ITS TechTalk - March 2002
Theme of the Month: AlphaSmarts

Articles by:

Feature Articles

AlphaSmart Curriculum Ideas / Classroom Happenings with AlphaSmarts at Lees Corner ES / Grant Resources on the Internet / Featured TOPS Teacher, Mary Stripling / Featured ITS Staff Member, Nancy Icke

Upcoming Conferences

by Cheryl Temple

Upcoming Conferences in Virginia with Assistive Technology Strands

On-line Discussions on Assistive Technology

Closing the Gap is offering a series of moderated on-line discussions on their website.

Coming in March:
AAC Solutions: Lite tech might be the best tech from March 6 - March 13

Spicing up the curriculum using good junk and creative software choices: Preschool through grade three from March 20 - March 27.

Coming in April:
AlphaSmart 3000: An Essential Part of the AT Toolkit from April 17 - 24

To join these discussions go to: http://www.closingthegap.com/forums

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Increase Your Tech Vocabulary

by Jim Phifer

What is a "search engine"?

A "search engine" is a coordinated set of programs at a website that helps you search for specific information on the worldwide web. It usually includes:

• a robot "spider" (sometimes called a "crawler" or a "bot") that goes to every page on every website that wants to be searchable and reads it
• a program that creates a huge index (also called a "catalog") from the pages that have been read
• a program that receives your search request, compares it to the entries in the index, and returns results to you

Now, here's #6!

What is "googling"?

• looking at someone in a way the might be considered inappropriate
• looking up someone's name using a search engine to find out more about them
• multiplying a number greater than 1 million by another number greater than 1 million
• a baby goog (an Australian bird, closely related to, but smaller than, the dodo)

Curriculum Ideas when using An AlphaSmart

By Ashley Evans and Mary Beth Turanchik

Consider registering to be part of the AlphaSmart Community Center site. It is full of great AS information and ideas. It takes about two minutes to register and would be a great resource to share with your teachers who are using AlphaSmarts. People who post messages to the community are eligible for the free AS 3000 drawing that is held each month. Here is the link to the Community site: http://www1.alphasmart.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi.

Writing Ideas:

• Writing Roulette - This is a writing activity in which the students write sentences to compose a story and pass the AlphaSmarts at a determined time by the teacher to complete a round robin story. You can give them a prompt to start with such as "If only . . ." When writing, the students are encouraged to focus on their thoughts only. Later, the teacher can share the stories and have them work on editing skills and the sequencing of the stories.
• AlphaSmart News - The round robin stories or a class newsletter can be downloaded into a newsletter template in ClarisWorks or Word and then published as your class newsletter.
• Penpals - find penpals for your students on the Internet and have the students write their email off-line, connect and then send.

Editing Written Work:

• Have students type their work in a designated file. Copy and paste their work into another file to edit. The second file will be edited by their peers. Have 3 - 5 students in one group, set your timer and allow the students to edit for complete sentences including a capital letter and a period. Pass the AlphaSmart after the timer goes off. Have the next student check for complete sentences. When this has been shown to the entire group, work on the next editing skill (i.e. spelling, capitalization of proper nouns, etc.)

Writing Games:

• Twenty Questions - A twist on the old game where each group formulates questions on the AlphaSmart and imports the questions to the leader's computer who then responds back on the screen as the questions are asked.
• Guess What? - Another twist to Twenty Questions in which the teacher hides an object in his/her pocket. The goal is for the students to guess the object by typing in questions on the AlphaSmart and then downloading it to the teacher's computer. The teacher then writes a complete sentence answer back to the student. This process continues to generate clues for the student. The students are only allowed to ask 3 questions that actually guess what the object is so they really need to use their clues. This works on complete sentence development, deductive reasoning and understanding inferences.

Keyboarding Activities:

• Diana King - A keyboarding activity that is used with the AlphaSmart. It involves the use of a poem to introduce and practice the keys learning the Qwerty keyboard format. Click here for a copy of the poem in pdf format.
• Type to Learn Templates - Templates have been developed for specific lessons to supplement the software program, Type to Learn. Using Get Utility, you can upload these templates to your AlphaSmart. Click here for a web page where you can download templates for the AlphaSmarts.

Using Get Utility Program with:

• Prewriting Activity - Download a teacher writing template to the AlphaSmart.
• Internet Activity - Download information from the web to the AlphaSmart to reduce time spent on the computer.

Organizational Tips

• Assignment Book - Monthly dates are downloaded into File 8 and become the student's assignment notebook.
• Research - Label each file as a research area such as "Habitats," "Food," "Birth, Characteristics," etc. and then as students do the research, they organize their notes into the various categories.
• Organization within a file - Organize information such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, contact list, index of what is in the other files or reminders to yourself. Before each heading in the file, type "**". By pressing the FIND button on the top row of the AlphaSmart, you can find the next ** in that file. Scroll through that file using command-G until you find the topic you desire.

Notetaking:

• Use the AlphaSmart to take notes during class discussions
• Let students take notes on a field trip using the AlphaSmart. Papers will not be blown away and they will not need to sharpen pencils.
• During the beginning of the year, have students interview a peer about hobbies, likes and/or opinions about topics.

Administrative Ideas for using AlphaSmarts

• Script TPEP observation notes on the fly - eight files for eight Standards
• Develop and organize presentations
• Write your email off-line, connect and send
• Take meeting notes
• Take notes at a conference
• Make word processing templates
• Use to collect data

Tips and Tricks

• Recovering your files - Recover your files by pressing Command - Option - R
• Typing timer - Time your typing by pressing Command - Find
• Download into anything that has a cursor - often we only think of a word processor. Try Hyperstudio, Imagination Express, Inspiration, AOL, Outlook, anything with a blinking cursor.
• AlphaSmarts are pretty sturdy. If a key pops off, simply click it back on.
• If the keys are sticking, usually it is due to a small item lodged under the key. Pop the key off, wipe it down with a dry cloth or piece of cloth, then click the piece back on.
• To support students' use, train the entire class, not just special education students.
• Have parents sign a consent form and allow the students to start or finish projects at home with an AlphaSmart.
• Don't hesitate to call 888-274-2720 or e-mail the AlphaSmart technical help at support@alphasmart.com
• Remember to register at the Community Center within the AlphaSmart website at http://www.alphasmart.com/ to discover more ideas.

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This new technology has given students the feeling of pride, success and achievement. They are no longer embarrassed to share their work. In fact, they are the envy of their peers.

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Grant Resources On the Internet

by Kathy Spar

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Featured TOPS Teacher

Mary Stripling

Fifth Grade LD Teacher

Oak Hill ES

Through technology, students with learning disabilities gain skills which enable them to become more independent learners. I am constantly aware of the powerful impact of technology on their lives. These students are most fortunate to live in a “high tech” world.

My fifth grade students at Oak Hill Elementary School in Herndon have just completed a project using the Imagination Express Program, "Pyramids." This project was in conjunction with our fifth grade study of Egypt. When we explore the Middle Ages, these same students will teach the general education students how to use the Imagination Express program, "Castles."

As we study Greece, the fifth graders are engaged in an exciting electronic field trip, Greece Quest. Through Classroom Connect's interactive program, the students help the experts unravel the mysteries and myths of ancient Greece. Each day brings excitement as we read about Greek myths and legends, solve a cultural dilemma, and reenact archeological digs. The scientist on the trip, Emily Sohn, will help us discover how science, math and the environment contributed to the development of Western Civilization. Additionally, we will solve mystery photos, watch daily movies, experience gross and disgusting discoveries with the team and much more.

On a daily basis the students complete research on the Internet, outline core curriculum with Inspirations, create graphs and charts for math and use various technology-based writing tools. Co:Writer has dramatically made some of my students more confident writers. One student recently saved his first piece of writing, using Co:Writer, as the file name,“The Best”. He proudly declared that this was the best paragraph that he had ever written!

The TOPS (Technology Outreach Program Support) program has been an excellent way for me to distribute information on the latest hardware and software, as well as offered me the opportunity to network with colleagues. Staying current with technology is a constant challenge. The TOPS program offers an avenue for teachers and students to keep pace in this high tech world.

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Featured ITS Staff Member

Nancy Icke

"Technology is the great Equalizer"

Nancy graduated from James Madison University (when it was still James Madison College) with a degree in Special Education. She received a Masters Degree from George Mason University. Upon graduating, she went to work in Fairfax County Public Schools with students with Physical Disabilities. The year is not important, however Belle Willard was still a school. She has never strayed far from that population, even when she came to work for ITS in 1990. She continued with her focus on the Physical Disabilities population but eventually branched out into speech recognition, which evolved into a pilot project. This has been a challenging ambition and has forced her to become proficient on a PC although she is a Mac enthusiast at heart. Other duties include beta testing software, teacher training and exploring alternative computer access. Her hobbies are her family and reading. She is trying to survive two teenagers which take up most of her time.

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