Just got back from attending and working with Ginger Software on the Exhibitor floor of the ATIA 2012 Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is always so exciting to be able to attend this conference which is packed with passionate educators who are looking for the newest tools and strategies to assist their students. As much as I love walking the Exhibit floor looking for new products it is reconnecting with my fellow assistive technology colleagues that makes this conference very special. Having the time after hours to share ideas, resources and experiences is a great way to learn and expand on your skills. While I was at the ATIA 2012 Conference I had was in the Ginger Software Booth demoing the latest version of Ginger which is the leading spelling and grammar correction tool for students. When Ginger is analyzing the errors it is taking into account the context of the words in the sentence so that when it makes it suggestions it is right on target. Ginger is a great tool for both students with writing disabilities as well as for student where English may not be their native spoken language. Ginger software can provide students with high quality text to speech support so that students can hear the suggestions that are being recommended. Students will love the fact that Ginger is able to make all of the changes to the sentence with a click on the Approve button. Ginger is available to schools for a starting price of $190 dollars which includes 10 licenses which also extend to home use. Ginger can track student errors and provide teachers with prescriptive grammar and spelling lessons based on the student's error patterns. Now students can also continue to use Ginger at home when they are doing their written work.Consumers can download a free version of Ginger which can provide spelling and grammar checking but lacks the text to speech component. Ginger is available for the Windows platform. If you would like a web based demo please contact me.

While having a 16 GB iPhone or iPad sounded like you would have lots of storage capacity when you first bought it-before you know it the apps, movies, music and documents begin to take up lots of space and soon you are running on empty. Now what are you going to do? Well with the advent of the Kingston Wi-Drive there is a solution and a good one at that. The Kingston Wi-Drive is available in a 16GB or 32GB configuration and is about the size of the iPhone but slightly slimmer. Once you charge the Kingston Wi-Drive via the USB charger that is supplied and installed the Kingston Wi-Drive app you are ready to test it out. Simply plug the Kingston Wi-Drive into the USB port on your Mac or PC and drag documents, movies, music, and videos onto the drive to copy them over. Once the files are copied dismount the drive and go to your  Settings on your iPad, or iPhone and  to connect to the Wi-Drive Network. Now launch the Wi-Drive app on your iPhone or iPad and lo and behold all of your files, music and videos can be accessed. With the Kingston Wi-Drive it is possible to store your files on an external drive and access them whenever you need to. It is a handy device that can expand the storage capacity of your device and it is easy to transport. At this time you do need to disconnect from your other Wifi networks when connecting to the Kingston Wi-Drive-but lets hope they will figure out a way around this issue. All told, I am very happy with my purchase of the Kingston Wi-Drive and the ease of setup and its functionality.

I have always been impressed with the iPevo Company and the innovative products that they develop for computers and iPad. I had a chance this past week to review the  IPEVO Typi Folio Case which is a well constructed portfolio type of case for the iPad 2 with a Bluetooth Wireless keyboard. The case is made of soft leather and felt which is light weight, slim and attractive. To get started using the IPEVO Typi Folio Case just slide your iPad 2 into the case and press the Bluetooth connection button to pair  the keyboard. Pairing the Bluetooth keyboard was a breeze and within seconds I was using the keyboard to type a memo. The top row of the keyboard has dedicated keys to make it easy to navigate, adjust the volume, and play videos. The IPEVO Typi Folio Case, Bluetooth keyboard is comfortable to use and has a region below the keyboard which acts as a a palm rest. The Bluetooth keyboard has a magnet base which keeps the keyboard in position but if you like you can easily detach it and use it away from the base. The IPEVO Typi Folio Case comes with a mini USB cord to charge the internal Li-ion Battery that fully charges with Bluetooth keyboard within 3 hours. The keyboard has a good feel to it and like most of the portfolio cases on the market for the iPad the keys are slightly smaller than you would find on a laptop computer which may make it difficult for some individuals to use. The IPEVO Typi Folio Case allows the user to change the viewing angle to any of the three positions available. Overall, this is a high quality product and one that bears looking at in that it is priced very competitively at $79 dollars. The IPEVO Typi Folio Case comes in both tan and black.

I'm sure if you are in a school or running a small business you are constantly being asked to sign papers and fill out forms. So in the process, you generally print the forms sign them and then if you are like me and have moved away from using a fax or snail mail, you have to scan the document and save it as a PDF, which always takes extra time. According to Infotrends the cost of handling paper which would include filling it out, copying, faxing, scanning can cost between  $.65 to $1.89 per page.  Likewise, PriceWaterhouseCoopers has estimated that the costs associated with handling paper forms can cost companies up to $20 dollars per form and this doesn't include the costs associated with finding a misfiled form. So what would happen if your changed your workflow and used a solution like Xpaper? Xpaper utilizes a digital pen and paper solution for handling the filling in of forms and automatically creates a crystal clear PDF which you can file and archive. Lets find out how it works! So yesterday, I received a contract in via email that I had to sign and return to the originator. Prior to me using Xpaper, I would have had to print the document sign it and then either decide to fax or put it through the mail. All these options would require extra expense and time but with Xpaper all I had to do was print the contract out on my color laser printer as I would normally do and use the Xpaper printer driver. But here is the difference, using Xpaper-my laser printer printed the contract on the paper with a very fine dot pattern watermark on the paper that my digital pen could see. The watermark is very faint and allows the digital pen to know exactly where I am writing on the page. Once I completed writing on the contract I simply docked my digital pen and voila the ink was merged onto the contract and I had a crystal clear PDF file with my signature and information that I could now email or archive. So without changing my workflow, I immediately benefited from the time savings of using Xpaper to create a PDF which I can now store. Using Xpaper I could also use specialized connectors to automatically create customized workflows to send document to a ftp site or email. If you are interested in learning more about Xpaper and how you can use it in your school or business to improve how you handle paper forms, please feel free to contact me. Feel free to email your form so that I can show you how Xpaper works.

                    Location: Warren Middle School Two (1 Day) Sessions of the Summer Institute will be offered on                    Dates: July 10 or July 11th   Presenters Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D. & Christine Besko-Maughan, M.S., ATP July 10, 2012 Enhancing Academic Performance Using the iPad for Students with Learning Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders The multi-sensory design of the iPad has made a big impact in the field of education because it appeals to all learners. There are thousands of applications (apps) in the area of education, with many designed specifically for students with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This workshop will explore many of the apps especially targeted for these populations and address implementation strategies for integrating the iPad in the curriculum. In addition, some communication apps will be explored, such as Proloquo2Go, My First AAC, and Tap to Talk.  Attendees are encouraged to Bring Your Own iPad (BYOI) for this hands-on experience. July 11, 2012 Using the iPad to Enhance Expressive Communication Skills for Students with Limited Functional Communication The iPad has become a revolutionary tool in the area of augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), due to its flexibility and affordability. There are numerous applications (apps) currently available that are similar to high-end dynamic display units, but at a fraction of the cost. Many students with autism struggle with expressive communication and the iPad may be a viable option for improving this area of communication. This workshop will examine popular apps, such as My First AAC, Tap to Talk, Alexicom AAC, AssistiveChat, to name a few. In addition, a detailed training will be provided on how to program and customize Proloquo2Go.  The workshop will include a hands-on lab to allow attendees the opportunity to explore various communication and language building apps. Attendees are also encouraged to Bring Your Own iPad (BYOI). Seating is limited so register early! Registration Fee: $129 & Includes iPad Laminated Reference Guide For more information email: brian  (@) assistivetek.com or call 908-852-3460 School Purchase Orders are Accepted made payable to AssistiveTek, LLC, 174 Stephensburg Road, Port Murray, NJ 07865 To Register click on this link: http://adobe.ly/yjzdDx  Conference Location: Warren Middle School, 100 Old Stirling Road, Warren, NJ 07059

As a child, one of my favorite toys was an Etch a Sketch. I could spend endless hours creating wonderful masterpieces on it by turning the two white dials. In some ways the Boogie Board Rip LCD Writing Tablet reminds me of the Etch a Sketch. The Boogie Board Rip is similar in many respects to the original Boogie Board that I reviewed last year, but adds the one important feature of being able to save your drawings and transfer them to your computer. You will notice when you unbox your Boogie Board Rip that in addition to the Erase button you will find a Status and a Save/Wake button. You will also notice that the Boogie Board Rip now includes a stylus that you will need to use in order to save your rendered drawings. There is also a Lock and Unlock switch on the top left side to help you from accidentally erasing your drawings when you store the Boogie Board Rip. To get started with the Boogie Board Rip, I pulled out the stylus and unlocked the device and started doodling.  I have always enjoyed the feel of writing and drawing on the Boogie Board Rip- it has a really smooth and luxurious feel to it as the stylus glides on the surface to unveil a light hued green ink. Using the stylus it is now possible to make finer lines and accent your drawings. I have to say there is something addictive about using the Boogie Board Rip for drawing and doodling and I know others will feel the same. The Boogie Board Rip can stay charged for up to 60 days and comes with a rechargeable Lithium battery that is charged via the USB cable connected to a computer or a power source. A lot of the original Boogie Board users had asked for the capability of being able to save heir drawings and with the Boogie Board Rip it is now possible. After you have completed the drawing using the stylus you simply press the Save button and you will notice that it will quickly flash-letting you know that the file has been saved. Now all you need to do is plug in the micro USB cable to your computer and the Boogie Board Rip  will mount as a drive and you will see all of your pictures saved as a PDF file which you can drag over to your computer to open. The Boogie Board Rip saves the file as a vectorized PDF file which can be opened by Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Illustrator. The Boogie Board Rip can store up to 200 drawings and is a great way to archive your work. The Boogie Board Rip is a fun device to use and I'm sure you will find lots of ways to use it in the office or classroom. If you have some ideas on how you would use the Boogie Board Rip please leave me a comment. The Boogie Board Rip sell for $129 dollars and for more information you can click here. The Boogie Board Rip is a fun and engaging tool and one I know I will use over and over. Just think how much paper I will save doodling- happy doodling!

Over the years I have written countless articles about how I use mind mapping in the work that I do, but one of the areas which may be overlooked is in the writing process. As part of my consulting business I am often asked to write project proposals for new work as well as status updates on projects that I may be working on. While man of us may be inclined to open up Microsoft Word and start writing, I have always found it easier to structure my thoughts using mind mapping software. As part of the process, having the ability to brainstorm what I am going to include is a natural using mind mapping software. Having the ability to move my ideas around the mind map helps me to organize my ideas and structure the content that I will include in my final report. Once I have completed the brainstorming phase, I move the ideas around the map until I am satisfied with the content. Next, I begin to attach notes to my topics to flesh out my ideas. The notes will serve as the content for my report once I have exported the mind map into a Word document. After adding notes to each of the ideas in my mind map, I am now ready to utilize the export feature to Microsoft Word- which quickly generates a structured proposal or status report. Many of the leading mind mapping applications allow you to export directly to a PDF file format. I prefer to first export the report to a Microsoft Word document first so that I can make any final edits and changes before converting it to a PDF file. Utilizing mind mapping tools to help generate and structure the report gives my proposals and project updates a unique look and feel that sets me apart from other consultants. The cover sheet of my report includes the mind map along with a table of contents which allows the reader to easily navigate to a specific page in the proposal. Once my report is in Microsoft Word, I generally convert it to a PDF file for my client which ends the process. I might add, that for my final touch, I have been using Adobe Acrobat SendNow service to send my finished proposals which gives me the added feature of being able to track that it was received. So if you are looking for a way to help structure your writing then reexamine how you can use mind mapping software for this purpose- you will be glad you did.

I have been a big fan of Wikisummarizer and have watched the evolution of this service from Context Discovery. Just this past week Context Discovery released their new service Websummarizer which lets anyone summarize the content of a web page. I took the liberty of using Websummarizer to summarize my last post so that you can see how powerful this tool is. Because of some of the constraints of Blogger it is hard to view the contents of the nodes-but to see for yourself and try out Websummarizer click here. I am very interested in learning how you might use Websummarizer in the work that you do?

It was a great day exhibiting at the New Jersey Teachers Council of of English Teachers Conference which was held on the campus of Montclair State University. The conference was well attended and there was a lot of energy in the room as I was demonstrating various solutions for the classroom. The teachers were very excited as I walked around the exhibit hall and used PaperShow for Teachers to send my notes to the computer. There is something magical about demoing PaperShow for Teachers and watching the ink being sent in real time to the computer screen. The teachers were really intrigued with the solution and were already pondering ways to use it in the classroom. For those teachers who do not have access to a data projector in the classroom- the teachers were able to try out Quartet Kapture- which is an easy way to save all of their notes from the flipchart. Using Quartet Kapture, teachers could have students work in groups and record all of their ideas which are then stored on the computer. All of the notes from the session can be saved as a PDF file which can then be easily shared via email or posted on the teacher's website. Many of the English teachers who stopped by commented just how clear images looked using the Hovercam T3  document camera. When teachers asked about the pricing they were excited to learn that the Hovercam T3 is really an affordable solution for the classroom.The Hovercam T3 is great tool for the English teachers and is ideal for sharing text from books. All in all it was a great day!

Using screen sharing software for a webinar is always a leap of faith. What do I mean by that? If you have ever attempted to host a webinar with one tool or another then you probably have experienced just how frustrating it can be to connect. Many of the screen sharing applications ask you to download plug-ins which can make the experience even more frustrating for those users who may be less technically inclined. That is why I was so glad to learn about a new screen sharing tool called Screenleap which I started to use last week. First off, the screen sharing service is free, and if you are joining a session there is no software to install. It doesn't get any easier that this. I demonstrated Screenleap this week in my graduate class and within a minute all 20 of my students were viewing my screen. Great way to publish the teachers screen to your students in a classroom. All my students had to do was go to Screenleap and enter a 9 digit number that I posted- to begin the session and within seconds they were able to view my screen. This worked without a hitch and the ease of use was fantastic!   During the class one of my students wanted to share her screen so that she could demonstrate a math web site- so she initiated the screen sharing session and at the instructors station I entered the 9 digit code and then I was able to see her screen which was projected in the classroom for all the other students to see. Screenleap works as stated and probably is one of the easiest screen sharing applications I have ever used. So if you get the chance check out Screenleap you will be glad you did.