Hey! Can I try that? Free Self Determination AT booklet.

Do you ever feel like somebody is trying to shove a new idea at you, or get you to implement a drastic change to how you teach without your consent or input?  Isn't it frustrating to be told, "This is what's best for you, and you're going to do it." without being asked how YOU feel about it?  As I've been thinking about the concept of self determination and assistive technology lately, I've been wondering if this is how some of our students feel when we give them an unfamiliar piece of technology and say, "Here.  This is what's best for you." without ever asking them how they feel about it.  I think that allowing students to give input into the consideration of assistive technology will greatly increase their motivation to use AT, and will produce better outcomes for all concerned.

With that idea in mind, I wanted to share a resource a recently re-discovered called Hey! Can I Try That?  It is a free booklet, designed by two premier AT experts,  that you can use with students to teach them about the purpose of assistive technology and self determination.  It includes:

•  short, easy to read passages, 
• case studies to bring abstract concepts to life for our students, 
• worksheets for the students to complete, that ask for their ideas and opinions about themselves and their assistive technology.

It guides students and teachers through every step of the AT process, from initially gathering information, selecting and trying AT, evaluating its success, and making any changes to the AT implementation plan.  It is available as a free PDF download from the following websites:
http://www.educationtechpoints.org/manuals-materials/hey-can-i-try-that
http://www.wati.org/content/supports/free/pdf/HeyCanITryThat08.pdf

If you'd like your students with reading and writing disabilities to be able to independently read and complete the worksheet using AT supports, I've also converted the document to an accessible Google doc.  Students can type directly into the document, and can also use a "text to speech" computer screen reader to read it aloud without adult help.


 

What is Word Prediction? This video explains in MUCH better than I can.

Have you ever tried to explain what Word Prediction technology is to someone who is not familiar with it?  I have done this more times than I can count with students, teachers, parents, and administrators, and it is never as easy as I think it should be.  That is why I was excited to find this nice video by the TextHelp company that explains quickly, simply, and visually what Word Prediction technology is, and what the potential benefits are for a variety of students, including the following groups:
-Students with Learning Disabilities
-ELL students
-Students with Physical Disabilities
-Poor Spellers

One note about the video:  It is made by a specific software company, and explains things based on the way their particular software works, but the basic concepts would apply to any reputable word prediction product out there.  

I am excited to include this short (less than 3 minutes) video in my AT toolbox to share with parents, students, teachers, and administrators in my never-ending quest to share the benefits of word prediction with as many people as I can.  I have posted a link to the video here.  I have also embedded the video into the blog below.  Please enjoy and feel free to share with anyone who would benefit from a simple explanation of the features and benefits of word prediction.  Here is a brief list of people you could share it with:
-Students
-Parents
-Fellow teachers
-Principals
-ELL teachers
-The Tier II or Literacy Coordinator
-The guy next to you at the gym (Ok, maybe not him, but you get the idea)

For more information about Word Prediction options available on a variety of platforms and for a variety of costs, click here.