleagues who want to learn Assistive Technology Issues and Solutions. Thanks!

 

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

 

This weekly email newsletter is free and provides information useful to the community of people interested in the use of technology as a tool to help all students.  If you have information to share that would be of value to members of our learning community, including job notices, please write and let us know. We'll be happy to share it here or at our web site. Contact, reprint, and subscription information is at the end of this document.

 

As always, thank you for your interest in the TRE Center and our work.  We look forward to having you share your wisdom with the people on this list and with those you serve.

 

Sincerely,

 

David Grapka, ATP, ATS,

Project Coordinator, T.R.E. Center

NASDSE Certified Assistive Technology Specialist,

RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Practitioner

Maywood School, 1979 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12205

Phone: 518-464-6346

Fax: 518-464-6353  

Toll free in NY: 1-800-248-9873.  URL: www.trecenter.org

 

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