And Twitter!

Other News & Events:

Writing Toolkits are now in place in all elementary schools. Executive function toolkits are being developed and will be rolled out later this year.
Ann and I will be attending the ATIA conference this January. We’ve always come away with great ideas and resources, and we’ll be sharing them with you. We’ll also be tweeting from the conference, so join our twitter feed!

AT teams have started in the elementary schools. Izel Obermeyer, from WIHD, will be joining us for professional development opportunities.

We’ve expanded our license for Clicker6 and will be installing it in more classrooms this year. Look for demoes, lunch ‘n learns, and workshops.

This is our inaugural newsletter! What do you think? What do you want to see in future newsletters?Let us know!

New Software for Reading

We are pleased to offer you two programs for home use as part of our effort to support all students’ reading and writing. Both programs run on PCs and Macs.

The SOLO Literacy Suite 6 is a collection of four programs. It includes a text reader, graphic organizer, talking word processor, and word prediction program. The programs are on all computers in the district. These programs are both simple and powerful. They can be used the way they are or be customized to meet your student’s particular needs.

Snap&Read is our newest addition – an accessible text reader that can read any text on-screen as it floats over your desktop area. The simple one-button interface reads all types of text – from Flash websites, Word docs, PDFs, web-based tests, and images.

Parents, staff, and students can request a copy of either program for home use at: http://ww3.mamkschools.org/at. Click on the “Request Software” link.

Appy Hour is Coming

Do you have an iPad/iPod/iPhone or other app-based smartphone? Do you wonder how you could take advantage of the world of apps to support learning? There are hundreds of thousands of incredible apps, many free or low-cost. But how can we decide which of them are the must-have apps?

Please join us for an Appy Hour  on November 14, at 7:30 PM in the high school tiered classroom. The hosts will be Andrew Hess, assistive technology specialist, and Ann Rushe, speech/language therapist and augmentative/alternative communication specialist. They will demonstrate apps that cover a wide range of student needs and learning goals. We will also leave time for you to share your  must-have apps. The classroom is wifi-equipped, so bring your own device and you’ll be able to download and begin using these apps right away.

The Livescribe pen syncs your writing with audio. Tap with the pen on a part of your writing and listen to what was recorded when you wrote it. Initially intended for note taking in college classes, teachers have been devising new uses for the pen. One new use is that teachers can record into the pen and students can listen to the recording as they read selections. The pictures on the right, from Rachel Morse’s class at Chatsworth, shows a reading selection with “audio dots” next to each paragraph. The two students are sharing ear buds as they tap on each dot to hear the paragraph read. With the pen, books can become audio books, activities can be supported with audio on demand, and student projects can be annotated with the student’s own words.

Download this K-12 Idea Book to learn more!