TREATS
- Technology Resources
for Education's
Assistive Technology Solutions
Weekly
Resources for the Assistive Technology Service Provider Community
Compiled by
David Grapka (David@Trecenter.org)
Technology
Resources for Education (T.R.E.) Center TRECenter.org
------------------------------------
Note: Some links are
time-sensitive. Access to some may require registration or free
subscriptions.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Who
dares nothing, need hope for nothing.”
Friedrich von Schiller
UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING WEBSITES OF
THE WEEK:
· http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2005/03/01/05interview.h16.html
Interview: Chi Wiz Renée Heiss, a 20-year veteran teacher in New Jersey public
schools, helps balance classroom yin and yang. Source: EDUCAUSE
· http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/Article13169.phtml
Shifts in students’ learning style will prompt a shift to active construction
of knowledge through mediated immersion
· http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=60407831
Chief among the reform options is the development of "smaller learning
communities," a phrase used to encompass the growing number of autonomous
small schools as well as programs developed within larger high schools geared
toward individualizing the learning experience for students.
· http://www.benetech.org/resources/whitepapers.shtml#google
Benetech, a leader in accessible print materials,
posts a number of “white papers” on accessibility issues. Check out: Comments on Accessibility of Google Print and Google's
Library Project
· • The Potential of eBooks: Spreading Library Service Worldwide to
Disabled, Illiterate and Poor
Communities
· art and computersh Published: March 9, 2005 The Virtual Stage Arts
teachers are integrating computer software with traditional instruction in
dance, music, theater, and visual arts to spark students' creativity. By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
ACCESS
SOLUTIONS:
·
http://www.emicrophones.com/microphones/product_detail.asp?subcatID=1
a source for microphones for speech input programs.
·
http://www.accessiblebookcollection.org
Accessible Book Collection now has the capacity to allow users of their service
to design the formatting of their e-books through the use of our Stylesheet
Generator and by displaying our e-books
in Internet Explorer or Cast eReader. By using the Stylesheet Generator you can change the font, font size,
margins, background color, spacing between lines,
paragraphs, words, and letters. The look and feel of the text is now in the
hands of the users. (Joe Rickerson, Executive
Director, Accessible Book Collection)
·
http://office.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000637034457/
Identity Theft
is no Joke - Here’s Some Free Advice No doubt you've seen many
dire warnings about identity theft, as I have. But this item contains the most
useful advice I've seen in a post. Some practical, simple steps you can take to
dramatically reduce your losses. Read this, follow the advice, and make your
identity that much safer. Via McGee's Musings.
By Marc Orchant, theofficeweblog,
March 4, 2005
ADMINISTRATIVE “SYSTEMS CHANGE”
SOLUTIONS:
·
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5574
A new report from the Virginia-based
State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) finds that meeting
the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) will
become increasingly difficult should lawmakers agree to cut federal ed-tech
spending in line with the president's plan.
BILINGUAL SOLUTIONS:
·
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/17/technology/circuits/17basi.html?8cir&emc=cir
Language Anxiety? Try Immersion Therapy By THOMAS J.
FITZGERALD Published: March 17, 2005. TECHNOLOGY has not yet
produced an effortless way to learn another language, but it can lend a helping
hand. Advancements in multimedia and the growth of the Internet have led to an
assortment of language tools that can complement academic studies or enable
studying on your own schedule.
COMMUNICATION
SOLUTIONS:
·
http://cyranocommunicator.com/default.htm
Cyrano, an augmentative communication
pc, is a hand-held, portable software application designed to aid speech-impaired
individuals communicate through a series
of customizable images, text, and
sounds.
CONSULTING
SOLUTIONS:
·
free training in differentiated instruction free
training.
·
http://www.facilitator4hire.com
Facilitator4Hire offers a suite of facilitation skills training.
·
http://www.Tobe.net
She might check out our seminar on Dynamic
Facilitation. It's "advanced"
in a different direction than traditional facilitation.
·
http://www.schwarzassociates.com/training.htm.
·
http://www.yarbroughgroup.com/training.html
You might look into the widely benchmarked Masterful Facilitation program at the Yarbrough
Group. It is both highly effective and
enormously engaging.
JUST FOR FUN:
·
http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/Article13180.phtml
Internet 'university' That
Gave Cat A Diploma Is Fined Source: Star-Telegram. Two brothers who
ran a Dallas degree mill that awarded a master's degree to a cat were ordered
to pay more than $100,000 in fines this week, Texas Attorney General Greg
Abbott announced Thursday.
·
http://www.coloring.ws/t/patrick/patrick6.htm
& http://www.kidsdomain.com/games/patrick.html Try
these printable and interactive St. Patrick's Day games and activities. From LDOnline
NEW
DEVELOPMENTS:
·
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/automobiles/13AUTO.html?th
Can a Virus Hitch a Ride in Your Car? By TOM ZELLER
Jr. and NORMAN MAYERSOHN. Published:
March 13, 2005. VIRUS can wreak havoc on
computer files, hard drives and networks, but its malicious effects tend to be
measured in wasted time, lost sales and the occasional unfinished novel that
evaporates into the digital ozone. But what if viruses, worms or other forms of
malware penetrated the computers that control ever
more crucial functions in the car?
·
http://holzkontor.us/wood.php
Holzkontor is the result of several years of research in the field
of luxury design hardwood PC peripherals.
PARENT
SOLUTIONS: Summer camp program links:
·
http://www.kidscamps.com/special_needs/learning_disab_add.html
Kids Camps summer camps and program web sites
·
http://www.summercamp.org
The National Camp Association
·
http://www.campresource.com
Camp Resource
·
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/iep_kids.html
should kids go to their own IEP Meetings
TEACHING SOLUTIONS:
·
http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/Article13182.phtml
Source: Apple Computers. The Apple
Learning Interchange provides: Engaging lesson plans and classroom activities;
Innovative teaching strategies rich with technology; Opportunities for
professional development right from your desk; Virtual field trips that bring
the world to your classroom.
·
http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/Article13165.phtml
Lower-Literacy Users Lower-literacy
users exhibit very different reading behaviors than higher-literacy users: they
plow text rather than scan it, and they miss page elements due to a narrower
field of view. Source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox
TRANSITION
SOLUTIONS:
·
http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/transition/toolbox/home.html
Transition Tool Box has been added to
VESID’S Transition web pages. This section provides tools and resources such as
checklists, how-to guides, helpful hints and brochures, to assist students,
families, schools and community agencies in developing and implementing
effective transition planning and services. It will be updated as new items and
resources become available.
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
ABOUT TREATS:
*Please respond directly to the person
posting an item.
*To submit questions or items for
consideration, send it to david@TRECenter.org If you
know others who would like to receive T.R.E. AT Resources, please direct them
to: http://www.trecenter.org/treats.htm for subscription information. To
speak to a human about newsletter issues, please contact David Grapka at 518-464-6346 (toll free in NY 800-248-9873).
DISCLAIMER: T.R.E.A.T.S is published by
the T.R.E. Center, Capital Region BOCES. At times we may list dot. Com
companies in "T. R. E. A. T. Resources.
Mention of dot. Com companies and resources in this newsletter is not an
endorsement by the TRE Center or the New York State Education Department.
We take no responsibility for the accuracy of the postings except our own. All
contents of the postings are the responsibility of the posting party.
*Copyright 2004, T.R.E.A.T.S. Permission
must be granted to reprint any Item (other than your own posting).
Copyright note: Submission of an e-mail message or art work affirms that you
are able to and have given THE EDITORS non-exclusive permission to reprint the
content of your message in all forms, electronic or otherwise, in all languages
throughout the world.
Our archives serve many purposes for
you. First, they are a handy reference guide for clients and audiences
hungry for technology tips. Secondly, you have ready access to our
newsletter articles with permission to reprint. We hope that your access and
distribution of these reprints will encourage new subscribers and provide great
publicity for all the good work that you do. Third, we believe that our
archives represent a trecenter.org web site that is
"information-rich" that serves as a history of our site for potential
clients to review. Finally, our archives are living proof that
subscribers receive worthwhile information on a consistent basis.