This workshop is intended for those participants who would like to learn the basics and more about the symbol finder (locating pictures, adding pictures, etc.), board design, printing, paint and draw, symbolate and more. Boardmaker comes in two versions (with and without PLUS features). This workshop will not review PLUS features. Please refer to the 10/30/09 workshop for PLUS features.

This workshop is intended for those participants who are already familiar with the symbol finder, draw, paint and board design features of Boardmaker. This workshop will focus on the use of the interactive features of PLUS including movies, changing boards, talking boards, activity creation and more.

Rachel Smitheman from Tobii ATI will demonstrate a range of new alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) solutions that help individuals with speech impairments communicate with a focus on using Eye Control for communication and computer access. Eye control is an alternative and complementary input method to using a mouse and keyboard. By looking at a screen you control ‘the mouse’ and you click by dwelling (staring at the screen for a certain length of time), blinking or using a switch. The Eye Control products we offer include the following; Tobii C12 and C-Eye: Speech Generating Device (SGD) with optional Eye Control, the Tobii CEye. The eye control module is simple to set up and use, accommodates large head movements, and is reliable and extremely accurate. MyTobii P10 - A portable eye-controlled communication device with a 15” screen that accommodates large head movements, and is a completely integrated system. Other products from Tobii ATI include; Tobii C8 - A small, lightweight extremely portable communication device. Consumer can communicate via text or symbols to generate synthesized or digitized speech or connect through email, phone, text messages or chat. Lightwriter SL-40 - A lightweight text-to-speech device that quickly and clearly converts text to high quality Acapela speech, plus sends and receives text messages. Tobii Communicator - A software package designed to provide people with communication disabilities a better way to communicate and provide them with a new level of independence. Very easy to program and customize for each individual consumer. Includes Sono-Suite which offers a variety of preprogrammed page sets designed to meet the needs of different types of communicators with varied access modes and levels of communication. Come and try out these products for yourself. See what the buzz around Eye Control is all about!

Basic features of IT Classroom Suite, v. 4 will be reviewed. Participants will learn to make acitivites from templates, to view classroom and student record management, make basic changes to overlays and download premade activities. Time will be set aside for exploration of the activity exchange. Bring a CD or other storage device to take your activities away with you.

Overlay maker is the program from IntelliTools that allows you to create special keyboards for the IntelliKeys. Paired with activities form the Classroom Suite downloads (see Classroom Suite workshop), this session will provide more in-depth practice and exploration of the features of OverlayMaker. Participants will learn to create new and to modify existing keyboards to meet the needs of their students.

Kurzweil is an integrated reading support program that provides text to speech, study tools, organization supports, writing supports and more. This workshop will provide participants with hands-on exploration of the program features. Follow-up sessions will be scheduled during this session for interested participants.

Read and Write Gold is an integrated reading support program that provides text to speech, study tools, organization supports, writing supports and more. This workshop will provide participants with hands-on exploration of the program features. Follow-up sessions will be scheduled during this session for interested participants.

Tobii products provide dynamic communication systems for individuals who need augmentative and alternative support. This session will provide an overview of the dynamic communication software features.

Tobii regional representative, Rachel Smitheson, will be available form 8:00-1:00 to work with individual students, families and teams in a hands-on experience with eye gaze technology. For appointments, please register here and then contact Cindy Cavanagh (ccavanagh@aea9.k12.ia.us) or Teresa Wyant (twyant@aea9.k12.ia.us). Appointments will be approximately 30-45 minutes and will be available on a first-come basis.