Student Guide Corner

Most of my best blog writing occurs when I'm lying in bed, contemplating whether or not to finally get out of it. My mind wanders to pondering the great education issues of the day. Unfortunately, putting those thoughts to digital text rarely happens. I have to get better at this, especially since I recently celebrated four years of blogging. You'd think I would have learned by now. How do you do it? I marvel at how prolific some bloggers are. Can you share your secrets? Do you record your ideas on your iPhone and then flesh them out later? Do you keep your computer next to your bed so that you can write your ideas as they come to you? Or do you have the self-discipline to sit and write when the ideas flow? Curious minds want to know.

We've all heard about the numerous iPhone apps that are mindless distractions, keep us organized or productive, offer us 24/7 Twitter access or help us learn new languages. New iPhone/iPod Touch apps are released daily ("There's an app for that!") for every imaginable purpose. Well, what do you do if you are someone who has difficulty speaking due to ALS, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Autism,or Down Syndrome? Yes, there's even an app for that! Augmentative Communication devices can cost thousands of dollars. Proloquo2Go is a $150 app that works with any iPhone or iPod Touch and makes communication possible. The enormous smile on the face of this 20 year old college student who sustained a Traumatic Brain injury as a result of a car accident belies the importance of the Proloquo2Go app. Watch this video to learn more.

I've been suffering from "Blogger's Block" of late which is surprising considering I just got back from NECC 09 and have "written" many posts in my head. Unfortunately, getting them from my head to the fingers has been especially challenging. I'll ease back into writing with a quick post about a truly innovative way to use the Livescribe SmartPen . I learned about this at the Livescribe booth at NECC09. If you are new to the SmartPen technology, it is a phenomenal computerized pen that links audio to whatever you write "so you never miss a word!" Great for students who struggle with notetaking or benefit from repetition and review when they need it. But, here's the incredible part. The Livescribe SmartPen is also an affordable communication support tool! With a human voice no less! Read all about it here - "Augmentative Communication: A Low-Cost and Lightweight Communication Device with Natural Speech." Here's one way to cre...