ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BLOG | INVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

I think that we have all come to realize that using visuals is a great way to communicate ideas and processes. This is especially true when we need to communicate a series of steps to complete a process. While words and step by step directions can help us understand the process,I have found that for most students as well as adults having that visual support is a great way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the steps needed to accomplish the task. I just recently was working with a school that will be utilizing the Boogie Board RIP to take digital notes and while using the Boogie Board RIP is a fairly easy, there are some important steps involved to do use it correctly so that the notes are recorded properly. Rather than write a long list of step by step directions, I decided to use Inspiration 9.1 to create  a visual that would explain the process. Having access to tools like Inspiration makes it easy for teachers to create great looking visuals that can explain complex processes. If you have Inspiration take it out and give it a try the next time you have to explain a complex step of directions or process!

I use my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen almost everyday to make classroom observations, take notes, and when I am doing assistive technology evaluations. Having the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen sync all of my notes to Evernote has really changed my work flow and giving me the freedom to use my pen where ever I may be. Not having to manually sync my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen has been huge for me-eliminating a big step in the process that I had to do with the Livescribe Echo pen. Now I don't even have to think about it and when I am in a WiFi area the pen automatically connects and uploads all of my notes including the audio which is really fantastic. But there are those times when I am in places that while I have access to WiFi, requires web authentication which unfortunately the Livescribe SKY WiFi pen cannot negotiate. This is the case in my office on my college campus, where I teach. To solve this issue, I have been  using the Livescribe Helper application which I have installed on my desktop. With the Livescribe Helper application installed I can now plug in my Livescribe SKY WiFi pen and it will automatically sync my notes to my Evernote account. In addition to allowing you to sync your notes when you don't have a wireless connection, the Livescribe Helper will perform firmware updates to your pen which I have found go a lot quicker when plugged into your computer and using the Livescribe Helper. So if you have been trying to find a way to sync your Livescribe SKY WiFi pen when you don't have access to WiFi then do take a look at the Livescribe helper application- you will be glad you did.

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 saved it to my DropBox account and when I went to my iPad and opened Inspiration Maps, I could open the map. It was really that simple. This solution really leveraged the strengths of both platforms and when I was ready to present to the administrators, all I needed to do was open the it from my iPad. It was really that easy!

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 left for me to do is select  "Call of the Wild " and I am ready to use the words. It really is that easy to do. Give it a try you will be glad you did! To update your version of of Clicker 6 click here.

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 plugged into the supplied cable. I next plugged the Ethernet cable into the Kanex meDrive File Server and then plugged that into my wireless router. Next, I then plugged in a 2 GB Flash drive into the hot swappable Kanex meDrive File Server which served as my storage. With the Kanex meDrive File Server connected I downloaded the Kanex meDrive App from the App store to my iPhone and opened the app. I configured the meDrive app and within seconds I was up and running. Who knew that I could install a file server on my home WiFi network so quickly.

The beauty of having a file server set up in my home is that I could back up and store my files that I routinely save when I use Keynote and Pages app. Both apps support the Copy to WebDav which is ideal for the Kanex meDrive File Server. To test out the Kanex meDrive File Server I went to Pages on my iPhone and used the Copy to WebDav command. Once I entered my IP address and user name and password for the file server drive into the dialog box I was able to save my files to the Kanex meDrive File Server. It was incredible just how fast it took me, to configure the file server once I took it out of the box. In addition to supporting WebDav, I was also able to import pictures and videos which was a great way for me to back up my files. All in all, the Kanex meDrive File Server was easy to set up and could be a great tool to use on your iPad in the classroom to store and curate Keynote, Pages, Numbers and other Apps that support Copy to WebDav. Kanex meDrive File Server is available from Kanex for $99 and is well worth the money. Set-up was a snap and n excellent value proposition!

As the iPad begins to transform the face of education- we will shortly begin to see it take hold of another facet of learning in the classroom - notably the interactive whiteboard. I can remember like it was just yesterday the excitement of working on a SMART Board for the very first time. It transformed the classroom and gave both teachers a portal to the internet that they could share with their students with such ease. While interactive whiteboards of all varieties are much more common in today's classrooms across America they never really changed the dynamic of the classroom with the teacher standing in the front of the classroom directing the lesson. Yes- I know that students do come up to the interactive whiteboard on occasion to interact with the board but for the majority of students, they sit idly at their desks waiting for a turn. This is all about to change as the iPad infiltrates this next arena of the classroom notably the interactive whiteboard.

About two weeks ago I had a briefing with Jon Roepke, Belkin Senior Product Manager, Education who had a chance to share with me some of the new offerings from Belkin in the K-12 marketplace. I was excited to learn about the Belkin Tablet Stage and the accompanying Belkin Stage App that would be released in March 2013. The Belkin Tablet Stage transforms the iPad into a document and presentation system which looks to rival some of the standalone systems that are currently be used in the classroom. The Belkin Tablet Stage is compatible with tablets that are 7" to 11" and has an adjustable platform with cable management allowing you to adjust the iPad as you see fit. The Belkin Tablet Stage contains adjustable LED lights and has a document camera mode to captures images and live video. The accompanying  Belkin Stage App which is free, compliments the system and lets teachers annotate on top of the live video feed. With the latest edition of the Belkin Stage App, teachers can pay $1.99 which allows them to record and save live video feeds to their Camera Roll. Teachers will find using the Belkin Stage App easy and intuitive to use, providing teachers with a good set of annotation tools. Teachers can draw on top of any image or video feed using various colored markers or use the Label Tool to bring text flags into the stage. If you opt to buy the video record feature you can record your annotations and audio and save it to the camera Roll and share it out which is a great feature. Utilizing the Belkin Stage app will enable teachers to move around the classroom and use the iPad as if it were a graphics tablet. Anything written on the app will be immediately projected to the screen. Students could easily take hold of the iPad and share their ideas and thoughts or small groups of students could be working together and sharing their group work. Giving teachers the flexibility to move about the classroom with the iPad projecting the image will be the next wave and utilizing Apple's Airplay technology is pretty straightforward. Many classroom are installing Apple TV's to accomplish this while other may choose a software solution like the Reflector App which routes the video and audio through a Mac or PC that is on the same wireless network.

I am really excited by this product because it will enable teachers and students to scan and capture high quality worksheets and text book pages which can then be utilized by other programs. Working with lots of students with fine motor disabilities it is possible to scan their documents and annotate on top of them- but one of the weak links is getting a good quality scan which is sometimes hard when you have to hold the iPad still for a period of time. Having access to the Belkin Tablet Stage will enable students to capture high quality images which can then be annotated on using a variety of scanning apps. Similarly we will begin to see higher quality Optical Character Recognition (OCR) apps which will enable students to scan the text directly into their iPad and have it read aloud. Pretty amazing developments!

IPEVO Whiteboard Screenshot with Annotation

In the same vein, I had a chance to sit down with Alex from IPEVO to get an update on some of their new product offerings for the classroom which should be imminent. It was exciting to hear about all of the new releases which as you can imagine, revolved around the iPad. Alex brought with him the Wireless Station for iPad and USB Document Cam and demonstrated how using their Point 2 View (P2V)  Document camera that one could wirelessly send a live video feed from under the camera to the iPad in real time. The set up was very easy as the Wireless Station for iPad sets up an ad-hoc wireless network that communicates to the iPad. One has to simply plug in the P2V Camera into the Wireless Station and then in the iPad's Network Settings select the Wireless Station WIFI network. Once you open the IPEVO Whiteboard app you can click on the Wireless Device icon to select the device and you are ready to use the camera. If you want to use the Internet while connected to the Wireless Station you can route the Internet via WIFI connecting through the Wireless Station making it easy to use both the camera and Internet at the same time. Utilizing their recently released free IPEVO Whiteboard app it was possible to annotate directly on the video using any of a number of different markup tools which includ: free from markers, arrows, boxes, circles, text, lines and arrows. The software was easy to use and a teacher could capture what was on the iPad screen to the Camera Roll or send it to Evernote for later use. The IPEVO Whiteboard app gives teachers the freedom to bring in pictures from their Camera Roll or create a new board using a Plain White background for writing on. While teachers can certainly use their fingers to write with it, is easier when using this app to use a stylus. IPEVO's telescoping Stylus fits the bill and give you the option to elongate it if you  need to do so when using the iPad. Teachers can use the Point 2 View or Ziggi USB camera with the Wireless Station and the soon to be released Ziggi-HD camera. Teachers can create sessions with multiple boards while using the IPEVO Whiteboard app and switch between them quickly.

It is clear to me that the we are beginning to see a new trend in using the iPad as an interactive presentation system in the classroom which will begin to take hold for the start of the next school year. The interplay of  Apple's Airplay technology coupled with these low cost solutions will define a new market for interactive technologies in the classroom; benefiting both teachers and students in the learning process.

I had the opportunity to present this past weekend at the WETech 2013 Conference which was a lot of fun. More than 150 educators attended the conference and had the opportunity to select from a vast array of exciting technology workshops during the course of the day. I presented on the topic of Supporting Students with Executive Function and Learning Disorders. The presentation focused on the rich array of apps that are now available on the iPad to support students who present with Executive Function Disorders and Learning Disabilities. During the course of the presentation I touched up a long list of apps that have enabled students to be more successful and productive in their schoolwork. Some of these included: Evernote, Clicker Docs, Read2Go, Voice Dream, Inspiration Maps, iWordQ, Remind101, iThoughts, and Penultimate to name a few. It is amazing how the field of assistive technology has been transformed by the iPad and going forward we can only imagine what the future will hold. One of the significant aspects of the iPad is that it can be personalized and customized to meet the needs of students with Executive Function and Learning Disorders. Below you will find my presentation deck that I used at the WETech 2013 Conference:

Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad