PATINS PROJECT -Rapid Fire-

Well, to say things have been busy the last couple weeks would be a severe understatement!  I do apologize for missing the last couple of weeks with the blog though and have lots to share.  This one, actually should have posted Friday and didn’t, but here it is and I’ll do my best to get another posting out this Friday.

First, and quite appropriate to my life recently, is a discussion I’ve had with some colleagues in other states and in some Indiana districts that relates to one of my other lives as a scuba diver!  KEEP BREATHING.  While it may sound silly/obvious at first, it’s the best advice around amongst scuba divers.  Seriously, new or overwhelmed divers can have a tendency to forget to breath!  So, when the air is compressed at depth, then held in because they forget to breath and then expands rapidly as the stressed diver rushes to the surface in panic… well, the lungs explode.  This Fall, like many starts to the school year of the past, can be particularly stressful as we all try to do 15 different jobs at once.  So, remember that the most important thing may just be to stay exactly where you are for a moment and remind yourself to keep breathing.  ;)

PATINS State Conference Announcements!  

It’s Getting Closer and Closer!  We’ve got an awesome lineup of speakers that include such national presenters as Joy Zabala, Scott Marfilius, Kelly Fonner, Mystie Rail, Anne Rowe, Judi Sweeney, Jason Carroll and MANY others!  We also have two highly inspirational and entertaining keynote presenters!  The conference booklet is now available to you as a downloadable PDF.  It’s pretty large and might take a couple minutes to download, but is well worth it.  Registration for the conference is $75/day and includes your breakfast and lunch!  Registration is required and will close on Nov. 1st, so don’t delay!  There will be 2 hands on lab rooms going all day, both days and 6 other concurrent session rooms going on all day, both days!   Great Door Prizes (iPads!) will be given away each day!  For the first time ever, there will be a “DRM Corner-Chat” on both days where you can casually bring your questions, ideas, concerns, success stories to the ICAM & IERC experts!  Download the Conference Booklet and register at the links below!

Presentation Schedule: http://bit.ly/PresentationGrid

Full Conference Booklet (including presentation schedule): http://bit.ly/FullBooklet

Conference Registration:  http://bit.ly/PATINSStateConf2012

CIESC / IDOE Back To School Resource Fair!  TOMORROW!!!

PARENT-Family iPad Training Evening Announced!

This great evening opportunity, co-hosted by the PATINS Project & INSource, which is primarily intended for parents & families, will offer several ways to improve the accessibility of the iPad for children experiencing Vision, Hearing, Physical, Cognitive, or Communication challenges.  Limited to the 20 registrations!  Content of this evening presentation will be tailored to the specific and unique needs of the registrants to the greatest extent possible.