Pre-Conference Seminars
Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Add a pre-conference seminar to your registration and gain a full day of in-depth education on the topic of your choice! Onsite pre-conference seminar fee includes continental breakfast, one refreshment break and a box lunch. Pre-conference Seminars: $275 per seminar; $125 per sponsored seminar (Not included in full conference registration fee)
PRE-V100 News-2-You and Unique Learning System: The Complete Curriculum Package .JPG)
Sponsored by News-2-You
Jacquie Clark, News-2-You; Kathy Staugler, News-2-You; Chrissy Wostmann, News-2-You
News-2-You, the pioneer in bringing current events to special education, invites you to see how we have rounded out our complete curriculum package with Unique Learning System. The Unique Learning System is a comprehensive curriculum designed specifically for special learners. By examining the essence of academic content standards, our instructional targets were identified for reading, writing, math, science and social studies. These standards-based instructional targets became the basic foundation for monthly instructional units of study in four grade level bands: elementary, intermediate, middle school and high school. Each monthly unit’s lesson plans define three levels of differentiated tasks to accommodate the diversity of learners with significant disabilities. Participants will see how the content from the News-2-You newspaper will reinforce the material in the curriculum providing educators with an all-in-one solution.
PRE-V300 Explore New Writing Tools and More in Kurzweil 3000 Version 11 .JPG){kind=small}
Sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies
Jennifer Edge-Savage; Cambium Learning Technologies
Are your students struggling with reading, writing, test-taking? Are you trying to facilitate learning for students of all ages with a wide variety of learning differences? Are you looking for tools to create a Universally Designed classroom? Well, don't worry, we've got you covered! Kurzweil 3000 enables schools to convert curriculum content into a format that provides the range of accessible accommodations most students need to independently access the curriculum - and it's not just for special education anymore! Believe it or not, Kurzweil 3000 has become an even MORE powerful tool for differentiating instruction and making curriculum accessible for all students! Join us to try out the amazing new Writing Process supports built in to Version 11! In this hands-on full day course, you will learn the foundations of Kurzweil 3000's reading, writing, vocabulary, and study skills tools. But most importantly, you will learn how to APPLY these tools in the classroom to support individual, small group and whole class instruction.
PRE-AAC100 Hear Me Now In Thought and Voice!
Pati King-Debaun, Creative Communicating
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Do your AAC users have a voice?! Let their voice become an extension of their identity using their communication devices to narrate into programs such as Classroom Suite, Clicker 5, My Own Bookshelf, PowerPoint and more, to create talking books, journals or oral book reports. Learn strategies and device features that can be used to make this happen, as well as connecting to the computer for communication with written expression, including alternate assessment activities. Participants will receive a CD of templates and activities for recording and writing and learn how to use pre-made templates and activities on the computer with a variety of AAC devices. Explore a variety of methods recording student speech and complete this session by producing a class news show.
PRE-BLV100 Conducting an Assistive Technology Assessment of Students Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Ike Presley, American Foundation for the Blind
Blindness/Low Vision
Too often assistive technology sits in a closet. This leads to a negative impression of its benefits by students, parents, teachers, and especially administrators who have committed limited financial resources. An investigation of the potential benefits of some of the low-tech and high-tech options can easily be conducted by teachers of the visually impaired. However, the ability to assess the potential of some high-tech options may be limited because teachers may not have access to the technology. An assistive technology specialist, who does have access to high-tech devices, can fine tune the match between students and technology. Learn to identify the major components of an assistive technology assessment; the gathering of background information, assessing the student's options for accessing printed and electronic information determining appropriate writing tools, and determining the tools needed to produce materials in alternate formats. Discover how to determine which technology tools are best for accomplishing specific tasks and the appropriate rationale and justification to use when recommending AT for your students.
PRE-LD100 Integrating Web 2.0 Tools and AT: Promoting 21st Century Skills in the Classroom
Brian Wojcik, Special Education Assistive Technology (SEAT) Center, Illinois State University; Kirk Behnke, CP of New Jersey; Dave Hohulin, Infinitec; Karen Janowski, EdTech Solutions
Learning Disabilities
Education today is much more than just learning with textbooks, paper and pencils. The 21st century classroom is about being researchers, collaborators, contributors and creators as well as achieving knowledge and skills in the core academic areas. Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, digital storytelling and microblogs are being increasingly used to help students achieve the expectations of the contemporary classroom. While these tools offer many benefits to students with diverse learning needs, the integration of AT with these tools opens many more opportunities for all students to be successful users of these tools. This hands-on workshop will focus on understanding popular Web 2.0 tools, how these tools are being used in the classroom, and how a variety of assistive technologies can be integrated with Web 2.0 tools to allow all students to become effective users of these tools. Gain knowledge and skills related to the uses of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom and experience using a variety of assistive technologies to foster the use of Web 2.0 tools in your classroom.
PRE-LD200 Low Cost Solutions for Adapting and Enhancing Educational Materials
Therese Willkomm, University of New Hampshire
Learning Disabilities
This hands-on session will demonstrate how to create low-cost accessible instructional materials in minutes. Participants will learn how to quickly caption video clips in five minutes, how to use ACDSee to create multi-sensory documents and presentations, how to use Visual Hub and Movcaptioner to create accessible videos for video iPods, and the new ARCHOs. Participants will also learn how to create and post accessible instructional video clips on YouTube, Expert Village, and Teach Tube; how to create quick captions and alt tags for picture on Picasa; how to make a portable PA system and a visual presenter for less than $10.00 and discover creative and accessible uses of GoToMeeting and Skype for virtual instruction. All participants are encouraged to bring a notebook computer to this session.
PRE-LD300 Digital Reading: From Evaluation to Implementation
Denise DeCoste, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland; Linda Wilson, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland
Learning Disabilities
Today, reading is more than just decoding and digital reading presents new opportunities and challenges in the 21st century. Struggling readers now have access to text reader applications to support decoding, fluency and comprehension, but is it appropriate for all students? What process do you use to determine whether text readers may be effective? And beyond spoken and highlighted text, what features are important to consider? There are many types of digital reading supports. What types of supports should be inserted into digital text to meet individual reader needs? And what digital reading resources are available on the Internet? Multiple types of digital reading supports will be described, as well as how they can be used strategically. Logistical and copyright issues will also be addressed from copyright and eligibility issues, to the practical side of managing digital content in schools. Text readers support reading, but can also offer writing support. Multiple strategies will be demonstrated to help students make reading to writing connections. Digital reading is a powerful support when used strategically and effectively.
PRE-LD400 Sorting through Electronic Writing Supports
Scott Marfilius, Scott Marfilius Consulting; Kelly Fonner, Kelly Fonner Consulting
Learning Disabilities
Having a hard time keeping up with the AT for writing supports? Scott and Kelly bring their most popular conference hour sessions together into this one day frenzy through writing tools. It’s all about features of electronic writing supports. Throughout this fast-paced day, you will be shown a wide variety of examples in the areas of talking word processors, portable word processors, word prediction systems, graphic outliners, onscreen keyboards and symbol to text processors. Remember, this is NOT about what products are the best or what are most recommended. This fun and whirlwind day is about truly understanding and applying the features in order to make the most informed decisions to best meet the needs of your students and clients.
PRE-RPD100 Troubleshooting AT Implementation Breakdowns
Penny Reed, Penny Reed Consulting; Gayl Bowser, AT Collaborations
Research & Professional Development
The most common problems in providing assistive technology (AT) services occur during implementation. When the people who should be helping students to implement the use of AT on a daily basis fail to do so, there are a variety of causes for this breakdown. Because the causes vary, the actions to be taken should vary as well. Analyzing breakdowns in implementation and tailoring the response helps AT service providers to be more effective in their provision of AT services. This session will provide a systematic trouble shooting paradigm that can be used to identify implementation breakdowns and offer suggestions for appropriate interventions. Learn the causes of breakdowns in implementation of AT services and analyze them in order to identify the appropriate actions to take in response.
PRE-SM100 Sensory Processing, Sensory Integration and Seating and Access
Karen Kangas, OTR/L
Severe Multiple Disabilities
Sensory processing and utilizing sensation in an integrated mode is how the human body interprets and utilizes postures to assist all individuals in managing tasks and work. Specific seat cushions, back heights, armrest locations, and fixed seating parts, can often prevent a child from postures of mobility within the seated posture. Without active control and movement, consistent access cannot be attained. Postural stability which requires postural mobility must be able to occur within a seating system for active, independent control to occur. Sensory processing and sensory integration must be understood and supported as a repertoire of postural movements are supported and promoted within the structural components of seating systems. Trouble does not stem from children who have trouble with head control or hand control, but from children learning more control in seated positions created to control them. Sensory processing directly affects visual convergence, focus and attention, and postural control. To assist children with better access to assistive technology we must also better understand how their bodies work, and what types of seating equipment is needed, how to incorporate it with activity, and subsequently assist the child in efficient access to her technology tasks. Learn strategies that work with children to provide them with increased awareness and use of sensory processing within their seating systems so that increased, consistent access can be observed. Find out how to define and identify the two primary modes of sensory processing, vestibular processing and tactile processing in their students. Learn to identify at least three different pieces of seating equipment and determine the sensory processing its supports, and subsequently, what independent access it supports.
PRE-BLV200 Low Vision in Students with Physical Disabilities- Impact and Accommodations
Linda Petty, Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC), University of Toronto
Blindness/Low Vision
This workshop will examine visual impairments commonly found in students with physical impairments, and accommodation through strategies and technologies. Teachers will understand the impact of physical disabilities on learning keyboarding and accessing the computer for reading and writing tasks. Therapists will understand how to position students to maximize their functional vision. Both professions will understand the role and contribution of the other. Case studies from kindergarten to post secondary education will illustrate problems and successful accommodations. Integrating technologies to accommodate low vision and blindness with alternative access tools and positioning aids in keyboard supports, seating and cushions will be shown. Learn how to successfully integrate access technologies with low vision/blindness technologies.
PRE-SM200 Developing Communication Skills for Children Who Face Severe Multiple Challenges: Partner-Assisted Scanning with PODD
Linda Burkhart, Private Consultant
Severe Multiple Disabilities
Children who face severe physical, communication, and multiple challenges often struggle with trying to juggle the challenges of motor coordination, communication, language, vision and cognition needed to effectively access a communication device. This makes it difficult for them to be able to communicate what they are thinking. This presentation will demonstrate the use of "Light tech" partner-assisted scanning communication strategies, while the child is developing skills needed to access a device. Organization of vocabulary, by pragmatic intent (PODD) based upon the work of Gayle Porter (Australia) will be discussed. Strategies for children who have cortical visual impairment will also be shared.
