These resources are provided by Jonn Paris-Salb, Ex-Officio Trustee of the American Printing House for the Blind for the California Department of Education. If you have any questions regarding this package of resources, please contact Jonn Paris-Salb, Assistive Technology Consultant, by phone at 916-323-2202 or by E-mail at jparissalb@cde.ca.gov.

ACCESS TO CURRICULUM ARTICLES 8-1-2014 5 Ways to Google Presentations Not as PresentationsBy Jennifer Carey, August 4, 2014 Google Presentations is also a handy tool for doing some great projects with your students that have nothing to do with public speaking.  Visual Note/Flash Cards: Imagery is a powerful tool in all subjects. Using Google Presentations, students can create their own visual note cards to help highlight their understanding of concepts and ideas. Because they can use it collaboratively, they can not only put together their own collection but build a class library of cards that are handy for review. For example, if you are teaching students about plants you can provide them several diagrams that they label themselves and share with the class. Visually Outline a Project: Presentation slides are a great way to engage in pre-writing exercises. Using shapes and bubbles, students can build venn-diagrams, sketch out ideas, or create a storyboard that visually outlines their ideas. Using the “comment” feature, students and teachers can engage one another in a discussion on the document as students modify their ideas and mold their finished product. Create Visual Prompts & Virtual Discussion: Using a Google Presentation, you can do a similar project; post an image, diagram, cartoon, or other image and invite students to write comments, share links, and engage in discussion.  Create a Repository of Images with Citation: Citing images properly is a key skill in the 21st century. Using a “Title Only” slide, students can build a visual bibliography in which they store images along with the accompanying citation. In addition to the citation, students can include relevant notes about the image. Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne) has a great video tutorial on How to Use Google Slides to Organize Research. Digital WorkBooks: You can use Google Presentations to create and share a Digital Workbook that includes images, hyperlinks, videos, and places where they can fill in the blank or write a response. This is a great way to make homework more dynamic and interactive or guide their exploration of the web.To read the complete article, go to http://www.edudemic.com/5-ways-google-presentations-presentations/ .  

Note: The article above was written with all students in mind. However, students with disabilities will need additional support to learn about the tools provided by Google in terms of accessible accommodations using assistive technology, depending on the specific disability, in order to fully implement these new digital tools. Glassbrick Screen Magnifier Glassbrick is a free screen magnifier that makes zooming your screen quick and easy.It allows you to change the colors of your screen to enhance readability.It’s also lightweight, fast, efficient, customizable and free to use. To read more, or to download the free software, go to http://www.glassbrick.org/. How to Use NVDA and Firefox to Test Your Web Pages for AccessibilityBy Marco Hede, August 7, 2014 This article aims to provide a guide to testing your web sites or web applications using both NVDA and Firefox, hoping to provide you with some of the tools available to visually impaired users who will benefit from your sites being accessible. NVDA (Non-visual Desktop Access) is a free and open-source screen reader for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Unlike its commercial counterparts, which have to be purchased to be legally used for testing web sites, NVDA does not cost you any money. NVDA can be downloaded from the project’s homepage.  Starting NVDA is easy. Visual speech output,to turn this on: Right-click the NVDA icon in your system tray. Select Preferences -> Synthesizer. From the drop down, select the Display synthesizer. Click OK.Opening your first web site and looking at it with NVDA. Now, it is time to start Firefox and open a web page to make sure you get the proper output. Once the page loads, NVDA should automatically announce the title. You can use the arrow keys to navigate the document by character or line, and with the Ctrl key added, also by word. You can even select text using Shift plus arrow keys and copy that selected text to the clipboard. If you encounter an interactive control such as a textbox, combobox or listbox, you can switch to what NVDA calls Focus Mode, in which the virtual buffer reading mode is stopped and focus is set to the control at hand, ready for you to interact with it using the keyboard, as if NVDA was not running at all. You invoke focus mode by pressing Enter when the virtual caret is on the relevant field. Using Escape, you switch back to reading inside the virtual document. If you navigate the page with the Tab key, focus mode will automatically be switched on and off for you.As you navigate the virtual document, NVDA will update the real browser focus to each focusable element as you hit it with the virtual caret. You will often get visual indication of where you are on the page if you get lost.

As you navigate, NVDA will also speak semantic information such as “link”, “heading level 1″ (through “heading level 6″), “button” or the like. It will indicate whether you enter or leave lists and how many items these lists have. Things that NVDA can help you determine quickly: Do your headings follow a logical structure and substructure? Do your form fields like edits and buttons have labels? Do your important images have proper alternative text? Are things such as navigational links grouped together inside a list of some sort?  This article is not meant to replace the NVDA user guide. It is hoped that this article is going to be useful for web developers who want to add one more testing tool to their daily workspace to test the human interaction factor of their web sites. To read the complete article and access the key commands, go to http://www.marcozehe.de/articles/how-to-use-nvda-and-firefox-to-test-your-web-pages-for-accessibility/.Accessibility, Arts, Sport and Culture; Skoog at the Special Olympics By Bob Schog on July 29, 2014   The Special Olympics are a non-profit organization founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of John F. Kennedy, and the only officially authorized to use the term “Olympics”. Their mission is to inspire peace in the world community, change attitudes, encourage through sports, develop programs for global health, encourage research, and educate society about how they should address and behave towards people with intellectual disabilities. Athletes competing in the Special Olympics are from all ability levels and have intellectual disability, cognitive delay, or significant learning or vocational problems, occasionally alongside physical disability.

Skoogmusic contributed to the Special Olympics Summer Games, by hosting Skoog workshops at the Festival. During these workshops athletes, family members, visitors and volunteers enjoyed playing with the Skoog, played along popular tunes, and created their own, contributing to the noticeably joyful and  fun atmosphere of the Delegations Entertainment area.

Specifically, the Skoog workshops took various forms and incorporated different ways of playing, depending on the player’s needs and desires. This equipment allowed us to enhance the sound and visual elements of the Skoog experience, making it even more fun and enjoyable! The sets of notes for these tunes had been prepared beforehand, making the use of these tunes very easy and allowing immediate adaption to each participant’s needs and desires.

Furthermore, the Skoogmusic team organized a concert which was held on the 2nd of July on the Special Olympics stage. During the concert, or “Skoncert”, that lasted for over an hour, two Skoogs performed, mainly as soloist instruments, alongside community musicians playing guitar, accordion, violin, keyboards and a group of the festival’s volunteers as singers. The concert succeeded to illustrate how the Skoog can be used as a main instrument in any band and is able to cooperate musically with all

other “traditional” instruments on equal terms, overcoming “traditional” difficulties and enabling everyone to take part in group music-making.

 To read the complete article, go to http://skoogmusic.com/nuggets/accessibility-arts-sport-and-culture-skoog-at-the-special-olympics/ .  Accessing Multimedia Using QR CodesBy Monica Burns, July 30, 2014  Students of all ages are required to read text for a variety of purposes. Locating and sharing high quality multimedia content can be difficult. Getting articles, audio clips, images, and videos into the hands of your students is often easier said than done. Students can use any device that has a QR code reader app to scan a teacher-created QR code and instantly view a hand-picked website.  Any multimedia found on the Internet can be linked to a QR code. Students can be sent to a specific YouTube or Vimeo clip using a link to that video. If teachers want their students to look at a primary source document, they can send them to a link connected to that image as opposed to a website that has a variety of pictures. By attaching multimedia to a QR code, you can help students quickly access the perfect video, audio, or text using their mobile device. To read the complete article, go to http://www.edutopia.org/blog/accessing-multimedia- using-qr-codes-monica-burns .  5 Emerging Trends in Today’s LibrariesBy Laura Devaney, July 25th, 2014  Technology and digital resources are expanding rapidly in U.S. libraries, and important tech tools that serve entire communities are available at nearly all libraries across the nation. The American Library Association’s 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey makes note of the large role libraries play in education, individual engagement, as well as new programs they are developing, such as maker programming and 3D printing.

When it comes to emerging trends, libraries are forging new paths and diversifying the resources that students and community members will find. The top emerging trends include:1. STEM maker spaces (16.8 percent)2. Social media training (45.8 percent)3. Wireless printing (33 percent)4. 3D printing (2 percent)5. Coding, development, hackathons (2 percent)

Creating is becoming a new digital competency, and libraries are building and expanding their programs and services to meet these changing community needs. Libraries offer a range of technology access and training, such as:

• Public Wi-Fi (97.5 percent; up from 89 percent in 2012)• Technology training (98 percent)• eBook access (89.5 percent; up from 76 percent in 2012)• Online homework assistance (96.5 percent)• Online job resources (95.6 percent)

To read the complete article, go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/07/25/emerging-trends-libraries-652/?ps=350905-001a000001PNtnM-003a000001rICkG. Apple Leads in Accessibility, but can Third-Party Developers Follow?By Steven Aquino, August 5, 2014

Third-party apps on the App Store need to be much better at being inclusively designed.  While users with disabilities, such as myself, are not a majority, we are an important niche. From a developer perspective, the company encourages accessibility by providing documentation for best practices for coding accessibility, as well as devoting much time during WWDC sessions talking about accessibility on iOS and the Mac.

The most reasonable and practical solution comes from Marco Arment. He proposes that Apple should make accessibility testing part of the app-vetting process:

1. Allow developers to opt into accessibility testing for each submission in iTunes Connect.

2. Show a small badge on each app’s page in the Store that passes accessibility testing.

3. Passing requires all advertised functionality to be accessible, all accessible controls to have accurate labels, and no navigational traps such as inescapable screens or stuck states.

4. If a user has VoiceOver enabled while downloading an app that has not been tested for accessibility, show a warning dialog and ask them to confirm whether they still want to proceed.

Arment’s proposed solution is rooted in the concept that all iOS apps be accessible, so that people with disabilities aren’t left out. Yet for as noble an idea as “all apps, all accessible” is, the reality is that it isn’t tenable beyond the bare minimum. For one thing, the notion of “accessibility” and “inclusiveness” is abstract and far-reaching. Cognitive and/or physical impairments run the gamut in terms of severity and corresponding needs. Tech companies such as LinkedIn are becoming increasingly aggressive in hiring people for the express purpose of helping guide their accessibility efforts. It’s imperative that developers find people who are well versed in this area in order to give disabled users the best experience possible, but it isn’t easy.

To read the complete article, go to http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/02/apple-accessibility/ .  FCC Votes to Require Closed Captioning for Web Clips

By Stephanie Mlot, July 11, 2014 The Federal Communications Commission today unanimously approved a rule that will require closed captioning for certain online videos. The move extends rules that the agency adopted in 2012 to require closed captioning on video clips, not just full-length videos. Once in place, the rules will require broadcasters, cable, and satellite distributors to caption clips that are played on TV and then posted on a website or mobile app. The new rules do not apply to third-party websites or apps, or clips that were uploaded to the distributor's online library before these rules go into effect. Deadlines vary based on the type of video. "Straight lift" clips that contain a single excerpt of a captioned program exactly as it aired on TV must add closed captioning by Jan. 1, 2016. In addition to today's vote, the FCC also opened up a second notice of proposed rulemaking that asks for comment on what else the agency can do to help those with disabilities access the Web. To read the complete article, go to http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2460773,00.asp .  Special Needs Children Benefit from MainstreamingBy Rick Nauert, July 29, 2014

Researchers have found the practice of educating children with special needs in regular classes helps to improve the language skills of preschoolers with disabilities. Researchers found that the average language skills of a child’s classmates in the fall significantly predicted the child’s language skills in the spring — especially for children with disabilities.

The results support inclusion policies in schools that aim to have students with disabilities in the same classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. In fact, after one year of preschool, children with disabilities had language skills comparable to children without disabilities when surrounded by highly skilled peers in their classroom. For those children with disabilities who were in classrooms with the most highly skilled peers, language scores in the spring were about 40 percent better than those of children with disabilities who were placed with the lowest-ranked peers.

Justice said she and her colleagues are currently doing research that directly compares the effects teachers have on language development versus the effect of peers. Peers help because they spend more time one-on-one with their fellow classmates than teachers can. Children with disabilities have the opportunity to observe, imitate, and model the language use of their peers who do not have disabilities.

To read the complete article, go to http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/07/29/special-needs-children-benefit-from-mainstreaming/73007.html .  

Hamden Middle School Students Learn Math by Building a SailboatBy Ebony Walmsley, 08/02/14

Sailing on a boat at a country club is not your typical summer school assignment, but two teachers from Hamden Middle School are making it work. Andrew Marzano, an eighth-grade science teacher, and Frank Kachmar, who teaches technology, teamed up to teach eighth-graders math and science skills by building a sailboat.

Recently, five eighth-graders set sail on a pond at the Hamden Paradise Country Club using two 12-foot skiffs. The three-week program caters to students who face challenges with math and science, teaching them about angles, measurements and adding and subtracting fractions. Kachmar said the students participated in every part of the process from reading the construction plans to hammering and sanding the boat.

To read the complete article, go to http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20140802/hamden-middle-school-students-learn-math-by-building-sailboat .  Note: The article above was written with all students in mind. Using Common Core Math standards with students with disabilities will require additional support to learn about the tools in terms of accessible accommodations using assistive technology, depending on the specific disability, in order to fully implement this project based learning. Inflexibility May Be Hardwired in Those with AutismBy Michelle Diament, July 31, 2014

Differences seen in brain scans of children with and without autism may offer new clues to what’s behind the developmental disorder, researchers say. Kids with autism have less flexible brains, researchers say in a new study that may help explain why switching from rest to a task can be particularly difficult for those on the spectrum.

Brain scans of children with autism indicate that there’s little difference in how key networks connect no matter if they’re at rest or engaged in an activity, according to findings published this week in the journal Cerebral Cortex. In contrast, typically-developing children display a more significant shift in brain connections when they take on new tasks.

While the kids with autism performed just as well on the tasks as their typically-developing peers, their brains functioned very differently. Those on the spectrum maintained fairly similar connections between areas of the brain that control important functions like decision-making and socialization no matter whether they were at rest or engaged in one of the activities.

To read the complete article, go to http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/07/31/inflexibility-hardwired-autism/19563/ .  

Make Digital Content Universally AccessibleBy Laura Devaney, June 12th, 2014 Students of all abilities should have equal access to digital resources. As school districts move toward a digital transition and attempt to create content repositories, ensuring that the digital content is accessible for students of all abilities is especially important. A new policy brief explores, at length, open educational resources and their various licenses, the Universal Design for Learning framework, and legal rights and policies for students with disabilities. 1. Create a clear vision: A pathway to integrate and increase use of accessible digital content in classrooms should be clearly articulated by school leaders. Stakeholders must be part of that vision, and policies must be explicit in their goals as they emphasize accessibility.2. Support flexibility and customization options provided by accessible open educational resources: Clear and useful guidance on licensing accessible digital tools as open educational resources is essential. When digital resources are implemented or created, policies should be in place to ensure that those resources are accompanied by accessibility options. 3. Give educators technical assistance and professional development: Educators, including classroom teachers, could access and modify open educational resources to make them accessible and to fit students’ needs, including students with disabilities.4. Make sure digital content repositories are accessible: Digital content repositories often house a variety of accessible content that is able to be modified, improved, and expanded. States and districts, however, should help make sure that digital content in these repositories is high-quality and that it passes rigorous tests.5. Invest in research and evaluation: These are necessary steps that must receive adequate attention if digital content is to be made truly accessible for all students.6. Address issues of funding: Funding is a tricky issue, because creating and sustaining digital content and digital content repositories can be a costly undertaking. To read the complete article, go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/06/12/digital-content-accessible-563/ .  Social Media Project has Jeffersonville Students a-TwitterBy Charlie White, August 4, 2014

Just a few days into the school year, fourth-graders at Northaven Elementary in Jeffersonville are learning to compose their thoughts on paper using 140 characters or less, as well as what information they should and shouldn't post online. Students are given time to think before they write practice tweets on light blue note cards that line one of the classroom walls, including Jaleb Treat's contribution about email addresses being among the personal information that should be kept private, an idea he got from his teacher.

Around the end of next month, the students will begin a new classroom duty, maintaining a protected classroom Twitter account. Lawrence will assign the task to a new student each week with tweets ending with a hashtag unique to their classroom. Tweets can be compiled into story form using the social media platform Storify, allowing students and their parents to look back on a particular week or event.

To read the compete article, go to http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/indiana/2014/08/04/jeffersonville-students-take-twitter-project/13598317/ .  Note: The article above was written with all students in mind. However, students with disabilities will need additional support to learn social media tools in terms of accessible accommodations using assistive technology. Using Technology to Mitigate Cognitive DisabilitiesBy Robert J. Szczerba, August 8, 2014 A 2013 ruling by the Department of Labor established a baseline for federal contractors to have 7% of their workforce be individuals with disabilities.  Additionally, passage by the U.S. House and Senate of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) demonstrates a growing emphasis on hiring more individuals with disabilities.  However, for this trend to be successful for businesses, they must improve their recruitment and retention of these individuals.

Within the disabled community, one of the largest sectors is made up of individuals with a cognitive challenge of some type.  Although people may think that a cognitive disability indicates an inability to perform complex work, most cognitive disabilities are related to processing issues such as difficulty tracking rapid speech or cognitive fatigue.

With a generation of students educated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an aging workforce, and improved medical care that allows injured individuals to return to work, cognitive disabilities are likely to increase in the workplace. It’s estimated that, at any given time, 25% of the workforce may be experiencing some type of cognitive issue.   The good news is that technology augmenting cognitive processing functions is rapidly entering the market.

To read the complete article, go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2014/07/30/using-technology-to-mitigate-cognitive-disabilities/ .

Are Using the Livescribe Pen By Livescribe staff, August 2014

Check out 12 ways educators and students are using the Livescribe Pulse smartpen in the classroom. Most of these examples come straight from our users. View video demonstrations of each practice session for the concepts provided below: Articulation Practice Sheet Audio Study Guide – Skeleton Example

Auditory Flash Cards – Science Example Classroom Walk Through Collaborative Rainforest Learning Center Activity-Audio Enabled Phoneme Blending Music Lesson Composers Oral Book Report Running Record/Fluency Test Substitute Teacher Audio Talking Test – TAKS Practice Test Talking Word Wall

 To read the complete article, and access the video lessons using the Livescribe pen, go to http://www.edlivescribe.com/?page_id=954 .  Note: The article above was written for students with disabilities. Accommodations for using the Livescribe Pen as a digital assistive technology will enable students to record and take notes will especially help students with impaired vision. What Is Executive Function? Written by NCLD Editorial Team, August 1, 2014  Executive function is a set of mental processes that helps connect past experience with present action. People use it to perform activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space. If you have trouble with executive function, these things are more difficult to do. You may also show a weakness with working memory, which is like “seeing in your mind’s eye.”  As with other learning disabilities, problems with executive function can run in families. It can be seen at any age, but it tends to become more apparent as children move through the early elementary grades. This is when the demands of completing schoolwork independently can trigger signs of a problem with executive function. The brain continues to mature and develop connections well into adulthood. A person’s executive function abilities are shaped by both physical changes in the brain and by life experiences, in the classroom and in the world at large. Early attention to developing efficient skills in this area can be very helpful.  In school, at home or in the workplace, we’re called on all day, every day, to self-regulate behavior. Executive function allows us to: Make plans, keep track of time and finish work on timekeep track of more than one thing at once, meaningfully include past knowledge in discussionsevaluate ideas and reflect on our work, change our minds and make mid-course corrections while thinking, reading and writing, ask for help or seek more information when we need itengage in group dynamics, and wait to speak until we’re called on

 A student may have problems with executive function when he or she has trouble: Planning projects, comprehending how much time a project will take to complete, telling stories (verbally or in writing), struggling to communicate details in an organized, sequential manner, memorizing and retrieving information from memory, initiating activities or tasks, or generating ideas independently, and retaining information while doing something with it, for example, remembering a phone number while dialing There are many effective strategies to help with the problem of executive function challenges. Here are some methods to try: General Strategies, take step-by-step approaches to work; rely on visual organizational aids, use tools like time organizers, computers or watches with alarms, prepare visual schedules and review them several times a day, ask for written directions with oral instructions whenever possible, plan and structure transition times and shifts in activities, managing time, create checklists and “to do” lists, estimating how long tasks will take, break long assignments into chunks and assign time frames for completing each chunk, use visual calendars at to keep track of long term assignments, due dates, chores and activities, and use management software such as the Franklin Day Planner, Palm Pilot or Lotus Organizer. To read the complete article, go to http://ld.org/types-learning-disabilities/executive-function-disorders/what-is-executive-function?utm_source=newsletter_aug_2_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_cnt=text&utm_campaign=ldnews .  Importance of Social Media for 21st Century Teachers By Prasanna Bharti, July 28, 2014 The involvement of social media in education has given a new dimension to this industry. The importance of social media has increased not just for students but also for the teachers.  Information literacy means having the ability to recognize the quality of information. This is very much necessary in this digital era where information is easily accessible within a few second. Use of social media under the strict guidance of teacher can help student to evaluate the quality of information. After collecting the information, students should be able to synthesize and present.  Using online platform, students can easily collaborate with each other, even shy students can participate more actively. Through various other platforms like Google Hangout or Skype, teachers can easily initiate discussions or debate. All these social media platforms assist teachers to increase communication with their students. They can effectively communicate and encourage even shy students to participate actively.Lesson Planning becomes easy and effective with social media tools like Instagram and Pinterest. It enables teachers to easily upload photos and graphics related to their lesson plan.  Teachers can also use Twitter and Facebook to guide their students in

research projects with links. Today, Twitter is one of the best platform that helps teachers and students to create professional learning networks. Teachers can also record the session and upload it to YouTube, so that they (student) can view or access it when they are struggling with their homework in their home. This is one of the effective ways of teaching where students can learn at their own pace. To read the complete article, go to http://edtechreview.in/resources/webinars-courses .  Note: The article above was written with all students in mind. However, students with disabilities will need additional support to learn about the social media tools in terms of accessible accommodations using assistive technology. This is critical as social media continues to have an expanded role in college and careers. Education Lingo Every Parent Should KnowBy Rachel Wise, August 6, 2014  As a parent, you may hear certain unfamiliar terms while attending school meetings or talking to your child’s teacher or principal. Sometimes educators are so used to these words and phrases they forget that you might not know what they mean. You may also hear your children saying some of these words, but when you ask them to explain further they may have trouble providing an accurate definition.The article includes an alphabetical list to help you out. Educational Terms: Accommodation, Common Core, Due Process, Educational Advocate, Evaluation, Guided Reading, Guided Reading Level, Standardized Testing, School Psychologist, and Tracking:  To read the complete article and learn about the terms mentioned, go to http://www.educationandbehavior.com/attending-school-meetings/ .  Help Shape the FCC Report to Congress Mark Richert, August 6, 2014

AFB wants to hear about your experience using communications technologies, such as cellphones, tablets or computers to access the web, email and text messages. We also want to share your information with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is currently preparing a report for Congress on the extent to which the communications industry is complying with the historic Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which became law in 2010. The CVAA requires technologies that provide so-called advanced communications services, such as electronic messaging, to be accessible either out-of-the-box or with inexpensive add-on tools.  Please try to keep your comments focused on technologies you've tried to obtain and use in the last two years; we want to provide the FCC with good current information. Tell us about your experience in trying to obtain and use a mobile phone, tablet or computer

that you can use to access the Web, email, text messages and phone calls. Briefly describe your successes or challenges.  When you write about your experiences using your technology, be careful to talk about the experiences you have had using the following specific features: accessing the Internet/web, writing/reading/editing email, writing/reading/editing text messages, making and managing phone calls, or navigating to and activating apps. For additional information, go to http://www.afb.org/community/announcements/share-your-communications-tech-story-by-august-11-help-shape-fccs-report-to-congress-on-the-cvaa/12 .  4 Ways Technology is Changing How People LearnBy Katie Lepi on August 6, 2014  When we talk about what changes technology has brought to classrooms across the globe, the answers could basically be never ending. Teachers could talk about things like bringing ease to researching all types of topics, bringing organization (and a lack of physical papers to lose) to the classroom, and making connections for professional development. There could be a lot of discussion about the millions of nuances of amelioration brought to classrooms – both physical and virtual.  4 Ways Technology is Changing How People Learn We’re moving from individual learning towards more collaborative learning We’re moving from more passive learning to active learning Differentiated instruction and personalized learning are becoming more popular We are multi-tasking more than ever before

 To read the complete article, go to http://www.edudemic.com/technology-is-changing- how-people-learn/ .  FCC Seeks Comment on the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program On August 1, 2014, the FCC released a Public Notice asking for comments about the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP).   The NDBEDP is a program that the FCC established as directed by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).  The NDBEDP provides funding support for the distribution of equipment needed to access telecommunications, advanced communications services, and the Internet to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind.  The NDBEDP has been operating as a pilot program since July 1, 2012.  The rules governing the pilot program will expire on June 30, 2015.   In this Public Notice, the FCC invites the public to provide feedback on ways that the FCC can make the NDBEDP more effective and more efficient.  This feedback will help

the FCC establish rules to continue the NDBEDP as a permanent program when the pilot program ends. Comment Deadline:  August 22, 2014Reply Comment Deadline:  September 5, 2014 Links to the Public Notice: Word:  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-1128A1.docxPDF:  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-1128A1.pdf Text:  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-1128A1.txt

Agreement to Produce Low-cost Refreshable Braille DisplayBy WordNow, August 6, 2014 Orbit, an international engineering company based in Wilmington, Delaware, specializingin high quality, low cost products for blind and partially sighted people, will be undertaking the research, development and manufacture of this unique product. The objective of the project is to produce a stand-alone 20-cell refreshable braille display for $300 (or £200) which will bring refreshable braille within the reach of children in developing countries and will provide libraries in developed countries with a viable alternative to hard copy braille. The product will be launched at CSUN in 2016. The display is designed to work through USB and Bluetooth connectivity with 'smart' phones and tablets. It is not intended to compete with high specification refreshable braille display already on the market, primarily used in education and employment but is intended to bring braille displayed e-books to a wide audience at an economical price. This new device will bring braille within the price range of educators in developing countries and will enable most blind people to access e-books and other internet material without resorting to specialist libraries. To read the complete article, go to http://www.newswest9.com/story/26210573/orbit-research-and-the-transforming-braille-group-announce-agreement-to-produce-low-cost-refreshable-braille-display . See the World Differently Shoshana Shamberg, August 5, 2014

Today the parent of a client called to schedule her daughter's annual re-tint. She told me a wonderful story about the benefits of Irlen Filters for her 12 year old. The teachers report that her daughter seems like a different person: happy, lively, and academically performing as never before. However, a classmate made fun of her #ColoredLenses. Instead of being shamed, she told her teacher and the teacher told her that she should do a presentation to the entire class on Irlen Syndrome. She created a powerpoint, demonstration, and wrote to Helen Irlen for resources. She receive a prized letter from Helen Irlen with materials to do her demo in class. The presentation was a smashing

success!! Fellow students were impressed and asked her for overlays.

This reinforces why I am a passionate advocate for Irlen testing. Hopefully you are too!!! Become a Certified Irlen Screener and be able to help many children and adults with scotopic sensitivity syndrome, also called visual dyslexia.  To read the complete article, and learn more about international Irlen Week, go to https://www.linkedin.com/groups/See-world-Differently-97729.S.5902654650724687875?view=&item=5902654650724687875&type=member&gid=97729&midToken=AQFr-tyb_GZ1Yg&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=0kb3-3XAN_VSk1 .  If you have any questions regarding this package, please contact Jonn Paris-Salb, Assistive Technology Consultant, by phone at 916-323-2202 or by e-mail at jparissalb@cde.ca.gov .