Keeble Accessible iPad Keyboard

Keeble Accessible iPad Keyboard

This keyboard works across all iPad apps.   

Here are just a few of the features:

• Word prediction

• Customized layout

• 3 color themes 

• Hold on Duration

• Switch on Release

. http://www.assistiveware.com/product/keeble

 

Writing Feedback Quote

Writing Feedback Quote

This quote is a 'takeoff' on the quote by Jo Phenix, "If you can read everything they write . . . they aren't writing enough." (1999). 

Many of the students I work with are using alternative pencils designed by Dr. Gretchen Hanser (download a flyer for the CD below):
Writing With Alternative Pencils Order Form

It is crucial to provide informative feedback to the letters that they scribble in response to prompts such as pictures. 

For more information on giving informative feedback, see the handout on iPad Video Feedback by Dr. Caroline Musselwhite and Erin Sheldon:
Video Feedback Handout

Jo Phenix Quote, 1999

Jo Phenix Quote, 1999

I remember the first time I read this quote, from her 1999 book,  Teaching Writing.  I literally gasped out loud, because the students I worked were doing 'real' writing (using the alphabet) rarely if ever.  Pati King-DeBaun had completed our book, Emergent Literacy Success, and were really pushing writing.  But this quote threw down the gauntlet, showing me that we were simply not writing enough. 

For our emergent writers who are scribbling with the alphabet, and getting informative feedback either live or through a video that they can watch over and over . . . here's how I would re-write this quote.  If you can give informative feedback to everything they're writing . . . they're not writing enough.

Hey, I think I feel a new Visual Quote coming on!!

Beware Quote

Beware Quote

This quote reminds ALL that – as facilitators – if we want to give a verbal prompt to a student who uses AAC, we MUST whisper the prompt.  Otherwise, the potential communication partner hears the prompt and there is no need to share the message.  Why?  Because we have just stolen their turn!

Drill & Kill Quote

Drill & Kill Quote

3-Word Bio Poems

3-Word Bio Poems

Bio Poems:  We had been describing characters, and were trying to come up with concise summaries for students who use AAC, and decided to write our own personal summaries.  Three word bio poems include:

• Adjective

• Adjective

• Noun that describes your essence (might be made from verb + er, such as hiker, reader, etc.)

Creating Poems: Students use various resources to create or co-create their poems.  For example, one student used her AAC device to choose words, while another first chose letters then had a partner suggest possible words. 

Samples from our Literacy Group include: 

-       sporty stylish martial-artist

-       sparkly bright-eyes friend

-       silly red-headed knitter

-       sweet brown-eyed gazer-reader

-       nice blond-hair dreamer

Using Poems for a Guessing Game:

1)   Put each poem into a hat

2)   Read off the first mystery poem, one word at a time.  Students guess who it could be.  For example, after ‘nice’ the group decided that that could be any of the students

3)   Read the second word of the mystery poem, and have students guess who it still could be.  For example, nice blond-hair might only apply to two people in the group

4)   Now read the 3^rd word and guess who it is

5)   The poem author then claims authorship

Publishing Bio Poems

Many fun apps can be used to publish these bio poems.  See sample apps at the following location:

http://spedapps2.wikispaces.com/Publishing+Writing 

Since they are so short, the TypeDrawing app is especially great for publishing 3-Word Bio Poems!

Don't Limit Me Quote

Don't Limit Me Quote
by Bethan McCutcheon