Tech Resources 1 Universal Design for Learning What we Know 1. AIM Modules - http://www.ocali.org/aim/ - The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) is developing Autism Internet Modules (AIM) in partnership with the Autism Society of America (ASA) and the Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network. The AIM project is developing a series of 60 online modules on ASD including characteristics, diagnosis, interventions and supports, transition, and employment. 2. ATIM Modules - http://atinternetmodules.org - The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) is developing Assistive Technology Modules (ATIM) in partnership with the University of Kansas. 3. Bit Strips - http://www.bitstrips.com/landing This is one of a number of websites that allow you to develop, save, and print comics for a variety of purposes. This is not a free site but one that is about $60 a year for educators. The nice thing about this site is that it has a school version which targets items/icons/backgrounds that are related to schools. 4. Texas AT Network -http://www.texasat.net/default.aspx?name=trainmod.consideration This is on of a number of websites that have been created to offer information about AT for teachers, paras, and related service personnel. However, the information also is relevant for us as parents. The beauty of this site are some good modules that seek to walk us through the steps of AT considerations. 5. WATI - http://wati.org/ Good resources for assessment and consideration forms for Teams to use to further understand the needs of those with disabilities as it relates to assistive technology. 6. GPAT - http://www.gpat.org/ This is Georgia s answer and resource for AT and offers some nice guides, considerations sheets, and overviews of the various processes you can take in the consideration/assessment process. 7. Fritschi s Tools - http://fritschi.home.mindspring.com/tools2.html Another example of what is out there for consideration purposes. This is one of a variety out there that I won t list all of them but they offer some good resources. 8. AT Partners CO - http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/programs/atp/pages/assi stivetechnologypartners.aspx This is clearly the folks I would be in touch with here in CO to learn more about AT and the possibilities for assessment, tool integration, and implementation.
Tech Resources 2 9. Family Center on Technology and Disabilities - http://www.fctd.info/ This is the federally funded site for parents. Now, this is really excellent for educators but don t find it particularly helpful to parents and families. Hopeful it will be more family friendly in the future but again, excellent resource. 10. General information on UDL - http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html Here you can find everything and anything you wanted to know. This includes the research behind it, tutorials to train others, products they have developed to illustrate it in application, and the like. 11. UDL Tech Toolkit - http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/ Great resource to share with others and to find resources that are UDL-based and a wonderful example of Wikis in action. 12. Readily Accessible Tools - http://readilyaccessibletools.wikispaces.com/ This is another excellent Wiki developed by a friend right down the street at ISU. 13. CAST Support - http://www.cast.org/products/index.html I like this for Book Builder but it also offers additional resources. Visual Considerations What we Know 14. Comic Life http://www.plasq.com Great software for developing your own social stories via a comic book. 15. Make Beleifs Comix - www.makebeliefscomix.com Great website that offers a free resource to create your own. This one I like because it allows me to share one s emotions. 16. Toondoo - http://www.toondoo.com This is a free web-based software that allows for you to develop your own cartoons for social story purposes. 17. Kerpoof - http://www.kerpoof.com/ Make books, cards, movies and more in this interactive website that allows you to save to their server and access whenever and wherever. 18. Voice Thread www.voicethread.com For pay site but free for educators allowing you to create interactive slide shows and more that reside on the web. 19. CAST s BookBuilder http://bookbuilder.cast.org
Tech Resources 3 This is a great site to develop books for your use and applications. Reading Considerations A Few Considerations Text-to-Speech Applications 1. ReadPlease - http://www.readplease.com - Free and for the PC 2. Natural Reader - http://www.naturalreaders.com/ - Free as well as for pay options for the PC and Mac. 3. Wynn http://www.freedomscientific.com Another text-to-speech application that actually does more than read the text but offers a number of additional functions for users. 4. Kurzweil http://www.kurzweiledu.com Another application that offers text-to-speech but so much more. Will scan digital text and can be used for a variety of other purposes in gaining further access to text. 5. Text Help - http://www.texthelp.com - for pay application that schools are using for textto-speech purposes. 6. Premier Accessibility http://www.readingmadeez.com for pay but you can also ask your district to submit the grant application for they can get the basics for free. 7. Click Speak - http://clickspeak.clcworld.net/ This is an application for the Firefox browser for the PC but when downloaded, will be applicable and helpful to read anything on the Firefox browser. 8. Montgomery County s HIAT http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/ This is where to begin for your resource search for reading solutions and digital text. Some specific links within this site include: Educational Websites - http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/websites/ They list things under specific groups including reading, writing, graphic organizers, and the like. Accessible Technology Resources - http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/resources/ Formatted for consideration across topics. Training Information - http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/training/ Yes some of this is specific to what goes on in MD but other aspects are right in line with things you can do online. 9. Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Organization Considerations What we Know
Tech Resources 4 If research has shown anything over the past three decades in respect to an excellent tier one intervention, it is that are excellent interventions. Here are a few considerations within that conversation. Graphic organizers 1. Inspiration/Kidspiration - http://www.inspiration.com/ The visual way to think, write and comprehend Inspiration/Kidspiration provides an easy way for students to build visual diagrams to represent thoughts and organize information. 2. GIST Plan - http://www.gistplan.com/ GIST is designed from the ground up for use in classrooms incorporating the Content Enhancement Routines. Developed with the KU-CRL, GIST offers a robust tool set for educators to create and present CE devices with diverse learners, teaching critical content to all. The Library that comes along with the GIST Plan can be found at - http://depot.stratepedia.org/ 3. Kidspiration Templates Free downloads of Kidspiration Templates made by teachers and parents for our continual use. http://globalclassroom.org/together/kidspiration.html http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/teacher_resources/kidspiration/ http://strategictransitions.com/samplekidspirationtemplates.htm Graphic Organizers Webspiration - http://mywebspiration.com/user Think Reader-http://www.thinkport.org/Technology/template.tp Graphic Organizers - http://www.graphicorganizers.com/ Educator s Place - http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/ Mindomo - http://www.mindomo.com Technology Considerations What we Know 1. Voice Thread - http://voicethread.com/#home This is a wonderful free website that offers a forum where you can create resources that include pictures, audio, and doodles. This would be great in developing social stories. 2. imovie - http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/ Apple s Learning Exchange is an Apple resource that offers users a place to share ideas and resources that are anchored-based resources. 3. MovieMaker - http://www.microsoft.com
Tech Resources 5 Allows users to develop interactive slide shows and small movies for illustration purposes. 4. Photo Story - http://www.microsoft.com Free download for Window Users. I like the Wizard feature that allows for folks to go step-by-step in the use and development. 5. Discovery Learning http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ This resource becoming increasingly available for users that is rich in video and instructional anchors to set the context for all learners. 6. Atomic Learning - http://www.atomiclearning.com/ Atomic Learning provides web-based software training for more than 100 applications students and educators use everyday. Visual in nature, good example of anchored instruction but also practical for us to use: Username: kansas Password: jayhawk Web 2.0 Considerations What we Know 7. Voice Thread www.voicethread.com For pay site but free for educators allowing you to create interactive slide shows and more that reside on the web. 8. Animoto - http://animoto.com/ Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your photos, video clips and music. Fast, free and shockingly easy. 9. Kerpoof - http://www.kerpoof.com/ Make books, cards, movies and more in this interactive website that allows you to save to their server and access whenever and wherever. 10. PBWorks - http://pbworks.com/ This is a popular wiki site that allows you to create an online presence for you, your peers, your students, your student s parents, and the like. 11. Wikispaces - http://www.wikispaces.com/ This is another popular free Wiki space area that teachers and students can use to share resources as they look to develop and share information.