Azu Ike

Ever since I've been involved in the field of assistive technology there's always been the hope that speech recognition could assist students with the writing process. While speech recognition has been effective for some of the students we work with, it hasn't always worked out for the majority of the students that we work with. In the last six months there's been some new developments that make speech recognition a reality for many students. For many of us that are using smart phones we find ourselves using speech recognition more and more on daily basis for text messaging and for writing emails. Now students can take advantage of speech recognition on mobile devices such as iPhone's, iPad, Android phones, Windows tablets as well with as within Google Docs. With the advent of machine learning the speech recognition engines keep getting better and better and do not require initial training. This has made it a very easy entry for students to trial speech recognition....

Over the years I have reviewed several products from LapWorks , who has been manufacturing and selling fine accessories for laptops and tablets, but had not heard from them in years. But just last week, I received and email from them announcing some new products for iPads and tablets that I just had to take a look at. Lapworks has just recently released two products that really make a huge difference when you want to use an iPad or Tablet for instruction in the classroom. If you have ever tried to balance or hold an iPad or tablet in your hand as you move about the classroom-then you know just how challenging it can be. In today's classroom being able to hold and move about the classroom using your iPad or tablet is important, but the risk of dropping it can be a real concern. This is where the Lapworks Gripzilla Omni Soft Neoprene Handle for 7" to 10.5" tablets comes into play.  In class this week I used the  Lapworks Gripzilla Omni Soft Neoprene Ha...

It certainly is exciting times to be involved in the field of educational technology and if your are a science teacher there is even more opportunities with your existing classroom technology to take advantage of using science probeware in your classroom. If you have been following my blog , you know how passionate I am about teachers using probeware in the classroom to give students the capability of collecting data in real time. This is an especially important tool if you are supporting students with special needs-in that these tools provide students with a way to see data represented in many different types of ways. Students can view the incoming data in a graph format, table and as a meter.  In July, Vernier Software released the Vernier Go Wireless Link which opens up all kinds of opportunities for students collecting real time data with mobile devices. The  Vernier Go Wireless Link  is a very small data collection ...

Getting students engaged in the learning process is paramount these days and what better way to do this than with computer technology. As our American education is going through a transformation there is an understanding that the students in our classrooms today need to become well versed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Looking at the Next Generation Science Standards it is clear that this document is a real paradigm shift in how we deliver instruction in the classroom in these areas. It is clear that the shift ProScope Micro Mobile is a move away from rote memory to a performance based model of students demonstrating their knowledge by doing and showing their conceptual understanding of the material. It is in this context that Vernier Software and Technology has been providing educators and students with sensors and probes to provide students with the opportunity to...

It was great having a chance to visit with so many vendors while I attended ISTE 2014 Conference a couple of weeks ago. Walking through the Exhibitors Hall, I was struck by just how much "stuff" is out there that educators need to vet. As I walked the Exhibit Hall I came across some unique products that I know will finds its place into the classroom. One of favorite new products is from Belkin and it is the Portable Tablet Stage , a light weight and portable stand for your tablet that can turn it into a great presentation stage. When you pair up the Belkin Portable Tablet Stage with the free Belkin Stage app (Available in Apple App Store & Google Play) you have a wonderful tool for making the classroom come alive. I had reviewed the Belkin Stage app earlier this year and it affords teachers a rich set of tools for turning an IOS or Android device into a great teaching tool. With your tablet set on the Belkin Portable Tablet Stage you can utilize your tablet's camera a...

I guess patience is a real virtue especially when it comes to developing apps for Apple's IOS devices. In the case of the Co:Writer App for IOS from Don Johnston, Inc , the wait was certainly worth it.  Co:Writer for Mac and PC has become to large degree the standard in the assistive technology field for word prediction. I can remember when I first saw Co:Writer for the first time I was floored just how good the prediction algorithms were. It had the uncanny ability to feel like it was reading my Co:Writer for IOS comes complete with a large library of built-in Topic Dictionaries, what happens when the student is writing for example a current events paper on the Civil War in Syria? Not a problem, Co:Writer for IOS can go out to the web and create a Scraped Topic Dictionary on the fly. Wow that is some powerful feature! Co:Writer for iPad mind as I demonstrated it on the computer. But what could we come to expect from Co:Writer on an IOS device? With a long history of being the ...

What other profession do you know of, that would sacrifice a whole day for professional development without pay? Welcome to the world of teaching and the un-conference model which is turning the world of professional development on its heels. Today more than 200 teachers arrived at Richard Stockton College for a full day of professional development with a focus on educational technology . The day started off with a Kidspiration Maps and iReadWrite . Both programs were very well received and offer students a great deal of support in the area of written language. series of quick 20 minute presentations by teachers on all kinds of interesting technology topics. I presented in one of the 20 minutes modules with a focus on reading and writing apps for struggling students. In the 20 minute time period I was able to demo the recently released apps: If you have't taken a look at the Kidspiration Maps which was recently released, I urge you to do so. It incorporates a great deal of ...

ISTE 2013 is long gone and is now just a fleeting memory- but wow was it fun! The ISTE conferences by and large remains one of my most favorite conferences to attend. This year was a lot of fun as I had a chance to meet educators from around the globe who see the potential for creating environments in the classroom and beyond that engage and enlighten students. No doubt we are moving into a post PC world which was evidenced by the sheer number of companies showing off their tablet solutions for the classroom. One of the companies which certainly made a big Public Relations splash this year was Microsoft. As part of Windows in the Classroom Surface Experience Project, Microsoft gave away   10,000 Windows Surface RT's to educators who attended the ISTE conference. It was quite interesting to see educators at the conference carrying their iPad in one hand and their new Surface RT in their left . I even spotted a group of teachers in the hotel one night sitting around the ...

As the iPad takes hold of the classroom, educators are looking for new ways to extend the functionality of the device and take advantage of it's powerful feature set. While many of us have utilized the camera on the iPad for still photographs or for taking classroom videos- companies like Belkin want to extend the reach of these capabilities and help teachers get the most out of their iPad investment. With this in mind Belkin has just released the Belkin Tablet Stage which turns your iPad into a document camera and presentation system. Having had a chance to work with the Belkin Tablet Stage first hand, I am impressed with the quality and attention to detail of the design. Putting together the Belkin Tablet Stage took about 10 minutes and was rather straight forward using the step by step directions in the booklet that accompanied the device. The Belkin Tablet Stage cradle can accompany a wide range of tablets, everything from the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy, to the iPad...

Join me for a full day workshop as we explore how the iPad can be used with students with learning and organization disabilities. The multi-sensory design of the iPad has made a big impact in the field of education because it appeals to all learners. There are thousands of applications (apps) in the area of education, with many designed specifically for students with learning disabilities and organizational difficulties. Come learn about the built-in IOS features that make the iPad an ideal device to support students with learning and organizational difficulties. Learn about some new workflows and how students can use the iPad to organize their school life. Come learn about apps that can be used as students move through the writing process, from brainstorming to publishing. During this session you will learn about mind mapping apps, word prediction, text to speech, speech recognition and other supports to assist students in the writing process. Similarly learn about some new and innova...

As I had noted in a previous post one of the technology trends that you be seeing in the upcoming school year will the be the use of the iPad as a document camera and as presentation tool! The iPad will give MAX HandStand DX teachers the flexibility to teach and do demonstrations like no other tool they have ever used. It is truly exciting times for educational technology and for teachers to harness the power of these tools. I for one no longer take my laptop with me when I do presentations, but instead reach for my iPad and Apple TV. By connecting my Apple TV to my Epson PowerLite 915W projector with HDMI, I can take advantage of Apple's Airplay Technology and project images and apps from my iPad to the screen.  What a great experience it is to be able to utilize my iPad as a presentation and teaching tool. But now watch what happens when I pair up my iPad and Apple TV with the  MAX HandStand DX , The MAX HandStand DX is a solidly built stand for the iPad that can be aff...

MaxCases Educator Today I set off to do an iPad Training and thought it would be interesting for you to find out what I packed for the workshop. Of course, I packed my trusty Apple iPad which I have been using for the last 2 years and it has treated me well. I also used my Epson Powerlite 915W projector which not only supports VGA but HDMI which is great for using with the Apple TV . If you really want to experience the iPad when doing training then you need to carry your Apple TV with you, so that you can move around the room with the iPad as you are projecting the screen. Apple's Airplay technology is just great for sending the video and audio to the device. I also used the  Maxcases Educator Case  with my iPad which allowed me to hold the iPad securely with the adjustable hand strap which gave me the freedom to write directly on the iPad using the free IPEVO Whiteboard app. Using the IPEVO Whiteboard app enabled me to use the iPad as if I were using an interactive w...

While most schools are eager to purchase the latest iPads or tablets for the classroom sometimes they may over-look how and where students will be using them. When looking at how students will be utilizing the iPad it is Belkin Tablet Stand important to take look at the positioning of the iPad so that it is at a comfortable viewing and typing height. Sometimes in our haste to get the latest technology into the classroom we may overlook the ergonomics which can have a big impact on just how functional the system is. With this as a backdrop, I had a briefing with Jon Roepke, Belkin Senior Product Manager, Education who had a chance to share with me some of their offerings from Belkin in the K-12 marketplace. Belkin has released two stands for the iPad ( Belkin Tablet Stand & Belkin Tablet Stand with Storage ) which vastly improve the ergonomics when students are typing or utilizing the iPad in either landscape or portrait mode. These finely crafted devices are both aes...

It is exciting to watch as software publishers are rolling out software that take advantage of each of the respective platforms and in the process creating some powerful workflows. Such is the case for Inspiration 9.1 on the desktop and Inspiration Maps on the iPad. If you have Inspiration 9 installed on your computer and are using Inspiration Maps on your iPad, I would strongly suggest updating your desktop application to version 9.1. I recently did a presentation to administrators on how they can use Evernote to organize their workflow in the cloud and used an Inspiration Map to visually demonstrate the uses. I was able to quickly accomplish this task by opening Inspiration 9.1 on my laptop and creating the map. Since I used web based graphics in my map it was a lot easier to create the map using my computer. When I was done using Inspiration on my laptop, I simply went to the File Menu and selected Export to iPad Inspiration Maps... This automatically...

If you haven't updated your copy of Clicker 6 , I would highly advise it- especially if you are also using Clicker Docs and Clicker Sentences on an iPad. One of the really nice features of the recent update to Clicker 6, is the ability to export your grids to Clicker Sentences and Clicker Docs. The process could not be any easier and it is a great way to re-purpose your grids so that they can be used by students on the iPad.. You can see from the screenshot that under the Clicker Set menu there is now an Export Clicker Set for App option. Once you select either Clicker Sentences  or Clicker Docs - the grid is automatically saved in your Apps folder within your Dropbox account. In this example I created a grid with text from the book Call of the Wild in Clicker 6 and then Exported it to Clicker Docs. Now once in Clicker Docs on my iPad, I can click on the Folder icon on the Top Left and Select Dropbox to see the Grids that I have Exported. Now all that is ...

OK, I'm a bit of a geek and I admit it. I have used hundreds of software titles and apps but setting up a file server-that I have never done. So when Kanex offered me the opportunity to review the  Kanex meDrive File Server I was a little hesitant but thought I would give it  try. I had watched their video on their web site and thought - wow that looks easy. So last week, when the Kanex meDrive File Server arrived, I was eager to see just how easy it really was to set up. The Kanex meDrive File Server is a little smaller than an iPhone in an all white enclosure that resembles what you would expect to purchase from Apple In the box you will find the Kanex meDrive File Server and a micro USB cable, an Ethernet cable, and getting Started Guide. To power the Kanex meDrive File Server you will need to plug it into a power adapter which is not supplied. I found an Eveready Power USB Adapter at Staples for $5 dollars which is plugge...

Speakers.. Joan L. Green, M.A. CCC-SLP and Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D Saturday March 9 th , 2013 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Register at www.ist.ticketleap.com Holiday Inn in Hasbrouck Heights           283 State Highway 17  Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604 COST: $175 per person including lunch Space is limited  Group rates available ·          Some scholarships are available- contact Joan at Joan@innovativespeech.com ·          1 st 10 registrants receive free copy of Joan’s book- The Ultimate Guide to Assistive Technology in Special Education: Resources for Education, Intervention and Rehabilitation                     Joan Green is a speech-language pathologist from the Washington, DC area with many years of experience helping a wide range of children maximize progress with th...

You can read my original review of Clicker Docs , which adds considerable writing supports for students that need word prediction, text to speech, and talking word wall support. Since my review, Crick Software has released an update to the app which adds some powerful new features. The latest version of Clicker Docs now supports external Bluetooth keyboards, Dropbox, as well as spell checking. While the word prediction feature was well implemented in Clicker Docs- it is now more powerful in that any word that is included in the grid automatically comes to the top of the prediction list when a student is typing. So for example if the student was writing about the rainforest and you had created a grid that included the following words: canopy, orangutan, understory, sloth, opossum, emergent layer, forest floor, etc.- these words would automatically come up to the top of list as the student was typing and could be selected from the prediction bar. You can see from the screen shot...