An AAC software that is on offer this week. If you want to you can have a free trial of Matrix Maker Plus which makes printed materials for communication aids and teaching aids. To see the offer go to:-
Author: AccessAbility Smyles
Specialist ICT SEND Consultant,
Committed Christian,
Loves photography and computing
Plays piano and guitar - both badly!
Another Ninja365 tip – need to recall an email?
Ever sent an email and wished you hadn’t sent it. Well if you have Microsoft Outlook 2013 and the person you sent it to has that as well then you can:-
nasen Special magazine article
This month’s nasen special magazine features an article by me on the new computing curriculum and tools to use for developing Computer Programming for SEN and Severe and Complex needs. The article is titled “Puzzled by Programming?”
You might want to check out some links here for links to programming websites that I have found useful http://www.pearltrees.com/mylespilling/programming-tools-for-kids/id9988430
Bundles for your iPad from inclusive technology
if that then
Yes, you read that correctly “if that then” sets up alert systems with other social media eg. how much time you spend on the internet , rain alerts for a specific location, becoming famous on the internet. There is a lot of Android based content but that may be due to me using my chromebook to write this! What I found interesting was being able to learn about services I have seen before but never used. reddit , for instance ,which appears at the bottom of this blog. This is a social media site that provides a flow of information either for you to see or to subscribe to. Basically a feed service. If you are a social media user like me and in the business of giving out advice then reddit may be useful to you. That is one example . Many others are there for you to find.
Sway.com – a way to tell a story – great for sequences
Sway.com is a free microsoft cloud-based product. You will need to use your Microsoft Live Account to access it and for an example to see what it can do look at:-
You will see the editor at the top of the screen click on “Preview”
It is designed to making content easy to find from a variety of sources. This is a really great tool for finding the image you really want to use. I think I may prefer this to powerpoint for some uses!
Project Sparton – new browser for Windows 10
The Dyslexia App Project
Well it’s been 3 years in the making but yesterday we embarked on a small scale project to narrow 6 apps down to 2 for use with dyslexic pupils at a secondary school. This is only a short study in the hope that we can provide proof and evidence that a larger study is needed.
There is a lot of hype and promotion of mobile technologies in schools but no hard evidence as to how effective they can be. This small pilot will help to show whether apps do make a difference or not to the acheivement of dyslexic pupils.
Watch this space!
No Flash light for an iPad?
The iPhone has a flashlight built in but not the iPad . This is hugely frustrating if you want to use OCR. The position of the camera directly over text or a book casts a shadow which affects the image quality. A key feature for using OCR successfully. If the feature that exists on the iphone and its control panel it would mean you could simultaneously run the torch from the control panel whilst shooting with the camera. Apple – why did you not put this feature on the iPad Air?
No Flash light for an iPad?
The iPhone has a flashlight built in but not the iPad . This is hugely frustrating if you want to use OCR. The position of the camera directly over text or a book casts a shadow which affects the image quality. A key feature for using OCR successfully. If the feature that exists on the iphone and its control panel it would mean you could simultaneously run the torch from the control panel whilst shooting with the camera. Apple – why did you not put this feature on the iPad Air?
AccessAbility Solutions 