Assistive Technology Thoughts

Well I just finished all my assignments on Assistive Technology. I had no idea that the Imac and Windows had so many free tools for those who need special assistance. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had a student who brought in his own equipment. Quite honestly I think most of what he had was already available if you just search out all of the helpful tools. I think the iMac is far ahead of Windows in what they offer. They have incredible tools to convert and speak or text information for users who have problems in these fields. Why spend thousands of dollars on equipment if most of what you need is free and available? Some of the gizmos they had available when I researched products for my PowerPoint assignment were extremely expensive. If I get any other special needs students who fit this criteria I will look for ways to help them in the classroom....for free.

Assistive Technology...Making a difference to that Child

I remember reading the story of the starfish. For those who aren't familiar I have posted the story below (thanks to starrbrite.com).

The Starfish StoryOriginal Story by: Loren Eisley

 One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, What are you doing?

The youth replied, Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die.

Son, the man said, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said
I made a difference for that one.

I think this reflects my views of what assistive technology does for students with specific needs. It makes an incredible difference to that one child as they are introduced to a piece of technology aimed at helping them achieve an equal footing in the classroom. After studying video and reading about this alternative for students, who traditionally had been held back, the future looks bright in many ways. One area of concern is the reality of funding for expensive pieces of equipment. With budget cuts and people struggling with staying afloat in life, how are schools and families going to be able to overcome the cost of these machines? As a teacher at a shelter I have had one instance of witnessing how assistive technology  makes a difference to a student. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a young man who was legally blind enter our shelter. With him came a computer with special attachments. When I assigned students to complete a Powerpoint, he was able to use the  devices to zoom in and develop his own presentation. The other students all wanted to work with him because they were fascinated by how the device brought everything to a large view. This was much more than a mere magnifying glass. He had tools of all types to focus and adjust as he needed to. I pray that we will be able to afford machinery for each child (or adult) in need of assistance in the classroom.

Thanks to our friends at Factmonster.com for the educational and entertaining way our US coins are made. I just ordered my annealing furnace from Amazon :).

How Coins Are Made

Source: The U.S. Mint

Step 1: Blanking	The U.S. Mint buys strips of metal about 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long to manufacture the nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar, and dollar. The strips come rolled in a coil. Each coil is fed through a blanking press, which punches out round discs called blanks. The leftover strip, called webbing, is shredded and recycled. (To manufacture the cent, the Mint buys ready-made blanks after supplying fabricators with copper and zinc.)
Step 2: Annealing, Washing and Drying	The blanks are heated in an annealing furnace to soften them. Then, they are run through a washer and dryer.
Step 3: Riddling	The shiny blanks are sorted on a “riddler” to screen out any that are the wrong size or shape.
Step 4: Upsetting	Next, the good blanks go through an upsetting mill. This raises a rim around their edges.
Step 5: Striking	Finally, the blanks go to the coining press. Here, they are stamped with the designs and inscriptions, which make them genuine United States coins.
Step 6: Inspecting	A press operator uses a magnifying glass to spot-check each batch of new coins. Then all the coins go through a coin sizer to remove any misshapen or dented ones.
Step 7: Counting and Bagging	An automatic counting machine counts the coins and drops them into large canvas bags. The bags are sewn shut, loaded on pallets, and taken by forklifts to be stored in vaults. New coins are shipped by truck to Federal Reserve Banks. From there, the coins go to your local bank!

What I Know About Assistive Technology

I haven't done any research on this yet but I believe assistive technology relates to students with special needs. I have encountered this in my classroom. I had a legally blind student for awhile and he had a special tool to help him magnify the screen for him. This was a way to help equalize the field for him to do projects just like anyone else. I have seen many professionals who are paralyzed and many use assistive technology to help them communicate, live, and lead professional lives. This is what I think assistive technology is.

Yo, Yo, Yo, Check out Flocabulary

Here is a great site to connect students with their current music likes and learning. Flocabulary.com is a lot of fun for students and mixes rapping with education. As I write this I am still singing the last tune I listened to about multiplying by 7. As teachers we need to take the standard learning and somehow bring it to a level that will get kids excited about learning. If I have the students sing old songs they might enjoy it but if I have them sing along to raps they will be much more aware and walk away with more understanding. The site covers six different areas with each one have numerous sub groups and sub, sub groups. The most obvious one is math. It covers multiplication, division, subtraction, and addition. The science section has a number of fun songs to help students learn. Social studies, language arts, vocabulary and even the week in rap are covered in this fun learning tool. You really need to try this in your classroom and I believe you will get students much more involved and excited about learning.

Internet4Classrooms is Da BOMB!

Okay so I have been reviewing a number of websites during the last few months. I have come across many incredible sites to help teachers and students in the goal of learning, but I was absolutely blown away by Internet4Classrooms.com. If you want resources at your fingertips PLEASE check this website out. I was in discovery mode for about a half hour and I still haven't come close to uncovering all the gems this site offers. To start off with they offer the brain teaser and question of the day to use. I thought this would be one problem or question but it goes much further than that. The brain teasers section provides numerous links to come up with unique ideas regarding brain activities. The question of the day can be customized to a subject or area you want. Many links are ready to take you a fun question you can use in your class. The SAT/ACT section allows anyone to practice a particular area of need. I love how the standards are available to browse through and links are available for lessons tied directly to that standard. WOW, what a great tool this is. Countless links are ready to hook a teacher up with informative and unique ideas about teaching students needed areas. But wait, how much would you pay now? The tech tools tab is filled with tremendous helps on Excel, PPT, numerous applications, and an unbelievable amount of 2.0 tools. This includes bogging, podcasts, video, and so much more. All this and I think I have barely scratched the surface. Please do yourself a favor and check this website out when you get a chance.

Check Out ChartGo!

Need a chart quickly? You could pull up Excel and spend time creating a chart...or you could go to ChartGo.com and quickly create a customized chart by simply selecting what chart you want and clicking a few buttons to customize the style. I spent a few minutes on the site and in about 2 minutes created a lovely chart. With a few more clicks I was able to enhance it even more. For the student on the go, this is an excellent tool to help students complete a chart quickly. As a teacher I might want to show this to my students. Unless the lesson is for the student to learn how to work in Excel, I would recommend using this website to my students. As a working professional going to school I appreciate tools to help me complete work efficiently. Check it out when you get the opportunity.

My Voki

Hey-Ho, Hey-Ho, Let's All Go To ChartGo!

Hey-ho, I just spent some time on ChartGo.com and want to share my thoughts about this educational site. On this site you can create a basic chart in a matter of seconds. You choose the settings and then enter data. With the click of a mouse you now have a colorful chart. I liked how easy it is to create a title or label for each part. The introductory video could be enhanced more to help a new user. I had to spend time analyzing what each area represented but once I found my way around the site I think it would be very helpful to students who do not want to spend the time in excel creating a chart that can be duplicated in 1/4 of the time. Check it out when you get some time! Hey-Ho I'm out of here.

CNN Student News Review

Hey, when you get a chance check out http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/. What a cool way to introduce current events and increase student interest in learning what is happening around the world. The site has a 10 minute feature each day for students to view. It is available on a podcast so students can view it anytime after. The site also has tools to help teachers create lessons or current events. Students can sign up to receive emails daily. One really neat feature is where students can report on local news events and send it to CNN for possible additions to air. What a great way to generate interest. Students can sound off about stories and chat. Transcripts and maps are also available. A section is ready for possible careers related to the news site. This is a must for any teacher to consider. Check it out!

The Answer is...JeopardyLabs.com

I flashback to Bill Murray in Groundhog Day joining the bed and breakfast guests as they watch Jeopardy. He answers all questions because of course he has lived it over and over. This website lets you create personalized Jeopardy games. I started to join but it required money and I am a poor college student so I declined. I did check out the already created games and there are many to choose from. I went through some of them and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Not so much because they were asking me to pay but because I am not entirely impressed by the layout. Here is the deal, I have a PowerPoint template that I love to use. When a question is chosen and the viewers go back to the big board, you can see the question is off the board. On this format after a question you go back and all the questions look the same. Another disappointing part of this is the lack of the addicting Jeopardy game music. I also wish they had a place to keep score (at least I could not figure out a way to add a score on the site). All in all it is a fine site for many, I am sure, but I prefer using my PowerPoint template. What are your thoughts?

Checking Out Brainflips

I checked out the website brainflips.com today. This is an interesting site aimed at helping students or teachers create flashcards for fun or learning. It really looked awesome so I subscribed to the website. For the most part the user has two options: create a deck for yourself or check out (and join) other groups or individuals who have already created decks to use. Here is the skinny-I had trouble creating my own deck. I was confused on what to do. I finally figured out the process and realized I should have my questions and answers already determined before beginning. The group section was awesome and I saw many decks that would be very applicable in my classroom. I am going to benefit by having this website for future parts of lessons or to help students study for topics. I just have to get used to how to develop my own decks. The website also has other options to help people with memorization and brain activities. Check it out and tell me what you think of it.

Thinkfinity for an infinite number of lesson possibilities

Today I spent some time on the website thinkfinity.org. I signed up for free membership and then set off on an online exploration. What a tremendous tool for a teacher to have at his or her fingertips. The first thing that caught my eye was the search function to help narrow the seemingly endless amount of information. I typed in The Civil War and came up with 238 options. What I really liked was the opportunity to refine my search. With a few more selections I narrowed it down to 38 well developed lessons. This will be extremely helpful for lessons about specific themes. I can easily select a specific subject for a particular age group or I can see what is popular for others right now. The interactive student section is a tremendous tool to engage students in learning. I went back in time and and was able to experience being in Harlem with a few mouse clicks. So many adventures await you in this section. The site has so many aids for educators. I look forward to exploring more and implementing some of the lessons into my classroom. I'll keep you up to date as I discover more options. PS-don't forget to check out the professional development section.

Read/Write/Think.org Review

Hello again, I have another review today of an awesome website for students. The website is readwritethink.org and is a must visit for teachers looking for ways to implement technology into the classroom. The area I focused on is the interactive student part. Believe me, though, the rest of the website is well worth scouring through. The lessons are very interesting and will aid me in reaching my students. Also check out the after school resources. It reminds me of when I was young and we had an after school person come and offer various arts and crafts activities. Hmm, major flashback moment...okay back to the interactive student section.

The activities here are extremely effective in creating excitement to a tech savvy world. Some tried and true offerings include compare and contrast maps and guides. I also created an essay map that puts a visual outline for a student to use on one page. The site has a number of these awesome tools but the real eye-opener tools are ones like comic creator and flip book creator. These activities are fun and challenge the students to learn, through exciting mediums. Students use things like graffiti and music to write poems and create artistic designs. Create a mystery or a follow a hero through a story. This is a must for your classroom. Right now they have 55 interactive activities and the site is still growing. Remember to check out all the other links on this site as well.

I'll have another website review posted soon.

A "Wicked Cool" Puzzlemaker Site

Now that I am a saavy New England resident I have adapted to the lingo pretty well. I have integrated the word "wicked" into every sentence. Today I am using it as an adjective as I describe DiscoveryEducation.coms link to Puzzlemaker. The link is http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/index.cfm?campaign=flyout_teachers_puzzle. This website is extremely helpful to aid in creating puzzles for the classroom. I was amazed at how easy it was to create all types of puzzles for my class. There are basic word searches and crossword puzzles but many other puzzles are also very easy to create. I made a cryptogram and a math block in seconds. This is a must for someone who wants to create a maze. The options are seemingly endless. I did notice some of the puzzles have limitations of 40 to 50 characters but this doesn't usually affect what a teacher is creating because the limits are typically what I would max out at anyway. Puzzlemaker is a real thumbs up.

Before we leave this website we must not neglect to check out the tabs for teachers, parents, and students. I was amazed at what is available on the tabs. Under the teacher tab I found countless lessons for every subject. I found a cool Algebra lesson on Chinese math connecting to real world Algebra. I can't wait to uncover other lessons I can integrate into my classroom. I use critical thinking activities with my class every morning and the brain boosters section will provide numerous activities to add to my collection. Do not forget to check out the featured programs for teachers. I uncovered numerous fun science experiments my class will really enjoy. A ton of hands-on learning is at your fingertips.

Under the student tab a child can learn about every subject. Homework help is available for students here. An amazing driving educational program is also a click away to help students use the virtual world for learning driving techniques. You have to check out the hidden treasures on this site. I have uncovered only a few gems and I intend to glean as much as I can to enhance my classroom for my students.

Four Wordles and Seven Years Ago...

Hey all, check out Wordle.net when you get a chance. This awesome tool allows you to enter words and create a unique visual, displaying the words you typed in. For example, I typed {actually it was a basic copy and paste...I'm not stupid :)}in the words to the Gettysburg Address. Check it out here http://www.wordle.net/gallery?username=Larry%20D. Pretty cool, huh? If you look at it you will notice a few things. The largest words are those that occur most often. This can be very helpful for someone trying to determine how effective their writing style is and what improvements can be made.

"Like I remember like my niece visited us once and like there was this like one word she used like all the time. Like when I like mentioned it like to her she like couldn't believe like she was like using it like all the time."

She is much older and wiser now but recording her and putting her words in Wordle would have opened her eyes to the way she was overusing a certain word. Wordle was a lot of fun and I enjoyed reading others that have been published. You can edit the content or let the program "randomize" it for you. You can change font, capitalize all words, remove words in many language, and change color layouts just to name a few options. I plan on using this next week in my classroom. I was going to have my class write a two paragraph summary of the life of Milton Hershey but I am incorporating Wordle into the lesson and they will create a Wordle with the end result. I will let you know how it turns out. See ya next post.

Professional development using blogs, wikis, and podcasts

A teacher can "wow" an interviewer without even answering any of the standard interview questions. They can essentially bring an electronic portfolio to the interview with them. A potential employer can link up and view a blog the teacher created. I plan on creating a professional blog. I want to offer tips and ideas as I have created many unique lessons for various subjects. My blog will allow others to view what I have accomplished without having to visit the classroom. I have benefitted from others before and this is a way I can pay it forward. Creating a "useful" wiki page or pages would take time but could show others my technological skills. I would need to ensure that the information is useful and correct. This would look great to a potential employer or someone you are looking to so you can move up the chain of your school. A podcast would allow others to hear (or see with a vodcast) your teaching skills without having to actually come to your class. I could have a potential employer view my teaching a particular lesson and display my skills to others from far distances. I plan on possibly relocating back to the west in a few years and this would allow an interviewer to observe how I teach without my having to travel back there for the interview. All these tools can play a vital role in helping me progress professionally.

How to use blogs, wikis, and podcasts in the classroom?

Teachers can create excitement with students by utilizing these tools in the classroom. A blog allows students to create a personalized journal all about them. This would build confidence in students and allow them to express themselves in unique ways. They could use these to answer questions about a topic or work on how they can present ideas or concepts. A teacher can use this to share ideas and shortcuts with parents, students, or others. Special notes or tips and tricks can be read at any time of the day or night. A wiki allows students to work in groups and create an online wall of information about a topic or idea. It can be broken into groups and each person works on one area. Students can critique each other and even correct something that is incorrect. This allows students to own the project completely. Podcasts are a way for an individual or a group of students to vocalize something. This could be a song they created about the times tables or it could be a report on the history of King Tut. This allows students varied options of how they could complete an assignment. If someone is shy standing in front of a crowd, they could tape the podcast alone and share it with the class without being embarrassed by standing in front of everyone. Each tool offers numerous ways to enhance traditional teaching.

What is a blog, podcast and wiki?

These 3 technology tools share common threads but are uniquely different. All 3 are used in the online world and help others learn about knowledge or a person's ideas or thoughts. They are all geared to larger groups. Blogs are typically personalized by a person (but can have more than one person running it) and typically this person comments on particular areas he or she is interested in. Think of them as an online journal. A teacher might use this to reflect on a lesson or topic. They might share ideas or best practices with students or others. A blog can be used as a professional portfolio as well. A podcast in unlike the others in that it is listened to instead of read. Vodcasts have included the visual aspect of having video as part of the presentation. An iPod is an example of a this. Wikis are web pages created by a group of writers and designers. Unlike a blog, they are usually created by many individuals. Users can add or correct information at any times. Most viewers are eligible to add something if they desire. Here are 3 links to learn more about what each feature is:
Blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Rcd12Y5Qc
Wiki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY
Podcast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQFKNcdCdLM

My experience with Blogs

Hi everyone. This is my first attempt at creating a blog. I have worked using the Internet for many years and have read many blogs (mostly political) but have never taken the opportunity to start one. I will confess I have a desire now to start one for teaching and another one for venting about hwere our country is headed (not a good place, I'm afraid). I have observed many podcasts and wiki pages but again I have only worked on these as an observer or collector of information. I have heard that these tools were available in the classroom but never actually saw one in use before. I can see where this could really play a role in communicating with parents and students without violating any rules.