Module #5-Curriculum Connections

The two lesson plans were very cool! What great ideas to get kids thinking. This journey through AT has opened my eyes a lot! I never knew how many amazing things were out there to help students who are 'differently-abled.' As a teacher, I have had many students come through my class that learn a little differently than the rest but I have always been willing to try to make things easier for them. I have not had the experience of working with a severely handicapped child. If I ever do need resources, I have many that I learned about in these 5 modules and have bookmarked the site to refer back to if necessary. What a wonderful book list of books with characters with various disabilities. I looked through the list and found that I have several in my classroom library that I read yearly to my class as well as some books that I have read on my own. I will definitely use this list to add to my library.

Module 4-Etiquette and Awareness

I found the YouTube video to be very powerful. It turned things around and made me think about what it might be like if this world wasn't made for someone like me. I was watching a show on television about a couple of short stature and the birth of their child. They pointed out how things that would seem to be simple, like changing their son's diaper while out and about, isn't easy at all because they can't reach the changing table. This world wasn't made for people their size, but they are able to live independently and use many types of assistive technology to help them. I am happy that I live in a time when people are assisted and not sent away to live in homes or just written off. I know its still not an ideal world, but it seems to be getting a lot better.
I took the quiz and only missed one question. I chose true for the statement employers of people with disabilities need special skills to work with them. I guess maybe you just need to be a special person to reach out and assist them. I am sure there are plenty of employers out there that would think it is more difficult to have an employee with a disability. A greenhouse that I worked at while in high school and college always had a group of people with disabilities working in the greenhouse to fill pots, etc. It always seemed like they enjoyed what they were doing and we enjoyed having them there.
Here are the five websites I found regarding assistive technology:
1-Michigan's Assistive Technology Program: http://www.copower.org/at/index.htm
2-John Williams' Assistive Technology Column: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/list/assist01.htm
3-American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm
4-Assistive Technology Blog by Dr. Friedlander: http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/
5-Government Standards about Assistive Technology: http://standards.gov/standards_gov/assistiveTechnology.cfm

Assistive Technology-Module 3

This week's explorations were very interesting. I was especially interested to find that computers come with already pre-loaded AT options. I am happy to see that we have moved to there being a standard of some assistance with all regularly purchased computers. The following is a review of the software packages that I explored in this week's module:

Software Name	Inspiration	Kurzweil 3000	iCommunicator
Company	Inspiration Software, Inc.	Cambium Learning Technologies Company	Interactive Solutions, Inc.
Price	$69 (single license) $895 (20 licenses)	$2,695 (Color learning lab pack-5)	$6,499 (software kit) $2,499 (upgrade kit)
Features	Create outlines, webs, concept maps, graphic organizers, process flows, and presentations	Comprehensive reading, writing, and learning software for struggling students.	Translates (in real time) from speech to text, speech/text to video sign language, and speech/text to computer generated voice. Also has a built in dictionary and thesaurus.
Pros	-Price -Students do the work but the shell is there to help them. -Allows movement between visual and written formats -Reinforces curriculum work -Visual appeal	-Provides access to any curriculum -Improves study skills -Provides decoding support while reading -Provides writing and self-editing tools	-Three translation types -Happens in real time -30,000 word signing vocabulary -250,000 English word library -Access to the Internet -All grade levels can benefit.
Cons	-For grades 6-12	-Price -Unrealistic voice on read aloud	-Price -Limited signing vocabulary -Teacher must wear a headset

I was impressed with all of these software programs. I was disappointed in the reading voice in the Kurzweil program though. It was still somewhat "roboty." I am excited to use Inspiration in my classroom. We have been learning about graphic organizers and story webs so I will have a chance to put it to actual practice. I wish I had known about some of these programs when my grandma was struggling with macular degeneration. As an avid reader, I know some of these programs could have really helped her continue reading as her eyesight deteriorated. I can only imagine that the assistive technology is going to continue to improve as time goes on. It is nice to know that people with disabilites can feel more independent and "normal" with the help of these software systems.

Assistive Technology-Module 2

1-I really enjoyed looking through the EnableMart website. They have some amazing things! I really liked some of the early reading tools like the LeapFrog Tag School Reading System. It was pretty expensive but a website like DonorsChoose.org could help to raise funds. I just like that it gives students more freedom to feel like they are reading. I hear "I can't read" over and over from my students and when they find a book that they can read they are so proud of themselves. I would love to see them use the LeapFrog tag and feel independent in their reading. I was amazed at all the things that are out their to assist people and allow them to do the same things that everyone else does.
2-Situation #1-student with a low reading level-a cd player with the curriculum stories in audio versions so they can listen to the story and answer the questions without having to read them on their own. Situation #2-a student with a very high IQ who has perfectionism issues with handwriting-using an alphasmart to type assignments and papers to that the frustration level doesn't get out of control when their handwriting isn't perfect. Situation #3-a hearing impaired student-using an amplification system within the classroom to help the student hear everything the teacher is saying. Regular ed. students can also benefit from the use of these systems because they can hear the teacher more loudly and clearly.
4-I was very impressed with the link that took me to all of the adaptvie keyboard types. That is an amazing list! I had no idea that there were so many choices out there to help people with different needs. The other site that I enjoyed looking at was the EnableMart site. I spent a lot of time just looking around at what there was out there. In my 9 year teaching career I haven't really had any students with severe disabilities. These sites really opened my eyes to what is out there.
5-The possibilities for hardware is limitless. I am sure that is comes down to price most of the time. Some of the items that are so technologically advanced are very expensive. I find that to be frustrating because so many people need and could use the assistance but they can't afford it. With all of the cuts in the education system, it is only going to get harder to get these extra assistive items. Some of the hardware, like the pen-like devices would be great for older students in middle school and high school.

Assistive Technology-Module 1

I found the National Federation of the Blind website to be very interesting. I am always amazed at the strength people who are different-abled have. Reading about the different programs on the website reminded me of a group of people the philanthropic sorority I am in works with. We go to the Michigan Blind Rehab Center once a month during the winter to play bingo (using Braille boards) with the residents. They are people from all over the state being trained on how to live an independent life without eyesight (or little eyesight). They are strong, determined people. I thought that the "Braille Readers are Leaders" program was a great way to get children reading and just because they read a different way doesn't make it any less important. As a first grade teacher I am constantly pushing early literacy programs.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities website had some suggestions in their teacher section that I will be able to give a whirl in my classroom. There was a great section on monitoring progress and some different ways to do that. It is always good to branch out and try different assessment techniques to make sure that every student has the opportunity to be successful.
I think these 5 modules about assistive technology are going to be very interesting!

Week #9-YouTube, Podcasts, and Audiobooks

*Podcast wasn't a new term for me, but I didn't really understand what they were. I thought I needed a fancy iPod to be able to use them as a resource. It was great to learn that I didn't. I found some great podcasts of the Dave Ramsey Show and some NPR shows that I miss because my carpool companion doesn't have the same taste that I do. I can see podcasts being great to listen to while I do computer work. I can just download them to my Google Reader and I'm set.
*I have had plenty of experience using YouTube, but it certainly isn't for anything educational, or at least not very educational. I used YouTube to learn how to use a drop spindle and break open a coconut. Also as a demonstration for my first graders to show them what the Hamster Dance is. It is amazing what you can find! I can see the benefit of using YouTube for book talks or educational videos. My school subscribes to Discovery Education's United Streaming so I don't usually need to look elsewhere for videos. I see YouTube as more of something to use for entertainment or to share something with your people.
How to use a drop spindle-YouTube
The "introducing the book" video was HILARIOUS! I enjoyed it. I could see middle and high schoolers enjoying that.
*I really enjoy listening to audiobooks on long car trips or while I am working on menial tasks around my house. I download them to my Kindle so that I can pick up where I left off at any location. It was excited to find places to download free books. I will definitely be sharing that information with the teachers that I work with and hopefully the middle school teachers can share with their students. We listen to audiobooks from time to time in my classroom. It is a nice change for the kids from listening to me to a different kind of entertainment. I enjoyed browsing the World eBook Fair website. Wow! My public library has ebooks, audiobooks, as well as iPods with books that they check out to people. I have only used the audiobooks on CD from their collection. I figure the others should be left for those that may not have the means to get the others on their own.
*This journey has taught me so much! I have learned about new topics that I'd never heard of and increased my knowledge about other topics that I knew a little about. I have bookmarked so many new sites that I will use regularly. I feel like I can be more connected to technology while having to do less work to be informed. I will definitely be using this technology in my classroom as well as in my job as a librarian sometime in the future. My favorite website was Library Thing. It is going to be a wonderful way to keep track of books and share books with my fellow avid readers.

Week #8-Zoho Writer & Library Thing

LibraryThing
I have to say that I thought Library Thing was a pretty fabulous tool. I wish I had better luck figuring out how to link to my certain book list and not to my whole account. It seemed like others had the same problem so I am wondering what I did wrong or how I can get it to work properly. Any suggestions? I had fun adding some books that I'm reading for enjoyment as well as some that I use for teaching.
I thought Zoho Writer was a valuable tool. I had never heard of it until this week. I have never used Google Docs before either, but had heard of it. It seems like the ideal program to use when you have more than one person working on a paper, like for a class group project. It's also a great way to ensure access to all of your documents wherever you are. I found that Zoho writer had a lot of great features like the view and compare option to look back at previous saves of the document and being able to post on your blog from Zoho Writer's website. It is definitely a program that I can see using. It seems like this is the new tool to use for online word processing-I have talked to a couple of people that are just starting to use this that aren't in this class.

Week #7-WebQuest

Early Literacy WebQuest
I struggled with the uploading of the files for this assignment. It took me a lot of searching to figure out how to get the link to work correctly. I hope it works out well! I enjoyed using the WebQuest tool. Although I think my Rollyo topic is not one that is as 'kid-friendly' as it should be. Mine is a more general topic and I hope that works out okay with our next assignment that deals with our web resources. I would rather not change it completely if I can help it. I could see using wikis and WebQuests for older students. It gives them a new way to do an assignment and the teacher can control where they are looking. My concern with students using wikis would be keeping the content appropriate. I liked the suggestion to give students numbers or user names to help track who is posting what. Wikis would be great for book clubs or for group projects.

Week #7-Wikis

I think wikis are a fabulous web tool! We have a wiki that we use with our school for teachers to post ideas and/or comments on. It is a great way to communicate and really have an open forum. I had fun looking through the wikis on the Classroom Learning website. My two favorites were the Princeton Public Library Book Lovers Wiki and the Library Success: A Best Practice Wiki. I could see both of these being very helpful as a librarian. The Princeton wiki would also be great for coming up with book club choices, as it has a rating system for all different genres of books. I do use wikipedia on occasion as well...I know some people have a major problem with the information found on that wiki, but it is a good start when just looking up general information about a topic. Wikis are a great way to connect with others that have a similar interest/passion.

Week #6-Tagging, Folksonomies, and Technorati

I thought that del.icio.us was a very cool website. I could see it being beneficial for me as a teacher to separate my favorites by subject and by school and personal use. I also think it would be great to have access to my school bookmarked sites at home and my home ones at school. It would just be easier to have access to them where ever I am. I think this site would be beneficial to libraries because it would give them a way to organize sites and have people leave comments about them for others to view. When things are organized in a clear fashion people are much more apt to navigate through them. Technorati is a huge site! I don't know how I feel that my blog could be found on that site. I'm not much into all of my stuff being out for all to see. It was cool to find all of the School Library Learning 2.0 blogs out there. It shows how valuable these 23 things are that we are doing and how many other people have been educated through this site. The popular blog, searches, and tags area was unavailable on the website when I tried to use it. It said it would return soon so I will go back and look at it. The blogging world is pretty amazing. I do enjoy following other people's blogs but don't really think that my personal life is worth blogging about. It would be great as a librarian to have a blog that makes weekly recommendations about what to read or teaches a new skill for the patrons.

Week #5-Award Winners

I looked at the award winners in the education, books, and food categories. The one that I liked the best was the 2nd place food website, urbanspoon. It is a website that reviews restaurants in bigger cities around the country. The Grand Rapids area (which is about 45 miles from my house) was the section I found to be most relevant to me. I also travel to Chicago frequently so I could see using this site for meal recommendations. I liked how you could narrow down the searches for local areas not just big cities that are far away. In the book and education section winners, I didn't find them to be very relevant to me. Several were about learning languages, which may be useful someday but it isn't now, also the book sites were relating to finding books in an OPAC system or rare and out of print books. Someday these may be useful to me, but not at this time.

Week #5-Image Generators

I decided to give my dogs a voice using an image generator on the FD Toys website. It was so easy and simple to use. I also tried a pop art poster and used the mapmaker tool. It would be fun to add captions to a lot of my photos. I know my dogs were mad at me when I put these on that is why they only stayed on for long enough to get pictures. Unfortunately, my larger husky died this summer, but I still have lots of pictures of him so I wanted to use this one. I went to the Image Chef website and navigated around, but I found this website to be easier to use.

Week #4-School Classroom & Library Related Blogs

I enjoyed reading and looking through the Edublog Award Winners. There were some amazing blogs with a lot of information on them. It gives me inspiration to see where my blog can go! I found that it was pretty easy to search using Feedster, Topix.net, Technorati, and Google Blog Search. I didn't find Sydic8 as easy to use. The homepage wasn't laid out as nicely as the others in my opinion. I will need to spend some more time finding the value in it. When I used the search term "dogs" I got some results that really had nothing to do with dogs. I would have to look through the blogs to find anything valuable. Now that I have done some experimenting with these sites, it will be easy to narrow it down to which ones that I want to use.

Week #4-Google Reader

I decided to sign up for a Google Reader account. I subscribed to the Quote of the Day, Simply Meals, 5StarDog.com, Home and Garden News, and NPR Topics: Books. I like how I can go to the website and read from the subscriptions the articles that I want to read. I can see using the quote of the day or word of the day in a classroom to use as vocabulary expansion or a journal topic. I am not sure about putting a link on my blog, I am still trying to figure out the benefit of that. I went to a few of my favorite websites to see if they have a link for a RSS feed and a couple of them did. It will be fun to continue playing around with this.

Week #3-Technology

I have an Amazon Kindle and I love it more and more every time I use it. It is an amazing piece of technology that I think every reader should have. Even if you like the feel of a book in your hand, this comes awfully close to that. I still buy "real" books and still have shelves of them at my house (and school) but I love that I can take many of my books with me in my purse and at any point when I have extra time I can pick up wherever I left off and get a bit more reading in. Another great thing about the Kindle is the wireless access so I can download a new book from almost any location as long as there is cell phone service. It is an awesome piece of technology!

Week #3-Mashups

So mashups were new for me and I'm still not sure I can completely see the value in using them for myself. The Montagr was intriguing but I found that it didn't really do a great job with a couple of the pictures that I checked out. I enjoyed the trading card creator and added my card to my blog :) I am going to continue to explore some of the other mashups and may try to use some of their suggestions for classroom actvities.

Lake Willoughby, 20 seconds

Lake Willoughby, 20 seconds
Originally uploaded by Zeb Andrews

I was really taken by the beauty in this photo. I love to see the beauty in nature and I thought that this picture just really summed it up. I have never been to any of the Northeastern states and seeing a picture like this really makes me want to take a trip there!

Week #3- Flickr

I was amazed at the content on Flickr! I have never been on this website, although I have heard of it. I am an avid user of Shutterfly so I hadn't expanded my horizons to any other sites. The pictures that are on Flickr are amazing! I really liked looking through all of the nature pictures. I don't know if I will switch to this site for my digital photo uploading, but I do know that I will use it to find neat photos and potentially use them for journaling topics in my classroom.

Avatar

So I played around on the web looking for some better Avatar creation sites and found one that is much better suited to me!

Week #2-Creating a Blog/Avatar

I know a lot of people who are bloggers, but didn't realize just how easy it is to set one up! This site is very user friendly. I enjoyed creating an avatar although it didn't have the right kind of hair, but it's close. I am looking forward to all of the new things that I am going to learn in this class. I am fairly confident using technology but some of the topics in the 23 things I am unfamiliar with. Hopefully I will be able to immediately put to use some of my new skills in my classroom.

Week #1-Lifelong Learning

After listening/reading the 7 1/2 habits of lifelong learners, I found that I really fit into that category! Although I sort of knew that already. The habit that is easiest for me is to begin with the end in mind. I am great at seeing the end even though at times the work seems like a lot to get there, I can stay focused. The two that are hardest for me are viewing problems as a challenge and PLAY! I sometimes see problems as problems and don't think about how I can learn from them. I am going to make a conscious effort to look them as a challenge and see if that helps. I also forget that we need to play sometimes. My life gets really busy and it seems like all I am doing is grad class stuff and first grade teacher stuff. This year I am working on scheduling activities for me and not over budgeting my time as I often do.