Response to "AT session with Lori Bailey"

What were your general impressions?
- I thought this was a very cool and informative experience. It was great seeing that people with disabilities were able to combat that with technology. I think as the technology becomes greater we will see more and more individuals with special needs flourish beyond their expectations. As a future teacher I was thrilled to see these different types of assistant technologies and happy to know they exist and could possibility benefit a student I might come across.

What were the 3 devices that stood out for you?

3 devices that stood out to me were:

1. Clarity PC Mate

Clarity PC Mate is a portable high quality video magnification solution. It plugs right into a USB drive and gives a clear focused video magnified up to 60x. Clarity PC Mate benefits people with low vision. Anyone who has difficult seeing. It would be great for reading a newspaper or book or using it in class to magnify the board or the teacher.

2. Text to Speech Software

Text to Speech is software that gives people that cant speak a voice. they type on a computer and the computer will talk for them. Text to speech software is great for anyone who does not have a voice. The video that Lori Bailey showed us was a little girl with Cerebral Palsy and her speech was limited and very hard to understand. She used a form of Text to speech software that gave her a voice. Bailey also showed us a video of a French woman who became paralyzed from the next down and also could not speak. Her computer with Text to Speech allowed her to communicate with her husband.

3. Adaptive switches

There are a variety of Switches. The one in class was a switch that was activated by blowing onto it. There is also ones for biting or merely just tapping. Adaptive switches provide people with an individualized way of operating a computer, phone, or medical devices. It is adapted to what ever their needs are. Anyone who has an impairment would benefit from an adaptive switch. The French lady from the video Lori Bailey showed us, was paralyzed from the next down the only way she could use all her assisted technology was through the use of her adaptive switch. Instead of clicking a mouse she used her jaw muscle to click.

Tools and Strategies (updated)
- Ticker Tape in active studio
- Cooperative learning (Find Someone Who...)
- Polls - Gather information fast. (MisterPoll.com)
- Inspiration : application for easy brainstorming activities
- Text Rendering : Using Preview to highlight, circle or box important parts of text rather than all
- Classtools.net
- Online Timer - keeps track of time in class for Tests and group work
- Random Picker - Randomly picks a students name
- Atomic Learner - website that teaches you how to use programs
- Spread Sheets
- Google Docs
- Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) - Creative way of summarizing paragraphs. collage of words
- Screen Capture (command,shift,4) - Being able to share finished products
- Preview Mark-up Tools (application)
- Prezi- Online Presentation tool.
- JeopardyLabs.com - Easy to create a jeopardy game for reviewing lessons.
- Diigo - can be used to bookmark, highlight or post stickynotes on information you find important on websites
- OurStory - allows you to upload pictures to create a vivid storyline or timeline. I could use in a history class to show important events in wars or all through out
history
- StudyStack - allows you to put in information and use it to study with traditional flashcards or using games like hangman or scramble
- Amimoto - upload pictures and it makes a video with music for you
- Blabberize - Upload a picture and it allows you to make the mouth move and add audio
- Flickr - allows you to upload photos and do a number of things with them.
- Kerpoof -
- SurveyMonkey: Online survey tool that allows you to create up to a 10-question online survey and harvest the results. dhttp://www.surveymonkey.com
- Create a Graph - Enter data and create one of five types of graphs to print or export as a graphic. http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/
- Wikispaces - a personal blog.
- bubbl.us - interactive brainstorming tool
- spellingcity.com - spelling list online where students can practice spelling words while playing games
- engrade - online grade system, parents can see there kids progress
- storyboard - storymaking site
- pixton - allows you to make comic strips
- rubistar - allows you to easily create rubrics for any subject
- livemocha - helps you learn and practice a language through reading and writing
- hot chalk -
- voki - create avatars, use it to create birthday messages, use it to give your morning announcements, post it on blog,