Launching the AssistiveTek Minute

I am excited to announce a new feature on my blog today called "The AssistiveTek Minute." Each week, I will highlight a piece of assistive or educational technology that I have found to be innovative and useful in the classroom. This week in the "The AssistiveTek Minute," I highlight the Franklin AnyBook Reader an easy to use reading tool to engage students in the reading process. 


If your company is interested in sponsoring the "The AssistiveTek Minute then please get in touch with me- it is a great way to get the word out about your company and products.


The video was produced using an Apple iPhone 4S and the Swivl

New Digital Pen & Paper Solution from AssistiveTek, LLC

Over the years I have delved into the digital pen and paper arena to find a rich set of powerful and easy to use solutions to address both personal and business needs. Whether-I am using Livescribe Echo pen to record my notes or Xpaper to prepare my signed documents or PaperShow for Teachers to do my lectures and presentations - I always find that each digital pen affords me the opportunity to enhance what I am doing and make my work flow that much more efficient. In this light, I recently began to explore some new digital pen solutions from a company called PenData Solutions from California. PenData Solutions offers a rich set of solutions that is built upon Anoto functionality that takes the digital pen and paper solution to the next level.

Side by Side View: Handwriting on Left and Processed Form on the Right
Click on Image to Zoom In

If you work in an environment that demands that you collect information on traditional forms and then you have to re-key the data then you are a perfect candidate for using a digital pen solution. Working closely with Pen Data Solutions, AssistiveTek, LLC can build a custom solution that meets your business or organizations needs. Imagine all of the time saved when you can fill out the paper form with a digital pen and then when you get back to the office have the information flow seamlessly into your computer ready to be processed. Using state of the art handwriting recognition software your forms can be checked and validated and outputted as a Microsoft Word or PDF document. Better yet we can design the form so that each data point can be mapped to your internal database for further analysis. Think of the times savings that will occur when you institute this type of solution.

One of the factors which has always drawn me to this technology is ease of use. As a consultant, I spend most of my time training others on how to use hardware and software. To tell you the truth, if you know how to use a pen and paper you are set to go. The pen operates like an ordinary pen except for the fact that it can make sense of where it is on the page with its built-in camera which is oriented by the microdot pattern on the paper. As a mobile user- you can simply complete the form and when you are back in the office dock your pen to complete the process. The process is easy and seamless and just works. Think of the hours saved on data entry and think about the reliability of the data coming into the system as compared to when users are manually re-keying in information they are pulling off of forms.

If you are working in environments that still dictate the collection of data on paper forms- then you really owe it to yourself to take a look at the latest digital pen and paper solution that is being offered by AssistiveTek, LLC. If you are interested in a free demo to see if this is the right solution for you then click here to register and I will get back to you on a time and date that we can meet over the web. Come and learn about the advantages of using digital pen and paper solutions in your business or organization and how it can help solve your needs.

Latest Wordle

Every one in awhile I like to use Wordle to highlight what I am blogging about. Here is the latest Wordle.

NJECC Presentation: Reading & Writing Supports

This Tuesday, March 16th I will be presenting at the New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative Annual Conference which is held at Montclair State University on the topic of: What's New in the Area of Reading & Writing Supports. My session is from 2:30-3:20 pm and if you are planning on attending it would be great to see you. A lot has happened this year in the field of assistive technology and in the field of technology in general which has resulted in some new and updated technologies that I'm sure you will want to find out about.

I have been busy this year publishing some new materials which can be used to support assistive technology in the schools. I recently released a new video called: Assistive Technology: Powerful Solutions for Success which is a wonderful tool for teacher in-service programs. Likewise, in this age of information overload I created a four page laminated reference guide called: Assistive Technology: What Every Educator Needs to Know, which is chock full of resources and information about the use of assistive technology in the classroom. I will have both resources available at my workshop for you to take a look at. The session will be fast paced as we delve into some of the new tools and trends to support students in the area of reading and writing in the classroom. I hope to see you there- but just in case you can't make it here is my presentation deck that I will be using.



PS: You can now purchase my video and laminated reference guides right from my blog by clicking on the individual pages on the right side of the navigation panel.

Just Released - Assistive Technology: What Every Educator Needs to Know

For anyone who has published, the day you finally actually get to see your finished product in your hands in very exciting. I had such a moment last week when my publisher NPR Inc., released a new laminated reference guide called: Assistive Technology: What Every Educator Needs to Know. The guide is a chock full of information about assistive technology and is a great reference for teachers, special educators, parents, and for students in teaching training programs. With the explosion of information it is great to have a concise guide that can provide you with all of the essential information that you will need to learn about the advances in assistive technology. Assistive Technology: What Every Educator Needs to Know reviews Universal Design for Learning as well as some of the legal mandates for providing assistive technology in the schools. Learn first hand about various assistive technology applications that can empower students and provide them with access to the core curriculum. Assistive Technology: What Every Educator Needs to Know laminated guide is a great desk reference and a wonderful addition to any type of training and in-service programs in special education and assistive technology. Now you have the opportunity with the President's Stimulus Package to purchase this informative reference guide using you ARA dollars. So take advantage of this opportunity and provide your faculty with a great reference tool on the topic of assistive technology. Assistive Technology: What Every Educator Needs to Know- laminated guide is available from AssistiveTek, LLC and lists for $12.95. Volume pricing is available and Purchase Orders are accepted. Please email me if you are interested in purchasing the guide for your school.

NPR Inc Releases DVD: Assistive Technology- Powerful Solutions for Success

After months of work I am proud to announce that my new Assistive Technology DVD- Assistive Technology: Powerful Solutions for Success is now available from my publisher, NPR Inc. To find out more click on the links.

Technology is not only having a profound impact on the way we live our lives, but also how we learn and access information. For students with disabilities, technology can make the difference between success and failure in general education environments. Assistive Technology (AT) provides a means to help students compensate for their disabilities while building upon their strengths. Utilizing the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), this revised and updated DVD takes you into classrooms where AT solutions are being successfully implemented for students requiring:

• auditory processing supports
• fine-motor and writing supports
• reading supports

Observe first-hand how hardware and software programs not only assist students in being more successful academically, but how AT empowers them to be more confident and independent learners.

How to use this DVD

• If you are a principal or school administrator, use this DVD at faculty meetings to build the skills of your staff.
• If you are a professor/instructor at a college or university, use this DVD to enhance your classroom instruction.
• If you are a staff developer or trainer, use this DVD with new and/or experienced teachers.
• If you are a classroom teacher, use this DVD as a resource for proven Assistive Technology solutions.
• If you are a parent, use this DVD to better understand the value of Assistive Technology

The viewer will be able to:

• Describe the value of Assistive Technology in helping students access the general education curriculum
• Explain how Assistive Technology adheres to the theory of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
• List a variety of hardware and software programs available for use as AT solutions
• Identify specific AT devices and software programs to support students experiencing auditory processing, fine-motor, writing, as well as reading problems
• Identify the five steps to successfully implement Assistive Technology

To find out more about the DVD click on the link.

One Sentence Summary Created with Context Organizer After months of work I am proud to announce that my new Assistive Technology DVD- Assistive Technology: Powerful Solutions for Success is now available from my publisher, NPR Inc.

Subscribing to the AssistiveTek's Podcasts

For the past five years I have had my blog posts automatically converted to text to speech using the Odiogo service. Odiogo takes my RSS feed and automatically converts any new posts on my blog to high quality text to speech. You probably have see the Listen Now button before each blog post that allows you to access the Odiogo controls to have the post read. If you have not tried it out I urge you to do so- having the Odiogo feature on my blog allows anyone to access the information that I am sharing in a different output. Additionally, if you would like you can download a blog post to a MP 3 file or save a post to your iTunes Library. However, if you would like to subscribe to my blog and have every new post automatically delivered to your iPod or iPhone in a format you can listen to I have put together a demonstration video to show you how you can subscribe to my blog in iTunes. It is fairly easy to subscribe to my blog and once you do you will automatically get each new post delivered to your iPod or iPhone when you plug it into your computer. For those of you who are familiar with how to subscribe to a podcast in iTunes - all you need to do is paste this URL [http://podcasts.odiogo.com/assistive-tehnology/podcasts-xml.php] into the Subscribe to Podcast dialog box. That's all there is to it. To view the demonstration video on how to subscribe to my podcasts click here.

Fifth Year Anniversary of Blogging

It is hard to believe that this is my Fifth year anniversary of the AssistiveTek Blog which started back in July 2004. Little did I know that this experiment would survive all of these years, and as I close in on my 500th blog post some time this summer I can say thank-you, to all the readers out there that keep me going. It has been a very exciting trip being able to share information and my ideas about mind mapping, assistive technology, project management and Web 2.0 technologies. Along the way I have met some incredible people who have the same passion for the technologies that I speak about. And while others may speak about social networking in the abstract, I would have to say that because of my blog I have enriched my life by meeting so many wonderful people that I keep in touch with on a weekly basis. So as I reflect on the Fifth Anniversary of the AssistiveTek Blog it has been a great road trip and one that I'm sure will continue for another million miles or so. If you have a chance I would enjoy your comments as I celebrate the 5th Anniversary of this blog.

MoFuse for Mobile Learners

With all of us on the go it is nice to be able to read our favorite blogs on our smartphones-but sometimes this presents a problem when the blog has been formatted for a desktop or laptop computer. This is where Mofuse comes to the rescue and helps you deliver your blog by reformatting your content for your smartphone. Within seconds I was able to register my blog with Mofuse and have my blog ready for a mobile phone experience. To see what the Assistive Tek Blog looks like on your smartphone click here. If you have a blog that you would like to reformat just go to Mofuse.




http://assistivetek.mofuse.mobi/

Twitter Surveys with SocialToo

We just can't enough of Twitter these days, can we? It seems that with every passing day there is a another Twitter tool of one sort or another that comes out to keep us plugged into our social network. I just came across SocialToo which is a very simple to use survey tool which you can automatically link to your Twitter account. With SocialToo you simply create a one question survey and click on the Share with Twitter button and your question is automatically gets posted to Twitter- pretty cool. I tried it out this evening and you can participate in the survey by clicking here. So give it a try and let me know what you think. If you have some favortie Twitter tools please leave a comment. If you would like to follow me my Twitter name is assistivetek

AssistiveTek Blog Opens Online Store

With the New Year upon us there are some changes at AssistiveTek Blog. I have decided to open an Online Store and feature some of the software applications that I write about in my blog. I am using ProStores which is a subsidiary of eBay which took me minutes to set up and use. I am hoping to be able to bring together some of the top information tools that can be used with MindManager as well as some other standalone applications that maybe lesser known. Right now I am featuring Context Organizer and theRealizer2 and hope to add more products in the future. So if you get the chance stop by the Online Store and check it out. Thanks

Adobe Presenter 7- Making eLearning Come to Life

While attending the NECC 2008 Conference this summer, I had the opportunity to sit through several of the Adobe presentations to see what new applications were on the horizon. Adobe was tauting their latest application called Adobe Presenter 7 which is a plug-in to PowerPoint. I would like to thank Roman from A & R Edelman for providing me with a review copy of Adobe Presenter and for his support. In a nut shell, Adobe Presenter 7, lets you convert your legacy PowerPoint applications into a Flash based presentation or PDF file. That being said, there is a lot under the hood of Adobe Presenter 7 which can turn your PowerPoint slides into a dynamic eLearning environment complete with video, navigation, attachments, quizzing, and audio. PowerPoint 2007, Adobe Presenter 7 installs a new Ribbon with all of the features. Adobe Presenter 7 is part of Adobe Acrobat 9 Extended version. Using the Help menu it was rather easy to build my first Adobe Presenter 7 presentation which included video, Flash based video tutorials that were authored in Captivate 3, and audio. Using a webcam I was able to include a video of myself introducing my company and services, which gave my piece a nice touch. Adobe Presenter 7 allowed me to customize the look and feel of the final project and even let me include PDF attachments which can make this a great way to deliver eLearning material on the web.

Having created Flash based software tutorials in Captivate 3, I could easily embed them in my PowerPoint slide presentation with complete control of how they behaved with the controllers. When thinking of the future of training, I for one am very excited by the fact that I can now embed Flash based videos directly into a PDF file which can be viewed with nothing other that the free Adobe Reader 9. This is a new feature with the release of Adobe Acrobat 9 this spring. Think about that for a moment. That is very powerful! With nothing more than Adobe Acrobat Reader 9, your students or clients will be able to take advantage of video and audio with the confidence it will just work. As long as you have Flash installed on your computer you can be sure that your presentation will deliver the content. According to the surveys more than 98% of all computer users have Flash installed. This is very exciting for me just thinking of all the possibilities of building engaging and interactive environments for others to learn new skills.


In the presentation that I created you will see how all of these elements have come together. I was able to include video from my webcam, audio from a lapel microphone, and Flash video tutorials, along with some training PDF files. What I'm most impressed about the product is just how well it wraps everything up and when you are finished you get a very professional looking presentation to share with the world. I found Adobe Presenter 7 easy to learn to use and without so much as a manual I was creating this highly interactive eLearning materials. Adobe Presenter 7 is a wonderful integrator, helping you to bring all of the pieces together to make for an exciting and interesting elearning experience. I for one really enjoyed putting this project together. Click here to view the presentation, right within your browser or if you want you can download the presentation as a PDF file here. The PDF file is 11 megabytes and will take a little time to download. This will give you some idea of the power of Adobe Acrobat in its current release. You will need to download Adobe Acrobat 9 Reader to view this presentation. Adobe Presenter 7 also allows you to create quizzes for the purpose of assessment, with a variety of different types of question formats that can be integrated into your learning management system (LMS). I will tackle this feature in another blog post later next week. You can download a trial version of Adobe Presenter 7 from the Adobe website.