Great iOS Apps for Special Education

Along with the exciting plans for a 1:1 iPad learning environment at Burlington High School next year, all Burlington schools are starting to explore iPads in the classroom. While iPads have some great potential for every academic area, perhaps one of the most powerful uses will be in Special Education. iPads have many of the best accessibility tools built into the device's iOS. iTunes and the App Store also feature hundreds of apps for Special Education.

Burlington Public Schools Educational Technology is dedicated to provided our students with the best tools for all learners. Our schools have improving access to products such as Read Naturally and Dragon. Burlington schools are also using more web-based services like Bookshare.

The iPad is now the premier device for accessing applications that help with assistive needs. The list below highlights some of the great games, learning tools, and productivity apps from the App Store for Special Education.

Please contact me if you have any questions about iOS apps for Special Education or Bookshare.

Dennis Villano

villano@burlington.mec.edu

iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education

February Parent Technology Night

Burlington High School Principal Patrick Larkin has scheduled the next Technology Night for Parents. Mr. Larkin and MSMS Media Specialist Dennis Villano will present a session on iTunes and iPads.

From Mr. Larkins' blog:

A reminder that our fourth Technology Night for Parents will be held on Tuesday night from 6:30-7:30 at BHS in the Staff Development Room (between the Guidance Office and the Main office).

We are thrilled to offer parents a session that is also being offered for staff members called How Do I Do That - iPads and iTunes. BHS will provide the iPads for up to 50 attendees to utilize. It is a great opportunity for parents to see first hand the device that all of our students at BHS will be using next year as we become a 1:1 school.

Please join us!

Click here for Mr. Larkin's blog.

How Do I Do That? iTunes and iPads

There are two upcoming sessions of the Burlington Public Schools Educational Technology workshop series How Do I Do That scheduled to feature iTunes and iPads. Each session will cover similar features of iTunes and iPads so participants do not need to attend both sessions. There is also no requirement to notify us or sign up for sessions if you are planning on attending.

Tuesday, January 25

Marshall Simonds Middle School Media Center (3-5:30pm)

Tuesday, February 8

Burlington High School Data Office (3-5:30pm)

Both sessions will cover the steps in setting up an iTunes account and using iTunes. The potential of iTunes as a classroom resource is growing all the time as more educational content is added to the catalog. iTunes is a powerful tool even if you are not using an iOS device.

If you are new to using iTunes, take some time to look through the digital content now available. iTunes has content far beyond music and podcasts. iTunes is a simple tool for finding great videos for the classroom. Discovery Channel, History Channel, PBS, and many others have content available. Some of the content is even free.

iTunes U is also a great resource for educational videos. While most iTunes U material is geared towards high school and college, more and more K-12 institutions are creating and posting content on the system. Resources on iTunes U are free.

We will also look at the basics of the iOS operating system that runs on Apple iPods, iPads, and iPhones during the two iTunes and iPads sessions. We will work hands-on with iPads and cover the outstanding potential for this device in our classrooms.

If you are new to iTunes and iOS devices, or just looking to expand on your current use of these great systems, make sure to check out some of the following resources:

TiPb - The iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

TiPb has some great videos, links, and how-to guides for iOS.

Apple

Apple provides some of the best resources available as support for using their devices and applications.

iLounge

iLounge provides some very detailed walkthroughs and tutorials for using iTunes and iOS devices.

30 Ipad cart at BHS

As most of you have heard by now, BHS is planning to go 1:1 with student devices, next year. We already have many PC Minis in the district that have been in use for over 2 years. Minis are very familiar to most people because they are simply put, a "mini" Windows Laptop. Some of our concerns with implementing Mini's in a 1:1 solution are battery life and the IT management of said devices.

This week, BHS acquired a mobile cart with 30 Apple Ipads. The cart allows teacher to sign out the solution, wheel it in and out of their rooms, while also providing a safe place to store and charge them. This week, the cart is in Mr Calvin's room. Mr. Calvin's students are using the ipads to collaborate online for classroom projects. The picture above was taken while the kids were working in class.

Every other tuesday, the 1:1 group meet at BHS to discuss the future of devices in Burlington. Check out Patrick Larkin's Blog, for more 1:1 information.

http://burlingtonhigh.blogspot.com

http://burlingtonhigh.blogspot.com/2010/11/becoming-11-school-edition-1.html

1 device

After some recent conversations with Tim and Josh, our minds got to thinking. Could we function with only 1 device? Always trying to stay ahead of the game and have the newest and coolest tech devices seemed so fun. Now we could check our email on an Ipod Touch, do attendance on an iPad, and then the rest of our activities could be juggled between a laptop, a desktop and a cell phone. But we could so our daily routine with just one device? Obviously we would need our phones for business and personal use, so we're talking about just 1 computing device.
We have a few experiments going on right now to put our theories to the test. Josh and I, will be using our laptops as our main devices. That seems like it should be simple since laptops are meant to be mobile, and both of us are always on the run. I think we have the easier task in front of us.
Tim on the other hand, will be using an iPad for his daily tasks. Everything from attendance to teaching will be done from the 10 inch, touch screen device. We'll take some notes and share what we could and could not do with our devices, and how we worked around any issues that arose.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

How Do I Do That?

The How Do I Do That program will help teachers learn and develop skills about many of the technology hardware and applications available to them in our schools. The program will include monthly sessions featuring technology topics for every curriculum and grade level. The program will also provide teachers with time for individualized technology tutoring on areas of need.

Dennis Villano, Marshall Simonds Media Specialist, and Instructional Technology Specialists from Burlington schools will be covering topics such as the SMART Board and SMART Notebook, iPads and iTunes, Eno Interactive Whiteboards, blogging and creating personal learning networks, Aspen Student Information System, and many free Internet basededucational and organizational applications such as Evernote, Dropbox and Google Docs.

Teachers may attend as many sessions as they want and PDP’s will be available based on contact hours completed. Teachers may attend for any amount of time they wish as the program will serve as an open house for technology education on a Tuesday afternoon every month through May 2011.

The 2011 How Do I Do That workshop series will begin in January. There will be two January sessions that will feature iPads and iTunes for the classroom. Please stop by if you are interested in learning more about iPads and iTunes. The sessions will be open from 3-5:30pm and teachers may attend for as much time as the can.

Date: Tuesday, January 18

Location: Burlington High School (Data Office Room 106)

Time: 3:00 - 5:30pm

Topic: iPads and iTunes

Date: Tuesday, January 25

Location: Marshall Simonds Middle School (Library)

Time: 3:00 - 5:30pm

Topic: iPads and iTunes

Check back here on the Burlington IT Blog for information about each upcoming session.

The flyer below has information regarding this year's program:

How Do I Do That 2011