For those of us who help K-12 students get accessible texts, it had been a real problem to help those same students as they entered college and didn't have the same laws and support system in place.  When the AccessText network came into being, and further expanded to provide free membership to colleges, it was a godsend.  From their website, www.AccessText.org:

"The AccessText Network helps college students with print disabilities by connecting their disability service offices directly with leading textbook publishers to obtain electronic files. These files are used to create accessible versions of the textbooks."


I've been using their new Accessible Textbook Finder, which allows you to search NOT ONLY their collection, but also Bookshare, Learning Ally, etc.  It's great!

And here's a secret!  You can use their search tool even without being a member!  You can be looking for a book for a k-12 student, it doesn't matter-- this tool just helps you search all sources.  

TIP- the ISBN search field only accepts up to 13 numbers, so get rid of dashes before cutting and pasting an ISBN nunber into the search.  And if the ISBN number doesn't show up, search by title.  

Cure for the Summertime Blahs

It’s bound to happen sooner or later this summer.  Maybe it’ll come when the sun has strayed too long behind a cloud or when the humidity reaches its sticky zenith; eventually some young one will mutter, “I’m bored.” 

We’ve got the perfect antidote: Sheppard Software.  Their website, www.sheppardsoftware.com features hundreds of wonderful educational activities for learners of all levels. There are a slew of colorful activities for the pre-school set and a variety of games and quizzes to help older students tackle things like world geography, the Periodic Table of the Elements and SAT and GRE vocabulary. 

Many of the games offer different levels to accommodate a variety of learners – from the L Level for learning to the Master Level.  Times and scores are available for competitive players. 

Games are free – although you’ll find some advertising on the site. Subscriptions are available and allow ad-free access.  There are rates for schools and families. Don’t miss the section where teachers can download some games free of charge.

Getting Ready for College - Feel Good Fridays

Below is a video from Marcus Engel, professional speaker and author. This video has some very good tips in regard to how college is different than high school, and some things that are helpful to remember as students navigate through their freshman year told in a humorous way.

As Marcus says, these tips are relevant to students of all abilities.

Enjoy and Happy Friday!