Virginia's new iPad

Check out the video below of 99 year old Virginia Campbell using her new iPad.

According to The Lake Oswego News, Virginia hasn't been able to participate in one of her favorite pastimes: reading. Due to glaucoma - she was finding it difficult to read. Using the e-book feature, along with the ability to enlarge text, Virginia is not only reading again - but is also writing poetry!

She has even written an ode to her new iPad:

To this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.

Web 2.0 Wednesday! Penzu

Are you asking your students to keep a writer's journal? Why not try Penzu?

This website will allow your students to create private journals on line that can be accessed from any computer with web access. Students can work on journals in school and finish them at home.



Students can choose to share entries so the teacher can track their writing.

Here are some articles about journal use in schools:

About.com - Journals in the Classroom
Effective Use of Student Journal Writing
Developing self assessment through journal writing (pdf)

Do you have any other ideas for journal writing? Share them below.

Workstation Accommodations - Desk and Chair

The main barrier to employment for some individuals is their desk and chair. Look at your desk and chair - is it meeting your needs?? For employees with disabilities, the lack of support and comfort from their workstation could be too much of a barrier to overcome.

We recently obtained a revolutionary powered height adjustable desk and zero gravity chair to use for evaluations with employees with disabilities.

Check out this video of the chair and desk in action.




Here are the details:

Perfect Chair - For employees who are unable to sit comfortably in an office chair, the Perfect Chair provides zero gravity support which reduces stress on their back and extremities. The tilt function is controlled by a button located on the armrest.

Ergo Quest 200 Desk - This powered height adjustable desk is the "perfect" compliment to the Perfect Chair (sorry-couldn't resist!). Once the employee is positioned comfortably in the chair, they can use the height adjustment of the table to find the best location for the monitor.

As the person goes through the workday, they may need to change position. No problem. Since each tool is totally adjustable, the person can find the position that meets their needs and have the workstation accommodate them!

This accommodation could enable a person to remain employed and work to their potential.

Web 2.0 Wednesday! YackPack

Do you want to collaborate online using voice recordings? Try YackPack

Once you create a conversation, people can login whenever they want and add their own recordings.

Want to use this in the classroom? Here are some ideas from the website:

• Grade student work, giving quality feedback and saving yourself time. See how you can do this!
• Give assignments for oral practice in foreign language learning as well as speaking and presentation skills.
• Offer encouragement on assignments.
• Discuss topics as a class, as staff, as a district, and with other educators.
• Answer questions from students. Watch a short movie showing teacher-student interactions in YackPack.
• Collaborate with other classrooms.
• Invite guests to join in from around the world.
• You can talk in real time - just push and talk. Everyone logged in can hear you.

Want to see it in action? Click Here.


Try it out next time you want to collaborate on an assignment. Share your experiences by leaving a comment below.

Going West - It is the lessons you learn on the journey

There are times that I accidentally come across something that touches me. Today is one of those days that I sat and watches a two youtube videos on a young man named Darius Weems. He is a young man that has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He is a young man that lost his older brother to the same disorder. What was most amazing to me was the determination this young man demonstrated. He set out to live a dream and he accomplished each goal he set for himself because of the friends he had and developed along the way. He did not allow his disabilities get in his way. His mother although she wanted to hold and protect her son allowed him to take the journey that he needed to take for himself and his brother who did not have the opportunity. He has lessons to teach all around him. Watch the video. If you are teacher there is information about lesson plans and a DVD for educators.

What I learned: Is possibility is the belief that something can be done. Determination of a team is how it gets done.

This is one of many videos that you can find on youtube about Darius Weems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf0h8UpK_Y0&feature=related

Web 2.0 Wednesday! Free File Converter

In a previous post, we discussed using Zamzar to download files from the Internet. While that site works well, it requires you to give them an email address. Once your file is complete, you receive and email with a link to download your file. Depending on the size of the file and the traffic to the website, you could be waiting for some time.

An alternative to Zamzar is Free File Converter. http://www.freefileconvert.com/

This website performs the same types of file conversion as Zamzar - but with one main difference. Free File Converter performs your file conversion task right in front of you and provides a link to download the file as soon as it is done. No need to check your email - no need to wait.

I have found this website helpful when I am in a school setting and the firewall has prevented me from accessing my personal email. Now, I can simply go to this website and create my files instantly.

Have you used this service? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Talk to your iPAD

I know...everywhere you look recently there is another article about the iPAD and how it is the next greatest must-have device. With the iPAD coming out tomorrow, the amount of press is sure to increase (if that is possible!).

This post won't be about that - if you want those kinds of articles check out:
Crave - The Gadget Blog from C/NET
Gizmodo - Search for iPAD
or visit the official Apple iPAD Store


Instead, we will focus on the ability to use the FREE (yes..I said it!) Dragon Dictation app on the iPAD! According to Nuance, the application runs the Dragon Naturally Speaking speech engine and will allow users to dictate directly into the iPAD.



As the iPAD starts to get in the hands of users, we will update this post with user reviews of this software. Using Dragon on the iPAD may be a viable alternative to a laptop computer and would provide an additional level of flexibility to speech recognition users.

Do you have an iPAD? Want to be a guest reviewer? Leave a comment below and share your experiences.