December 1999 / January 2000

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Project LITT (Literacy Instruction Through Technology) is a three-year federally funded research project. Its purpose is the study of the effectiveness of one type of reading software for students with learning disabilities: hypermedia-based children's literature, better known as talking storybook programs. Two of the best known examples of this type of software are the Living Books series and Disney's Animated Storybooks.

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Many school districts continue to find it challenging to comply with the assistive technology requirements of IDEA. This is especially true since IDEA Ô97 added the requirement to "consider" the need for assistive technology in developing each IEP. One of the reasons that school districts are still challenged by a law that is basically ten years old, is that assistive technology has typically been treated as an isolated, specialized entity understood and implemented by only a few specifically trained individuals.

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We hear a lot these days about the importance of raising standards and improving the educational outcomes of students with disabilities. The same discussion usually mentions technology as a critical component of teaching and learning environments that foster higher levels of performance. However, we often discover a huge void between intended outcomes and what is (or, should be) happening in the classroom.To assist IEP teams and technology specialists in understanding and responding to the need to help children and youth attain high academic standards, this article summarizes a number of helpful technology resources.

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Richard - Bill Lynn and I have been Macintosh users for a long time. We enjoy the Macintosh and have spent years exploring it and teaching others how to use Macintosh OS and various applications. When Closing the Gap came to us and asked us to do some writing for their publication it seemed natural that we do something on the Macintosh.This column will contain tips, recommendations, resources, and gossip on all things Macintosh.

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Grade-based learningOne of the recent trends in software for children has been programs that target a particular grade level, as opposed to programs that span an age range (i.e. for ages 4-9). Following are some new programs that were specifically designed to assist children in specific grades.Dr.

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Education Tech Points: A Framework for Assistive Technology Planning by Gayl Bowser and Penny Reed was recently released. The Education Tech Points manual was designed as a resource manual to help school districts. It contains information that is useful to teams throughout the school district as they work to identify appropriate assistive technology for their students.

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A 12-month curriculum addressing the key motor, sensory, cognitive, social and communication needs of all preschoolers has been published by AbleNet, Inc., a designer of assistive technology products and educational services for people with disabilities.Play and Learn: A Motor-based Preschool Curriculum for Children of All Abilities details how to incorporate assistive technology products such as switches and voice output communication aids into 264 fun, skill-building activities. The preschool curriculum utilizes innovative, theme-based activities for teaching students with all ability levels, making it possible for children with severe disabilities as well as their non-disabled peers to learn and play together.The curriculum began as a thesis project on motor development for co-authors Laura Krueger, MA, PT, and Mary Coleman, MA, OTR."Because children learn through play, all activities are designed with play as an essential motivator," said Krueger. "These activities are designed to provide opportunities for participation and success for all children."

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MindTwister Math provides a challenging review of third-grade math and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced multi-player game. Educator-developed activities help students practice essential math facts - including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division - and develop problem-solving skills. The software is strongly aligned with NCTM process and content goals.

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Greystone Digital announces the Big Keys Plus keyboard for the Macintosh computer.When the DOS/Windows version of Big Keys Plus appeared on the market last year, it provided enhanced versatility to unlock the magic of computers for everyone, without compromising the unique uncluttered appearance of the original Big Keys keyboard with its inch-square keys.Now, in response to the demand of educators and parents, Big Keys Plus is available to owners of Macintosh computers.Patented KeyStar technology from Jefferson Computer Products provides the added Plus features to the Big Keys keyboard: punctuation keys, arithmetic keys, and even Internet keys. School children, and adults needing large keys, can use Big Keys Plus for word-processing, spreadsheets, and Internet access.The Big Keys Plus keyboard layout continues to have a powerful attraction for young children, and is an excellent education aid with its optional ABC layout that reinforces reading and spelling skills. An easily accessible switch allows for reconfiguring the keyboard between ABC and QWERTY layouts: ABC for easy learning.

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Some highlights of Talking Typing Teacher:TTT has built-in speech, allowing any user, blind or sighted, to take advantage of the highly successful and fun teaching aids incorporated into the program.TTT features over fifteen praise words, which serve to keep students motivated and excited about learning to type.Besides allowing students to type traditional drills, TTT allows typists to put their newly acquired typing skills to work. Choose from typing intriguing facts, solving math questions, spelling over 150 words, or just play one of three typing games. All of these options are designed to improve students' accuracy and proficiency on the keyboard.Students of all ages are bound to find learning to type with Talking Typing Teacher a rewarding, exciting and productive activity.

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Seiko Instruments' Educational Products Division has introduced an interactive handheld tool designed to help elementary and high school students increase vocabulary skills.The Word Power English Vocabulary Builder (WPVB) is an intelligent, electronic tutor that offers over 100,000 structured exercises for levels from fourth grade through college and four learning modes: synonyms, associations, SAT& TOEFL. The WPVB is a tremendous asset for those studying for the verbal PSAT, SAT and TOEFL exams."Besides providing instant feedback, the WPVB adapts to the user in real time, constantly adjusting itself to maintain a challenging learning environment by working just above the user's level and pace," says John Dudley, senior product manager for Seiko Instruments. "There is nothing like this product on the market today.

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ChatBox and ChatBox-Deluxe (DX), voice output communication devices, combine the use of meaningful pictorial images with the latest technology to enable people who cannot speak to communicate easily and quickly with their families, friends and others. The newly enhanced ChatBox is designed for use by any individual who experiences cognitive and language limitations, brain disorders, cerebral palsy or conditions that result in temporary loss of speech.The addition of a deluxe model, ChatBox-DX, opens up a world of capabilities to individuals with visual difficulty or very poor motor skills.Both models can be programmed for the appropriate vocabulary, voice and native tongue of their user. They can be utilized effectively by individuals of any age as a primary aid to daily communication or as a "first" communication aid from which one transitions to a more flexible system.ChatBox and ChatBox-DX are affordable, entry-level devices, which introduce a non-speaking individual to electronic voice aids.

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MicroTouch Systems, Inc. has introduced TouchStation, a durable touch-enabled Apple iMac. TouchStation features MicroTouch's ClearTek 3000 capacitive touchscreen and USB controller, which are fully integrated into the iMac without compromising the system's aesthetic design, high performance, or screen viewing area.

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Little Bear fans can now interact with their favorite role model while learning through the computer. The Learning Company, a provider of educational consumer software, announces the release of Little Bear Thinking Adventures Preschool (ages 3-5), Little Bear Thinking Adventures Kindergarten (ages 4-6) and Little Bear Rainy Day Activities (ages 3 and up).Little Bear Thinking Adventures Preschool and Little Bear Thinking Adventures Kindergarten are new software titles that help young children build mind-enriching skills. As in the television show, Little Bear and his forest friends encourage kids to explore places and discover new things.

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The Road Runner is a tiny electronic text reading device that will let you take reading material anywhere you want to go. If you are blind, or even if you are not, the Road Runner is a perfect portable reading tool. Road Runner can read any text-based file: e-mail, Internet on-line newsletters, web pages -any on-line reading materials - even books and scanned material.

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SharpeWare has released the Link'n'Go School plugin, a Web application that extends your existing site and allows students, parents and teachers to share information and work together.With Link'n'Go School, everyone gets their own area to work in - with common information shared instantly. Teachers can create on-line lesson plans and associate on-line resources - and decide which classes should use them. They can create school news and information - or update your school calendar - right through their browsers, making the results instantly available at your site.Each class has a home page, from which students can create personal worksheets from a lesson plan, class Web pages and more - editing and saving them on-line using a unique rich text 'editing applet' that provides word processor quality with Web browser ease-of-use.

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UltraKey is a proven keyboarding tutor that teaches every aspect from posture through all the number keys and common symbols. Lessons quickly progress from isolated keystrokes through words and sentences. Skill checks provide word processing practice with precise feedback on user progress.

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Adaptive Innovations, a division of Trango Software Corporation, a product developer and provider of call center solutions, has introduced BrailleStream - the first assistive technology solution for internal call center communication and automation designed to assist the visually impaired by providing output directly to a voice synthesizer or Braille display.Adaptive Innovations has developed the only call center automation solution that simultaneously communicates data to both sighted and visually impaired agents. BrailleStream communicates real-time statistics and messages directly to a visually handicapped agent's desktop, using a voice synthesizer or a 40 or 80 cell refreshable Braille display, while enabling agents to continue their work without interruption.Call centers are moving in a new direction. Enhanced levels of sophistication are needed to ensure maximum productivity and performance within the call center.

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Henter-Joyce, Inc. has announced the availability and shipment of JAWS for Windows 3.31 screen reader software. All registered users of JAWS for Windows 3.3 will receive the newest version of the software free of charge.

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Peter Freer, CEO and founder of Asheville, North Carolina-based Unique Logic + Technology, recently released a new computerized educational system for students demonstrating difficulty in focusing attention and restless behaviors. The system features an amazing twist – no hands required. The program is aptly called Play Attention.Combining educational feedback technology with fun and engaging video exercises, Play Attention prompts the user to manipulate the entire program using his or her own power to concentrate.

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PlanIT Teacher provides teachers with all the tools they need for developing, planning and delivering lessons. It also helps organize Internet resources into an educational context. With PlanIT Teacher's built-in database, teachers have instant access to useful Internet resources — even before setting foot in cyberspace.All documents created by PlanIT Teacher are formatted as standard Web pages, so teachers can easily share their work and collaborate on-line.

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UltraKey is a proven keyboarding tutor that teaches every aspect from posture through all the number keys and common symbols. Lessons quickly progress from isolated keystrokes through words and sentences. Skill checks provide word processing practice with precise feedback on user progress.

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