PATINS PROJECT -Rapid Fire-

PATINS Tech Expo 2011 took place this past Thursday at the Crown Plaza in Indianapolis!  Thank you to all who came and helped make it a success!  It was a great event with lots of information from many assistive technology vendors including many presentations and hands-on opportunities with both software and hardware! If you missed it, first thing to do is mark down this annual event on your calendar for next April!  Then, check out these Video Samples from this year’s tech expo.  These Videos should open with iTunes or Windows Media Player or VLC Player on either a Mac or PC, but let me know if you have trouble. They are all VERY short samples and should give you an idea of what the PATINS Tech Expo is all about.

• TechExpo2011-1 (Registration and Getting Started)
• TechExpo2011-30 (Main Vendor Aerial View)
• TechExpo2011-2 (One of the First Sessions)
• TechExpo2011-3 (Joe from Apple with an Attendee)
• TechExpo2011-4 (CIM with some Attendees)
• TechExpo2011-5 (Conceptua Math with some Attendees)
• TechExpo2011-6 (Sarah from Don Johnston with Me)
• TechExpo2011-7 (CIM Demo U Write Touch Device)
• TechExpo2011-8 (GW Micro Demo and Discussion)
• TechExpo2011-9 (gH, LLC Demo and Discussion)
• TechExpo2011-10 (Premiere Literacy with some attendees)
• TechExpo2011-11 (Tap IT with some attendees)
• TechExpo2011-12 (Renaissance Learning Products and Devices)
• TechExpo2011-13 (TextHelp With Some Attendees)
• TechExpo2011-14 (EWRi, Inc With Some Attendees)
• TechExpo2011-15 (Empower Learning Demonstration)
• TechExpo2011-16 (Humanware Products and Discussion)
• TechExpo2011-17 (IN Talking Book & Braille Library Demo and Discussion)
• TechExpo2011-18 (PRC AAC Discussion and Products)
• TechExpo2011-19 (Vision Aid Systems Products and Discussion)
  
• TechExpo2011-20 (Best Buddies Program Description)
• TechExpo2011-21 (PRC Session Clip)
• TechExpo2011-22 (Conceptua Math Session Clip)
• TechExpo2011-23 (Freedom Scientific Products and Discussion)
• TechExpo2011-24 (Topaz Product Demonstration)
• TechExpo2011-25 (Lightspeed Products)
• TechExpo2011-26 (E. M. Vitu Product Demo)
• TechExpo2011-27 (Dynavox AAC Discussion with Attendees)
• TechExpo2011-28 (Tobii Technology AAC Product Discussion)
• TechExpo2011-29 (Learning Ally, Formerly RFB&D)
• TechExpo2011-31 (Upstairs Sessions Starting)
• TechExpo2011-32 (Jeff Bond Presenting on Mobile Devices)
• TechExpo2011-33 (Spec-Tech AAC Product Demo for Attendee)
• TechExpo2011-34 (Door Prizes and Goodbye!)
  

DRM Spotlight Podcast: Remember to subscribe to our Digital Rights Managers (DRM) Spotlight Podcast here.  About once per month, I spend 10-15 minutes talking with one of Indiana’s outstanding DRMS’s about what they do, how they do it, what works well, what doesn’t and advice or suggestions they might offer other DRMs in other Indiana school districts.  It’s free advice and suggestions from people who are doing it!  A new episode  (#7) with Wayne Township DRMs posted yesterday!

• In iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id394731602
• Other:  www.icam.k12.in.us/images/stories/podcasts/ICAM_DRM_Interviews_Podcast/ICAM_DRM_Interviews_Podcast/rss.xml

Discover Ed: Some of you may remember me blogging about Creative Commons and copyright issues back in July of 2008 (HERE) and perhaps you were able to participate in the DOE’s 21st Century Learning Labs podcast episode on March 28th (HERE) on Creative Commons.  “DiscoverEd is a search prototype developed by Creative Commons to explore metadata enhanced search, specifically for OER.” (Open Educational Resources).  Definitely worth spending some time here and familiarizing yourself with CC licensing in General!   http://discovered.labs.creativecommons.org/search/en/

If you don’t think Creative Commons Licensing applies to you and your classroom/school, here are three questions to ask yourself:

• Do my students create anything digitally?  (photos, artwork, drawings, word documents, audio recordings, blogs, podcasts)
• Do my students contribute to a class or school Wiki, Blog, Facebook page, etc?
• Do my students go online to gather digital resources (photos, videos, audio, text, etc).

If you answered YES to any of these three questions, then CC and copyright really is an essential piece of your curriculum.  If you didn‘t answer YES to the above three questions,  are you really preparing your students for life and work in the 21st century? Awesome Highlighter: One I’ve blogged about before, but was reminded of this morning in a skype presentation I was giving.  www.awesomehighlighter.com Vendor Discounts: Don’t forget about the current Vendor Discounts through PATINS:  www.patinsproject.com/buys.html Free Software: …also, don’t forget that these 3 pieces of great software can be obtained FREE OF CHARGE through PATINS -ICAM

• ePub Converter: www.donjohnston.com/products/daisytoepub/index.html
• Read:Out Loud: www.donjohnston.com/products/read_outloud/index.html
• ReadHear: www.learningally.org/readhear
• Obtain all 3 HERE: www.icam.k12.in.us and contact us with questions here: www.patinsproject.com/contact.html

Upcoming Events:

• May 2: Chris Bugaj and Beth Poss in Second Life (FREE): www.surveymonkey.com/s/MAY2
• May 4: Dr. Friedlander and Daniel McNulty Webinar (FREE):  www1.gotomeeting.com/register/756353944
• Summer Opportunities: Here are some training opportunities this coming summer from Beth Waite: AT_summer_brochure_Rev_D