new Canadian research suggests that smart technologies such as the iPad and iPod may also serve as therapeutic tools for a very specific group: children with autism.
We have heard from many parents about how much their children enjoy mobile devices like the iPad, and how it is helping with learning and communication,
with more sophisticated technology, another theory around language learning is being tested: the use of avatars to practice speaking.
Companies like Second Life and Middlebury Interactive Languages both offer digital avatar programs to give language learners a chance to practice their skills in virtual environments.
Teachers and students can give their character a voice by using one of three methods: text to speech, recording by microphone, or uploading their own pre-recording audio file. Voki characters can speak in over 25 languages, and 150-plus voices, according to Eric Kiang, Voki’s Product and Marketing Manager.
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Projeqt lets you create what you could call interactive slideshows… I might describe it as a more sophisticated Prezi that’s easier to create and less confusing to watch.
Haiku Deck is one of my all time favorite quick presentation makers when I just have to share something meaningful with my class and only have a few moments to pull it together.
I noticed that Wikispaces included Dogo books under a new "Education" category in the widget menu. (This looks like a television on the edit bar when you click to Edit a wiki.) So, Dogobooks is a place where kids ar writing book reviews about everything. Very cool. You can see the most popular books and ti also has book clubs and other ways for kids
He explained, "What we do is break the movies into short segments of 40 or 50 seconds with some event or concept. In Toy Story, it could be as simple as Andy playing with his toys or as complex as Woody pushing Buzz out the window and what happens after that. Children understand almost intuitively what has happened."
Animated Language Learning, an Ireland-based company, is developing technology that uses Disney and Pixar movies to help educate children with autism and other language learning disorders.
Their goal is to improve the lives of people with autism and to help them communicate with the world around them.
Animated Language Learning, an Ireland-based company, is developing technology that uses Disney and Pixar movies to help educate children with autism and other language learning disorders
t’s a long day, and one that raises a particular aspect of Jurek’s training that makes him an especially interesting athlete: he is a vegan, consuming no animal products.
There are other professional athletes who do not eat meat: Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, a vegetarian, may be the best known, and the hockey player Georges Laraque is also a vegan. But it is difficult for some to comprehend how this lifestyle is compatible with training weeks of 140 miles and more, “easy” runs of 40 miles and interval training that includes uphill three-mile repeats, all culminating in races that are often 100 miles or more, sometimes through deserts or frozen wastelands or up and down mountains.
“The whole issue,” he said, “is exactly that: getting enough calories. The first thing to worry about isn’t so much what you eat, but how much you eat. You have to take the time to sit at the table and make sure your calorie count is high enough. And when you’re a vegan, to increase your calories as you increase training you need more food. This isn’t an elimination diet but an inclusion diet.”
Anki, Japanese for "memorizing," is a flashcard program that's been around for years
Because it's a flashcard style program, its focus is on memorization. It'll display you a word, phrase, image, or even play a sound, and then leave it to you to make the connection, repeat it, interpret it, and commit it to memory. Anki is great for languages, but it's also useful for studying equations, diagrams, names and faces, and more—its strength is in the fact that you can load it up with custom card sets depending on what it is you want to memorize.
Memrise is a language learning program that extends beyond vocabulary and language to things like history and science, but at its core it's a flashcard-style program that's augmented with memory tricks, images, and other useful tools to make learning a new language easier.
Duolingo takes a different approach to learning a new language than just memorizing words and phrases.
The Pimsleur Method is an audio-based method that focuses on participation in speaking and sound exercises than strict memorization and flashcards.
Livemocha is an extremely comprehensive language learning community and program, packed with native speakers
Stipple is a new service that allows you to create interactive images. The service launched in closed beta during the summer. Since the summer Stipple has left beta and has added a free iPhone app for creating interactive images on the go. Using Stipple you can upload an image and tag it with pinmarks. Within each pinmark you can include videos, links, text, audio files, and more images. Stipple also gives you the option to track where your images are viewed and shared by others. The video below provides an overview of Stipple's features.
technology has evolved since then. From lugging around a large, metal communication device around his neck to using new apps on the iPad to help him communicate more comfortably – things were getting better.
AutisMate provides a platform that makes communicating easier than ever, the app doesn’t come close to stopping there.
To save time and effort, users also have the option of uploading previously created videos, stories, and schedules geared specifically for those with autism from a vast content library. A GPS feature allows scenes to change according to the individual’s location, making the software even more intuitive and applicable in real-time. This platform grows with the individual as those unique needs change over time.
Glogster EDU is a Web 2.0 global education platform that allows students to easily upload pre-existing materials such as photos, videos, text and audio combine them into new forms according to their personal taste to create interactive online multimedia posters. It brings digital storytelling to life in a multidimensional experience by infusing all types of media into the process.
These activities also encourage students to be independent, inventive problem solvers and lifelong learners by:
Giving them diverse options for acquiring information and knowledge;
Providing them with options for demonstrating what they know;
Tapping into their interests, offering appropriate challenges and increasing motivation.
Basically, what happens (is there is) a real-world problem that’s presented to the students, and they go through a process to solve this,” he said. “In this case, the 4K teacher at Vesper needed help teaching her kids what they can expect to see in kindergarten.”
The children used several ways to prepare their short and sweet presentations, including ways posters can be made by hand and online, using an educational program called Glogster.“They used Twitter to communicate with another kindergarten class in Texas, and we talked about our similarities and differences,” Novinska said. “It’s kind of the new way of having pen pals.”
Vosloo says even phones that only have texting (SMS) and calling functions can be useful for learning. “The main thing to remember is not that we’re going to deliver a whole textbook or learning experience by SMS,” he said. “The idea is what does SMS do well?” UNESCO has used texts to send reminders, for school administration purposes or to send small bits of content to students.
Another program called BBC Janala in Bangladesh taught English to adults with audio. Students would call a number, listen to a three minute audio lesson and leave a message. The program used voice recognition software and texting for assessment. Again, a deal with the telecommunications provider kept the calls low cost.
“The siren call of technology and its bells and whistles is just too powerful for kids,” said Redford. “If they know we’re moving around the room they’re much less likely to wander down the path of distraction. We are literally doing laps around the room.”
Mashpedia could be a great resource for a current events class. By offering video and image results, Mashpedia provides materials that can be accessed by almost all students regardless of reading level. By listing links from multiple sources students can quickly compare news stories to what real people are saying about a story