Group items tagged

Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

Recipients of the Google Lime Scholarship will receive a scholarship for the 2010–2011 academic year. Selected students will also be invited to attend the all-expenses-paid retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA, in 2011. Scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic background, leadership and passion for computer science - $10,000USD for those studying in the US and $5,000CAD for those studying in Canada (based on average tuition costs).

Candidates must be: A current junior or senior year of undergraduate study or enrolled in a graduate program at a university in the United States or Canada (in addition to US and Canada citizens, international students with disabilities studying at universities in the US or Canada are also encouraged to apply) Enrolled in a Computer Science or Computer Engineering program, or a closely related technical feld, as a full-time student for the 2010–2011 academic year A person with a disability (dened as someone who has, or considers themselves to have , a long-term, or recurring, issue that impacts one or more activities that others may consider a daily function); this denition also includes the perception among others that a disability exists

April 2010 - Epistemic Games: Role-Playing, Technology-Based Games for Real-World Thinking and Learning Computer games delight and distract kids – and occasionally infuriate parents and teachers – but some games actually aim to encourage students to think about their world and their place in it. That latter category encompasses epistemic games. Epistemic what? Epistemic games. Derived from epistemology – the study of knowledge -- epistemic games remain a largely unknown element in the growing gaming universe. But they have already carved out a small niche well worth examining: technology-based games that help young players, including those with disabilities, assume the perspective of a specific group of individuals, including attorneys, doctors and urban planners, among others. The objective of epistemic games is to teach players how to problem-solve like real-world individuals and, in the process, develop creative and innovative ways of thinking.

We are pleased to announce a summer class presented online by Gail McGregor of the University of Montana on Standards-Based IEPS.  It is an excellent and reasonably priced opportunity for graduate credits and meaningful professional development for special education teachers, content teachers, special education directors and coops, and other educators who work with students with special needs. This course is designed to introduce general and special education teachers to the concept of standard-based IEPs and is organized around a series of five webcasts that have been created for the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI).  Supplementary readings and course assignments are designed to complement the information in the webinars.  The course syllabus and webinars are on the OPI website at: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/MontCAS/MontCAS_Presents.html#gpm1_3  This course will be offered through the Office of Public Instruction and the University of Montana.  The Office of Public Instruction will provide the environment for the online learning communities that are part of the course.  The environment for the learning communities will be Adobe Connect webinars.  Students will need to have Flash Player and the Adobe Connect Add-in installed on their computers and have a microphone and speakers in order to participate in the learning communities.  OPI will assist participants in connecting and has microphones for check-out if needed.  Participants may take the course for renewal units through OPI or graduate credits through the University of Montana, and the grading option is a traditional letter grade.  Registration and payment for graduate credit is also through the University of Montana. The cost for two graduate credits is $135. We plan to offer this class in the summer, but need information from you regarding which session will work best for the majority of students that plan to take the course either for renewal units or graduate credits.  May 23-June 24..............................First Five-Week Summer Session June 27-July 29............................Second Five-Week Summer Session May 23-July 29.....................................Ten-Week Summer Session Please email Karen Richem if you are interested in the course and the session you prefer by Wednesday, May 11, 2011.  The session with the most interest will be offered.  Contact information for Karen:  krichem@mt.gov or 406-444-0748

Webinar - All About Apps for Education: Just the Apps and Nothing but the Apps Thursday, May 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Mountain – Web-Based Training, register Discover the wonderful world of apps for education. This webinar will help you navigate and maximize your use of the iPod/iPad. The presenters will take you on an app adventure and share a variety of apps in such categories as early childhood, literacy, autism, communication, organization, and more. Funding for this webinar is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. The source of funding is from federal award, Grants to States-Special Education CFDA 84.027, P.L. 108-446 Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Basic Vocabulary Organization in PRC Devices Monday, May 16, 2011, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mountain – PACER Center, Bloomington, MN, register This free workshop is for parents and professionals to learn more about Unity vocabulary organization included in all Prentke Romich Company PRC Communication or AAC Devices.  Participants will be introduced to the vocabulary options available.  This workshop will be held in the PACER computer lab where participants can bring their own device or use computer emulation software (Vantage Lite PASS software version 5.02).  The training will include hands-on experience to become familiar with how Unity supports creation of spontaneous novel communication, and to teach basic device operations such as customizing messages, changing icons, hiding keys, and backing up the device. The presenter is PRC Regional Consultant Helen Canfield.  The workshop is limited to 20 participants. Classroom Suite Version 4 Foundations Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain - PACER Center, register This workshop is designed for educators, SLPs, OTs, AT specialists, paraprofessionals and parents who are new to (or have limited experience with) Classroom Suite V.4. The goal of the Foundation Workshop for Classroom Suite V.4 is to enable educators to use Classroom Suite to teach early concepts, reading, writing, and math to students struggling because of learning difficulties or access issues. This workshop is sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies. Registration fee $225. Kurzweil 3000 Version 11 Foundations Thursday, May 19, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain - PACER Center, register This workshop is designed for educators, SLPs, OTs, AT specialists, paraprofessionals and parents who support students with learning disabilities and are new to (or have limited experience with) Kurzweil 3000. This workshop is sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies. Registration fee $225.00. Putting LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) to Work: AAC Strategies to Promote Communication Friday, May 20, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain – PACER Center, Bloomington, MN, register Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) is a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles.  The goal is to give individuals who are nonverbal or have limited verbal abilities or speech a method to independently and spontaneously express themselves.  This workshop is for parents, professionals, and SLPs and will give an overview of the LAMP treatment approach, discussion of the components of LAMP and how and why children with autism would benefit from using a voice output AAC device, and discussion of features that are beneficial for teaching language to children with autism and other disabilities.  Lunch will not be provided.  A one hour lunch break will be taken and maps to area restaurants will be provided.  This free workshop will offer 0.5 ASHA CEUs.

You can register online here or download the flyer for more information!What:This session will begin with a description of Positive Behavior Supports focusing on the theory/background of this management strategy. The discussion will then move into a description of the processes suggested for successful implementation. The presenter will also discuss the steps for creating a proactive crisis intervention plan specific to individuals who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This will be followed with a brief look at the National Autism Center’s list of research-based interventions and identifying those that may be considered as part of a Positive Behavior Support Plan for people with ASD.Who Should Attend?This session is appropriate for job coaches, job developers, VR counselors, transition age special educators and paraeducators, employment specialists, advocates, families, non-profit leadership staff, and employers.CEUs:.15 CEUs are pending approval through Minot State University. The recording fee for MSU CEUs is $20.00. Three contact hours for ND Social Workers and nurses are also available.Technical Requirements: Participating sites need a computer with Windows ‘98 (or newer) operating system, CD-ROM drive, and PowerPoint software OR a computer with a high speed internet connection and an LCD projector if the number of participants warrants it. The call-in number is a toll free number. There will be no long distance charges for sites.When:February 16, 20128:00 am - 9:30 am Mountain TimeContact:Stacey Johnston at courtney.rockvoy@minotstateu.eduor Courtney Rockvoy at stacey.johnston@minotstateu.edu Phone: (800) 233-1737

Click here to register for this free webinar What: A growing number of educators around the country are turning to technology and different teaching and learning approaches to give students personalized learning experiences that mirror the customized experiences they take for granted outside of school. To meet students’ individual needs, they are putting in place 1-to-1 computing programs and using online courses and curricula, digital assessments, data tools, and Web-based games for education. Our guests will talk about how to use these tools and approaches to customize education based on students’ strengths and weaknesses. When: Wednesday, April 28, 2011 12:00-1:00pm Mountain (Also available "on demand" anytime 24 hours after the event) Guests: Christina A. Clayton, director virtual learning, Georgia Virtual School. Christopher Rush, co-founder and chief product officer, School of One, New York City. This webinar will be moderated by Michelle R. Davis, senior writer, Education Week Digital Directions.

The Instructional Innovations Unit is excited to provide an incredible online resource for all Montana educators. This professional development data base within the OPI website contains hundreds of video clips, lessons, and resources that can be downloaded onto your computer and iPod.  This resource is a direct result of the Montana Reading First project.  However, it also contains content for teachers Pre-K through high school.  Knowing that statewide professional development is extremely difficult because of the rural nature of our state, the Montana Reading First project director, Debbie Hunsaker, planned and initiated this resource called ‘Knowledge Box’. Throughout the implementation of the Reading First project, national and local presenters were filmed and the content was edited into short video clips, resources, and lessons. To access this resource go to the OPI website www.opi.mt.gov and click on Instructional Innovations under Programs. http://opi.mt.gov/Streamer/Instructional_Innovations/index.php#gpm1_5 For more information, contact BJ Granbery, 444-4420

Most “standard” computer games get harder because they get faster, relying on the player’s reflexes and coordination keeping up. For example, in Tetris the blocks appear and drop faster and faster as your level increases Untimed games or time-independent games are those where you aren’t penalised if you play a game very slowly, have bad reflexes, or don’t posses the hand-eye coordination to time your movements accurately. Games like this are “turn-based” where any game actions only occur in response to the player’s actions, and don’t have any other timers or time-related limitations. One of my favourite time-independent games, Drop7, is another block-dropping game but each block only “falls” once you tell the game where to put it. Drop7 increases the difficulty by changing the mix of blocks which are dropped and by adding a layer of hidden (grey) blocks at the bottom of the screen after a number of moves Click here to read the full article