Quick AT Round-Up

Thanks to those of you who stopped by and said “Hello” at the recent New York Metro Abilities Expo. It was great to meet so many of you. We showed off lots of technology and expanded a few horizons, I’m sure. Here are a few articles we’ve seen recently that we thought you’d enjoy.

An article published recently in the New York Times outlines some new audio-enhancing strategies for people who are hard of hearing.

This Technology blog at the Atlantic Monthly details how Apple’s commitment to accessibility coupled with a few ingenious apps have made the iPhone a useful tool for people who are blind or visually impaired.

A couple of college kids in Toronto have designed MyVoice, an app for iProducts which allows users to tag different locations with specific words and phrases and then uses GPS technology to allow users to generate vocabulary based on location. Pretty cool. Here’s the article from the CBCNews site.

APP ATTACK! So Much 2 Say

I will start this blog post off by saying upfront I am not a speech therapist and I don’t pretend to be. I will also say that I like to make sure that I am well rounded and try to keep my eye open for new apps and that includes AAC apps.

A new app on the market is So Much 2 Say. It is developed by a company Close 2 Home Apps, LLC. A little background of why this product was designed. It was designed for the owners two children who are on the spectrum. She was told “Your child doesn’t have the prerequisites for a communication device.” It was a devastating blow to hear those words. So this mom was on a mission to figure something out. With her boyfriend by her side the concept was conceived and shortly after their marriage, they gave birth to So Much 2 Say.

The app is for emergent language communicators. These are the individuals that are learning that these pictures actually mean something. They need smaller fields, they often need real photos vs drawings (not all some do better with the reverse) and are not ready for categories.

So Much 2 Say offers early beginning AAC users a platform. There are other apps in iTunes that do this but So Much 2 Say, makes it simple on the fly communication or even being used for language based activities. For example, I was working in a classroom observing a student on the spectrum and the teacher was doing music with her class. She had songs that they sang everyday and students had to pick the song that they would sing. My student was sitting in the circle and not really engaging. The student wouldn’t even make a choice of the song to sing. I asked the teacher if I could take a picture of the cards she had made for each song. I quickly made a song board with 4 choices and I included like button and a dislike button. So when the teacher was ready to ask the student for her choice, the student touched B-I-N-G-O and the teacher started to sing. But then the student kept touching Dislike. So I signaled to the teacher to stop singing. The student again touched B-I-N-G-O but this time the aide sang the song and the student touched like. We repeated this activity a few times to see if it was the teacher singing the student didn't like.

With the app you have two choices of setting up the boards categories or cards. Depending on your students' abilities or your plan of use, you select which way to set it up. I typically set mine up with categories. I like to model for the students how to get to something even if they are not expected to do it at first. My categories are: Games – Songs – Stories – Sharing. Now if a student cannot manage the field I have created the app allows me to change from a field of 1 – 2- 4-6 depending on the individual student's needs. I love the fact that I can on the fly and cards or folders can be hidden and returned to screen.

The app uses real voice not digital voice. So for each thing you add if you want a voice added to it, you need to record the sound. There are pros and cons to this. Using recorded voice, a person's voice is the voice of another. A child often has an adult voice. Sometimes a male has a female voice. These are just things we need to be conscientious about that we make sure our students with AAC needs do not all sound alike.

Company Website: https://close2homeapps.com/?q=our_apps

Itunes store: http://itunes.apple.com/pk/app/so-much-2-say-picture-communication/id452389274?mt=8

Cost: $24.99

Likes:

User friendly

Can customize with own photos or symbols.

Layouts are simple to modify.

The screen layout is clean and simple – great for students' visual impairments.

• My wish list:
• Some way to hide the edit button. I have a love hate with the edit button. It makes things super easy for me to edit but it also makes it super easy for little fingers to take there.
• A better library. Pictures or icons that to get the person started.
• A way to change the background color. Unless I am missing something I have only been able to see the purple. A more neutral color would be black.
• Digital voice
• Ability to change the background color
• Switch access
• Data (selection, speed)

If there is a something you would like to see added to an APP, take the time to talk to the developer of the APP. They are very often open to suggestions and feedback. If your suggestion works into their vision for their app, you very well may see it added. And you might suggest something that wasn’t in their plan but it would be a great addition. Talk to the app developers.

Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Do you want to learn how to implement iPads in your school?

Contact us - we can help! We will work collaboratively with your team to determine an effective course of action for your specific situation.

Email Mike Marotta, Assistant Director, ATS Dept. at mmarotta@advopps.org

APP Attack! Intellipad

When I was preparing for an APP ATTACK presentation, I was on a mission to find an app that would allow me to create picture prompts, had word prediction, text to speech and customization keyboards. I figure if I was going to dream big I might as well as put all my expectations out there. I didn’t actually think that my list of expectations would be met however I had to search for the infamous needle in the haystack. I think I found a product that gives me what I was seeking for.

The app is called Intellipad. No it is not a tool put out by Intellitools (Cambium Learning). The product reminds me more Clicker 5 writing grids. You can customize the writing grids as a word wall for topic writing or create errorless sentences writing for students. The limit of options is limited only by your imagination. I like how this tool because it scaffolds the writing process for most students in your classroom. You can also add human speech to the grids you create.

The app has word prediction, spell check and text to speech which all can be turned off under settings within the app. The word prediction appears on top of the keyboard. It shows 4 words at a time. You cannot change the number of words that show. The word prediction does have speech. You have to have good fine motor to be able to press the speaker.

You can also create picture supported writing by importing a picture into the writing pad. The picture is justified to the left. You can import any photo from your photo gallery (taken or from the internet).

I was able to cut and paste text into the word processing piece and have the speech read the text. The speech is Acapela voices which are great voices. The speech is slower than 170 wpm I would guess that it is set about 140 wpm. There is no way to adjust the rate of speech. You do have 6 different voices to select from.

I must not forget that this app also has a way for users to share keyboards and notepads. This is extremely powerful if it is used as other share pieces are. You can have customized writing grids, keyboards and notepads at your fingertips.

There are some things that I would like to see changed. The word prediction and spell check are not phonetic based tools. The most common errors that students with disabilities make were not corrected. The font size is a fair size (12 point font) however I would like to see an option to increase the font size so individuals that need larger font can select the size they need. I would like to have grids be able to speak and not send. Not all students have the ability to read the words so I would like the student to be able to check before they select. I would love pictures to be able to be used for writing not just a writing prompt. This is the dangers of finding something close to what you are looking for. There are so many pieces that you still want.

At $19.00 it is on the expensive side of an app however it is worth it if you need to have all the options offered in this app. I haven’t come across an app like this.

Link to App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/intellipad/id435865000?mt=8

Link to Company website: http://www.intellipadapp.com/index.html

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for apps that allow you this much control and customization. I would love to see them.

Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Do you want to learn how to implement iPads in your school?

Contact us - we can help! Email - mmarotta@advopps.org

CEO's that are approachable - Feel Good Friday

Have you ever sent a letter, either of complaint or complement, and never recieved a reply? How annoying is that? Well, if you send a letter/email to Steve Jobs, you will get a reply.

A mother of a 9 year old girl in Australia wrote Jobs to tell him what a difference the iPad has made in her daughter's life. He not only responded, but asked if he could share her daughter's success story.

I thought that was pretty cool. Many app developers are like that too. They value feedback from consumers and want to improve their product. Lesson learned, it never hurts to give feedback and who knows, you just may get a response.

To read the full article, click here.

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

One More Cool Thing You Can Do With Your iPad...

I really enjoy reading Glenda Watson Hyatt’s blog, Do It Myself.  She makes using technology  -- everything from her iPad to her red scooter, seem like an adventure, a fun adventure. Even when things don’t work exactly how they’re supposed to.

Here’s a blog she wrote about a work-around she crafted to deliver a speech in the voice she wanted use. Enjoy.

APP Attack! E-Reader APPS

Today we will be looking at the FREE APPS available for e-readers - specifically the Kindle and the nook.

Kindle APP - @ Amazon.com









The Kindle is the biggest selling product at Amazon. Did you know that since the beginning of the year, Kindle books have outsold paperbacks! (see article at Business Insider). Did you also know that you don't even need a Kindle to read Kindle books! Amazon has a Kindle app for PC, Mac, BlackBerry, Android and most importantly for us today: an APP for the Apple products!

Some of the features listed on the Amazon website include:

• Amazon's Whispersync technology automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights with Kindle and Kindle-compatible devices PC, Mac, iPhone, and BlackBerry
• Customers can start reading on one device and, on another, pick up where they left off
• Create bookmarks, notes, and highlights, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle
• Instant word lookup on included dictionary with 250,000 entries and definitions
• Continue downloading books while the app is in the background on iOS 4 devices.
• Access millions of free and out-of-copyright books from Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and other online sources. Open supported files from Safari and Mail or use File Sharing in iTunes to transfer files to your Kindle app.
• Improved image zoom
• New book indicator

nook APP - @ Barnes & Noble










OK...so what if you prefer the nook? No problem - just download this APP for your iPad.

Some of the features listed at the BN.com website include:

• Ability to trial ANY nook book before purchasing.
• Access to all your B&N books - books will sync between all your B&N devices
• Control over screen brightness, color, text size and font
• Share your books via Lend Me technology
• Built in dictionary to search words
• Add notes and highlights; also have the ability to search notes by keyword

Have you used the APPS mentioned above? Leave us a comment and share your experience.

Do you have a favorite APP you would like to see highlighted? Let us know - maybe you could even be a guest contributor!

Do you want to learn more about APPS? Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on March 15th at our Ewing NJ office. For more info, click HERE.

FREE Webinar:Securely Manage Student and Faculty iPads at the Point of Learning

I received this email today and thought people might be interested in this FREE resource. While this offer came from Campus Technology (focus on post secondary environment) - there may be useful strategies for the K-12 environment.

Enjoy


Campus Technology and BoxTone present:

FREE webinar: Securely Manage Student and Faculty iPads at the Point of Learning
February 10, 2011 @ 11AM Pacific/2PM Eastern
Register Now: http://www.1105info.com/t.do?id=6890851:1197838

Description:
The iPad represents a powerful new way to expand learning both inside and outside the classroom, changing how students and faculty acquire, interact with and use knowledge. But with large scale deployments comes security, IT support and cost concerns, including the risk of a regulatory violation (think FERPA) or financial loss from the loss or unauthorized use of even one network-connected device. With most help desks staffs flat or shrinking, university and school system IT departments urgently need automated mobile management systems to effectively respond to the iPad explosion.This free webinar will cover how to enable, deploy, support, audit and protect access to the iPad. Key topics will include:1. How to properly secure iPad devices at the point of learning2. How to prevent the iPad from causing regulatory violations or financial loss3. How to create an IT support structure that ensures superior iPad service quality at the lowest cost

Register now-it's FREE!http://www.1105info.com/t.do?id=6890852:1197838

New Feature! APP Attack!

Starting today, we are excited to announce a new weekly feature on our blog! Every Monday, check back for the latest APP Attack! With the iPad being mentioned in every other tech news story, it's no wonder there are so many APPS available.

Our staff will highlight at least one new APP each week and provide you with a quick review. Hopefully, these will help guide you towards a good match between the features of the APP and your needs.

To get us started off right, here are a handful of APPS that we have found helpful when working with students and adults with disabilities.

IEP Checklist


This FREE APP provides guidance to parents and teachers as they develop the student's IEP.







Tap Speak Button


This simple $9.99 APP allows you to mimic the function of the Big Mack Switch. Simply record a message and then press the button to hear your message. Great for cause and effect activities!





Model Me Going Places 2


This FREE APP can be used as a visual teaching tool to assist an individual with a disability as they navigate the community. Simply click on the desired location and step through the pictures of people modeling appropriate behavior for that setting.







Have you used the APPS mentioned above? Leave us a comment and share your experience.

Do you have a favorite APP you would like to see highlighted? Let us know - maybe you could even be a guest contributor!

Do you want to learn more about APPS? Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on March 15th at our Ewing NJ office. For more info, click HERE.

TLC Spotlight - iPad Defender Series Case

 The Otterbox - iPad Defender Series Case

  A tough case to protect your not so tough ipad. 

Drop-proof your magical, new must-have gadget with the OtterBox Defender Series for Apple® iPad™! This cutting-edge case incorporates three layers of hardcore protection plus some advanced features. Stowing your iPad away for the night or for your commute? Simply remove the back polycarbonate cover and snap it over the face for ultimate touch screen protection.

The built-in stand will come in handy while trying to watch a movie or video, and creates a comfortable browsing experience. When using your iPad on a flat surface, the silicone grip pads on the bottom will hold your device securely in place. We also designed this case to accommodate the optional iPad dock accessory! Take your iPad everywhere you go knowing that it is safe from the occasional drop, bump and/or scratch.

 

What do you think? Do you want to TRY IT before you BUY IT? Then join our Technology Lending Center. Click here to join today!

iPad in the NY Times

This article has been going around and I wanted to post it here. It is a great story about a student with a disability using the iPad. Feel free to forward it if you would like. Oh the possibilities with the iPad. Enjoy.

How to project to an external monitor from your iPad

The iPad is a powerful device that is virtually unlimited in its application. There's an APP for that - never has a statement been so true!

But what about the other aspect of this tool for presenters - using this tool for professional development activities. Out of the box, the iPad does not connect to an external monitor and project all APPS. There are some APPS that can be sent through the Dock Connector to VGA Adapter (available separately for $29.00) to project onto an external projector - such as Keynote.

That's fine if you want to show a presentation. But what if you want to display your iPad's screen to show the steps of using an APP. Out of the box - there is not way to do that. The only solution for this is to jailbreak your iPad.

Now I know some of you started to panic at the mention of Jailbreaking your device! Don't panic - it is an easy process that does not negatively impact your iPad. Even better - one of the first steps of the process is to back up all your data to iTunes. That way if it all goes wrong - or you need to restore your device to the factory settings - you can simply connect it to iTunes and select Restore.

Check out this video from C/NET which does a great job of walking you through the steps of this process. The external monitor APP isn't free (it costs $2.99) but very reasonably priced.




Pretty straightforward - right? I followed this process with our iPad and it worked perfectly. Now I am able to incorporate my iPad into my presentations and show my screen to an audience.

Have you Jail-broken your iPad? Do you have another strategy for using your iPad for professional development? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

iPad in action: One Mother's Story

Now that the iPad has been out for some time - personal stories are beginning to emerge related to the use of this device with people with disabilities.

Check out this blog post by Shannon Des Roches Rosa entitled, The Ipad: a Near Miracle for my Son with Autism.

Shannon describes winning the iPad in a raffle for $5 (!) and realizing how it increased the independence of her son Leo. According to her blog posting:

"Before the iPad, Leo's autism made him dependent on others for entertainment, play, learning, and communication. With the iPad, Leo electrifies the air around him with independence and daily new skills. People who know Leo are amazed when they see this new boy rocking that iPad."

Check out her entire blog post - especially to see the videos of Leo and the iPad. Great stuff!

Apple Apps - Bulk Purchases

With all the talk about the iPad and iPod Touch in education we have all become familiar with Apps! It is the Apps that give these devices their true power for our students. Now, Apple is making it easier for schools to implement these tools.

Apple recently launched their Apple App Store Volume Purchase Program. With this program, educational institutions can purchase multiple copies of an App at once. In order to use this program, the school must identify a contact person, called a "Program Facilitator". The school would also purchase Volume Vouchers in denominations of $100, $500, $1000, $5000, $10,000.

Want to know more: Check out the program Frequently Asked Questions here.

I already know the question on most minds - Will there be volume discounts for apps?

According to the web site, volume discounts will be decided on by the App developers, not Apple.

What do you think? Would you use this program? Have you used this program? Post a comment and share your experiences.

Accessible Books for the iPad

With the iPad becoming more embedded into the technology landscape, we are starting to see applications for people with disabilities.

The latest example of an accessible book on the iPad is the "Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy" narrated story book. While the book may meet the needs of some readers simply with the narration, this book also has a sign language interpreter on the screen for individuals who are deaf.

Check out the video below.




The book is available through the iTunes store and the cost is $2.99

Digital Comics Just in Time for Summer Reading!

Advertising for the new iPad boasts it gives access to more books than you can read in a lifetime. That’s great…but what about folks who prefer chilling with a comic or graphic novel instead of curling up with a book? Now, there’s an app for that.

Enter PanelFly, which bills itself as “Your local comic book store in your back pocket.” Nifty. This app lets you access your favorite superheros and villains digitally. Affiliated publishers include Marvel, Brain Scan Studios, Antarctic Press and many more.

You’ll need an iTunes account. With PanelFly you can search, preview and download comics to your iPhone or iPad. Happy reading!

iPad as a Communication Device

Like the buds on my rosebushes, possibilities for using Apple’s new iPad as a communication device are starting to bloom. And they promise to get better and easier as more apps are created and tweaks are found. We have acquired a few iPads for our Technology Lending Center. Since they’ve come in, our staff has been exploring and experimenting.

Recently, I found an informative and insightful user review from Canadian writer and author Glenda Watson Hyatt. Her blog, Do It Myself Blog, regularly features excellent posts on accessibility issues and self-advocacy. Here she shares her initial review of the iPad as a communication device. Find out how she did using the Proloquo2Go app and the iPad's keyboard feature.

In a related note, Cory Bohon at MacLife shares a few money-saving tips and hacks you can do with the $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit.