Category: Tips and Tricks


Feb
2017

How To Adapt Graphic Novels in PowerPoint

categories: AAC, Assitive Technology, Literacy, Tips and Tricks

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Earlier this year, I found out that my beloved Baby-Sitters Club books had been turned into graphic novels. I immediately thought of a few pre-teen girls I know that would love to read these books on their eye-gaze devices. In our previous post, we discuss using Office 365 on Accent Devices to display adapted PowerPoint books. This would also be possible using the PowerPoint App on the iPad.

Unfortunately, I didn’t quite realize how daunting it would be to adapt the entire chapter book. I promise that it will be available for anyone who can demonstrate proof of purchase for the book when I it is complete. Until that time, I thought I would provide some instructions for how to I adapt graphic novels (I have listed a few suggestions, provided by a very helpful Barnes & Noble employee, below).

Roller Girl                              El Deafo                                        Amulet

                      

Continue reading for step-by-step instructions for adapting graphic novels in PowerPoint.

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Nov
2016

Eye Gaze PowerPoint Book Template

categories: AAC, Assitive Technology, Literacy, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

PowerPoint can make adapting books a breeze. We recently took the same features we use when making books for the computer or iPad and created a book for an Accent 1400 with NuEye. The Accent 1400 allows the user to download Microsoft with PowerPoint 360. This opens up the endless activity possibilities available through PowerPoint.

AlphaOops! H is for Halloween is the first book we tried this with and it was a hit!  Each slide contains 4 icons that the child can click to turn the page, hear audio of the page, go back, or exit the book.

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Continue reading for a free template and step-by-step directions.

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May
2016

Making Writing Motivating-Facebook Status Boardmaker Activity

categories: Assitive Technology, Literacy, Tips and Tricks

Facebook Status Writing Activity

Finding ways to motivate older students can be difficult. You want to be age respectful while also providing instruction that is cognitively appropriate. I created this Facebook activity as a way to increase student motivation during writing activities.

Students can write a status at the beginning or end of the day. The teacher can write the morning message as a status. Students can “Like” the status, they can use an emoji to show how they are feeling, check-in at their current location, or tag a classmate.

Click here to download the activity.

Facebook Status ScreenThis is the main board for the activity (it is called “Facebook”). The other files are pop-up boards.

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Apr
2016

Reading Books on the Accent!

categories: AAC, Literacy, Tips and Tricks

In trying to become fluent in Unity 84 sequenced, I have failed to explore some of the other awesome features on the Accent. I share an office with a great SLP, who just showed me the books that are available on the Accent. There are several books to choose from and they allow the student to read the words on each page using Unity while they look at the book! It’s a great way for students to learn a new motor plan (or continue to practice an old one) and build literacy skills. Here is how you can access the books:

  1. Go to PAGES.

Books on the Accent!

  1. Go to BOOKSCapture 2
  2. Book options will open up. Choose one to read (We chose “What Do You Do?”). They mostly focus on different core words but there are some books that are more complex (e.g., Goldilocks). If you pick the book called “I Can Turn…” (the character changes colors throughout the book), you will see the relevant vocabulary for each page (“I can”, “turn”, colors).Capture 8
  3. Turn the pages by hitting the blue “prev page” and “next page” buttons on the little book page that opens up. The icons that appear are the first ones in the sequences for the vocabulary on the page. The page will move around the screen so that you can access the vocabulary.Books on the Accent!Books on the Accent!Enjoy!

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Apr
2016

Switch Adapted Book Template

categories: Assitive Technology, Literacy, Tips and Tricks

Switch adapted book template to save you time!

Have you felt like Jessie Spano lately? As educational professionals we never have enough time. Here in DC, we are right in the middle of testing season and it is STRESSFUL. As an instructional coach, I try to provide the teachers at my school time saving templates for activities whenever I can. I recently made a template for creating switch accessible books in Boardmaker and thought I would share it with all of you!

Switch Adapted Book TemplateSwitch Adapted Book Template

Each of the text boxes is set up to speak, so just change the text rather than deleting the box. The pages are set-up for step scanning (you can scan through the text, turn the page, and go back). The pictures are set-up do that they can’t be selected when scanning. If you wish to keep this feature, just replace the image in the button.

Click here to download the book template.

Click here to read about switch scanning in Boardmaker.


Mar
2016

Adapting Candy Land!

categories: Adapted Games, Assitive Technology, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

Amanda received a grant earlier this year for adapting toys and games. We made a giant list of games and all of the materials we thought we might need to adapt them. Candy Land was at the top of the list. I had seen an idea for adapting the game with textures on Pinterest a few years ago (you can click here to see the original post) and wanted to add something similar to our game collection. Continue reading to find out how we adapted Candy Land for our school.

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Feb
2016

Using Bitstrips to Illustrate Adapted Chapter Books and Social Stories

categories: Literacy, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized, Websites

Bitstrips for Schools

Finding age respectful reading material for students with disabilities can be difficult. As teachers and therapists, we often find ourselves making materials from scratch or adapting already existing materials. Illustrating these adapted books can be tricky. Especially when you are adapting works of fiction with characters that need to stay consistent page to page.

Do you pay to use stock photos?

Do you go with whatever google has to offer?

Do you accept that the main character may look different on every page?

I know that we have been very frustrated trying to adapt chapter books for our older students. Our solution has been using Bitstrips for Schools.

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Jan
2016

Switch Accessible Books in Classroom Suite

categories: Assitive Technology, Literacy, Tips and Tricks

Switch Adapted Books in Classroom Suite

Each week, the older students in our school read an adapted news article. When I started working with some of these teachers, I quickly realized that the article was not accessible for all students. Most of the teachers are still learning Classroom Suite and needed additional supports to be able to create materials every week for their students.  In order to support these teachers, I created a template and how-to guide to make these switch accessible articles. (more…)


Dec
2015

GoNoodle.com // Movement Fun in the Classroom

categories: Apps, Assitive Technology, Tips and Tricks, Websites

GoNoodle.comA teacher recently shared the website GoNoodle.com with me, and I love it! The website is a collection of “brain break” videos to use in the classroom. Most of the videos are no more than 5 minutes long and lead students in dancing or stretching routines.

Schools also have the option of signing up for GoNoodle Plus which includes movement activities focused on teaching academic content. GoNoodle Plus costs $10 a month or $99 a year for a school.

The free version still gives you access to hundreds of movement videos.

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