Technology as a Method for Teaching

Using Technology as a Method for Teaching -

it is NOT about Teaching Technology Any More!

We have had a real shift in the way we are using technology in the classrooms. We are no longer stuck in the place where we need to teach the technology- most of the kids know more than we do! Now it is time to put the technology to work for us as a tool for learning content. What an exciting time! Please take a few minutes to watch the video provided on this page, "Pay Attention" that was posted to TeacherTube. It will take a few minutes but is well worth the time.

Some technology in the classroom thoughts:

Wikipedia - there is a real power in using the Wikipedia source in your classrooms. (www.wikipedia.com)

One point that I want to point out about Wikipedia as stated on the Wikipedia site:

“The primary objective of Wikipedia is to produce a high-quality encyclopedia, and most pages are encyclopedia articles. However, given that there is no official structure policing the quality of articles, the Wikipedia community has spawned its own rules, procedures and values, which continue to evolve. Some of these values are informal and you will learn them from observing, asking, or being told by other editors. Some are formal (and their page titles are preceded by "Wikipedia:", like this page). Whilst there are rules and procedures covering everything from serious, right down to fun, a few are really important. These few are mostly common sense about respecting how Wikipedia works and what it tries to do, but also reflect the accumulated experience of hundreds of editors who are constantly learning and refining core values, which help us avoid or resolve conflicts over content, and which guide us in our constant effort to improve articles.”

As one teacher I know stated so well about warnings to students:

“There is one major warning that I would give me students when using Wikipedia as a source of information. The warning would simply be that the information in the articles cannot be fully trusted for being accurate. The reason the information cannot be fully trusted is that in theory anyone is allowed to edit the articles. One of the complaints about the editing process used by Wikipedia is that consensus is valued over credentials. In other words, if enough people agree that the information is correct then the information is considered valid and truthful. This makes me think about how a long time ago the consensus was that the world was flat, but just because most people agreed the world was flat did actually make the world flat. This problematic aspect of Wikipedia bothers me. Furthermore, it is possible that one person or a group of people could intentionally vandalize articles on Wikipedia by editing in false information. Students need to understand that the information on Wikipedia is suspect due to the editing feature. It is also important to note that the longer an article is on Wikipedia the greater the chance that the information will be valid. This is due to the fact that more people will have a chance to view the information and weed out, so to speak, information that is blatantly erroneous.”

As Wikipedia states, “, it is possible for an article on Wikipedia to be biased, outdated, or factually incorrect. This is true for any resource. One should always double-check the accuracy of important facts, regardless of the source.”

But I also want to be sure that we learn how powerful using Wikipedia can be and to understand that this format (Wikis) will probably be with us for a long time, and grow in the future, so we need to know how to embrace it and use it instead of turning our backs to the power of this unique resource.

As Wikipedia states in the section, “Beyond information from the encyclopedia, what can students learn from Wikipedia?”

“Most youths will likely at some point become involved in interactive online activities. For educators, youths' involvement with Wikipedia provides an opportunity to survey youths' understanding of online safety, and to teach appropriate practices. Educators can use Wikipedia as a way of teaching students to develop hierarchies of credibility that are essential for navigating and conducting research on the Internet.

Wikipedia provides an opportunity for teachers to discuss the concept of the public domain.

Wikipedia is an opportunity to participate in an open community that relies primarily on mutual respect and cooperation, but which is not related to familiar authority figures some youths might tend to oppose.

Editing in Wikipedia is an opportunity to learn to participate in collective editorial processes.

Wikipedia presents a ready opportunity for youths to research, compile and publish articles for peer review. For youths who contribute images, selection and production of an image provides opportunities to learn what a market wants from an artist. Youths who master skills for accurate writing and drawing about encyclopedic subjects are better equipped to develop their own style in more creative genres.”

Last, a couple of areas worth reading and becoming familiar with on the Wikipedia site:

• Instructions for teachers and lecturers

• Wikipedia: Five Pillars

• Wikipedia: Schools' FAQ

I would like to summarize this by saying: Don’t fight it, Embrace it. Use this source as a teaching exercise so that students understand more about the power of the Internet yet, beware!

Podcasts can be used on the Internet or on a portable MP3 player or iPod type of device. Students have the ability to gather information in an auditory fashion if they are auditory learners. Some students learn best this way and become distracted by other forms of stimuli. iPods are so familiar and comfortable to students- how wonderful to be able to use them in education. There are all types of podcasts available, many which would be related to their interests. Have you ever used your iTunes to explore podcasts? If not, give it a try! "Want to listen to your favorite radio shows and audio and video programs anytime? The iTunes Store offers tens of thousands of podcasts, from both big names and independent creators." Go to: www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html for more information and to play!

Wikis provide an interactive Internet experience. Interactive Internet!?! Who would have ever thought!! This is truly the way of the future for the Internet. There is no turning back. This is the way that the Internet has evolved that will change the whole look of the Internet in the future. If you do not understand the whole Wiki concept, it is time, as teachers, to do your research.

What a great way to get a class writing together. Just imagine an interactive novel created by Room 4 where the parents can be in charge of the editing... Interactive is the main point with wikis! Think: How can I design this assignment so that students can collaborate? Then think Wiki! Penpals to the extreme! Group projects with a class in England- no problem!

Or, what about Webcasting with a class in New York as visual pen pals? Now those verbal kids can really shine. Performing plays with for each other... Upper grades reading stories for children in the lower grades or resource students reading and sharing the pictures from their favorite picture book for the children in their school's M/S class...

eText becomes the most powerful with special needs when we combine it with a speech to text software. eText in this form then becomes an auditory experience. For our non-readers or low-readers it will help to open up the world of print. eText is also on-line magazines, newspapers and even full books at you fingertips. One wonderful way to use eText is to copy it, paste it into your word processor, enlarge the text, change the spacing and maybe even the color of the font for easier reading. Use the power of your MicroSoft Word to change the reading level, add definitions, adapt the vocabulary. How about using a translation program to change it into Spanish?

And yes, cell phones! It is all so exciting!!!

Technology Integration Isn't About Technology

Education Week came out with a great article by By Patrick Ledesma on May 22, 2011, entitled, "Technology Integration Isn't About Technology". Some of the lines that created a "Yes!" response from me are:

• It's about purpose and ease of use. We should focus on enhancing and enriching the learning experience by defining the goals and processes for why and how students will use technology.  
• If we did this, we would look beyond our current preoccupation with the appearance of just having the "latest and greatest" technology devices and pay more attention to how these resources should be used to improve the student learning experience.
• educators become preoccupied with wanting to have the "latest and greatest" without thinking about purpose, process, and support.
• We'll buy the devices for schools, and not think about what exactly students will do with the device or how they will use it. We'll give teachers the latest tools, but not think about the policies, time, and support they will need to use these tools effectively.
• So before buying that technology, think about what you'll do with it, and how you'll do it.
• Does technology enhance the quality of your life? If so, you know that technology isn't about the hardware specifications or code in the software, it's about how the use of technology has brought you more happiness because it helps you access or do something you enjoy.

Does technology enhance the quality of learning in your classroom? Do you collaborate and learn from your colleagues, share resources, and access the collective knowledge and resources on the Internet? Are your lessons more enriching and engaging through your use of interaction, multimedia, and creative authoring tools? Are your students more inquisitive, analytical, and creative as they use technology to collaborate, create, and apply their learning in real world contexts?

• If your answer is "yes," then, you know that technology integration in schools is about the learning process, and not about technology.
• If your answer is "no," then it's time to start thinking about why you have these tools, and how you can start using your existing resources more wisely.

Thank you, Mr. Ledesma for putting it so well!

Enjoy and explore. Your students will love you for it!

Low Tech Organization Strategies and Tools

Assistive Technology (AT) is any item or piece of equipment that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life, including at school, at work, at home and in the community. Assistive Technology ranges from low tech to high tech devices or equipment. 

Low tech AT are devices or equipment that doesn't require much training, may be less expensive and do not have complex or mechanical features. We often forget about low tech and the strategies that support their use. (After all, they are common and not usually technology! Easy to forget that they count as AT.)

Assistive technology (AT) tools can help a person plan, organize, and keep track of a calendar, schedule, task list, contact information, and miscellaneous notes. These tools allow a person to manage, store, and retrieve such information with the help of special software and handheld devices. 

As adults, when we need to learn something new, we have tools with us. When we go to a conference, attend a webinar or go to an important training or meeting, we take "stuff". We come prepared. How did we learn to do this? How did we figure out the types ofgoodies that served us best? Were they introduced formally? Were they made available to us at one of these events? Was it a friend or colleague that was using it and we noticed/asked them about it? Did we see other people using something and think, "Hmmmmm, that looks handy!"

Shouldn't we consider introducing these goodies by making them available for our students? Is it that we are so used to using them that we don't think about it? Are we worried about the cost? Are we concerned that they might waste them? Let's reconsider! 

Organizational skills challenge many students in and out of special education. Students often have problems keeping track of assignments or long-term projects, finding and storing papers, keeping their desks and backpacks organized; making their work readable and organized, prioritizing the importance of tasks, and remembering the sequence of steps in order to complete a task.

Consider: What goodies do you use and how do you use them? 

• Post-its 
• Highlighters  
• Colored pens

Modeling is so powerful. When we use them, maybe a little running dialog as we are taught, "I think I will just put a Post-it here with a note to remind myself to revisit this section later." 

What about:

• Spell Checkers
• Color Filters
• Calculators
• Pencil Grips

Do we have these available for our students?

Why not have a basket of various supplies available to our students at all times? Get this stuff out of your tidy little drawer and let your students explore. Let them waste a few (don't tell me you never have!) Let them figure out their own style, techniques and approaches! Then teach them some tricks of the trade.

Just to get your juices flowing, let's consider what a teacher does with Post-it dots. 

• In a textbook, ask the student who struggles with writing

• To demonstrate their knowledge by placing a yellow dot next to each main idea. 

• Place a colored dot next to each question at the end of the chapter. Ask the student to place the coordinating color by the answer in the chapter. 

• Instead of writing down the answers to the questions at the end of the chapter, have the student place coordinating colored dots next to the question and the answer to the question.  (i.e., red dot next to number 1 in the question section, red dot next to the answer or area where they are discussing number 1 in the chapter.)

• For the child who struggles with reading 
  
  

• Color coding the dot next to the question at the end of the chapter, place a dot next to the area where they will find the answer to each question. 

• Place dots next to the paragraphs that have important information so they know to read that section.

For our students with memory challenges, teach them to jot down the important points. This video demonstrates this technique:

Interactive Whiteboards with Special Needs

I love the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom! The Council for Exception Children states, "Whiteboards Engage Autistic Students in Social Learning - Although touchscreen tablets work well as personalized tools, they cannot be a replacement for interactive whiteboards, which help autistic students with social learning in a group setting." I feel this is not only true for children on the spectrum but for all students when it comes to learning to work together! 


When hooked up to a computer, the whiteboard's screen becomes an active computer desktop, which can be touched to pull down menus, highlight, and move or open files. Users can circle relevant sections on the projected image, draw figures, and underline text. Special needs students can often manipulate the whiteboard with more ease than a traditional computer/mouse set-up. With Ablenet's Jelly Beamer and receiver you can pair as many beamers to one receiver as you want making the whiteboard now accessible with switches. 

The large fonts and bright colors might be helpful for both visually impaired students and those who have trouble staying on task, while students who respond well to kinesthetic learning will benefit from touching the board. Instructional best practices for students with disabilities and special needs include employing those multisensory methods and relevance to teaching. Integrating visual, auditory, touch and movement into the learning environment gives teachers the interactivity needed to provide engaging lessons.  

Lessons can be completed by using sounds, videos and images that are much more interactive and engaging. Allowing your students to and move and become a part of the visual information allows them to be more active in their learning. 


Multi-sensory tools, such as the interactive whiteboard, allow students to attend through visual, auditory and tactile means bringing in much more focus all around.  Students are engaged in what they’re learning, rather than just watching and it brings in all of their learning styles. 

Some added tools to consider when using the whiteboards:

• highlighter
• curtain
• spotlight tools  
• various font options
• magnifier tool  
• freehand shape and freehand text tools reinforce fine motor skill development for those with a dexterity disability 
• note taking for review of key concepts
• recorded assignments that can be used to review lesson content and be saved, printed and taken home for additional reinforcement
• Audio or video supplements make information more accessible for emerging readers and ELL students
• Copies of board work and student/teacher notes can be captured and shared across the classroom or taken home for additional practice and review

Research has proven that interactive whiteboard use raises awareness in children with special needs and helps them to socialize better with their teachers and peers in class. 
Interactive whiteboards brings in 

• group learning
• working together
• collaboration
• turn taking

Some sites to help get you started: 

• Smart Inclusion is a Wiki site full of resources. This is listed first as I find this site to be so rich and worth exploring. 
• Promethean Planet offers lesson plans broken down into ages and subjects.  Be sure to check out their special education section. 
• BGfL is a site full of information and resources but you might want to spend some time in the section designed for interactive whiteboards.   
• Crickweb offers free educational interactive resources for elementary schools, free to use fun games for kids plus links to free interactive, image and software resources.
• Global Classroom's Interactive resources is jammed packed of links, categorized by subject and age. You can spend days, months on this site and its links alone.
• Designed for safe Internet use with children, Kent ICT provides a rich website full of resources perfect for use on the big screen. 
• LearnZillion offers 2,000+  lessons by top teachers - all built from the Common Core State Standards.
• The Literacy Center Education Network delivers free, professionally-designed, education material appropriate for our children who need clean, clear materials. 
• Mrs. Gebauer's Smartboard Resources is laid out in a very friendly way so that it is easy to find what you need.  Very rich site with just about everything one could need.
• NASA has various interactive sites worth exploring. 
• NeoK-12 offers videos, lessons and games for K-12.
• Smart Notebook Express allows you to view, interact and save with Smart Notebook files online, at no cost. Free!!! This program can be downloaded right to your computer for easy access. One click on express.smarttech.com and anyone, anywhere can open, edit and share lessons and other content created using SMART Notebook collaborative learning software. This lightweight version of SMART Notebook software is accessible online anytime at no charge. With the SMART Notebook Express web application, you don’t need to log in and there’s no software to download - all you need is Internet access.
• South Carolina Department of Education has a PDF booklet designed specifically for the use of Interactive Whiteboards with special needs students. You will find it to be rich in visuals, accessories discussion, how-to guide, websites, and more. A must!!
• Sites to Support Students with Special Needs, on this blog, offers many sites perfect for using with the full class. Look for activities that are rich in visuals, require responses and encourage participation. 
• A resources that talks centers around inclusion  and the use of an Interactive Whiteboard SMARTInclusion provides many helpful hints, links and information worth getting lost in.  
• Marilyn Western's site: Stuff for Classroom Teachers, is jammed full of Internet resources, not with highlights in each section on "Smartboard Activities". Be sure to explore this site.  

Switches - What are they and How do I use them?

Switches - What are they and How do I use them? 

Switches are at the core of access technology. What can appear to some as simply a "button" can open worlds of access to communication devices, environmental controls, computer software, and even some mobile devices. There are a variety of types of switches. Switches make activities easier and are ideal for people who struggle with motor control issues be more independent. Switches can help control such things as sequential message communication, environmental control, and computer functions, to name a few.There are many different types of switches including large button, small button, sip/puff, foot switches, face movement and even movement sensor switches. Some switches can be plugged directly into the computer or you might use a switch interface there are power interrupters that can help with access to things you plug in and there are even wireless switches.

A single switch can be connected to a range of equipment or technology. These amazing little devices, that seem so simplistic, help to adapt a huge range of equipment for individuals with disabilities to enable them to engage and participate in activities.  They have control over their environment that they might otherwise not be able to achieve without the switch in place.Mechanically speaking, switches themselves are very simple tools. Switches are devices that complete an electrical circuit in order to activate another powered device such as lights, toys, a radio. 

There are literally hundreds of thousands of different kinds of switches available, (for visuals and links for switch instruction, visit my Pinterest site, "Switch Access"). There are many uniquely designed switches which can be used to enable a person to do things which would not be possible without the switch system being put in place. 

"The Switch Progression Road Map" by Ian Bean is the best switch guide available and it is free. This is a must have if you are ever working with switches. 

AbleNet, provider of the popular Jelly Bean, BIGmack and oh, so more, has a wonderful guide called: "Great Ideas and EASY SETUP Instructions for the BIGmack communicator and LITTLEmack communicator". If you use these switches at all, this is a must have! It will help walk you through set-up, advance features, ideas for use...  

When an appropriate switch is selected for the child, it will provide access to opportunities that would previously have been denied. The use of a switch will enable the child to turn something on or off, become mobile, communicate and even play with cause and effect toys. The switch will provide a type of access the rest of us usually take for granted. The first time you see a switch being used successfully, you will need no more convincing. Simply put, a switch is a tool for access, however teaching a student with a significant disability how to use and independently initiate switch use can be a challenge.

Some ways that switches are used:

1. Communication - Some students who use an electronic communication device also depend on an adaptive switch to operate the device. In some cases the switch is used to scan through message options. Other students may use switches that are recordable with single and multiple messages. Most  communication devices are switch accessible if a student is unable to access the device directly.
2. Computer Access - An adaptive switch interface is needed to connect the switch to the computer. Students who are unable use keyboard or mouse devices may need to use an adaptive switch for computer input. This may be for a simple cause and effect type of program access or students may use a scanning method  for entering text and commands. 
3. Inclusion in Educational and Leisure Activities - Adaptive switches can be used to enable students with physical disabilities to actively participate in activities where they otherwise would be passive observers. For example, a switch operated game spinner permits all students to participate in many board games. Furthermore, when combined with an AC control unit, adaptive switches can provide access to small appliances in the home economics class, science lab or shop.
4. Accessing Toys - Play is a critical component of childhood. Children with disabilities may have difficulty interacting with objects and people due to the barriers that their disabilities present.  Because these young children may be restricted in the ways they play, communicate, and move, innovative ideas must be found that promote new ways of playing and participating in daily activities. Assistive Technology (AT) has been used to provide new opportunities for children with disabilities to interact with and control their environment.  One way we have found is to connect an adapter and a switch to a simple battery-operated toy --this provides a way for a child to make the toy go independently.  It can also help the child to participate in playing with other kids, their brothers and their sisters.  

Positioning:
When considering which switch to use, it is important to really consider both the positioning of the switch and the positioning of the person using the switch in order to experience maximum control over the switch. 

1. Consider the seating and positioning of the student.
2. Think about where the student has the best control of their body. Switches can be placed in a variety of positions, such as the head, foot, knee, etc.

Common Vocabulary used when working with Switches:

1. Switch Interfaces are needed in order to use a switch as an input device with a computer. 
2. Battery Interrupters allow you to use any of our switches with battery operated unadapted toys or devices. The Battery Interrupter is easy to install. Works with most battery operated devices that have an on/off switch. (This link shows you how to make this adaptation.) (See Kate Ahern's site for 60 ways to use a switch with a battery interrupter.) 
3. Switch Mounts - The effectiveness of a switch is often dependent on the positioning and mounting of the switch. A poorly mounted switch, can in some cases, make it inaccessible or cause excessive strain for the user. There are many mounts on the market. 
4. Switch Scanning is often used for accessing communication devices and/or computers.

Switch Resources:

• AbilityNet provides a wonderful visual of a variety of switches in the industry.

• AbleNet provides a guide for how to use switches with the Apple iOS 7 iPads. Jumpstart Blog also has a guide worth exploring.

• Beyond Cause and Effect- I love this slideshow! It really helps us to understand the purpose of using a switch beyond just hit and get a reward!
• Ian Bean provides free downloads of switch and touch-screen games and activities. Most of these are simple cause and effect activities you can use with a switch or touch screen.Be sure to look at his resources.
• Internet for Classrooms has some sites listed for learning to use a mouse. Some of these work well with switches also.LowIncidence AT Resources offers  sites to access downloadable activities, Cause & Effect, Single Switch, and Scanning Access Methods.

Boardmaker and other Picture Symbol Resources

This listing was last up-dated: 2/2015

(More resources are listed on my Pinterest boards "Visual Schedules to Live and Work By", "Social Skills and Stories" and "Visual Strategies Worth Seeing".) 

Boardmaker is a software program with a library of Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) to help create printable visual supports and interactive activities to help support learners of all ages. There are additional (addendum) libraries that can be added to Boardmaker that provide even more symbol choices. This is a very rich program that has been used with students with cognitive and complex communication needs for many years. 

This posting is a list of websites compiled into a handy resource listing for all of us who rely on picture supports as there is just way too much time invested in recreating the wheel. Many of the following links are absolutely fabulous sites and others provide useful handouts and tools for us to continue to get educated to efficiently plan and effectively teach children with this powerful tool. 

Boardmaker Software

There are 4 different versions of Boardmaker to be aware of (7 day full function trials are available for all of these):

1. Boardmaker  - used to develop print materials.
2. BoardMaker Plus! (BM+) - creates interactive activities plus allows you to continue to create print materials.
3. Boardmaker Speaking Dynamically Pro - is designed for communication with symbol support and word prediction/abbreviation expansion abilities and high quality voices. This is usually use on communication devices or computers to be used for verbal communication purposes. 
4. Boardmaker Studio - is an activity program for students to use on the computer or interactive whiteboard. This is meant to help Boardmaker come alive with gadgets and tools not seen in the other programs.
5. Boardmaker Online - will allow you to create symbols-adapted schedules, calendars, books, and educational activities through amonthly or yearly subscription… create all your activities online without installing anything and access it from anywhere. 
6. Boardmaker Instructional Solutions - classroom support that is 
   subscription based providing academic instruction in ELA and math. Delivered through Boardmaker Online. Every activity is accessible using scanning, eyegaze or touch. (Requires a Boardmaker Online Personal, Professional, or District subscription.)

Other options: 

1. Boardmaker Player - Play all of the activities you create with Boardmaker Studio and Boardmaker Plus! on every computer in your classroom or computer lab.
2. Boardmaker Pre-Made Activities -  Boardmaker authoring software is not needed if you want to just use Boardmaker Pre-Made Activities. These are computer activities that focus on different skills, like literacy and counting. Just pop in the CD or complete the download and your activities are ready. 

Boardmaker add-ons:

There are more and more add-ons all the time. (Prices range from $22-$49) These are worth exploring further. For more information about what is available, go to Mayer Johnson's website. 

Add-ons worth considering:

• PCS Sign Language Symbols is designed to reinforce sign language. Features American Sign Language (ASL) symbols, Signed Exact English (SEE) symbols and a combination library of ASL and SEE symbols.
• Picture This contains more than 5000 very clean photos that can be used alone or installed right into your PCS library. 
• PCS High Contrast symbols designed for individuals with low vision and visual impairment. These symbols are easier to see than standard symbols and offer a range of vocabulary topics to enable individuals with low vision or visual impairment to participate in a variety of communication settings.
• ThinLine style allows you to add thousands of brand new symbols to your PCS collection. Boasting a clean, more detailed look, the PCS ThinLine style offers more support for your academic subjects, and symbols are organized by category so you buy just what you need. 
  

Tutorials and Demonstrations: 

1. Free online Training at Mayer Johnson website - View a previously recorded archived online session.  Registration is free.
2. SET BC Learning Centre has Boardmaker resources for both Mac and Windows.  You can find presentations, demonstrations, tutorials and related resource materials at the Learning Center.
3. The Oklahoma Assistive Technology Center has some wonderful PDFs and video resources for how to use BoardmakerShare along with the Boardmaker software.  

Boardmaker Resources

BoarmakerShare, provided by Mayer-Johnson, has set up as a place for all of us to share what we develop. If you have Boardmaker Plus or Studio, there really isn't any place else that you need to go. This truly is the best creation since napkins. So, the first thing you need to do, if you haven't already, is to become a member and ask to receive the email updates. If you want a little tutorial about BoardmakerShare, there is a nice little 7 minute tutorial that will walk you through it, developed by Aaron E Marsters.

Beyond that, you might want to explore some of the resources that are provided by various schools and organizations. Many are provided in PDF format, which means they cannot be adapted but it also means you can print them without having Boardmaker software:

• Ace Centre has a section titled, "Developing and using a Communication Book" provided a few pages worth taking a peak at.The purpose of this site is to sell a book but there's a downloadable 320Kb PDF file in the menu on the right that contains five sample pages from the communication book.
• Adapted Books by NYC Department of Education, "These are adapted books and materials created with Boardmaker, Writing with Symbols, Smartboard's Notebook, and MS PowerPoint. Some have also been converted to Adobe Acrobat (.pdf)."
• Amy Speech and Language Therapy provides PDFs of various communication boards for "Adults who may not be able to communicate using their voice.  These type of boards are extremely important to arm yourselves with when your loved one experiencing such is in the hospital and cannot communicate."  She also offers a variety of boards for children.
• AugCom has materials relating to AAC generated by various people who were willing to share. This site is part of the Speaking of Speech site which is very rich in many areas of speech related materials.
• The Autism Helper provides free visuals to use in the home. 
• Over 700 children's books already adapted, with lesson plans, and vocabulary lists The Baltimore City Public Schools.
• The Boardmaker Idea Book is a great resource to give you ideas and get you started creating materials using Boardmaker.
• The Call Scottland has created a large number of BoardMaker Resources for you to use as wish, including story and symbol packs, games for all and symbol topic boards. These resources are either .zip or PDF format
• Chapel Hill Snippets has developed various books for you to take advantage of, along with various wonderful PowerPoints.
• Early Literacy provides several downloads. 
• eLearning has pre-made visuals for various things, visual schedules being the best. Take a look. They have 3 pages of boards that are very easy to search through.
• Jane Farrall has developed boards for specific books to use in Guided Reading. These are primary level books.  This is a great resource! 
• English Visual  Images provides a variety of pre-made boards, using PCS, from a variety of behavior, communication and schedules.
• Jefferson Parish Public Schools Speech-Hearing-Language Services gives you 100s of speech pathology activities and resources made in Boardmaker.