Friday "Appy" Hour: SeeSaw PD in your PJs

For this week's Friday "Appy" Hour we will be discussing the app Seesaw. Seesaw is a powerful multimedia learning and communication tool that demonstrates students progress over time. 

As shared on Common Sense Media, "The Learning Journal is a robust digital portfolio and learning system where teachers can create meaningful multimedia experiences for students. Using Google, Clever, student emails, or a QR code, teachers assign tasks that engage students with a variety of work in the form of videos, photos, text, images, files, and drawings. Teachers follow up by approving posts, offering feedback, and, if desired, making items accessible to families via the Seesaw Family app (available online and via Android or iOS). Since teachers can view all students’ submissions at once, it’s an easy way to check for whole-class understanding. Teachers can also enable peer-to-peer feedback or create a class blog to encourage a richer, more connected experience. For added security, the blogs can be password protected, and teachers can opt to moderate posts.

Designed with an intuitive interface, Seesaw logically leads teachers through processes such as creating assignments, recording directions, providing student feedback, and sending family communications. Translation is available if the device language settings are different from the original message. The Activity Library hosts a variety of activities aligned with Common Core for all grade levels, and the Help Center provides lots of support as well as professional development online for teachers. A paid upgrade allows tracking of skills mastery."

The video below shows an overview of Seesaw. Be sure to read below for an expansive list of webinars to help get you started or learn more about all that Seesaw has to offer. 

During the month of November, Seesaw has provided the following webinars based on your level of use and familiarity with . Click on the link to see times, dates, and register.

Brand New to Seesaw? Watch this: http://bit.ly/readyforwebinar 

Watch recorded webinars anytime on our YouTube channel!

	If you work with students in PreK-2nd Grades: NEW Get Ready for Conferences!⬅️ Watch now! NEW Awesome Hallway Displays with Seesaw NEW Reinvent Reading Logs with Seesaw Easy Seesaw Ideas and Tech Tips Family Communication, PreK-2⬅️ Watch now! Brand New to Seesaw (Grades PreK-2)⬅️ Watch now! Brand New to Seesaw, Part 2⬅️ Watch now!
	If you work with students in 3rd-5th Grades: NEW Get Ready for Conferences!⬅️ Watch now! NEW Awesome Hallway Displays with Seesaw NEW Reinvent Reading Logs with Seesaw Easy Seesaw Ideas and Tech Tips Family Communication, 3-5 Brand New to Seesaw (Grades 3-5) Brand New to Seesaw, Part 2⬅️ Watch now!
	If you work with students in 6th-12th Grades: NEW Awesome Hallway Displays with Seesaw Easy Seesaw Ideas and Tech Tips   Brand New to Seesaw (Grades 6-12) Brand New to Seesaw, Part 2⬅️ Watch now!

Friday Appy Hour: Apple's Everyone Can Create Curriculum

Friday "Appy" Hour: Notability 8.0 Update

Notability, created by Ginger Labs, released it's 8.0 version update this week and it's garnering a lot of attention in the world of AT and Ed Tech.The latest update includes unique features including handwriting recognition, searchable handwritten notes, and handwriting to text conversion. With Multi-Note, two notes can be open side-by-side. And the new Note Switcher makes it quick to change notes.

So what does this all mean? The video below provides an overview of what is included in the latest updates as well as a breakdown of the updates below...

Handwriting Search
Handwriting in Notability is now searchable!
Handwriting can be searched in the note view and from the library. Handwriting recognition and indexing all happens on the device, keeping notes private. Additionally, 14 different languages are supported and searchable on Notability including: 
English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian Bokmal, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish.


Handwriting-to-Text Conversion






With the latest update, individually written words or full lines of text can be converted into typed text. Once converted, the text can be copied to the clipboard and pasted into other apps, like Mail or Messages. 
















Multi-Note
The Multi-Note features proves to be the biggest time saver giving users the option to work with two notes side-by-side. In addition to saving time, Multi-Note provides more context, and makes editing and reviewing notes more natural. 




If you're unsure how to use the Multi-Note features, here are a few suggested ideas: 
• Highlight terms in a textbook and then summarize concepts in another note.
• Keep a meeting's full agenda in view while taking minutes in a separate note.
• Use a blank note as a scratch pad while working on a class assignment.
• Make a note of frequently-used drawings, and simply drag them into other notes at any time.
• While reading a recipe, jot down the ingredients you need in a shopping list.

All of the tools available for a single note are also available when using two notes at once, like add and edit annotations, zoom in and scroll around to capture details, rearrange pages, copy-and-paste pages between notes, drag-and-drop content between notes, and more.

Audio can be recorded in one note while editing and switching between other notes. This makes Notability's unique audio recording and playback feature more powerful than ever. No longer does audio recording have to stop in one note to check another.

Note Switcher and Recent Notes
The new Note Switcher is a quick and convenient list of the recently opened notes. Notes can be switched without going back to the Library. Note Switcher includes search too, to help find other notes.

The Library now includes the new Recent Notes list. This is particularly useful for finding, sharing, and working with notes stored in different subjects.

Costs and Availability
Notability 8.0 can be download from the App Store, and is compatible with the iPad and iPhone running iOS 10 or later. All current Notability users can update their apps for free to access Version 8.0. Not a Notability user, yet.....Notability can be downloaded for $9.99 USD. Certainly an app that you get more bang for the buck! 

Source: Blogpost adapted from Gingerlab Update Article 

Friday "Appy" Hour: Apple Clips

This Friday "Appy" Hour features the Apple exclusive app, Clips. If you follow any of the EdTech or Assistive Technology hashtags on Twitter, then at some point you have seen a post or mention regarding Clips and it's expansive features. So what's all the hype about?

Clips is a free app, which allows you to customize photos and videos before sharing them with friends and family. Within the app users can create and send video messages or narrate a story with the help of artistic filters, animated text, music, emojis, and fun stickers featuring characters.

Some highlighted features of Clips...

Videos made easy

• create videos in real time with simple controls — no timeline, tracks, or complicated editing tools
• Record video, take photos, or add them from your library
• Easily mute audio, adjust the length of your clips, and reorder them
• Drag and pinch while recording to add smooth pan and zoom animations to your photos and videos
• Add a music track from your library or choose from more than 60 built-in soundtracks that automatically adjust to the length of your video

Artistic effects and filters

• Turn any photo or video into a moody painting, elegant pencil sketch, or comic book illustration*
• Add warmth, impact, or drama to videos and photos with a selection of filters from the Camera app
• Use effects and filters while recording or apply them to photos and videos from your library

Live Titles

• Create animated titles and captions using just your voice
• Captions are generated automatically as you speak and match the timing of your voiceover
• Easily change the style of your title, adjust text and punctuation, or add inline emoji 

Fun stickers, emoji, and posters

• Choose from dozens of animated stickers from Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar
• Add emoji, animated speech bubbles, shapes, and customizable text labels to your photos and video clips
• Use full-screen posters with animated backgrounds and customizable text to help tell your story

Interested in seeing Clips in action and how to connect this into the classroom? Watch the brief video created by Apple Distinguished Educator, Kristen Brooks, which provides a visual demonstration to highlight the ease of the app and built-in features.

Looking for more ideas? Read the ICT Evangelist article: 

5 Ways to Use Apple Clips in the Classroom

Friday "Appy" Hour: Easy Spelling Aid

Although this year I was unable to attend the IDA (International Dyslexia Association) Conference, I did use the power of social media to keep up with some of the highlights being shared by my Twitter PLN (Personal Learning Network). As a sidebar, if you are unsure of what a PLN is or the immense benefits of being connected on social media, please read by previous Where It's AT post "Getting Connected".

Amongst the Twitter highlights from IDA, I happened upon a post regarding an app called Easy Spelling Aid. After doing some quick reading, my interest was peaked and I needed to see firsthand what this app was all about.

As with my first encounter with Epic!, my initial thought was.....how did I not know about this app sooner? As a technology specialist, I immediately thought of the many students who require ongoing spelling support, and Easy Spelling Aid app does just that! Not only is this app suited for students and adults with learning difficulties, but also for those learning to read and write or others looking for a translation tool to and from English? 

  
The Easy Spelling Aid app is the perfect tool to help children learn how to spell and write any word at home and at school. This app can spell words or phrases instantly by utilizing superior speech recognition, finely tuned to pick up on your child's voice.
Key Features...

• Improves literacy performance and spelling, helps with comprehension and vocabulary and develops recognition and correct spelling of words in their appropriate context
• Reduces blocks in the creative thought process when users stumble across a word they cannot independently spell. 
• Provides a way to easily and quickly find out how to spell the word without having to wait for a parent, teacher or assistant to help them. 
• Boasts superior, accurate and incredibly fine-tuned speech recognition
• Supports 22 languages, including regional US English
• Includes writing styles US D'Nealian Manuscript and US D'Nealian Cursive. 
• Also includes the Open Dyslexic font displayed in a choice of 6 background color combinations, as a means to accommodate users suffering from dyslexia and improve readability. 
• No ads, in app purchases, externals links and profanity is filtered

How It Works...

Step 1: With an easy-to-use interface and seamless user experience, users are presented with a clear blue user-friendly interface. The instruction "Touch mic & talk" is displayed above the circular mic symbol. On touching the symbol, you will be prompted to "Talk". By pressing "Done", the app will begin processing the word or phrase dictated.  

                           

Step 2: Upon pressing "Done", the app will proceed to produce your input displayed in your chosen writing style.  

Step 3: The chosen writing style can be changed in the Settings, which are also easily navigated to from the main screen. Additionally, within the Settings, you can change between multiple languages, select translation language, reverse translation, select a background, select a dyslexic option, display upper and lower case letters and turn off speech output if you wish.

Cost...

• The Easy Spelling app is available on Google Play, Amazon Apps and the Apple App Store. 
• Google Play: $3.99
• Amazon Apps: $4.99
• Apple App Store: $5.99

Download Easy Spelling Aid now! 

EASY SPELLING AID

EASY SPELLING AID

   

EASY SPELLING AID

Friday "Appy" Hour: A First Look at iOS 11 on the iPad Pro

WWDC 2017 has created quite a buzz as Apple officially announced the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and iOS 11, set to release in the fall of this year alongside the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 7S. With this latest iOS update comes improvements in the "core technologies" and many improvements for user productivity. Some of these enhancements are among them are new, improved productivity solutions for iPad, but other enhancements coming are:

• Apple Pay will now feature person to person transactions
• Siri will now feature a more natural, human sounding voice and expand the languages translations can be provided in
• Images in the camera app will take up less space and offer more high quality options and special effects
• A redesigned Apple Control Center and iTunes Store
• A drag and drop dock which mirrors the Mac
• Files app provides a file management system 
• Indoor maps to use within venues and public places like malls and airports
• Maps has added new safety measures to limit distractions while driving and provide a more interactive guidance system when utilizing navigation
• Multi-room support for Apple Music and similar to apps like Spotify, users will be able to see what friends are listening to
• The ability to blend virtual reality using ARKit

To learn more about these latest enhancements, click here to read The Verge's article focused on the Apple announcements or watch the video below. 

Source: The Verge

Friday "Appy" Hour: Snap & Read Universal for iPad

At the recent Everyone Reading conference, I participated in a product presentation session which highlighted two of the Don Johnston products uPAR and Snap and Read Universal, a glimpse into the vast suite of products offered. This prompted me to create this Friday's "Appy" Hour post...because a resource like this is just too good to not share! 

Until recently, Snap and Read was only available as a Google Chrome extension on a PC or Mac. With it's recent release, now iPad and iPhone users will have the same access as PC and Mac users, to listen to printed text read aloud in high quality voices alongside the ability to dynamically level, take images of and listen to worksheets read aloud using OCR (Optical Character Recognition), highlight text and create outlines and notations with citations on webpages and documents alike. Additionally, translations are available in over 100 languages, making this an ideal tool for ELL students.

This brief video provides a comprehensive overview of the features available through Snap and Read Universal for iPad.

To learn more about Snap and Read Universal or any of the other amazing products made by possible by Don Johnston, visit the Don Johnston website. On the website, you can view videos that highlight the specific features available within Snap and Read, such as dynamic text leveling or study tools and outlining in more depth. I am unable to share pricing as it varies on the number of subscribers and accounts created. However, you can request a quote directly on the website if interested. 

Friday "Appy" Hour: Reading With Dyslexia Simplified With Pocket

The widely popular app Pocket, known best for its article-saving read-it-later features, recently released a feature that would make it significantly easier for those with dyslexia to use. Pocket's latest version includes text-to-speech functions and enables all users support for the font Dyslexie [sample below], which is designed to create subtle changes in character structure to prevent confusion between similar looking letters.

What Dyslexie looks like on Pocket. buzzfeed.com

Although the update may appear minimal, it is anything but to those who suffer from dyslexia. The update could mean a vast change in reading comfort and speed, ensuring all of Pocket's users the best experience possible when interacting with printed materials.

Read more about the how Pocket can support struggling readers click here.

To watch a demo of the features of pocket watch the video below:

Source: Buzzfeed, YouTube

Friday "Appy" Hour: Blincam

With wearable technology becoming more commonplace each day, it seemed it would only be a matter of time before it expand beyond watches. For this Friday "Appy" Hour I chose to highlight a product, featured in the Assistive Technology Blog article below, that has yet to hit the market, yet is already turning heads (literally and figuratively). To learn more about Blincam, read the article below...

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Taking photos of everyday objects and scenery around us has become a way of life. All it takes these days is to whip out our smart phone and start taking photos of people, food, beloved pets around us, and all the places we go to. However, taking photos with a smartphone may be a challenge for people with not very good motor skills, amputees or legally blind photographers.

Blincam, a new camera accessory that recently finished a successful crowd funding campaign, attaches to any pair of glasses and takes photos when a person winks or (strongly) blinks their eyes – it has the ability to differentiate between normal and deliberate blinks. As simple as that! Photos taken with Blincam can be uploaded directly to the cloud, and made available for sharing with others.

Blincam only weighs 25 grams and would cost approximately $200 when it is made available in January 2017.

Watch this (very cheesy!) video to see how Blincam works.

Click here to access the original article written by Assistive Technology Blog (ATB)

Keyboarding With Dysgraphia

The following article, written by Susan William, a parent of a child with dysgraphia, was featured on the blog Education Possible. In her blog post, Susan shares strategies she successfully implemented in her homeschool environment with her child to teach him keyboarding skills. As we all know so well, when working with children with disabilities, there is never a "one size fits all approach". Therefore, it's important to keep in mind the student and their specific needs prior to selecting the strategy to implement in order to ensure it has the greatest chance of being successful when implemented.

*Disclosure: Susan had been using Keyboard Classroom in her homeschool. She received free access to the site to help gather information for this review. She is sharing her personal opinions based on her son's experiences. This post contains affiliate links.

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Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing. My son has struggled with writing as long as he can remember and for years we have searched for solutions to help him with his writing. In a previous post I shared How I Teach Writing to My Child With Dysgraphia and the response to that post was amazing! I have had an opportunity to talk with many other families who are like us, searching for solutions to help our children.

This year my son is completing much of his school work using a computer. We have found it is easier for him to get his thoughts out when he can type them into a computer rather than write them on paper. He has been using computers for many years for some of his regular curriculum like math and science, therefore he is comfortable using a computer.

I wanted to make sure he had strong keyboarding skills so over time he could begin to think less about the act of typing and more about getting his thoughts out of his head and onto the screen.

We have tried other keyboarding programs before but most have been too busy, trying to use a game format or confusing graphics to teach basic typing skills. My mission this year was to teach keyboarding so my son could build solid skills as efficiently as possible.

Keyboard Classroom

The program we finally found that works for my son is called Keyboard Classroom.

I’ll explain a few of the benefits we have found from this program, but I want to start by sharing my son’s favorite part of the program – Finger Guides.

Finger Guides

Finger Guides are plastic bars you attach to your keyboard with velcro strips.





My son struggles with motor skills (that’s why holding a pencil correctly is a challenge) so it only made sense to me that adding in a physical guide would help him maintain the proper hand positioning AND allow him to build muscle memory while practicing the correct key strokes. It’s not complicated – it’s actually quite simple and effective, but a feature we had not found before.

Finger Trainer

After the Finger Guides are attached to your keyboard, the Finger Trainer exercises begin. These exercises are very straightforward – they show the child the correct location and finger placement for each key.

If you take a look at this image you will see they use colors for each finger and for the corresponding keys that finger should strike.





By having this image on the screen it encourages the student to keep their eyes on the screen rather than looking down at their hands. Oh yes, my son (as most students probably would) looked down at the keyboard at first, but I was very surprised by how quickly he was able to build his muscle memory and just keep his eye on the screen.

15 Minutes a Day

This program is designed to build skills slowly but surely through practice and repetition. Children begin by learning the placement of each key as they type the alphabet. They then move on to typing words, then sentences and finally learn how to capitalize words. Fluency is built by working through practice and then timed sessions until the child feels comfortable.

My son likes schedules and routines so as we read through the materials for Keyboard Classroom he noticed the statement that said:



He decided that meant he should practice for 15 minutes a day, and that is what he does. He sets his timer for 15 minutes and comfortably moves through the material at his own pace.

Many other typing programs we had tried focused on achieving certain levels and winning points or tokens. It took my son a little while to understand that this is a different format – he just needs to put in the time and practice well and the results have definitely followed.

A Few Details
I know when I look at new programs I have a few basic questions – cost and ease of use are at the top of the list!

For a concise overview of the format of the program I suggest you take a few minutes to review this short video:

If you decide this might be an option for your family, here are a few details to consider: 

• The program claims to be designed for children ages 8 and up and the video clip mentions ages 7-14. I believe this program is appropriate for the stated ages and even for older teens if they need to solidify their keyboarding skills. 
• Because the Finger Guides are part of the program this is a program you order and receive in the mail (the Finger Guides and a disk with the program materials). 
• When you purchase the program you are getting a “user license”. This means that only one person can use each license at one time. ** Keyboard Classroom is now offering a Family License for up to 5 family members!** 
• If you have one child, purchase a Single User License 
• If you have more than one child AND you want each child to use the program AT THE SAME TIME you would purchase the new family license! 
• The Finger Guides may not fit on every keyboard. Some of the newer more streamlined keyboards may not have enough space above the top row of keys for the Finger Guides. You will need about 1/4 inch above and below the keys for the Finger Guides. 
• If your current keyboard does not have that much space you can purchase an inexpensive keyboard (less than $20) to use with the Finger Guides. I realize that is an additional expense, but if your child really benefits from the Finger Guides is could be a valuable investment.

We have been very pleased with the results of this program. My son has been using Keyboard Classroom for about 3 months and he is very excited about his progress. Hisspeed and accuracy have improved dramatically and he no longer looks at his fingers when he types.

We know that not every program will work for every student, but if you would like to learn more to see if this might be a fit for your child, please visit the Keyboard Classroom website.

Click to access the original article