Keene State College / MCST Transition Resources

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.

This video is about two sisters. The oldest sister is narrating the story talking about her younger sister who is special needs. I is a really touching story about acceptance and tolerance, as well as a lesson on family bonds. It is an eye opening video that touches anyones heart. This is a great video for teaching acceptance and tolerance to younger and older students. I personally used this video for a graduate school project on Intellectual Disabilities. It was a perfect example of what I.D can look like. Using this video with say 5th or 6th graders would be ideal because they could relate to having that younger sibling possibly and relate to the bullying aspect and how that would make anyone feel.

I think its excellent that you discovered this video Erin! I completely agree with what Sarah said about using it as a way to start a discussion about accepting others. This would be beneficial for older students.

I love this video! I agree with everyone. This video could be used for all ages for acceptance and relates to self-determination; just because he looks different, does not mean he can't do the things that other people can do.

Posted on February 02, 2011 Print this entry "I started that summer day at the neighborhood Motel to begin my life as a working person. I was not ready to be accountable to the manager, or to my schedule that called for an arrival by 7:00 a.m. every morning". Don't know why that quote is pasted above but I do agree that this is a great resource. It is a very personal story and is something that anyone could relate to in the working world. This is a great resource to use with students entering the work force and can help me an an educator assist those students in the transition

I really enjoy the very personal nature of this article. It identifies ways we all felt about our first jobs and describes how students with severe disabilities should experience that as well. The article really made me think about my own experiences in the working world and how best to assist students in transitioning to work.

This article begins with a personal account of the author's first job and how that experience left him/her with such a feeling of accomplishment and responsibility. The article continues to describe how these experiences are just as important for students with significant disabilities. They gain more knowledge about life, and with a smooth, well-planned transition plan, they can achieve their goals. As a future special educator, this article gives insights to the transition process on a more personal level.  This article would be helpful to keep in mind how important this process is to the students, and what I can do to help them attain their goals. 

A great video on self determination by youth for youth

Thank you for posting this here. It will make it easier for me to find it in the future. This video does such a good job at capturing the idea of self determination and what it is all about. Any viewer of this video can instantly become more in tune to student needs and how to help students to be more self determined.

This video hits home with so many individuals. Everyone can find a connection and learn from this video.

"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.

This article , or really is a book, is great for getting the most up-to-date, comprehensive information on facilitating transitions for young people with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities. The book includes cutting-edge research, new statistics and legislation, and timely new chapters on: inclusion in schools and in the community; postsecondary education; autism spectrum disorders; high-stakes testing and accountability; assistive technology; customized employment; Social Security benefits and work; incentives; and self-determination. It is broken down into the following sections to make it easy to find what you need his book contains the following sections: (1) Transition Planning; (2) Facilitating and Supporting Transition; (3) Work and Life in the Community; and (4) Designing and Implementing Individualized Transition Plans. It is really a one stop shop for transition strategies. I find this book to be a great resource for any professional working with transition aged students. It has all the basics and more. I would invest in this book if working with transition ages students because it would be a great reference to have. I personally like having my text books as a back up in case I do forget something or need to use them.

Web site is at http://www.tbrelearning.org/ Search the apps bank in the form on the right of this page http://www.tbrelearning.org/estudents-learning

This is a great resource for all educators. There is such an unending sea of apps available now that it is very helpful to have them presented in such a manageable way.

"What assistive technology, adaptive software and portable tools do people with disabilities use to independently access information, activities and places in their daily lives? This will depend on the individual, his or her access to resources, and the design of the environment or information that is trying to be accessed. The following tipsheets share information by disability type and include portable or remote options for people with disabilities who travel internationally."

"The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has published,"Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy,"a guide for autistic students written by autistic adults, and also launched the companion Website, www.navigatingcollege.org. The handbook provides first-person insights from current and past college students on the autism spectrum on various aspects of the higher education experience including disclosure, classroom accommodations, dorm life and sexuality."

Making Informed Assistive Technology Decisions for Students With High Incidence Disabilities (Title...cannot figure out how to change the actual title on Diigo) unfortunately I cannot access the PDF of this article anymore. It did seem like it would be an excellent resource though.

Looking forward to your brief summary and implications for your work in transition. You may want to edit the title to reflect the title of the article.

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.

The Monadnock Center for Successful Transitions (MCST), is a training and technical assistance center providing support to individuals (ages 14-21), especially individuals with disabilities, as they transition from high school throughout adulthood. MCST also works to improve the employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities by fostering professional connections within the community and supporting projects that encourage employment.

The amount of information on this site in innumerable. This is such a good resource for those who are involved in transtion services. I especially enjoy the "Transition Planning" page under "Educators". This page features a variety of resources to help special educators help their students plan for transition.

I like resource

This was very interesting

This video is a wonderful resource for teaching tolerance and acceptance of all abilities. It is really touching, moving, and eye opening.It gives the viewer a visual of what these disabilities look like and how these people are just like any one else, people. They just have different abilities than others which is natural and occurs in people with and without disabilities. I would use this video as an acceptance and tolerance lesson with late elementary-high school students. I would pair it with a writing prompt or some other type of assignment to get the students really thinking and feeling from this video. My hopes is that it would open up a wonderful discussion for the class.

Appreciate the beauty around you!

19 Great Online Graphing Calculators for Teachers and Students

The Obama Administration last week issued their blueprint for transforming Career and Technical Education (CTE) by reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.

"The Annenberg Institute for School Reform (AISR) at Brown University and the John W. Gardner Center (JGC) at Stanford University have each received three-year grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work together to select a network of sites and develop models for College Readiness Indicator Systems (CRIS). As part of this collaborative effort, AISR and JGC develop, test, and disseminate effective tools and resources that provide early diagnostic indications of what students need to become college ready. The two organizations serve complementary, but distinct roles. JGC develops and studies the implementation of a tri-level (individual, setting, and system) early warning system using a flexible, "design-build" approach with the partner districts. AISR focuses on cross-site learning; brokering expertise and supports for partner districts; understanding issues related to district, municipal, state, and federal contexts; and process documentation. The CRIS sites are Dallas, New Visions for Public Schools (New York City), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Jose, California."

"FCTD Fact Sheets: Assistive Technology Solutions Assistive Technology Solutions Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment or product that can be used to help someone with a disability successfully function at home, in school, at work, and in the community. AT can be anything from a simple, low-tech device such as a magnifying glass, to a complex, high-tech device such as a computerized communication system. It can be big - an automated van lift for a wheelchair - or small - a Velcro grip attached to a book for easier page turning. Assistive technology can strengthen a person's abilities where needed or substitute for them entirely - such as a picture board with sound output that helps a child who cannot communicate with her voice."

Scans the burgeoning field of college readiness and provides models to help districts, schools, and other interested stakeholders prepare their students for college success.