Haugen’s Tech Tips Blog

Sometimes, I want something because it just looks like so much fun… Wacom clearly wants us to think that about their new graphics tablet, so they’ve put fun in the name: the Bamboo Fun, a spiffy little (or medium) USB graphics tablet that has a “pen and paper feel,” a patented “touch ring” (think iPod) for zooming and scrolling, and 4 customizable buttons to free you from your keyboard.
The Bamboo is particularly appealing to me right now, as I’ve been reviewing graphics programs for my student publishing program and a graphics tablet would add some punch to our drawing strategies.
So, if you know my personal elf, and you think I’ve been nice, please let him know that I’ve got a little (Bamboo) Fun on my list…

Flocabulary “…uses the educational power of hip-hop music to foster literacy and promote academic success in the classroom and beyond.” In other words, get your kids to study by delivering content to a hip hop beat. You can listen to tracks online or purchase books and CD’s.

Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts is a collection of about 14,000
“classic” public domain documents from American and English
literature as well as Western philosophy. Search, or browse by title or author.

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.

Juicy Studio offers this article on Developing sites for users with Cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties:

When people think about accessibility of web content, there’s a tendency to concentrate on people with visual impairments. People with cognitive impairments and learning difficulties are often overlooked.This article by Roger Hudson, Russ Weakley, and Peter Firminger, examines the types of problems visitors may encounter when using the web, with insightful and practical suggestions on how to develop websites that are inclusive for people with cognitive impairments and learning difficulties.