A Revolutionary Education App Worth Talking About I work in a department that makes accommodations for students. That doesn’t mean hotel reservations or making their bed. It means helping students succeed in the classroom despite any mental or physical problem they may have. It is truly remarkable the amount of hard work that goes into making sure these students are treated equally and given the same chances as everyone else. That’s why I got in touch with members of my department the second I happened upon Proloquo2Go . While the name may sound funny, the purpose of the app is not. Proloquo2Go lets students (or anyone) with difficulty speaking carry on a conversation. There’s more to this app than just the real-time conversation functionality. The Good First, the app actually sounds just like a pretty realistic person speaking and it’s extremely easy to understand what he or she (you can change what voice you want) is saying to you. Second, it’s very easy to use. It is a great way to help just about anyone. The Bad Is It Worth It?
Chesapeake father creates app to navigate autism Joe Hill watched his son press a finger against the screen of an iPhone, pull back an animated slingshot, and fire a bird through the virtual air. He was amazed at how quickly Deacon, 3 at the time, mastered the game Angry Birds. A year earlier, Deacon had been diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that impairs the ability to socialize and communicate. As Hill watched Deacon play the popular game, an idea bubbled in his mind for a computer application to help children with autism learn to communicate. "I just really wanted something that was affordable and was also quality work," he said. The application essentially allows children to create simple sentences by selecting from a row of virtual flashcards that represent nouns and verbs. What makes the app unique, Hill said, is that it allows parents to customize the flashcards, uploading their own photos, typing in their own text and recording their own voices. The wheels began to turn in Hill's head, too.
When stories are more than paper: Transmedia trends in Young Adult Literature by Jackie Parker on Prezi Lockdown Librarian: Ways to Connect to Your Patrons Now that most of the world is in some sort of lockdown, librarians are finding new and inventive ways to reach out to their patrons. As a school librarian in London, UK, I’ve been keeping busy reaching out to the students that I serve. It’s a bizarre situation that we’re all in but we are all in it together. So here are a few ways I’ve been reaching out to my students, I hope you find these useful and can adopt them to your library or school! #OneMinuteBookReviews Over on Instagram I’ve been running daily (Monday–Friday) one minute book reviews. Email This is an easy one, I’ve been ensuring that my emails are being checked for parents or students who want to keep in contact. Category ID: 45597 Category ID: 2822 Check Your Shelf Newsletter Sign up to receive Check Your Shelf, the Librarian's One-Stop Shop For News, Book Lists, And More. Thank you for signing up! By signing up you agree to our terms of use Newsletters Online Quizzes Flipgrid Interviewing Authors
10 Photo Apps That Enhance Instagram Amanda MacArthur is an author, professional blogger, and speaker specializing in business marketing, technology, small business management and restaurant development. She is a founding partner at BuzzFarmers, an audience development company in Providence, RI. You can find her on Twitter at @amaaanda and read her blog on Amander.com. Ten years ago, you probably wouldn't have dreamed your cellphone would replace your camera. Now, millions of people carry mobiles that easily out-snap their point-and-shoot competitors. The camera industry may have taken a hit with the rise of photo filter applications, but photography as an art form continues to grow, especially for the average Joe. Ever-popular Instagram defeated competitors due to its style, simplicity, connectivity and community. SEE ALSO: Meet the Top 15 Photographers on Instagram [PICS] But many supplemental apps serve to make Instagram even better by picking up on some basic functionality shortfalls. Image courtesy of Stan Schroeder.
Michael Rosenblum: What's a Library? Library under construction -- along with a 50 story hotel and condo.... I live across the street from a library... or at least what used to be a library. The Donnell Library on West 53rd Street. Today, it is a big hole in the ground. There is going to be a 50-story condominium and Baccarat Hotel where the Donnell Library used to be. Frankly, I will not miss the library. Even though I lived right across the street from it for many years, I never went inside. Why would I do that? Why, when I can order up pretty much anything I want online, any time I want. I am old enough to remember wandering through the stacks at Sawyer Library at Williams when I was a student. Those were the days. I have a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary on my bookshelf, but when I went to see if carrel was spelled with one 'L' or two, I didn't pull out the OED. My niece, upon seeing the first Harry Potter movie asked why Harry and Hermione and Ron always went to the 'library' at Hogwarts to look stuff up.
Flipgrid: A Modern Tech Tool to Practice the Age Old Art of Speaking – Canadian School Libraries Journal By Sarah Murray Traditional models to access learning usually require the teacher to rush from group to group to assess learning. This can be chaotic with the cacophony of students talking within their groups, managing those who are off task and engaging those who are actively disengaged. Paolo Friere, a Brazilian educator and philosopher, and author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, stated “If the structure does not permit dialogue the structure must be changed”. Flipgrid is a tool that not only destabilizes the traditional structure of the classroom with the teacher as the predominant voice, but furthermore allows for the collection of authentic voices that can be responded to over time. Flipgrid is a user-friendly video app that allows teachers to create topic “grids” to which students respond by video recording themselves. The app allows teachers to assess a Flipgrid as a “speaking” product, as an observation of learning and as a conversation between learners. Versatility. Authenticity?
50 Must-Have Educational Apps It’s time for holiday road trips and you know what that means: driving, flying, cranky kids, and… teaching opportunities! What’s that, you say? Well, there is so much downtime during the holidays where kids and adults spend hours just passing the time… why not try out some new apps on your phone? Many of these apps were found by The Teaching Palette, be sure to check out their fantastic site for more helpful resources! From learning the ABCs to doodling, there’s plenty of terrific apps out there that will pass the time but also educate. *Most of the links below are to the iTunes store which will open another window and/or iTunes. Great Apps For Kids (And Adults) Alphabet Animals Perfect for your talented toddler, this game is packed with colorful animations, animal sounds, and tons of tips for learning their letters. WordSearch Kids Kids search and highlight vocabulary words by tapping the first and last letters. Mad Libs Just as goofy and fun as your remember. SmackTalk Annoying?