Region 2 Update

May 2005 Update

View copies of the Social Script Books produced by Amy Baad and Stephanie Dyer, Clinton County RESA.

January 2005 Update

Longfellow Project, Mark Dennis, Eaton ISD

• Longfellow Project - Volunteer Readers Packet [PDF]
• Comments from Grand Ledge HS Students About Using Longfellow MP3 CDs with Portable Players [PDF]
• Longfellow MP3 CD Information [PDF]
• Receiving Your First Longfellow CDs [PDF]
• Distribution of Digitized Curriculum Materians Agreement [PDF]

October 2004 Update

• Eaton ISD Assistive Technology Newsletter (October 2004)

Eaton Assistive Technology Newsletter October 2004

1. Notice to all users of Boardmaker Version 5: The new Boardmaker has had a history of many bugs and problems, and has undergone many fixes and patches. Now, the company is making a more fundamental change in the program and is offering to replace all past Version 5 Boardmaker CDs with new improved programs. Laura Griffith and Dawn Coburn here at the ISD have contacted the company and have arranged to take the disks to a company representative at a conference they're attending in mid-October. I strongly urge you to get your Boardmaker 5 CD to Laura or Dawn within the next 10 days and they will do the exchange for you.
   
2. The Eaton Longfellow Project (volunteers recording books in MP3 CD audio format) continues with quite a few exciting new titles. Added in September: Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Night, Bud Not Buddy, Rascal, Goosebumps - Barking Ghost, Goosebumps - Camp Nightmare, Be a Perfect Person in just Three Days, Tuesdays with Morrie, My Teacher is an Alien, My Teacher Fried my Brains, and more. The full collection is listed in the MS Word document attached to this e-newsletter. Contact Mark for more info.
   
3. Premier Programming continues to offer every school district a grant to receive an unlimited license for their suite of software products (Windows only). Schools who do not have "Read and Write Gold" should consider getting this grant and trying out the software. The Premier suite contains a screen reader, talking word processor with word prediction, scanning software and some other nice tools.
   
4. Premier Programming also has an e-library available on a single CD-rom. It contains thousands of "out of copyright" literature titles, classics, etc., all in electronic format. This means you can take them off the disk and put them on any computer. Once on a computer, the free Premier screen-reading program can read the text aloud to the student while highlighting the text. I have one for anyone who wants to see how it works. Cost is under $40 to purchase.
   
5. Eaton AT web is down. We lost our old server space for the AT web, and are currently trying to make plans for a new web.
   
6. Local Assistive Technology Teams - Grand Ledge assistive tech team is starting it's 3rd year. Potterville is in year 2. Charlotte is planning to start a team this year. For info on local AT teams, or if you're interested in participating on a local team, contact Mark.
   
7. Alphasmart NEO is a new product that will probably replace the Alphasmart 3000 models that most of us are currently using. It looks like the more expensive DANA device, but does not have the PALM operating system built in. It does, however, have a bigger screen, changeable font sizes, a thesaurus, a better spell-checker, more memory, etc. I have one if anyone would like to check it out.
   
8. Mini-grant Available: MAASE (Mich Assn. of Admin. of Special Ed) is offering mini-grants (12) of $400 each for project that encourage creativity and innovation in providing services to students with disabilities. Due date for application is Oct 15. Check your local Special Ed Director if interested in applying.
   
9. As always, I am available to come to your school for a discussion or presentation or training on any topic related to the use of assistive technology with students. Please don't hesitate to contact me.

Mark Dennis
AT Consultant, Eaton ISD
517-543-5500 x1204
med@eaton.k12.mi.us