Haugen’s Tech Tips Blog

ATMac is a blog that offers news, reviews and opinions on assistive technology for Mac OS X, by Ricky Buchanan who is himself an avid Mac and AT user.  Organized by type of user, for example “text-to-speech users,” or “deaf users,” or “primary switch users,” and by audience (”content producers,” “developers,” “edcuators,” “users”), you can quickly find relevant entries.

Bottom line - direct, honest info and reviews about state-of-the-art assistive tech for the Mac.

I’m leading a workshop on Podcasting in the Classroom, and have started to gather some tips and resources on my wiki.  Stop by to check out the presentation as well as my podcasting links.

In preparing for a podcasting workshop this week, I’ve been collecting new podcasting tutorials.  Some helpful finds:

• How to Podcast: Four Basic Steps - Plan, produce, publish, promote…
• How to Podcast - from Podcasting Tools
• Howstuffworks “How to Create Your Own Podcast”
• Make Your First Podcast
• How to Create Your Own Podcast - A Step-by-Step Tutorial on Podcasting

Most of these tutorials rely on Audacity and the LAME encoder. The workshop I’m leading will use Garage Band and iTunes (part of iLife ‘08), since those tools are the focus of a yearlong series of trainings for the teachers I’m working with.  I’ll post links to those materials at a later date!

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic

• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic - For 60 years, RFB&D, a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, has produced accessible educational materials for students with disabilities that make reading standard print difficult or impossible. Titles available in every subject area and grade level from kindergarten through graduate studies.
• Digital Talking Book Player Software Victor Reader Soft - While many people access RFB&D materials on special portable players, HumanWare provides software for Mac and PC which allow students to use their books on a computer as well.

As I approach a new session of my after school publishing program, I decided to use a wiki to see if I could help make the process clearer to students and give them more opportunities to work independently. My Edison Student Publishers Wiki includes information about the program, and tips to help my 3rd-5th grade students:

• Choose a Project - news, reviews, interviews, puzzles, comics, jokes, etc.
• Find News or Information - web sites, people, papers, etc.
• Find Help with Writing - news, poetry, fiction, more
• Find or Make Images - photos, drawings, online tools, more
• Make a Puzzle - links to puzzlemaker, our puzzle starters and more
• Work on Layout - under construction

I’m excited about how this program is evolving and the wonderful, creative work kids can do. I’m new to wikis and I think this may be the first one I’ve done that approaches being useful! I’d love any feedback or suggestions on improving this kind of resource.