The energetic and effervescent Carol Allen has been using Clicker for ….. a long time…. but now she is using DocsPlus to support pupils with recording needs in secondary schools . Here is what she says:-
Author: AccessAbility Smyles
Specialist ICT SEND Consultant,
Committed Christian,
Loves photography and computing
Plays piano and guitar - both badly!
Aaron Smith , Microsoft Specialist in Dyslexia and SEND on new products from Microsoft to help Dyslexics
Good to listen to Aaron deliver a great session at last night’s WDA event for Dyslexia Awareness Week. Products like Learning Tools were talked about and the roll out now embedded in mainstream products like OneNote Outlook, Word, Edge…. to name a few!
Things I did not know was the enhanced dictionary in word which gives definitions as well as correct spellings. Things that are part of the package are much easier for students to see and use.
Also, I like the subtitle tool which can also be made to instantly translate via Google Translate into any language – well almost accurately! But the subtitling in real time is impressive.
Dictation works well on integrated devices such as the surface and surface book. It was good to see how accurate that is now. And to see all the features available in OneNote app that comes on the surface device.
It looks as if OneNote will not now need to have learning tools installed. The next rollout sounds as if it is incorporated into it. That should be happening in a few days time!
All in all very impressive! Well done Microsoft for making accessibility possible for ALL. Now the message needs to get out to schools. How that is done is via news announcements through mass media and local events like the one above where the product can be demonstrated by experts who from first hand experience of their own disability can speak with authority. Well done Aaron Smith , we salute you!
Staying safe on Facebook
If you are a Facebook user I learnt this week that anyone can contact you via messenger. This is a little disturbing but if you get someone contacting you and you don’t know them or they are pretending to be someone you know think carefully. Is it an odd message from them? Something doesn’t sound quite right. You can block them and this is via opening their message in the chat area and then click on the cogwheel displayed and “block” and it will take you to your Security area to block the unwanted contact.
For further ideas on how to protect yourself on Facebook please go to:-
Flixel & Cinematography
Wonderful resources for complex needs
All the above pictures contain a range of switch method and eye gaze access to give the pupil choices
Find wonderful resources for FREE at ianbean.co.uk. Register for free and you will be in for a treat with a wealth of switch accessible resources for p level pupils. Resources are flash media created so won’t run on chrome or ios but will work on PC. As most specialist schools and colleges use PC’s that won’t be a barrier. If you want to use an iPad that may be issue.
Ian is a world renown practitioner and lecturer on ICT SEND whose expertise is legendary in the field of PMLD. There is much to admire and like especially the fact these resources are free. This is the way we have always been in the special education sector. Willing to share the good stuff among fellow professionals. So take a look at:-
WDA 21st Century Dyslexia – 1st October 2018
21stCenturyDyslexia FLYER for DAW
This event focuses on ICT and in particular free and cheap apps to help with recording and learning. I will be presenting along with colleagues such as Jack Churchill from Scanning Pens. It should be a great event and is free! So do come along to County Hall, Bythesea Rd, Trowbridge from 6:30pm.
Clicker 7 & Dyslexia
Crick Software are putting on a series of breakfast seminars which are free to teachers. These are taking place all over the country. The focus being on Dyslexia and how Clicker 7 can help overcome this learning barrier.
Click below for locations and booking details:-
Good News for Office 365 personal users
Microsoft have announced that office 365 users can now have office installed on 5 devices on their office 365 personal user accounts .
Here’s the post:-
Beginners Word for Adult Learning Disabilities Support Staff
Working with people with learning disabilities involves a measure of paperwork and organisation of information to people who may have literacy needs. But also the support staff who help them need basic ICT skills to enable them to perform their role. The purpose of this post is to provide useful information and activities. We are concentrating on Word to begin with
Anything underlined is a link
Word Guides
Skills learnt
– open and save documents
– change font, underline,bold
– make reports using a template
– add photos , change size, wrap text around for a newsletter or poster
– use wordart for posters
– review and comment may be too advanced for some
– headers and footers
– adding page numbers
– insert bullet points and numbers
Training Exercises
Design a letterhead using images
Other than text? Symbols
New Surface Go
Microsoft have announced the Surface Go which is akin to the Surface Book but actually looks like a Surface. Confused? Yes! So am I! Not sure of the advantage but as I have said before the Surface Pro 2 I bought a few years ago is still the best PC I have ever used. It’s fast , 98% reliable and reasonable battery life at 2.5 hrs after several years! So I do like them. Therefore any new Surface device that runs Windows 10 ( and is not a cut-down version) is of interest.
Click below for a techspec:-
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/surface/devices/surface-go/tech-specs
AccessAbility Solutions 