Web Anywhere

When I first was reading about and listening to the movie Web Anywhere released I thought what a great device for those with limited or no vision.  This AT is available at any location and it is free!  What could be wrong with that?  As I did some more investigating I found more cons then pros so that is how I will do this post.

CONS:

The system uses a computer voice, the one I had was an English voice and as it read it was very difficult to under stand.
Along that same thought the computer has a hard time with word pronunciation so as I was listening and trying to understand I would not be able to keep up because I was processing and trying to get what computer is saying.  It was weird to hear how google was pronounced.
I tried to load several everyday pages I use.  First was facebook, nothing happened.  Next was my gmail account, I was able to get to google but when I tried to sign in, nothing happened.  And finally, I went to CNN, it opened the main page but when I went into a specific article, the page loaded but nothing audio happened.  Not sure if or what I did but it did not read me the article.
I did not like how it said page loaded and read everything a bit at a time.

PROS:
I liked the the page to Web Anywhere loaded so quickly and started reading right way.
I like that this is available to everyone and that it is free.
I like that you can use with any device that is connected to the internet.

I would have loved to meet someone with vision difficulties and see what their take on Web Anywhere would be.  I am a seeing person playing around with the program, it would be nice to see if a person that is not seeing thought along the same lines as me or whether they liked or disliked the program.

*thanks for sharing the cite, I found it really interesting.

Mod 13 reflection on Assistive Tech

Of all the articles, I liked the Understood article best because it starts off stating "Assistive technology can't "cure" learning and attention issues, but it can help kids work . . . ."  If I were in a classroom I would have a copy of this article for every parent of a child that needs AT in class.  Why you ask, well I want parents to understand that AT is there to help their kids not be the end all be all to handling a disability.  Many times I think parents want their teachers and AT device to fix their kids, that is not going to happen.  We (parents, staff, teachers) have to find ways to help kids adapt in the classroom and then succeed from their.
The next bullet point in the same article is that not all AT's are high tech.  Again a great thing for parents to learn.  AT's don't have to be electronic or expensive, it can be as simple as images from the web or someone reading out loud for their student.  As long as it works for the student and is planned in whatever IEP or 504 plan it will be allowed in the classroom.
I think parents (and teachers) have to do their research on AT's.  Find something that works best for your child and then introduce to teachers and the student.  Get information from specialist but find what works best for your situation.  Just because it is the newest and greatest AT does not mean it will be best for your child.  Don't fall into the trap of spending tons of money and your child not feeling comfortable or disliking the AT.
I have no personal experience with AT in any of my student teaching experiences.  I did have several students with severe allergies in my classrooms but that just required careful planning on what came in and out of the classroom.  I did have a college course where we were introduced to a family dealing with a child who lost her muscle control and speech abilities as she had gotten older.  The name of the disorder escapes me at this time but there was a computer that recognized eye movements to alert parents to a child's need or give the child a way to communicate.  The computer was rather expensive and insurance did not cover.  I found that unacceptable, if a child needs it, it should be made available to them.  I think that is something that has to be fixed with our insurance companies, stop making devices that will help our sick kids so impossible to get.
I think AT's are great for kids and as long as the classroom staff is trained how to use to the benefit of the child they should be part of the classroom like pencils and paper.

Article review Mod 12

MOD 12 post

The article on putting computers in every teacher and student’s hands was very similar to what my daughter’s charter school did when they started the ipad initiative.  What I liked the most about the article was allowing teachers and administrators more time with the devices and then letting students have them.  Giving teachers and admin more time to learn to use properly and take professional develop courses with the devices means that there is less time used during class when an issue may arise and less running to the tech person if an issue comes up.  Also, when a teacher is familiar with the possibilities of a device uses they can build lesson plans and classroom activities around that device and have another tool in their arsenal for teaching effectively.  Other issues that the article brought up that I agreed with are:

            -ensuring the building was built to handle wireless-are all locations going to be able to connect properly?  If not make sure to make the necessary changes so no one is left out

            -having a plan in place that all parents and students agree to when it comes to:

                        -usage

                        -safety in transportation

                        -proper insurance

                        -guidelines are well stated and understood by all

                        -procedures in place for broken or forgotten devices

I think with the availability of devices today and the way we are moving to more technological advances it makes perfect sense to have students using laptops/tablets in the classroom.  Educators need all the best tools to teach their kids and kids relate to these devices more than the traditional chalkboard and overhead projector.  

Mod 12 troubleshooting table

Problem No sound coming out of students speakers: No network connection: Computer keeps freezing up: Printer won’t print: SMARTboard pens not working:

Solution Are speaker wires connected to computer Is the speaker switch turned on and turned up Check the internal volume application If there is still no volume go to the Control Panel-Sounds and Audio Devices and check for speakers volume Buy new speakers Are you using correct user/password Make sure the caps button is not on and that you are using correct case for user/password Make sure you are not logged in on another computer, if so log off and try logging in where you are having issues again Computer may be low on internal memory and you cannot fix this, only tech You may need to update Windows or have a patch that tech can do Check to make sure printer cables are hooked up Make sure you are connected to network Make sure CORRECT printer is on and that you are sending document to that printer Make sure there are no paper jams and that you are not low on ink Make sure no jobs stuck in queue if so you will have to delete all docs in queue and try printing them again Make sure the board is on and calibrated Make sure pens are in the pen tray recess correctly

I think when issues come up we (the student and I) would try to fix the problems together so that they have experience troubleshooting.  This should be a group effort not just one person taking over.

I would keep this website address handy to help me BEFORE I call tech:  http://webpage.pace.edu/ms16182p/troubleshooting/home.html