FREE Webinar - App Smackdown!

Do you want to learn about apps to assist people with disabilities? Sign up for the ISTE SET-SiG webinar this Tuesday, 4/16/13 @ 7PM.

The webinar is FREE - registration is required. I will be presenting along with:

• Alex Dunn - @smartinclusion
• Karen Janowski - @KarenJan
• Brian Wojcik - @bwwojci

Click HERE to visit the SET-SIG page to register

Hope to see you there! Don't forget to follow me @mmatp

iPad Use in the Classroom - EduTalk Podcast

For your listening pleasure - this episode of the EduTalk Podcast focuses on iPad use in the classroom. The interview is with Maribeth Lowe from Monroe HS in Virginia.

Listen to internet radio with EduTalk on Blog Talk Radio

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! College Prep Apps

Today's APP Attack focuses on Apps for college prep. This list was originally published in the TL Advisor Blog at the Tech & Learning website.

Essay Apps
Essay Writing Guide $1.99 holiday sale- By arranging the elements of writing graphically around three wheels (Content, Style, and Organization), teachers and students are better able to visualize how the elements of writing develop style, coherence, and meaning.

SAT and ACT PREP
Complete SAT Free for iPhone or iPad. For complete course $24.99. Free app includes mini diagnostic test and topic videos.

SAT Math Pro Test $1.99 - 80% discount. This app covers 50 topics including detailed videos. 100s of original SAT math practice problems, nine SAT math tests and detailed reports.

Flash of Genius SAT Vocab Free. Use with iPod, iPhone or Ipad Written by Harvard and MIT Professors, this app adjusts the order of the flashcards to suit each user. It also inserts mini-lessons, so users learn the word roots, the connections between the words, as well as the words themselves.

SAT-ACT vocabulary builder $4.99 Phone, iPod touch, and iPad. 500 of the most commonly tested vocabulary words on the SAT® and ACT® exams. 1000 illustrative sentences, spaced repetition feature, automatic statistics, search features, quiz mode and more.

College Guides
College Search Guide Handbook $2.99 Includes over 3000. Information about each college includes:

• Degrees Offered
• Campus Setting (rural, suburb, large city, etc)
• Campus Housing Availability Information
• Student population with charts on diversity
• Religious Affiliation
• Credit Accepted
• Estimated Student Expenses for three years
• Financial Aid Information
• Enrollment Information
• Freshman Retention Rate
• Programs and Majors (students in each major)
• Varsity Athletic Teams
• Accreditation
• Campus Security Information for three years
• Federal Loan Default Rates
• User Reviews

Peterson's College Guide Free. Includes over 60 official data points on over 4,000 two- and four-year colleges in the United States. Search for the perfect college by any combination of state, size, tuition, sports majors offered or selectivity.

Budget and Financial Aid
Ace Budget $.99 For iPod, iPhone and iPad. A personal finance app. Users create daily, weekly, monthly, semimonthly, quarterly, and yearly budgets and schedule recurring transactions, set reminders, view graphs, compare historical data, and more.

College Fafsa Finder Free. Provides the most essential information for US college applicants around the world:

• Freshmen class academic profiles and estimated cost of attendance
• College contact information, including admission office information and website link
• Each college’s FAFSA code (public institution) or CSS code (private institution)
• Three ways to search colleges: by name, by FAFSA code or by CSS code.

College Tools
College Survival Kit $1.99- Programs in the app help ease the stress of applying to schools. Users touch the control panel, choose the "Brain Wave" desired to improve their mental state. Also included are a personal alarm and memo pad.

iStudiez-Pro - $2.99 I have recommended this app before as a back-to-school app. Helps users organize their schedule, follow up with homework, and summarize what has to be done.

Complete Class Organizer $4.99 Take notes while recording lectures and the audio syncs to the text. Manage homework and exam dates, store and calculate grades, and organize info for every class.

To see the original post, plus two extra apps that cost more that $10, visit the post HERE.

Do you know of other college prep apps? Leave a comment below and share your resource.

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! Apps for Public Speaking

Our APP Attack for today comes from Gregory Swanson's Apps for Education Blog and focuses on Teleprompter apps for public speaking.

The main feature of these apps is the ability to load in your speech and the app with scroll the text on the screen as you speak.

Check out the list HERE.

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! Switch Accessible Apps

Today's App Attack come from Clair Judas, Special Education Technology Specialist, Assistive Technology Team, Area Education Agency 267 in Cedar Falls Iowa.

Clair compiled a list of switch accessible apps for the iOS devices. While not meant to be all inclusive - this is a great starting point for apps that allow for alternative access.

Apps with switch access…

• SoundingBoard: AbleNet: www.ablenetinc.com ; (iPhone/iPod/iPad) Access devices: AbleNet Blue2

• Predictable: TherapyBox www.tboxapps.com ; (iPhone/iPod/iPad) Access devices: RJ Cooper iPad or Therapy Box

• Scene & Heard: TherapyBox < www.tboxapps.com > (iPhone/iPod/iPad) Access devices:

• TapSpeak Choice: www.conleysolutions.com; (iPad) Access devices: RJ Cooper iPad or Therapy Box

• TapSpeak Sequence: www.conleysolutions.com (iPhone/iPod/iPad) Access devices: RJ Cooper & AbleNet Blue2 Bluetooth

• GoTalk Now: www.attainmentcompany.com > (iPad) Access devices: Attainment Switch app or RJ Cooper Switch Interface

• Alexicomm AAC: www.alexicomtech.com; (iPhone/iPod/iPad) Access devices: RJ Cooper Switch Interface

Thanks Clair for this list! If you would like to contact Clair, his email is cjudas@aea267.k12.ia.us

Do you know of other switch accessible apps? Leave a comment below and share your resource.

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.

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! Apps for Handwritten Notes

Today's post will highlight Apps that let you take handwritten notes directly on your iPad.

This list of Apps is from Gregory Swanson's blog "Apps in Education" - which is a great resource for Apps. For more resources, follow Gregory on Twitter - @inov8ed

The apps in this post allow you to write directly on the screen, organize notebooks for different subjects, draw diagrams within notes, manage / organize notes, and much more!

Check it out!

Apps for Handwritten Notes

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! ePUBs and iBooks

Today's post will highlight resources shared by Katie Krueger ( @KHirt )
Meg Wilson ( @iPodsibilities ) at EdCampNYC. These resources focus on ePub books and apps that allow you to create engaging materials for students of all abilities.

Let's Talk ePub and iBooks

Enjoy!

APP Attack! Apps for Project Based Learning

Today's APP Attack is focusing on APPS that can assist with Project Based Learning.

But why give only one APP - when we can link to another blog post that shares 133! Tony Vincent has a great post on his blog, Learning In Hand, that is a collection of all the information gathered during his session at the 2011 ISTE conference in Philadelphia.

Click here to read his post.

Below is the Wordle that was created from the list of APPS.

















Don't forget to check the link to the APP spreadsheet to see all 133 entries.

Do you have a favorite that wasn't on the list? Then leave a comment below and share your APP.


Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Mouthsticks,

Mouthstick being used on iPhone screen

Occasionally we will be working with someone who has difficulty using their fingers, but they would still greatly benefit from using an iPad or other touchscreen device.  If they have good control of their hand, but can't isolate a finger, then we can use a stylus, sometimes with a cuff to hold things in place.  If they can move their head in a controlled way, then we can look at mouthsticks.  The problem is that common mouthsticks and styluses don't work with capacitive touchscreens.

Products like the iPad and iPhone have capacitive touchscreens, which means that it measures a change in electric charge when your finger touches the screen.
(Want to learn more?  How Stuff Works has a great little explanation and graphic:  http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/iphone1.htm)

Solution?  A little company called iFaraday, makes a stylus for capacitive touchscreens, and has been nice enough to also make mouthsticks for them.  They have done some good research into the materials that work best for this task.  See for yourself:  http://www.ifaraday.com/Capacities.html.
A similar product, developed by a mouthstick user, comes in various lengths:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBilityStick/112730578809399?sk=wall.


Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Back to School!

Today's APP Attack focuses on apps for all the teachers out there! With the summer winding down - sorry :( - it is time to get back to school.

This post from Tech & Learning highlights a wide range of iPad apps to help you make life easier for yourself.

Back to School Apps for Teachers

Do you have an app you can't live without? Leave a comment below and share your experiences.



Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! PCS Apps from Mayer Johnson

Mayer Johnson has jumped into the APP market with a series of FREE apps that highlight their PCS (Picture Communication Symbols). These new APPS will enable your students to access the PCS on the go - on an iPad, iPod or iPhone.

PCS Vocabulary Bingo - This app features more than 30 boards. According to the website, the app features:

theme-based Bingo boards, built around themes like food and holidays, that are various sizes. As each PCS™ is revealed, the student looks at their board to see if they have the PCS™ shown. Then, they drag a slideable token over to the image to mark the spot. Get three in a row or fill the whole board to see a fun animation!

PCS Word Scramble - This app allows you to unscramble 3 to 8 letter words with approximately 200 PCS in each letter count.

PCS Vocabulary Memory - This app consists of a memory game with boards ranging from 4 PCS up to 20 PCS per board. Tap the pieces to reveal the PCS underneath, then find its match.

Download these today and leave a comment below and let us know what you think.



Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! iPAD Academy

For today's APP ATTACK, we are going to do something a little different!

How about a website that provides tutorials and tips on how to use your iPAD?

Well then...... look no further than The iPad Academy!

What do you get there?? According to the website:

iPad Academy will help you master the Apple iPad. Get valuable iPad tips and tutorials. Find easy-to-follow instructions for making the most of the iPad, apps and accessories. Learn how to turn your iPad into a practical and purposeful tool. iPad Academy, helping you get schooled and skilled on the iPad.

Check it out and improve your iPad skills!



Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! VoiceThread + BinderPad Pouch

Have you ever used Voice Thread? Voice Thread allows for collaboration - all without having to download software!

According to their website:

VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate slides and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too.

Users can doodle while commenting, use multiple identities, and pick which comments are shown through moderation. VoiceThreads can even be embedded to show and receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies.

Now comes word that they are planning a Mobile iOS app for Voice Thread and it is due sometime in the fall. This will allow your students to experience your interactive lessons, presentations, etc. all from the comfort of their iPad, iPod or iPhone.

As a bonus today, here is an interesting idea for carrying your iPad. For children in school, instead of carrying a separate case, why not just attach your iPad into a 3-ring binder!

The iPad BinderPad Pouch allows you to slide the iPad into this thin case which connects into a standard 3-ring binder.

The case, available from ZooGlue, costs $29.99 and comes in two colors (black and gray)


Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Great Article + FREE APPS!

I know we usually use this post to discuss apps that benefit people with disabilities. But today - I am going to use this space to reflect on the iPad itself. I read a great article on line this weekend titled "What the iPad's Success Says About Us" from C/NET and I wanted to share it here.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

As a bonus today - check out this link to learn about 7 sources for FREE APPS! Enjoy!


Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Bamboo Paper APP and Stylus

Apple just announced in a press release last week that they have reached 15 billion APP downloads! This incredible number is spread across 200 million users - which works out to an average of 75 APP downloads for each user!!

This weeks post focuses on an APP and a piece of iPad hardware.



The Bamboo Paper APP allows you to write on your iPad screen with either a stylus or your finger. You can create virtual notebooks on your iPad with notes, sketches, etc.

Once you create these virtual notebooks you can browse through thumbnail images of the pages, bookmark individual pages and email all / or part of a notebook.

This APP is FREE so try it today!





While you can use your finger with this APP, why not try writing on your iPad with a stylus! There are many options out there, but why not try the Bamboo Stylus. Due to the capacitive screen of the iPad, you can't just use any pointer to access the screen (such as a pencil, etc.).

Capacitive Screens require the small electrical charge - like from your finger - in order to recognize the area of the screen you are accessing.

The stylus looks like a pen - but has a special tip to interact with the screen of the iPad. For someone who struggles to isolate a finger to access the iPad screen - this would be a great access method. of course, you could modify the stylus with straps, velcro or a molded body to assist someone with holding the device. While it might be difficult to do lots of writing with the stylus - the tip is fine enough to allow writing on the screen of a fairly small size.

The stylus is more expensive than most others - at around $30 - but seems to be more durable and should withstand the rigors of your iPad use!

Have you used either this APP or stylus? If so, leave a comment below and share your experiences.



Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Reading that responds to touch

For this week's entry - I wanted to point you towards an article from the NY Times titled, " For the iPad, Books the Respond to a Child's Touch"

This article talks about the new breed of interactive books designed to engage children in the reading process - by providing a very interactive experience.

Included in the article is a discussion about the book " The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore" (see left) where pages of the book actually become mini-movie scenes.


Do you know of any interactive books that would engage a struggling reader? Leave a comment below and share your experiences.


Happy 4th of July!


Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on July 12th at our Ewing NJ office.

This is a new date because the first two sessions sold out! We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Kno Textbook App

Are you looking for electronic textbooks? Well, you should check out the new Kno App!

















Kno now offers over 70,000 text books - some as much as 50% off the retail price! Simply download the books to your iPad and you are all set! No need to drag 50 lbs of textbooks with you anymore.

Plus, the Kno has the following features to meet many needs:

• Course Manager - Easily organize all your textbooks and materials in one place.
• Chapter preview - Simply hold down the chapter to visually navigate the pages.
• Highlights and Stickies - Highlight with the touch of a finger and create sticky notes.
• Zoom - use this to enlarge any pictures on the screen
• PDF Support - download and view any PDF document.

Do you want to see more? Check out this video from their website:

Textbooks for iPad by Kno from Kno on Vimeo.

Do you want to learn more about APPS? Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on July 12th at our Ewing NJ office. This is a new date because the first two sessions sold out! We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

APP Attack! Typ-O HD

Today we are going to look at a powerful word prediction app: Typ-O HD. If you are familiar with Assistive Technology word prediction software (such as Co:Writer and WordQ) - this is the APP version of those tools.

For people who struggle with spelling and constructing sentences, word prediction is a powerful tool. A person simply starts a word and the tool provides suggestions that it "thinks" the person is trying to type. Once your word is displayed, simply select it and it is typed into your document.

Some of the additional features of Typ-O HD include:

Word prediction
Typ-O finds your word (and the next one) in its vast model of common English words and phrases.


Text to speech
Listen to your word before you select it. Hear your words and your sentences, before you email or SMS them.


Perfect spelling optional
Typ-O knows the most common spelling mistakes, and will often suggest words even if you have misspelled them.

In addition, the iPad version of this app includes spell check, a file management features and the ability to choose from four different voices.

Typ-O HD is developed by SecondGuess apps and costs $14.99

Check this one out and leave a comment below with your experiences.

Do you want to learn more about APPS? Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on July 12th at our Ewing NJ office. This is a new date because the first two sessions sold out! We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.