Had a little break before I started again

I did see that Dragon works with Read Out Loud, and it appears that the improvements are more user friendly and easier for the students to utilize for reading, writing, tests, spreadsheets, a comprehensive software package, that does come with portable readers/writers.

While they were showing the exhibitors I was listening and moving around trying to get a little work done and the one that I did pay attention to is the Kesi 12 new version and the changes that have been made to make this software even more accessible. I have been thinking about my own site and what we have available to our students, very little technology. I know we have classroom suites and probably Kesi, have not seen it, and a few other book share software. It made me question does the needs of the school determine what technology is available? Most of the students at my site have autism, and Down syndrome and I thought about their abilities to progress into junior high and how that technology could support their learning.

Monique and her two teachers had a presentation that is on li jsut ne in a blog and is using road signs to highlight and focus on the process of improving a child's ability through technology. They talked about the realities, costs, bumps in the road and the curves, which seem to be heir solution. The presentation was called Taking the Plunge, teacher interventions, learning with our students and how to motivate people in junior high to be on side with technology. this presentation was full of information and she offered the site for a step by step for parents and their children. They work in the Ottawa area and have certainly made some great strides toward AT in the past couple of years. She also works with OCRI - Ottawa Council of Research Innovation, which hope one day to be a world wide resource for assistive technology and what is available in the marketplace to service our student population. Remembering that these students will grow into adults and require on going services and support one they leave the school setting.

Good questions came after this presentation about affordability and is there funding or financial support for parents that are struggling to support their children. They talked about freeware and non for profit organizations that provide technology as well as the government (income tax) in particular that could offer deductions for special circumstances or assistive technology.
I found this presentation to be full of good information just overload, so much in a short period of time but I know that I can use the web site as a reference and see this information on the blog as well.

Finally I watched Karen Erickson, well she is a dynamo and talked about Literacy or lack thereof and I was glued to the screen.
She is working with pilot projects and test schools to ascertain the requirements to have all children fundamental readers, with
listening comprenhsion and fluency skills, I was impressed to hear her passion and how committed she was to making sure that graduation does not come before the skills set required in life, being literate.