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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universal design for learning
10/10/2013
12:30pm-1:30pm
A Comprehensive, UDL-Based AT Implementation for Your School
Date:
Thu, Oct 10, 2013
from
12:30 pm -
1:30 pm
Location: Plaza 4
Category: universal design for learning
Format: lecture
Subject Level:
Intermediate
Computer Level:
N/A
Description:
Everyone aims for UDL, but then reality sets in. You don't have enough funding, your technology infrastructure was passed down from general education and, certainly the largest challenge, the administration and school staff aren't on-board yet. These are the challenges I faced at Prentice School when I was hired as the AT specialist. I will share how I faced these challenges and ended up implementing school-wide UDL, including an AT course required for all 6th graders. I'll share what worked and what didn't and, most importantly, how I am creating a commitment to cultural change by students, parents and teachers.
Presenters:
Stanley Tom
10/09/2013
2pm-3pm
Finally! Accessibility Tools for Google What You've Been Waiting For!
Date:
Wed, Oct 09, 2013
from
2:00 pm -
3:00 pm
Location: Plaza 2
Category: universal design for learning
Format: company-affiliated demonstration
Subject Level:
All
Computer Level:
Beginner
Description:
Currently, over 20 million students use Google Apps for Education in K-12 schools alone. Schools/districts that have not adopted the apps point to accessibility as a primary concern. In this session, attendees will learn how Texthelp's Google accessibility tools can help overcome that barrier. Working in Chrome on a range of devices, tools include text-to-speech, phonetic spell checker, text and picture dictionaries, word prediction, study skills, vocabulary supports and more to add accessibility to multiple file formats (e.g. Google Docs, ePub, PDF) in Google Drive. This session is a must for anyone using Google in his or her school/district.
Presenters:
Jason Carroll
Martin McKay
10/09/2013
8am-10:30am
iCreate: The iPad as a Content Creation Device for All Students (Two Block Session)
Date:
Wed, Oct 09, 2013
from
8:00 am -
10:30 am
Location: Plaza 6 iPad Lab
Category: universal design for learning
Format: iPad hands-on workshop
Subject Level:
Intermediate
Computer Level:
Intermediate
Description:
In this hands-on session, participants will learn about a number of apps that facilitate iPad content creation in order to engage and empower students of all abilities. The apps will cover several categories, including storytelling, eBook authoring, video modeling and tutorials and more. Participants will view demonstrations of the apps and learn about implementation strategies via case studies, then have some hands-on time to experiment with content creation on the iPads. During the hands-on portion, participants will have opportunities to share their content. Sharing will provide a fun, collaborative environment for participants to learn from each other and share best practices.
Presenters:
Cathy Kingeter
Luis Perez
Eric Sailers
10/09/2013
9:30am-10:30am
Sing Along with Fifty Ways to Implement UDL: Our Greatest Hits
Date:
Wed, Oct 09, 2013
from
9:30 am -
10:30 am
Location: Atrium 8
Category: universal design for learning
Format: demonstration
Subject Level:
All
Computer Level:
N/A
Description:
Here's a new take on Paul Simon's Fifty Ways: UDL's not hard to implement they said to me. Theme-based learning reflects the pillars, one-two-three. Avoid that one-size-fits-all mentality. There must be fifty ways to teach your learners. Let 'em respond with a label, Mabel, draw an essay with a crayon, Stan, use Word to record your voice, Joyce. Use your creativity. You get the idea. Developing multi-modal materials to extend learning experiences sets the stage for success. Theme-related materials can be created relating to specific competencies, such as academics, self-help, social skills, motor skills, etc. using everyday technologies.
Presenters:
Sally Norton Darr
Judith Schoonover
What participants have said
My hours at Closing The Gap are my best-spent professional development hours to date.
~ Teacher
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
One benefit of a conference environment is the opportunity to experience, in person, the tools we often just read about.
~Technology Specialist
