Session selections now open

Delegates are now taking advantage of selecting their preferred sessions. As we promised in December, session selections have been open since early January. What a way to celebrate the first day back for 2012! We are thrilled to see that so many people have already logged in to select their preferences. If you have already completed your registration but haven’t received an email with your session selection log in username and password, please contact us at conference@spectronicsinoz.com and we’ll resend all the information you need.

Session selection is optional – you’re more than welcome to “wing it” whilst at the conference. Please be aware however, that if you have registered for the “I Want Everything” package you will need to log in to select your pre-conference workshop selection for Tuesday 22nd May – this is the only day where a session selection is absolutely necessary.

A reminder too, for those of you who know that you are attending but haven’t yet got around to submitting your registration … the earlier you register the more likely you are to select your preferred sessions. So register now to lock in your preferences!

Conference accommodation at Jupiters – and Jupiters’ prizes!

Now is the time to start thinking about your trip to the Gold Coast. We have negotiated a discounted rate (available for conference delegates only!) at Jupiters Hotel Gold Coast, the conference venue. In addition to the convenience of staying onsite, you will also have access to FREE wireless internet – both on the conference floor and in your room! A saving of $25 per day. To take advantage of these conference rates please note that all bookings must be made using the special Spectronics booking link – see the Accommodation page for all the information and instructions on how to make a booking. Rates are valid for occupancy on a single, twin or double basis (per room, per night):

• Superior room $189
• Corner balcony superior room $220
• Executive room $240

And as an added incentive to stay at Jupiters Hotel Gold Coast, ALL delegates who book their accommodation using the special Spectronics booking link will automatically go into the draw to win a spectacular prize valued at $775. The prize includes two nights’ accommodation in a superior room for two adults (including full buffet breakfast each morning!), as well as two dinner and show tickets.

Jupiters has also been generous in providing our early bird registration prize – a fantastic dinner and show package for two, valued at $198. But you need to be fully registered by Monday 9th April to go in the draw!

FULL program PDF now available to download

We know it’s handy to see the conference program in its entirety – and in a printable format! So we have developed a PDF of the FULL program for you to download and share with your Principal, colleagues and friends and family. To download a copy click here. The most up-to-date version of the document can be found on the Program page – it will be updated each time we update the online version. Enjoy!

Free introductory conference webinar

The Conference Committee thought it might be useful to host a free introductory conference webinar, aimed at helping you to prepare for your attendance at the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012. We hope it may help you to get a feel for how to get the most out of your conference participation!

We will take you on a tour of the innovative new web apps for planning your schedule at the conference, accessing presentation resources from all presenters and adding notes taken in the sessions to your timetable. Even if you are a “regular” attendee, you may also find this useful as many new initiatives are in place this year. Keeping it fresh and inspiring for you!

We will be hosting two sessions, and will record them both so that if you are not able to join us “live”, you can watch the presentation later at a time that suits you better.

Choose from the two sessions we have available (content repeated) and register online now for free!

• Only one month to go! Thursday 19th April, 3.15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time
• Only two weeks to go! Wednesday 9th May, 3.15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time

FREE Image Generators

This month we’re highlighting this great set of online tools to allow you and your students to create a range of images using your own text. Create a newspaper clipping by simply adding a headline and a story. Great starter for desktop publishing lessons. Lots to choose from; movie clapper boards, banners and even a cigarette packet you can add your own ‘government health warning’… “Every time you smoke, God kills a kitten!”

http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

We are constantly finding new ways of sharing great articles, links and resources with you, with the Spectronics Blog being the central place for display of all of our resources. We are also adding posts by new Guest Bloggers – including Gerry Kennedy from Australia and Ian Bean from the UK. Did you know you can now sign up to be notified by email every time a new Blog post is uploaded? Some people tell us that they find this easier than trying to keep track of RSS feeds.

Scoop.it

Our latest find is Scoop.it – a really cool and visually-rich “magazine style” presentation of information. The Spectronics team is now collating content for six different topic areas on Scoop.it. Why not check them out and follow the topics of interest to you if you find this a cool way to receive your news.

• Inclusive Learning Technologies
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Learning Support Technologies
• iPads in Special Education
• iPads for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
• Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference

Slideshare

We are SO often asked for copies of the PowerPoint presentations used by the Spectronics team for workshop and conference session presentations, that we have started putting them up online at Slideshare for you to view and share with others. Visit the Spectronics Slideshare page and join the 7,000 other visitors we have had since the page went live a few months ago! We will soon be incorporating these into the Spectronics Blog pages too. Another good reason to subscribe to the Blog. ☺

One of the areas in which it falls down is its volume in social settings for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users. It needs additional amplification to make it more successful as an AAC option when there is other ambient noise. The iAdapter from AMDi is a rugged protective case with in built speakers which allow for much higher volume output from the iPad.

Spectronics did sell the iAdapter for the original iPad and the iAdapter 2 for the iPad 2 for a short time, but we are no longer supplying it. It is still available however from Adam Lynn at Communicate AT in Australia and from Desktop Technology Services (DTSL) in New Zealand. Hope this helps you to track one down!

For more information about this app please visit their website.
http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/play-school-art-maker/id473900831?mt=8

In my latest book, ‘Touch Skills Progression’, I explore the skills students with severe and complex difficulties need to be able to operate touch devices including touch screens, interactive whiteboards and tablet devices such as the ipad.

Drawing together best practice from over ten years of classroom teaching and lesson observations this new booklet will help you assess, teach and record progress in the skills required to use touch enabled technology. From cause and effect to confident choosing, early dabbling to drag and drop, each stage is fully explained and illustrated with teaching activities you can try in your classroom. Linked to the QCA P Levels for ICT with examples using software and apps you’ll already have this booklet is a ‘must have’ for all colleagues working with students who have severe and complex needs including Autism.

Touch Skills Progression will be available as a PDF download from my website late January 2012.

FREE Online Webinars

Ian is delivering a series of one hour online webinars in association with Ablenet, a leading US supplier of assistive technology and communication devices. Taking part is really easy, simply register for the sessions you would like to see by clicking the links below. Ten minutes before the session, log in and call the 0800 freephone number and you’re ready to go. Don’t worry if you are too busy to take part at the scheduled time, all sessions are recorded. You can view the recording at any time to suit you.Here are the webinars we have planned so far for 2012.

• Jan 18th 2011: Getting the most from your switches AWAY from the computer
  Ideas for using switches away from the computer. Examples will be shown which match the key milestones and small steps from Ian’s Switch Progression Road Map.
  https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=l3iycnibki6x

• Feb 15th 2012: Communication Devices in an Inclusive Classroom
  This webinar looks the use of single and multiple message communication devices and how they can be used as an integral part of the school day.
  https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=h0sos2oupxnl

Missed one of these earlier sessions?

• Assistive Technology in an Inclusive Classroom

• Making Something Happen – Using switches at a cause and effect level
• Extending switch skills beyond cause and effect.

You can view the recordings of any of the previous three sessions by clicking the link below. http://ianbean.co.uk/webinar.html

The Magic Carpet interactive projection system is just one of their new technologies. The system projects interactive games and images onto the floor so that users can play with and control the images simply by moving on or over the projected image – even with the slightest of movements. Its multi-user interaction supports group activities allowing for collaborative play with able-bodied peers. Add in the Tobii PCEye, (a clip-on eye control device for a computer) and Sensory Eye FX software, and students with even the most significant physical disabilities can actively participate in games with their peers. They can join in by controlling the fun Magic Carpet activities by eye control alone. A great way to build competence in eye control before moving on to more demanding applications too.

Mmm … it’s hard to convey how cool these tools are with words alone. Click here to watch a short video to help to bring it all to life for you!

To see some of the other truly innovative multi-sensory environment installations being created by the Sensory Guru team in the UK, visit their website or join their active Facebook Group. Their inspirational catalogue of options and ideas is also wonderful to flick through.

The great news just in this week is that these technologies are now available across Australia and New Zealand from Bas Tijdhof at Link-AT Assistive Technology in Adelaide. Bas will also be displaying the Magic Carpet and EyeFX at the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012. It will be a popular (and fun) exhibit for sure!

Boardmaker Studio, the first update to Boardmaker for a number of years, was released late last year. It is becoming very popular now, so it might be timely to take another look at why you might consider upgrading your current copies of Boardmaker or Boardmaker Plus! to Boardmaker Studio.

What are the advantages of Boardmaker Studio?

• No CD in the drive is required to run the program! This has been an issue for many Boardmaker users in the past, and is eliminated as a problem with Studio.
• Multi-site licensing for organisations is possible with licences able to be remotely rolled out via an innovative online District Management Centre (DMC) making management of the licences purchased very streamlined as shown in this explanatory video. This great system for managing software across multiple geographic sites is now available in Australia and New Zealand for purchases of just 10 or more licences.
• Seamless integration with 1000’s of free activities on the BoardmakerShare Activity Exchange site is built into the program.
• Hundreds of “Studio Starter Templates and Gadgets” are provided to help speed up creation of onscreen activities.

If you would like to see Boardmaker Studio in action, you are welcome to view the pre-recorded one hour webinar by Charlene Cullen. Charlene and Katie Lyon are both Speech Pathologists at Spectronics and have many years of practical use of Boardmaker behind them. We are also building more recorded sessions for you and will let you know about these via our Blog and in our next emailed newsletter to you.

Pricing for upgrading single user copies of any prior version of Boardmaker to Boardmaker Studio are available on the Spectronics website. If you would like a quote for the cost of upgrading multiple copies of Boardmaker to Boardmaker Studio, please contact Spectronics on mail@spectronics.com.au in Australia or mail@spectronics.co.nz in New Zealand and we will be happy to assist.

Many commercial switch training software programs feature a ‘switch building’ level where the learner is required to press the switch a number of times in order to ‘build’ either a pattern, picture or scene. With each press of the switch, another part of the image is ‘built’ until at the last press in the sequence the complete image is revealed and usually animated as a reward. Sequences often require three, five or more switch presses before the animation sequence is played. Learners moving from cause and effect activities often start switch building at three presses and move on to more as they make progress.

Progress?

Is the student really making progress if they’re learning to hit a switch over and over again? By that maxim, I’ve worked with some switch skills geniuses. You know the students I’m talking about, the ones who sit there and bang or tap the switch continually… again and again and again like they’re beating out the bass line of 100bpm house music. Surely that can’t be right. Is a student who can press a switch six times in a row more advanced than one who can only press it only three?

Switch ‘building’ is a misnomer. At this level our aim for the student is to learn to press the switch a number of times to complete a simple sequence noticing the changes at each step.

Imagine ‘building’ a farm scene …

<press> “Oh look… green grass. I wonder what else we’re going to get.”
<press> “Sheep! Sheep in the field. I wonder what else we’re going to get.”
<press> “A tractor! A tractor in the field.”
<press> Animation plays showing tractor ploughing and sheep bleating. “Yay, you made a farm. Good job!”

The example illustrates that the skill here is not that the child can press the switch four times, rather it’s that the child notices that something has changed on the screen with each press of the switch. We help the child notice the changes by pointing them out… talking about what is happening on the screen. Here’s another example this time a story created in SwitchIt! Maker about a trip to the seaside with your class using your photos and a video clip of a funfair. Here’s how the activity might play out…

<press> “Look what’s that? It’s our school bus.”
<press> “Oh look, it’s our class getting on the bus. Where do you think we are going to go?”
<press> “THE SEASIDE!”

<press> “Here we all are playing on the beach…”
<press> “Having a paddle …”
<press> “and at the funfair!” Video plays.

Both of these examples illustrate a meaningful and age appropriate method of teaching the ‘switch building’ skill. Contrast that against some software which will have your students building pictures from parts of pictures.
How about this.

<press> “Look a cow’s leg”
<press> “Look cow’s udders”

How many of our students working at low levels of cognition would be able to identify a picture from parts of a picture? It gets worse; some software uses patterns in switch building.

<press> “look a wobbly line”
<press> “and another wobbly line”
<press> “and another …”

You get the picture? Most of our students don’t and because they don’t really understand what’s happening they quickly learn that if they bash the switch repeatedly, the reward will play. This is counter-productive and keeps them firmly at the cause and effect; ‘make something happen’ stage except now they are tapping a switch repeatedly to get the reward. Switch building is an important stage in the development of switch skills which teaches some important concepts. With a little thought and a smattering of creativity it can be a lot of fun too!