Kurzweil 3000

Dear Friends,

     This year, Mrs. Turse secured the use of the Kurzweil 3000 program. Every student in our school will have the opportunity to use this innovative technological tool for learning.This program is being used in colleges across the country for undergraduates and graduates alike.  Each student and faculty member will have an account and will be able to use the many features offered by the progam.  Students will also be able to download the program at home and use it on their home computer.  Below are some of the videos that describe the four basic functions of the program.

     In the coming weeks, students will be receiving an e-mail with their log on and account information.  In order to use the progam at home, they will need to download the program onto their home computer and instructions will be sent for PC and Mac.  Teachers are able to download the program to the computers at school.  We hope you will take a moment to view some of the videos to learn about how technology is enhancing our learning in new ways! 

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Borin and Kim Turse

Study Toolbar- YouTube Video Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b33_sXyiJ_0&feature=relmfu (part I)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPDN0bxPiTg&feature=relmfu (part II)

Main Toolbar - You Tube Video Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffIOR7xxJVw&feature=relmfu

Reading Toolbar - YouTube Video Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYDbk_jxxoQ&feature=relmfu

Writing Toolbar - YouTube Video Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp4Y-h9rOIE&feature=relmfu

Summer Skill Strengthening Apps!

Dear Friends,
     Summer is a good time to explore some useful iPad (TM) applications for school.  Below I have listed some simple applications for the iPad that were shared with us by Dr. Friedlander, a leading educator in Assistive Technology.  You may also want to check out Dr. Brian Friedlander's Website for Assistive technology. You can find it at www.assistivetek.com and his blog is http://assistivetek.blogspot.com
Here are just a few you may want to check out:

Writing Apps
-Dragon Dictation App
-Speak It!
-Comic Life
Reading Apps
-Learning Ally
-Nook for Kids
-MeeGenius App
Science Apps
-Frog Dissection for the iPad (TM)
-Periodic Table of the Elements
-Science 360
Social Studies Apps
-Google Earth App for the iPad(TM)
-This Day in History App
-The World History Atlas App
Math Apps
-Math Drills
-Math Zooms
-Wolfram Alpha

Best Wishes for a Great Summer Vacation!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Borin
Kim Turse

Be, Reflect, Connect

Dear Friends,

     This past fall, I was fortunate to attend the Project Zero Conference sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  There David Perkins, Ph.D., one of Project Zero's Principal Investigators, spoke about "Digital Ethics."  He talked about the need to speak with our students about communicating in an increasingly complex digital age.  He summed up the current state of affairs for our students by saying, "As our collective world gets smaller, our personal world gets larger and more complex."  

     He said that it was important to help our students navigate through this complicated digital world.  The challenge for them, and for us too, is learning how to communicate in a compassionate and competent way, all the while, knowing that everything we say reaches the whole world, in an instant, forever.  This seems to bring reading, writing, speaking and social emotional learning to a new level of standards we never had to deal with.

     To address these issues in a simple way, I came up with a three word phrase that might help.  These words symbolize three steps that can help us communicate in a more compassionate and competent way.  I suggest, "Be, Reflect, and Connect."  

• Be - The first step is to help students slow down in their communicating whether it be on paper, in an e-mail, or through the phone.  It is important to stop, take a breath, notice the place you are in and how you are feeling before impulsively responding.
• Reflect - The second step is to reflect.  Take time to think about what you are writing, the message you are trying to send, the voice and intonation.  It is important to reflect on the message, reread it, and imagine how the receiver will feel in receiving it.
• Connect - The third step is to connect.  Here, we are ready to hit "send" knowing that we are not responding from an emotional, impulsive place and the message we are sending will be embraced by the receiver in the way that we had hoped.

     Dr. Perkins is right.  As we communicate with the world, our collective world gets smaller, and our personal world and the communication abilities required of that world become more complex.  With increasingly complex communications, audiences, speeds, and messages, it is even more important that we teach students to slow down their communication so that it is thoughtful, caring, and competent.  

     Wishing you and your students the chance to "Be, Reflect and Connect"

Sincerely,

Kimberly