There are several adjectives that describe March, the one I’m going to use today is…BUSY!

Tuesday, State Project Director, Daniel McNulty and I will be hosting PATINS TV at 11:45 – 12:00.  This week we will be talking about PATINS conferences.  They are two very different conferences.  The Tech Expo is just around the corner on April 18th.  The program description is posted here, http://www.patinsproject.com/images/stories/vendorpresentationdescriptions.pdf in pdf form, and as a downloadable epub on the PATINS Project home page www.patinsproject.com  The fall conference is scheduled for November 4th and 5th.  For more information check out the PATINS Project home page and take a look at the flyer and call for presentations at http://www.patinsproject.com/images/stories/2013stateconf.pdf  This episode will hopefully illuminate the different aspects of Assistive Technology (AT) and the role that it plays in creating a curriculum rich in Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) which as we know is critical for the achievement of all students.

As many districts continue to research and prepare proposals for the Indiana Special Education Improvement Grant the PATINS Coordinators are excited about the role we get to play.  One of the things I love to remind corporations is that PATINS’ services are always FREE.  That includes training.  The only thing that costs is the admission to the fall conference.  We have been doing lots of iPad training recently.  With so many teachers using this tool, I’d love to hear some of the great uses you have found for it.  Maybe it is a quick tip, like how to take a picture with the volume control on the earbuds or a way they have worked within your classroom.  Send me a quick note, sepatins@ciesc.k12.in.us I’ll pass it on!

With ISTEP, spring break, basketball, mid-terms, 3rd quarter report cards and the regular daily activities taking up your time, you may be wondering, “How much more can we cram into one month?”  My feeling is, “We will never know if we don’t try!”  Hang in there!

For more on utilizing your iPad as a tool in your classroom go to: http://smahlworldindustries.edublogs.org/2013/03/17/what-is-this-madness/

ISTEP, Spring Break and winter storms!  Weather wise, the February 26th (close enough) Parent Evening featuring Adapting the iPad for Accessibility at the Logan Center in South Bend, IN iPad was postponed due to inclement weather.  It has been rescheduled for May 6, 2013 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.  Hopefully even South Bend will be snow-free by then.  The good news is that this rescheduling allows us to reopen registration for this event!  There are only 20 spaces available.  To see the information and to register, please follow this link.  A Parent Evening featuring Adapting the iPad for Accessibility

For those of you looking for a parent evening a little further south, March 19, 2013, parent night will be in Greenwood, IN.  There are still spots available.  To see the information and to register, please follow this link.  A Parent Evening featuring Adapting the iPad for Accessibility

The PATINS Tech Expo is getting closer!  The presentation information as well as information on hotel accommodations, and registration for attendees and presenters is posted at:  www.patinsproject.com

I am currently on spring break and had to rely on PATINS Project Administrative Assistant Glenda Thompson, to help me send some information to a director in my region regarding the Fall PATINS State Conference and including PATINS in the Special Education Improvement Award.  Her advice and information were so well stated that I wanted to post it here. “Our PATINS State Conference is coming up November 4 & 5, 2013 in downtown Indianapolis at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The cost is $75/day which covers the catering costs. There will be a full slate of National and Local presenters along with a keynote each day. That Registration will be up by the end of this week and we are firming up our Presenters even as I type-a list for your review will be on www.patinsproject.com very soon.
As you formulate your proposal and allocate your monies, keep in mind our annual Spring PATINS Tech Expo for 2014. This will be held in Indianapolis as well but NO registration cost and complimentary lunch. If you could plan for subs and send some teachers to this event they will have a full day of vendor driven presentations, PATINS staff available for support and discussions and an Exhibit Hall full of vendors to explain their technology and tips. If you or any of your colleagues can come THIS year, please do. It is next month, April 18th and I have included the registration link for your consideration. Register Here! “

For more info on these topics and more, contact your region’s Coordinator and stay warm and dry!

The Indiana Department of Education announced on Friday 2/22/2012 that the Office of Special Education (OSE) will be accepting proposals for a Special Education Improvement Award.  ”Each LEA is invited to submit a proposal to the OSE highlighting how they would use a $70,000.00 award to improve upon their current services for students with disabilities.”  For more information, this announcement can be found on the IDOE Learning Connection Site within the Special Education Community.  www.learningconnection.doe.in.gov

Among the other requirements, the award states that:

“This plan must include at a minimum one of the following options:

• Consultation with PATINS about using the technology in the LEA.
• Proof of registration for members of the LEA to the PATINS conference.
• Monies allocated to the PATINS project for profession development.”

Contained in the materials provided is a template that can be used to create the budget and narrative as well as examples.

LEA’s are going to have to act quickly as the deadline for proposals is the close of business, March 28, 2013.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their proposal via email to Andrea Lakin at: alakin@doe.in.gov

Contact your PATINS coordinator!  PATINS is excited to be an integral part of this award.  I have been contacted by several districts already and am looking forward to assisting them in this venture!

In other news…

The Central Indiana Educational Service Center or CIESC has a great website http://www.ciesc.k12.in.us/  On there you will find information about PATINS, Indiana Online Academy, Drivers Ed. and a link to their monthly newsletter.  http://www.ciesc.k12.in.us/images/CIESC_Feb_2013.pdf

Another great resource provided by the CIESC is the Indiana Online Academy (IOA).  They are now providing an educator centered site called eDESK devoted to professional development and resources.  http://www.ioaedesk.com/ check it out!

Also, don’t forget the next Parent Night, March 19th in Greenwood, IN!  Click here for the full flyer http://www.patinsproject.com/images/stories/parentnightflyer31913.pdf

Best wishes for a busy March!

 YOU ONLY HAVE 1-WEEK  LEFT To REGISTER!

There still is time to register for the 2012 PATINS State Conference, which is 2 days full of exciting interactions with professionals in teaching and technology. This is a great opportunity to absorb and share not only hi-tech applications you never knew were possible, but also practical low-tech classroom solution. Even if you can get away only one day, you will gather much usable information and engage in valuable networking and sharing. We have 2 exciting keynote speakers who will make you think, and make you laugh, and make you learn. We have great give-a-ways for door prizes! PGPs will be awarded for each session you attend! Lunch is included in the registration fee, so you don’t need to leave your parking space for lunch! You can take advantage of the Government rate for overnight accommodations!  You can stop by the DRM Corner Chat area anytime and freely discuss your ICAM, PATINS and IERC needs, concerns, and/or suggestions!

And now, the Top 10 Reasons you want to attend the PATINS State Conference!

10. Learn to enhance instruction, energize your students by increasing technology in your learning environments!

9.   Hear about the Instructional Consultation Team and how to build one; no Journey is alone!

8.   Impact instruction with small steps (or big leaps) toward UDL.

7.   Revitalize/galvanize CCC meeting with solid tips from experts on how to encourage interaction and clarify the process.

6.   Compose effective Social Stories that motivate, learn how to digitize them quickly for immediate use.

5.   Design one lesson plan to reach many.

4.   Help students pave a well-marked path to a productive transition into college or post-secondary vocations.

3.   Identify Twice Exceptional Learners and help these extraordinary students succeed.

2.   You’ve been told you when it comes to accessibility, mac products are inferior to pc. Hope you didn’t believe that.

And, the number 1 reason you should attend the PATINS State Conference:

1.  You want to make your classroom/school/corporation into a vibrant, stimulating laboratory of learning for all students.

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

Full Conference Booklet: http://bit.ly/FullBooklet 

Register Online:  http://bit.ly/PATINSStateConf2012

 Nov. 8-9, 2012, Indianapolis

Ritz – Bennett Debate Video:  Just in case you missed it, here’s the Archived Video of this week’s debate between Tony Bennet & Glenda Ritz for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Watch it. Vote. Wisely. http://www.youtube.com/wabashcollege

iPhone As Assistive Tech:  A very short article/interview with 3 men who have vision impairments and a cool little 6 minute video about using VoiceOver on the iPhone, iTouch, iPad.  Very informative and worth 6 min of your time.  Lots of helpful tips and tricks for using VoiceOver in this video.  I learned several things and I thought I was a pretty descent VoiceOver user!

• Article:  www.blindness.org/blog/index.php/the-iphone-as-assistive-technology-the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny
• VoiceOver Video: www.blindness.org/blog/index.php/the-iphone-as-assistive-technology-the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny

 Money Reader App: Not free, it’s $6.99, but looks really cool if you have a a vision impairment or just need some assistance identifying money: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/money-reader/id492823753?mt=8

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.

Click The Image Above and submit your info for entry into a special drawing
for some PATINS Goodies and a Full-Day PATINS  AIM & AT Training on topic of your choice, at your school!

It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve been posting to this blog for nearly 4.5 years!  For anyone who might be fairly new to the blog, it started as a replacement for sending out emailed newsletters to my contacts in the NE part of the state.  At the time, it just made a lot more sense to post that information in a blog format rather than emailed.  One of the greatest advantages is that all past  information in the blog is archived and searchable by month/year, by keyword, or by category!  So, I thought it’d be fun and interesting for this 200th Blog Posting to look back at this day in each of the previous years and see what the buzz was all about at that time!   Here we go!

September  2007, when this blog first started: 

• First REAL Post; 2 Vista Gadgets for Students

• 9/21/2007; Free Switch Games & Podcasting Tips

• 9/29/07: More Podcast Tips and Free Study Cards & Supporting Resources

 February  2008:

• ATIA ’08, Open Source ReadingTeacher, ForgeFX, PATINS TechExpo and Announcing EduChallenges

• 2/8/2008: Citation Machine, Math Resources Online, iPod Protection and The Very First EduChallenge!

• 2/15/2008: iDump Alternative to iTunes, GoogleReader, Big Search’n and Friendly Images and Sounds

• 2/22/08: Today’s Podcasting Workshop, Microsoft Acess Guide, Reading Website, Another iTunes Alternative and the EduChallenge

February  2009:

• 1/31/2009: ATIA 2009, Free Picasa for Mac, Text To Speech Recommendations, Reading For The Dogs

• 2/6/2009: Your Read:OutLoud Software, More from TRLD and ATIA 2009, Mac Screen Capture

• 2/13/2009: Alternative Seating, SL Art Locations, Video Format Conversion, A Great Accessible Book List, More TRLD Stuff

• 2/20/2009: More TRLD, Free Wii, Second Life Learning Experiences

• 2/27/2009: Suggest a Workshop, Promethean Offer, Touch Screen Videos, Immersive Worlds Examples, UDL Collaboration and Indiana Moms!

February , 2010:

• 2/5/2010: Google Wave For Students, Collaborative Drawing and Imagery, Highlight Web Pages, Typing Speed Comparison, David Davis on our Island!

• 2/12/2010: Are You Ready To Teach Online? David Davis in SL, ISTE Connects, Wired Kids, Podcasting Accessibility, Website Evaluation, Looking Back At The Tools, Family Center on Tech and Disability & Two Little Girls Grab My iPhone for Valentines Day!!!

• David Davis in Second Life (FREE) in 2 Weeks! Are You Ready? Some Ideas!

• 2/19/2010: 50 Free Graphing Apps on The Web! FREE IEP App for iPhone, 45 Education-Related Second Life Locations, iPad Still Lacks Flash, L.D. Statistics, Brains & Learning,

• 2/26/2010: News About Your Stimulus Dollars, Virtual Worlds Best Practices In Education Conference! Punishment Systems and UDL Engagement, Cool Twitter Apps! A Good Classroom Blog Example, and Two FREE Events Coming SOON!

February , 2011:

• 2/4/2011: PATINS AT Overview Online Module, Learning in 3D Online, LEGO Universe, SketchUp and ASD, Apps for Special Needs, PATINS Tech Expo Registration

• 2/11/2011: Readability, SHIFT Planning, iPad Evaluation in Education, Plug Into PATINS, Shorten URLs Easily

• URGENT: Mid-Week Post Requesting Your Help Now! IDEA Part B Funding at Immediate Risk

• 2/18/2011: Free UDL Forum, Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, Second Life Firewall, Digital Nation Video, Safe Online, More!

• 2/25/2011: No Snowdays Online, Your Docs to ePubs, Feedbooks, Education Killing Creativity, Allow Kids To Fail? Proloquo Keyguards, How/Where Do You Work?

February 3, 2012!  For today, as a little bonus, you’re going to get a 2nd, separate, blog posting with lots of great tips including, “2/3/2012: 6 Free Ways to get Books on Your iPad, Mac OS LION Experiences & iBooks Author, Congrats Kristin from Wabash, Digital Learning Day, AIM For Young Children Reminder! “  Watch for it to post later today!  Also, remember that I post during all months of the year, not just February!  So feel free to browse the monthly and yearly archives on the right side of this blog anytime you wish!  There just might be some good OLD stuff back there!

Thanks for being a part of the blog over the last several years.  Many of you have left comments (though I wish more would) and many have emailed me, met me in person at conferences, etc., and many great discussions around Assistive Technology and Accessible Instructional Materials have resulted!

Even though it’s often a lot of work, it’s been a real pleasure to do the blog each week and it’s something I almost always look forward to!  I certainly hope to continue this blog for many years to come!  Remember you can always leave comments, questions, suggestions, requests, here on the blog or just click the image below to give us feedback.  We’re here to serve you!

NEW TTA Grant Applications Announced TODAY! 

Short Turn-Around Time! 

• There is a short window of opportunity so don’t delay:  Deadline to submit is Valentines Day’s, 2/14/12.  Two weeks from today!
  
• We will notify status to all that apply on 2/17/12.
• THE LINK to APPLY:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2ndroundttagrantapp13112

What Is This Grant All About?

• The PATINS Project’s Indiana Center for Accessible Materials (ICAM) will provide Targeted Technical Assistance (TTA) to Five New Indiana Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).
• The purpose of the TTA is to work closely with LEAs to assist with developing, improving and/or sustaining an effective, efficient system for the provision of specialized formats of print-based instructional materials to students with disabilities.
• The details of TTA for each LEA will be defined in a TTA Agreement collaboratively developed and agreed upon by the ICAM and assigned PATINS staff and a LEA AIM Coordinating Committee (to be assembled by the LEA).
• TTA will be provided to LEAs free of charge but no additional funds will be provided to participating LEAs.
• LEAs interested in receiving TTA from the PATINS Project should COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION BY February 14,2012.
• This is the second round of  five LEAS identified to begin working on an efficient district-wide system for the implementation of Quality AIM.
• All LEAs are welcome to apply and the selection of LEAs will be based on the information included in the application.
• If you have questions…. Contact Your PATINS Coordinator:  www.patinsproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=29

A Little More Supporting Information:

This TTA Grant Opportunity is supported by a  discussion I had at the national  ATIA conference last week about the QIAT Indicators and the work they’ve been doing around determining the most Influential factor.  Through a series of ratings, evaluating and weighting, they’ve determined that the most influential on everything else primarily deals with: having a systematic and collaborative process in place.  Even above expert knowledge or any other factor, it’s been determined that the most influential factor on the entire rest of the system around providing access to the curriculum for students is whether or not a systematic & collaborative process is in place first.   This strongly supports the work we’re trying to do with districts through this TTA Grant Opportunity.   This is in reference to the work that the QIAT Leaders are doing around the concept of “Influence Maps,” which they say will be on their website soon.

PATINS TTA (Targeted Technical Assistance) Grant Selections Announced!  The PATINS Project thanks all districts who applied for your interest in the 2011-2012 Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Targeted Technical Assistance Grant.  Congratulations to the districts who have been chosen to participate in this year’s grant process.

A few applications were not considered because they were only partially completed.  However; this is an on-going grant opportunity and we will be considering the provision of more grants to interested school districts throughout this school year.  So, if you wish to reapply for this grant, please watch for the next opportunity which will be posted to the IDOE Learning Connection, here on this blog and on the PATINS Website.

A Listing of Some Funding/Grant Sources :  www.especialneeds.com/funding-resources-special-needs-adaptive-equipment.html

Hacking Autism in California: (Thanks Chris)    http://www.hackingautism.org/#/apps

iOS 5:  Just in case you didn’t know yet, iOS 5 is now available to update your iPads, iPhones and iTouches and has some really nice accessibility features added, among other nice upgrades.  However, it can take a very long time to update depending on what you have on the device that needs to be backed up/restored.  My iPhone took 4.5 hours last night.  My iPad is taking about a hour and a half this morning.

Some nice features include messaging between devices (not text messaging) which could be a very powerful tool in classrooms.  I also like the new wireless syncing and cloud based storage which could be big news for students accessing things like textbooks on the go.  Lots of other nice upgrades & features too: www.apple.com/ios 

• Accessibility Features of iOS5 (of particular interest to me is the increased attention paid to physical access and custom gestures):  www.apple.com/accessibility

Social Networking for Education:I had very interesting and on-going conversations this week with a couple different educators in NE Indiana about the many benefits and potential dangers of utilizing the many very powerful social networking tools for education and then came across this listing.  Top 20 Social Networks FOR EDUCATION:  www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=2980 

FETC Virtual Conference: October 27, 10:30am – 6pm

• Register: http://vts.inxpo.com/scripts/InXpo.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowKey=6890&AffiliateKey=13793&AffiliateData=NXF2
• Attendee Guide: https://presentations.inxpo.com/Shows/1105/FETC/10-27-11/Guides/ComingSoon.html

TextHelp Announces WEB APPS:  See them in action in this video:  Web Apps in action

iPad Case Studies:  in Victoria Australia:    http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/ipad-education-case-studies/10-warringa-park-school

Lisa Nielson’s 5 Favorite MATH RESOURCES for learners who hate math:    http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3055

Weekly TIPS!  Are you remembering to check out the Weekly Tips & Tricks each PATINS Site Coordinator is posting to his/her Regional Page on the PATINS Website?  There are some good ones!  Be sure to check back each week!  www.patinsproject.com

PATINS Trainings: …also, remember to check the PATINS Training Calendar as new trainings are added all the time and they are all FREE!  http://bit.ly/PATINSCalendar

Quick Links:

• www.myskillbott.com — 21st Century / Soft [Employability] Skills Training; and
• www.apangea.com — 3 Levels of Intervention (latter 2 comes with LIVE, Certified Math Teachers ONLINE).
• www.texthelp.com — a TRUE RTI Tools…a “Swiss Army Knife” of features, for example, if you have a Blind Student then you can take all their work and create a File for their MP3 Player, etc., etc., etc.
• www.eyecuereadingreadiness.com — teaches ‘fluency’ skills by using ‘colors, shapes, coins, picture, etc.

Does YOUR Indiana school district need help with any of these?

1. Supporting the provision of appropriate, high-quality instructional materials in specialized formats.
2. Providing specialized formats  of materials in a timely manner.
3. Developing & Implementing written guidelines defining responsibilities and actions for specialized formats.
4. Supporting Professional Development and Training for staff around students with print disabilities and implementation of specialized formats.
5. Developing & Implementing a systematic process for monitoring & evaluating the provision of specialized formats.
6. Utilizing data to guide changes that support continual improvement around the provision of specialized formats.
7. Allocating sufficient resources to ensure the delivery & sustainability of services to students with print disabilities.

If So:  I’d strongly encourage you to look at this
Targeted Technical Assistance Grant  from PATINS:

• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TTAGrantApp2011_1

• Contact us with questions about this great opportunity:  www.patinsproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=29

Grant Writing Seminar: Sept. 20 & 21, 2011 at the Central Indiana Educational Service Center. 

• Develop, expand and extend your grant writing power, find funds, and prevail in this new economy.  Learn step-by-step how to obtain funding for your projects, your community or your organization.
• Please Register at www.ciesc.k12.in.us
• Flyer Here: All Districts CIESC GRANT WRITING SEPT 2011 Flyer

Autism & Having An Authentic Audience: If you’ve not seen this ABC special yet on Carly, check it out:  http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video?id=8280703.

• Here’s the direct link to Carly’s Blog:  http://carlysvoice.com

Mac Lion and Boardmaker or Speaking Dynamically Pro: Here’s a quick heads up from our NW Site Coordinator, Jim Lambert.  Boardmaker is not compatible as this point with Mas OS 10.7 or Lion.  They are actively working on the problem.  So, if you are a Mac and a Boardmaker/Speaking Dynamically Pro user, you probably want to wait to upgrade to the Lion operating system.

iPad Trick: Here’s a nice little tip from Tina Jones, our SE Regional Coordinator.  When/if you have a student who has trouble isolating just one finger to use on an iPad or iTouch or iPhone, you might consider covering all other fingers with a sock or buying a cheap pair of gloves as well and cutting the tip of only one of the fingers off.  This could even allow someone to lay their entire hand on the screen for support and only activate the screen with the one finger tip.

iPhone/iPad Apps for Magnification/Vision Impairments:  www.readability.com/articles/cz7xpbc2?legacy_bookmarklet=1

NEW PATINS Website! … and trainings being offered NOW!

If you haven’t noticed yet, PATINS Project has a brand new website with a new, more functional, look!  www.patinsproject.com .  A couple of things I’d like to draw your attention to with the new website:

• Upper right hand area; there are up/down arrows allowing you to change the font size to match your needs
• Just Below the up/down arrows, you’ll find the Regional Menu.  Here you can go straight to your PATINS Regional Site’s Page to see trainings being offered, Tips & Tricks, Contact Info, Lending Library Request Info and more!  Lots of trainings are already being scheduled.
• Check it out, let us know what you think, we’re always interested in ideas to make it more useful to you!
• www.patinsproject.com

Upcoming Webinars:  I’m pleased to announce a collaboration with both Ohio’s OCALI Project and Michigan’s MITS Project.  Many of OH’s and MI’s webinars/online trainings will be shared/open to Indiana educators, though many will have limited spaces available.  Likewise, appropriate Indiana online trainings will be shared with OH and MI educators, with priority certainly given to IN educators.  The first one from OH is coming up soon!

-Sept 8, 2011.  3-4pm EST.  “Best AT Tools 2011”   Register Here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/731819122

-See The Full Listing Here: http://www.patinsproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=40

• SMARTBoards for SLPs:  I had a question last week from an SLP who specifically wanted to know about things she could do on her SMARTBoard.
  http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=SLP
• Proloquo2Go 1.6:  To Be Released Soon! … with improvements for hearing impairments, autism, or fine motor difficulties: http://www.proloquo2go.com/ 
• Youth Transition Toolkit: http://www.tknlyouth.org/index.html
• Math Tech for Blind/LowVision Learners: http://www.tsbvi.edu/technology-math
• 7 Communication APPS: http://blog.friendshipcircle.org/2011/02/07/7-assistive-communication-apps-in-the-ipad-app-store/
• 11 Social Skills APPS: http://blog.friendshipcircle.org/2011/02/23/11-social-skills-life-skills-apps-in-ipad-app-store/

Digital Video and The Web… changing people’s lives:

Remember to Check Out the NEW PATINS WEBSITE! 
WWW.PATINSPROJECT.COM

 “The effectiveness of a group is not determined by any individual’s intelligence in the group,
but by how the group communicates… by how often the individuals communicate with one another.”  -David Brooks