Submit To Present At The PATINS State Conference 2012!

You are PROBABLY doing something amazing in your classroom or school OR you know someone who is.

• Could another educator somewhere in Indiana benefit from hearing more about what you’re doing?
•  Are you implementing Accessible Materials, creating Accessible Materials, promoting Accessible Materials, utilizing Assistive Technology to allow access to the curriculum or
• having success in your classrooms and school buildings in other innovative ways that improve access?

If so, you should consider sharing with other educators at the PATINS State Conference, Nov. 8-9, 2012 in Indianapolis!  The Call For Proposals is now open!

• State Conference Info Flyer: State Conf 2012 Flyer 1 CFP
• Submit Your Presentation  Proposal: http://svy.mk/StateConf2012
• Contact me for help: dmcnulty@ciesc.k12.in.us

FreeSpeech for iPad:  (Note, you must have iOS 5.1) A new free AAC tool for the iPad that allows you to add your own photos, group them, and collaborate with other FreeSpeech users to share content!  Personally, I’m pretty excited to try it out!  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/freespeech/id517017346?ls=1&mt=8

Grant Opportunity:  “The Dream School Challenge, co-sponsored by The Source for Learning (SFL), provides an opportunity for one school and its district to win up to $300,000 in educational technology resources.”

• www.sacbee.com/2012/05/31/4529247/national-contest-offers-schools.html

 Recycle Your Old Computers:

• PATINS Refurbished Computer Program:  DEFINITELY, our preferred method for you to recycle your old computers.  The PATINS Refurbished computer program needs your used computers to refurb and put back into Indiana schools.  This has been a highly beneficial program to many Indiana students who might not have a computer to use otherwise.  If you have an old computer or are thinking of upgrading, PLEASE consider donating your old equipment to us.  Details on minimum requirements for donation and more info can be found here: www.patinsproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34&Itemid=33

• Apple Education Recycling:   IF your old equipment doesn’t meet the requirements to donate to PATINS, Apple has recently announce an opportunity to donate it to them for recycling, free of charge.  You must register by August 31, 2012.  More details on the program here:  www.apple.com/education/recycling/?cid=CDM-US-EDU-P0012550-EDU&cp=em-P0012550-189723&sr=em

Big PATINS Project
- Changes, Changes, Changes -

Several things are changing within the PATINS Project that I want you to be aware of in case you’re having any trouble contacting one of us during the next few weeks.

1. The SE PATINS Site is moving from Madison to Columbus, IN and as you may know, Tina Jones (current Site Coordinator) is retiring after 17 dedicated years of service to PATINS at the end of this month.  Tina will certainly be missed by many people!  There will be a new SE Coordinator and SE Assistant starting in July/Aug.  The email you are probably currently using to reach the SE Site (sepatins@ciesc.k12.in.us) will remain the same, but will go to the new SE Coordinator instead of Tina Jones, beginning July 1, 2012.  Sandi Mahl will be the new SE Site Coordinator and we hope you’ll help us welcome Sandi to the PATINS Team!  More on Sandi to come!  The new SE Physical & Mailing Address: 1200 Central Avenue, Columbus, IN 47201
2. The NE PATINS Site is also moving, but just a couple miles down the road to the Wabash City Schools Admin Building.  I will also be handing over the NE Site Coordinator position to the NEW NE Site Coordinator, Julie Kuhn!  We’re also excited to welcome Julie to the team and more details on her will also be coming soon!  Just like the SE, the NE Coordinator email will still be (nepatins@ciesc.k12.in.us), but after July 1st, it will no longer come to me, but will go only to Julie!  Brandon Culver will also be transitioning out of the NE Assistant position and Emily Booth will transition in.  The new NE Physical & Mailing Address: 1101 Colerain St. Wabash, IN 46992.  After today, please don’t send anything to the old Wabash address as it will likely not reach PATINS!
3. As you likely know by now, Vicki Hershman will also be retiring as the PATINS State Director after 17 years of dedicated service to PATINS and to Indiana’s K-12 schools.  Vicki will also be missed considerably by many and while there really is no replacing her (or Tina in the SE), I will assume the role of PATINS Dir., beginning July 1st.   My new email is: dmcnulty@ciesc.k12.in.us and you may begin using it now.  After July 1 though, I will no longer receive email at nepatins@ciesc.k12.in.us and you must use dmcnulty@ciesc.k12.in.us to reach me.   The Central PATINS location and phone numbers will not change.
4. Finally, the PATINS UDL Blog is going to be merged with this PATINS Rapid Fire Blog.  Tina has done a great job of keeping you informed with UDL related information on the UDL Blog and going forward, I plan to combine UDL, AT, AIM, Creative Ideas to Engage, Announcements, Important Information, all in this one convenient location.   So, if you were subscribed to the UDL Blog, you’ll want to make sure you’re now subscribed to this one.  Just enter your email address in the upper right-hand area of this page and click subscribe.  That way you’ll receive just the headlines each Friday in your inbox and can then decide if you want to click them for more information.

We ask that you bear with us during this time of transition.  I do not anticipate any problems or delays in PATINS services to you and your colleagues, but we will have several new staff in new positions and are losing threevery valuable current PATINS Staff.  Vicki, Tina, and Brandon will all be missed greatly.  I am excited and very optimistic about the new staff joining us!   More details on new staff members will be coming and I hope that everyone out there will help to welcome them.  I will still blog over the summer months as much as possible and my plan is to continue blogging next year in my new role as well.