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The National Assistive Technology Technical Assistive Partnership (NATTAP) is an organization based in Virginia. It works to provide assistive technology and information about assistive technology to people with disabilities. The programs provided by NATTAP "develop and disseminate training materials, conduct training, facilitate access to AT [(Assistive Technology)], and provide technical assistance to assist school children with disabilities transitioning to work or postsecondary education and adults with disabilities who are maintaining or transitioning to community living." The website provides information about training to use some assistive technology programs, as well as information about IDEA in terms of assistive technology and transition. As a special educator, I would use this site to find trainings for certain assistive technology programs. Being trained in the use of multiple assistive technology programs is incredibly beneficial because it gives the educator more knowledge about which programs would work best for students. In terms of transition and career development, I would use this website to help my students learn about new and different programs that will help them both in college and the working world.

This resource was very informative. I can definitely see myself using this as an educator to research assistive technology programs.

The Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) was created by the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Buffalo. It is a center that "conducts research, education, and service to increase knowledge about assistive devices for persons with functional impairments of all ages." The center focuses on four main areas, (1) "Research, Development, Transfer, and Commercialization," (2) "Education Programs," (3) "Client Assessment & Training Services," and (4) "Dissemination." These four areas include faculty members from approximately thirteen departments at the University of Buffalo. The website created by CAT provides information about the program as a whole, current research, educational programs and services that they provide, as well as current projects and past projects. As a special educator, I would use this website to learn about new assistive technology programs that would be beneficial for my students. I would also use this site to learn about workshops for educators that teach about new assistive technology. This information would be very beneficial during transition and career development time because it would provide me with the most recent information to give to my students.

"NCIPP created program descriptions for three innovative districts with induction and mentoring programs targeted at beginning special education teachers. Program descriptions were the result of extensive interviews with mentors, beginning teachers, principals and program administrators, as well as program data analysis and videos of mentoring sessions."

"Many teacher education programs offer just one class about students with disabilities to their general education teachers, "Special Ed 101," as it's called at one New Jersey college. It's not enough to equip teachers for a roomful of children who can range from the gifted to students who read far below grade level due to a learning disability. A study in 2007 found that general education teachers in a teacher preparation program reported taking an average of 1.5 courses focusing on inclusion or special education, compared to about 11 courses for special education teachers. Educators say little has changed since then."

The "Digest of Education Statistics, 2013," from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), is the 49th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education -- from pre-kindergarten through graduate school -- drawn from government and private sources, but especially from surveys and other activities led by NCES. The digest contains data on the number of schools, students, and teachers, as well as statistics on educational attainment, finances, libraries, technology, and international comparisons. Details on population trends, education attitudes, labor force characteristics, and federal aid supplies helpful background for evaluating the education data.

"Career Technical Education (CTE), previously called vocational education, is the present-day label used to denote specialized material and programs that focus instruction in skilled trades and occupational readiness (Drage, 2009). The aim of career technical education for high school students is to prepare them for college and career endeavors (ACTE, 2009). This goal matches special education career transition goals for students with an IEP. "

"The Institute on Disability is pursuing the expansion and further development of Assistive Technology (AT) services and training in the state of New Hampshire. Assistive Technology is integral to the daily lives of many New Hampshire residents. Awareness of and the ability to try assistive technology devices are important aspects to making a decision whether a particular technology is "the right fit." The IOD is actively involved in partnerships on campus, throughout the state, and on a national level to promote access to assistive technology services." This site is full of great information about assistive technology. The resources tab is where you want to direct most of your attention as many of the documents and resources that are identified are very practical and geared toward use by special education service providers, students, and parents. Of particular interest to schools is instructions for how to create a low cost case for the iPad for use in schools. Check it out! Application to Transition Practice The information provided on this site will help to support transition practices in the classroom (direct teaching of transition skills), in work-based learning experiences, and living. There are many suggestions for how to physically adapt assistive technology hardware to meet an individual's need in the workplace. Also, in the resources there is a resource list of "reviewed" iPad apps for use to assist individuals with disabilities to become more independent is environments both within and outside the classroom. For example, the dragon app is free and it can be used to dictate and transcribe text. Various apps used for study skills and time management and organization could be very useful for students with LD and ADD in a variety of environments. It would be important to introduce individuals to some of these apps while they are in high school so they can learn about how they might help them in college, daily living, or employment settings.

The Institute on Disability is part of the University Center for Excellence on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. "The Institute on Disability is pursuing the expansion and further development of Assistive Technology (AT) services and training in the state of New Hampshire. " This department at the University of New Hampshire provides information about disability services that are provided for their current students as well as information concerning training programs for professionals. Professionals can register to attend the assistive technology workshops to learn about the newest programs that will help students with disabilities in their education. As a special educator, I would use this website to attend workshops on the most current assistive technology resources. This would keep my knowledge up to date and give me the opportunity to experience new and different programs. Then, when I have new students who may need different assistive technology both in high school and transitioning to college, I will be better equipped to tech them how to use the program.

Educational software has been around for over 30 years now. In that time we have progressed from graphics that were just made by letters and numbers to programs now with rich graphics and that can really measure student progress in a multitude of areas. My current district has made a big push the last several years to move all software possible to online software. We are now down to just a few titles that are CD/DVD based. These are mostly in the areas of music, art, and special education due to the size of the programs. Below I answer some of the questions that I get from educational administrators:

"The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews the existing research on different programs, products, practices, and policies in education. Our goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions. We focus on the results from high-quality research to answer the question "What works in education?"

"The Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE) carries out research in partnership with five states-Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia-to better understand the employment and earnings benefits associated with a broad range of postsecondary education pathways, including those at the subbaccalaureate level. CAPSEE also seeks to identify policies that improve completion rates along pathways leading to strong economic returns. The Center was established in summer 2011 through a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Educatio"

NIRN's new "Active Implementation Hub" is a free, online learning environment for use by any stakeholder - practitioners, educators, coaches, trainers, purveyors - involved in active implementation and scaling up of programs and innovations. The site goal is to increase the knowledge and improve the performance of persons engaged in actively implementing any program or practice

This text is designed to help postsecondary education personnel initiate or refine college programs for the increasing numbers of students with learning disabilities. Campuses today have a growing number of special education students. The good thing about college is you cannot always see the difference in them. This text includes all the legal terms and rights one would need to know when entering the college world. It also discusses the use of assistive technology is also discussed which is terrific because that is often forgotten about as a student leaves public school. I think this book would be a great resource for any high school teacher to have whether they be in general or special education. My favorite part is the discussion on assistive technology as it very crucial when doing college level work. For instance using dragon naturally speaking can be a life saver for those students who may be dyslexic or have a reading/writing disability or physical impairment. Finding the right college that has the appropriate disabilities services is important as well.

"NHCTA is a professional association for the administrators and directors of the career and technical education centers that serve New Hampshire's high school students. NHCTA works closely with the Bureau of Career Development of the NH Department of Education to help guide and implement policies and procedures dealing with CTE programs."

"Transition services are intended to prepare students to make the transition from the world of school to the world of adulthood. In planning what type of transition services a student needs to prepare for adulthood, the IEP team must first consider areas such as vocational training, community employment and post secondary education for the student. If the IEP team thinks that independent living and community participation are appropriate for a student then these areas should also be considered." This website is from the State of Vermont Department of Education. The website has an overview of transition planning and what to do. There are many other great links on the site as well. This is a terrific resource for anyone who will be working in Vermont. The laws are different in each state so it is good for those of us who are certified in NH and are planning to head to Vermont in the future.

"‌The Survey of Adult Skills is an international survey conducted in 33 countries as part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). It measures the key cognitive and workplace skills needed for individuals to participate in society and for economies to prosper. The first results from the Survey were released on 8th October 2013. The evidence from this Survey will help countries better understand how education and training systems can nurture these skills. Educators, policy makers and labour economists will use this information to develop economic, education and social policies that will continue to enhance the skills of adults.‌"

"We believe every young person deserves a pathway to economic success. That's why we're announcing a new $75 million investment to expand high-quality career-focused education programs that lead to well-paying jobs and long-term careers. Failing to prepare young people with the right skills and education for these jobs is not just a missed opportunity for them-it's a missed opportunity for businesses to hire the talent they need to grow and compete."

"A career pathways system is a coordinated system of programs and services supporting students in the transition from school to the workforce, and it can be one part of a comprehensive system to support students' college and career readiness. The College and Career Readiness and Success (CCRS) Center's resource Designing a Career Pathways System: A Framework for State Education Agencies is a four-chapter module intended to help state education agency staff design, implement, and evaluate a career pathways system. Each chapter includes a facilitator's guide, slide presentation, and activity handouts. The four chapters include:"

This website provides very helpful information for families regarding the different assistive technology systems that are available to children with disabilities. It provides resource reviews about hundreds of technology resources that are available to help families chose the one that works best for their student. It also provides a search engine based on state to help families locate organizations in their area who work with students with certain disabilities. This site has a link to discussion forums where families can talk and connect with others who have students with similar disabilities. The Family Center on Technology and Disability has created this site to be helpful and informative for families. It is very easy to navigate and user friendly. As a special educator, I would use this website as a way to help families connect with organizations and other families in the area who have students with similar disabilities. Disabilities can be very challenging not only for the student but also for the families who are supporting them. Having someone else to talk to about any possible struggles they may be having and having someone else to relate to can be very helpful.

This website provides many different links about different types of assistance technology. Each link has a short summary about the tool which gives a person in need of assistance an idea if the type of technology is necessary or not. Each resource provides a wide range of topics such as introductory fact sheets and CEU's for practitioners and educators. This resource is also important for families who are new to the transition phase of a child's life. These tools can support children who are very young as well which means it can provide assistance to a wide range of families.

"Knowing where to begin and how to proceed can be daunting though. We're here to help. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, the Family Center on Technology and Disability provides a wide range of resources on assistive technology, from introductory fact sheets and training materials to in-depth discussion of best practices and emerging research. Try setting aside 30 minutes a day to review an FCTD resource. Before you know it, you'll know a lot more about assistive technology and the ways in which it can improve the lives of the children and youth with disabilities. Of course, we're here for your just-in-time information needs as well. We hope you'll visit our site often!"

Learning what your college has to offer is so important! Keene State has wonderful resources but not all colleges do. Students really need to do their research to be sure they are getting what they need and take their education into their own hands.

It is crucial to know what your college offers! Learning this prior to starting school is so incrediably important and will help the student be successful in school. Schools have so much to offer typically you just have to seek it out.

This is great for students who are planning on going to college to read. I know of some students who don't even want to research/contact any colleges regarding assistive technology or other assistance they might be able to provide. I hope that students do consider what resources are available at the school of their choice and that they've developed the self-advocacy confidence to seek out help when they need it.

"The OLC Institute offers hundreds of workshops designed to help educators worldwide strengthen teaching strategies, delivery methods and learning activities. They are expert led and designed to improve quality in every facet of online education. Visit www.onlinelearning-c.org/learn for full program schedule."