Webinar Wednesday: Your Dyslexia/Dysgraphia Toolkit

 

Live Webinar: March 10, 2021 Building a Dyslexia/Dysgraphia Toolkit That Works Dyslexia and dysgraphia were in focus even before eLearning. But, now more than ever, districts are looking for stable and effective ways to help students access and complete assignments independently—wherever they learn.  Students with dyslexia or dysgraphia, often have difficulties with: Decoding and comprehension Handwriting Spelling & Grammar Organization Written expression and writing speed (thinking faster than they can write) Independence (they rely on adults for reading and writing tasks) Writing math symbols; aligning numbers and word problems Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Finishing research, reading, and writing assignments on time You're going to need the BEST combination of technology and measurement tools to help your students rise above these issues, recover from the COVID slide, and build confidence to work independently.   Register for the Webinar   In this webinar, Diana Petschauer, M.Ed., ATP, Laurie McIntosh, M.S., (from AT for Education - ATforED.com), and Kati McIlroy, OT, will show you a powerful toolkit to support students with dyslexia and dysgraphia including: Tools/ Tech/ demos and strategies; realistic implementation for the iPad and Chromebook/laptop to support literacy, math and multi-sensory instruction Co:Writer® (Word Prediction and Voice Typing for written expression)  Snap&Read™ (Text-to-Speech, PDF Annotation, Text Leveling, Study Tools/Highlighter to fully access reading materials) Annotation tools that make PDFs quizzes and worksheets accessible  The uPAR process to help staff choose appropriate reading accommodations with data The DeCoste Writing Protocol—a process to evaluate writing issues Come see what makes a real difference for students living and learning with dyslexia and dysgraphia.   Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance, Word Prediction Screening Tool, and Participant Resource Folder with extensive resources on apps, extensions, tools and technologies to add to your Dyslexia Toolkit! Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Eastern (New York) Central (Chicago) Mountain (Denver) Pacific (Los Angeles) 1:00 PM 12:00 PM 11:00 AM 10:00 AM This FREE webinar is 90 minutes.   Register for the Webinar   About the Presenter(s) Diana Petschauer, M.Ed, ATP  is the Managing Director of Assistive Technology for Education & Access4Employment; and a nationally certified Assistive Technology expert for over 20 years. She worked in public Special Education for over 15 years, as well as for a University for AT & Disability Services prior to her business. She manages her team of consultants at ATforED who provide AT evaluations, training, consultation, PD workshops & webinars. Diana has experienced working with a significant number of students & adults with Dyslexia & Dysgraphia, including using Assisive Technology to access curriculum & instruction, build confidence & independence, support executive functioning, increase literacy skills, as well as use AT to support the individual & student in the workplace and community. She has also provided training to SLP's and reading specialists to use AT as part of their OG lessons and instruction. Diana presents many workshops & webinars on AT and Literacy Intervention combined to provide the most efficient multi-sensory support for individuals with Dyslexia, including at the most recent International Dyslexia Association conference. Laurie McIntosh, MS, OTR/ L, ATP is a consultant at Assistive Technology for Education & Access4Employment after working as an OT (occupational therapist) in public schools and private practice for 38 years.  Her primary experience has been to work with school teams to provide accessible educational materials, specially designed instruction, and technology access to students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities/ Dyslexia, and autism. She has worked with students from preschool to high school, and adults across the lifespan.  Laurie is skilled at providing training to students, paraprofessionals, teachers, administrators and parents in order to create an environment in which assistive technology is part of typical daily learning. Kati McIlroy, Assistive Technology Specialist and an Occupational Therapist who has worked in school districts for over 15 years in Southern California and currently works with Don Johnston Incorporated as an Educational Support Specialist. She collaborates with district professionals, educators, and therapists to integrate technologies that help students access the curriculum. By conducting presentations and trainings at schools and conferences, she helps spread the word about how Universal Design for Learning opens the world to students and creates lifelong learners.

Webinar Wednesday: Meet the Voice Dream Apps

THE NETWORK OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGISTS WELCOMES

WINSTON CHEN, FOUNDER OF VOICE DREAM

Meet The Voice Dream Apps

In this session, Winston will share the personal story of how he founded Voice Dream, and give a demo of Voice Dream Reader, the leading reading tool for people with print disabilities. He will also talk about where Voice Dream is going in the future, along with an overview of other Voice Dream Apps.

Registration Now Open - CLICK HERE

WINSTON CHEN 

Winston is the founder of Voice Dream. He is developer of Voice Dream Reader, Writer and Scanner, award winning and universally accessible apps for people with learning differences and visual impairment. Voice Dream started when he and his family took a sabbatical and lived for a year on an island in Arctic Norway.

In addition to Voice Dream, Winston was a Research Affiliate at MIT Media Lab working on socially beneficial technology in education and civic affairs. Previously, Winston was an executive in several technology companies. He lives in Boston with his wife Kristin and two children Marcus and Nora.

2021 AT Retreat Unconference

Join tonight 1/29/21 at 6:30pm EST for a brand new virtual unconference event!

No presentations - just conversations.

Participant led discussions related to inclusion, Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning. All voices are welcome.

Come join the fun - reserve your free space using the registration link below. All sessions will be conducted via Zoom and each conversation room will utilize captions to promote accessibility. Connect, learn, laugh and maybe even win some awesome prizes from Scanning Pens, Present Pal, Don Johnston, Lesson Pix, CoughDrop and more....

Follow the event on Twitter using the hashtag #2021ATRetreat

View the ATRetreat Schedule At-A-Glance

Motivational Monday

 

Motivational Monday

 

Webinar Wednesday: Leveling the Playing Field: Support for Struggling Readers in a Blended Learning Environment

Leveling the Playing Field: Support for Struggling Readers in a Blended Learning Environment

Monday, January 11, 2021 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST

Presented by Kathleen Colburn, Senior Product Manager, Read&Write; and Diana Petschauer, Managing Director and AT Consultant, Assistive Technology for Education

Sponsored by Texthelp

REGISTER HERE

GET THE RECORDING

The recording will be posted on this page after the live session. Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

To say that things have been in flux over this past year is an understatement. The everyday learning environment has taken on a whole new meaning as you and your students have pivoted from in-person, to remote, to hybrid learning (and have sometimes bridged these gaps multiple times). Many students lost almost a full semester of learning; some lost more. And while no child has gone unaffected by these educational gaps, those who were struggling prior to school closures have been hit the hardest, further widening already-existing literacy achievement gaps. It’s now urgent that we move forward from these learning losses, and ensure that every child, especially those who struggle most, has the most essential building block for their literacy journey—a strong foundation for reading.

Join Diana Petschauer, Managing Director and AT Consultant, Assistive Technology for Education, and Texthelp’s Kathleen Colburn, Senior Product Manager, as they explore strategies and tools to empower struggling readers in a blended learning environment. During this edWebinar you will:

• Uncover best practices to motivate students to engage with reading in any environment, promoting confidence and a positive growth mindset
• Explore multiple free technologies that can help to close reading achievement gaps and work alongside students’ everyday Learning Management Systems and devices
• Take a deeper dive into Read&Write, a literacy support toolbar that can help struggling readers create and engage with content across all grade levels, subjects and interfaces (web, Google Docs, exams, and more!). Plus Read&Write is completely free for teachers.

This edWebinar will be of interest to kindergarten through middle school teachers and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

 

About the Presenters

Kathleen Colburn is a senior product manager at Texthelp, an industry leader in literacy and STEM software. In her six years with the company, she has served in roles ranging from supporting teacher and student end users, to her current position working directly with the software development team to shape the product roadmap. Outside of her role at Texthelp, Kathleen is a Google Certified Trainer, earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Tufts University, and has taught and tutored students in high school math and college entrance exam preparation.

 

Diana Petschauer, M.Ed., ATP is a RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional and Managing Director of AT for Education, ATforED.com. She manages her team of expert consultants who provide evaluations, consult and training to students and adults as well as professional development for professionals and families. Prior to ATforED, Diana was the AT specialist at UNH, supporting students transitioning to higher education with AT and accommodations. She started her career in public school special education. Diana presents often on AT and literacy intervention to provide multi-sensory support for dyslexia or LD.

Motivational Monday: Ringing in the New Year!