Over 200 Presentation and Hands-On Lab Hours
Wednesday through Friday, October 9-11, 2013
Over 200 presentation and hands-on lab hours that describe and/or demonstrate successful applications of assistive technology for persons with disabilities will be held during the three days of the conference.
See list of conference presenters.
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differentiated instruction
10/10/2013
9:30am-10:30am
Assistive Technology the Common Denominator
Date:
Thu, Oct 10, 2013
from
9:30 am -
10:30 am
Location: Atrium 1
Category: differentiated instruction
Format: lecture
Subject Level:
All
Computer Level:
N/A
Description:
Educators are challenged with incorporating Common Core Standards, regardless of student cognition and physical limitations. Historically, teachers of students with multiple special needs taught math skills of time, money and rote computation. After reviewing the new requirements, we realized that our focus should not be purely functional math, but true mathematics. Therefore, change was necessary. We will focus on the comprehensive scope that Common Core presents and four key components that will lead students to demonstrate metacognition of math. Participants will be given an implementation model, updated research and examples of math lessons with a focus on assistive technology.
Presenters:
Jennifer Emanuele
Nicole Kalcheim
10/09/2013
9:30am-10:30am
Computer-Based Graphic Organizers with Embedded Self-Regulation Strategies to Support Writing
Date:
Wed, Oct 09, 2013
from
9:30 am -
10:30 am
Location: Plaza 3
Category: differentiated instruction
Format: demonstration
Subject Level:
All
Computer Level:
Beginner
Description:
Writing is an important skill for all students. Students with high incidence disabilities often struggle with various aspects of writing, from mechanics to written expression. This presentation will discuss a variety of self-regulation strategies, including goal setting, self-motivation, self-instruction, self-monitoring, self-evaluation, self-satisfaction and self-efficacy in terms of their implementation and benefits for enhancing writing activities. The attendees will learn how to incorporate these strategies into a computer-based graphic organizer created using existing features of Microsoft Word. In addition, perspectives of students who have utilized computer-based graphic organizers with embedded self-regulation strategies to organize their writing will be shared.
Presenters:
Andrea Boykin
Anya Evmenova
10/09/2013
2pm-4:30pm
Rett Syndrome: Communication and Learning Strategies (Two Block Session)
Date:
Wed, Oct 09, 2013
from
2:00 pm -
4:30 pm
Location: Plaza 5
Category: differentiated instruction
Format: demonstration
Subject Level:
Beginner
Computer Level:
N/A
Description:
Girls with Rett Syndrome face a variety of challenges to communication and learning. Severe apraxia makes it difficult for them to move their bodies according to their intents. Neurologically driven hand stereotypies often make them appear severely cognitively impaired. Reaching these children's underlying cognitive abilities is difficult. How do you help them juggle the motor coordination, sensory processing, communication, language and cognition needed to effectively communicate their thoughts? How can we begin to look at assessment as a dynamic process that is integrated into instruction through meaningful and purposeful contexts? How can you modify classroom materials to be accessible?
Presenters:
Linda Burkhart
10/11/2013
8am-10:30am
Tips, Tricks and Strategies for Using iPads with Students Who Have Multiple and Visual Impairments (Two Block Session)
Date:
Fri, Oct 11, 2013
from
8:00 am -
10:30 am
Location: Plaza 6 iPad Lab
Category: differentiated instruction
Format: iPad hands-on workshop
Subject Level:
Beginner
Computer Level:
Beginner
Description:
The presentation will be an overview of iPad accessibility features. Participants will learn about the various reasons an accessibility feature would be beneficial. After the overview, the presentation will go over several apps that are applicable to students who have multiple and visual impairments. The apps will be aligned with the Expanded Core Curriculum and will be presented in a curriculum framework that suggests the iPad as a multi-device for students with visual impairments. For example, in the area of Compensatory Academics, a student could use Pages or Penultimate to complete academic work, with potential troubleshooting methods specific to students who have multiple impairments, i.e. an external keyboard or using Dragon Dictate in order to cut/paste into Pages.
Presenters:
Tara Mason
What participants have said
This conference gave me the opportunity to learn and grow in my weakest areas and have leading experts in the field as my instructors.
~AT Consultant
The Closing The Gap Conference was beyond exceptional as many of the sessions that I attended answered the Communication needs we are experiencing.
~Director of Communications
My hours at Closing The Gap are my best-spent professional development hours to date.
~ Teacher
