No more iterations on Clicker ! Clicker is now just Clicker. They have smoothed their licenses and managing licenses system as well. Clicker on an iPad incorporates what used to be called Clicker Sentences and Clicker Docs so these apps are no longer supported. This makes sense and makes Clicker ( used to be called Clicker Writer) more inclusive.
I suggest you take a look at their website to see these changes and to see their training videos. I particularly like the way you can now make word lists from Clicker Boards. Everything is getting more and more easier to use so the usual excuse for not using Clicker is it takes time to use . Not so now! Well done Crick Software!
The annual pilgrimage to BETT has become something of a ritual to me. A chance to see the latest Tech Ed and also to network with fellow colleagues. Ironically the wow factor did not come from any high-tech device or app, but by a unique organization called “Work As One.” We worked as a team using colourful graphics and post-it notes to solve problems such as maintaining effective and consistent teaching towards displaced persons. Things are BETT usually last an hour or a few minutes so I was skeptical when I was told it would take an hour and a half but I was totally captivated by it. I can’t give you a website but a name or two. Mike Bond and Erica Neve, Mike is from Bond & Coyne . Working with complete strangers and using ideas such as ideas generalization and visual means such as drawing our answers to their questions. Not a computer in sight!
Here are a few shots of what we did! If you want to solve the world’s displaced persons problem with your ideas go to menti.com and enter the code 5877 4177
So to the rest of the show. I was impressed by two things from 2Simple Python in Pieces which gets educators, parents and pupils all taking part in simple coding activities via your smart phone.
Also attended Aaron Smith’s Accessibility talks and the power of assistive technology built into Windows 11. He mentioned Voice Access Control which can run a laptop offline. Simple commands such as Show Numbers will make you able to control your machine with your voice using numbers and all the action points. We are moving closer to my dream of a speech driven computer. Just a few additions I would like to see such as integration properly with screen readers . I also like Windows key + U to instantly get to the accessibility settings and also on the tray
Also the Microsoft Learning Tools are guides that can help explain how these tools can help interactively. Including a great Reading analysis tool that trains and helps children learn from reading texts in teams. Also, the Edge has great accessibility features that brings text-to-speech to life. There is more….. but for another time when I have gone through my bag! So this is a good start for Saturday morning!
This is an Artificial Intelligence natural language tool that automates processes by the user asking questions, This could be very useful for those with neurodiversity who find getting their ideas down on paper slow and laborious due to spelling and processing errors.
The creation of articles takes a few seconds and the responses are accurate up to 2021 when the language engine was made. Important to not that on the version I was using.There is now a ChatGPT-4 which gives even more functionality. If you want to see an example I asked it to write about itself and the link below takes you to the response.
It certainly was a great time! So many good sessions and all the dyslexic organisations and suppliers under one roof was very impressive. Apart from the networking it was a great time to team up with people I have worked with and am working with.
It was a full event for my session on Assistive Technology in the classroom and workplace and I saw people making notes about the apps and hardware I recommended. It’s all in the presentation as well.
I think a bonus was Comic Con was taking place at the same time so seeing someone with a giant squirrel on their back and a lady dressed as a cone covered in flowers certainly adds the surrealness of this event.
Yes, just a few more weeks before speaking at The Dyslexia Show event on “The use of assistive technology in the classroom and the workplace” on Friday 24th March at 12:00pm. I have a few announcements to make that are really exciting as well. I can’t say too much now, but it involves a couple of projects I have been working on over the past few months. So why not come along? There are a multitude of speakers and opportunities to learn and network at the event. Click here to register
I am looking forward to attending this important event that was such a success last year. Especially as we were just coming out of COVID then. I can truly recommend the show which is free to attend but sessions will be charged for.
24th & 25th March at the NEC Birmingham
My subject will be :-
“The use of Assistive Technology in the Classroom and the Workplace”
It’s a wide ranging topic and will cover both what hardware and software is being used as well as what might be useful to consider to put into practice. Free and costing apps and software will be showed and demonstrated.
AccessAbility Solutions 