Supporting the Writing Process: 2011

Thursday, 21 July 2011

Xtranormal Introduction to Shelley, Paul and Catherine's Blog

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

The Writing Process - Barb Welsford, M.Ed, Assistive Technology Specialist

SQUIBBLE

Learn more about Squibble - portable braille!

Read a review from Engadget about of one of the coolest 'gadgets' - Coming Soon!!

" We've been seeing some interesting devices aimed at making life easier for the blind recently, but none that have captured our attention quite like the Squibble from UK designer Andrew Mitchell. The pocketable Braille interface allows users to operate mobile phones and other technology over Bluetooth, using 779 ultrasonic motors to lift illuminated caps against a silicon cover and form Braille letters and other easy-to-understand icons. There's also audio feedback, and a grip that allows for use without having to set it down flat like other Braille readers. Pretty ingenious stuff -- and Andrew says development is "advanced," so hopefully this will go from concept to real product relatively soon.

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

NEO 2 word processor

Monday, 18 July 2011

Don Johnston - Assistive Technology Guru & 1980's TV Hero

Don Johnston develops assistive technology tools for students with dyslexia, autism, dysgraphia, down syndrome and other diverse physical and learning disabilities. He has helped create many wonderful products that help students with disabilities gain access to reading and writing. We suggest taking some time to peruse his blog, please the see link below.

Don Johnston's Blog

Please play the following video while you investigate the wonderful products Mr. Johnston has produced.

iPhone, iPad and Apple VoiceOver

Is It Time to Only Teach Keyboarding over Handwriting?

by Zeintz - Jan.2008

There is a conflict between writing and keyboarding. The question is which needs to be taught and when? Does keyboarding overshadow handwriting to the extent that handwriting should no longer be taught?

Handwriting is an essential skill. There are many times that we need to write so it is imperative for students to learn to write in elementary school. Do students need to be taught both manuscript AND cursive? I don’t think so. It doesn’t make sense to teach them how to “print” their ideas in 1st and 2nd grade and then how to “handwrite” them in 4th and 5th grade. Teaching cursive writing is merely a way to teaching students to write quickly. Perhaps keyboarding has taken the place of cursive because it enables students to enter their thoughts even faster than they would if they were using cursive.

Read the full article.

Adaptive Software Demo: ZoomText, JAWs and Dragon

New Notetaker for the Blind: The Apple iPad

BrailleNote:accessibility for low vision or blind

Getting getting ready to write with some supports

Misunderstood Minds

Check out the PBS special on learning differences and disabilities. Explore stories from the documentaries and show, as well, find information and resources for parents.

Connect to MISUNDERSTOOD MINDS and watch!

Keyboarding in the Writing Process

Writing Research in PDF Format

The Bridging Question Strategy - article topic: prior knowledge

Exploring the Roles of Visual and Spatial Skills- article topic: cognitive development

Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind - article topic: attention to task and memory

Sunday, 17 July 2011

Executive Functioning & ADHD & The Writing Process

Executive Function (EF) refers to brain functions that activate, organize, integrate and manage other functions. It enables individuals to account for short and long term consequences of their actions and to plan for those results. It also allows individuals to make real time evaluations of their actions, and make necessary adjustments if those actions are not achieving the desired result.

There are differing models of executive function put forth by different researchers, but the above statements cover the basics that are common to most. Two of the major ADHD researchers involved in studying EF are Russell Barkley, PhD, and Tom Brown, PhD.
Barkley breaks executive functions down into four areas:

Nonverbal working memory
Internalization of Speech (verbal working memory)
Self-regulation of affect/motivation/arousal
Reconstitution (planning and generativity)

Barkley's model is based on the idea that inabilities to self-regulate lie at the root of many challenges faced by individuals with ADHD. He puts forth that they are unable to delay responses, thus acting impulsively, and without adequate consideration of future consequences -- beneficial or negative.¹
Brown breaks executive functions down into six different "clusters."

Organizing, prioritizing and activating for tasks
Focusing, sustaining and shifting attention to task
Regulating alertness, sustaining effort and processing speed
Managing frustration and modulating emotions
Utilizing working memory and accessing recall
Monitoring and self-regulating action

According to Brown, these clusters operate in an integrated way, and people with ADHD tend to suffer impairments in at least some aspects of each cluster. Because these impairments seem to show up together much of the time, Brown believes they are clinically related.
Under Brown's model, difficulties in these clusters lead to attentional deficits, as individuals have difficulty organizing tasks, getting started, remaining engaged, remaining alert, maintaining a level emotional state, applying working memory and recall, and self-monitoring and regulating actions.²
It is clear that executive function impairments have an adverse effect on an individual's ability to begin, work on and complete tasks. It is also commonly thought that deficits in executive functions are highly interrelated to symptoms associated with ADHD.
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1. Barkley, Russell A., Murphy, Kevin R., Fischer, Mariellen (2008). ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says (pp 171 - 175). New York, Guilford Press.
2. Brown, Thomas E. (2005). Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults (pp 20 - 58). New Haven, CT, Yale University Press Health and Wellness

Executive Functioning - What does it mean?

The world's leading webside on learning disabilites present:

What Is Executive Functioning?

By: Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel (2008)

A Formal Definition of Executive Functioning

Now (drum roll please), here is a formal definition of executive functioning: The executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation.

A complete list of Executive Function Resources

Defining Executive Functions

Games - Improve Your Executive Functioning

GAMES that challenge our executive functioning help to train and sharpen the highly complex cognitive processes of logic, strategic planning, problem solving, and deductive reasoning. In addition to shaping these abstract processes, the brain's executive system is also required for decision making, recognizing errors, coping with new situations and inhibiting habitual reactions when they are judged to be inappropriate. Thought to be localized mainly in the prefrontal cortex, the executive system has been likened by neuropsychologists to the conductor of an orchestra, helping to direct and control a wide array of diverse mental processes. To extend this metaphor, executive function training gives us the practice and rehearsal we need to keep the symphony of our brain's activity in harmony.

Cognitive Fun - Learn Your Mind. Play it Too.

The Happy Neuron - Train the Brain Games.

Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control- Tools of the Mind.