Communication apps for students who are deaf or hard of hearing

As we know students who are deaf or hard of hearing communicate in a variety of ways: verbally, use of sign language (cued speech, ASL, manual), lip reading, and writing. Below are some apps that can be used on the iPad to help students develop or maintain their communication skills in and out of the classroom. 

App name	Website	Description	Cost
IP - Relay	http://itunes.apple.com/app/ip-relay/id351385414?ign-mpt=uo%3D6&mt=8	IP-Relay allows individuals to use their device to call people who are able to hear. It acts like an instant message system.  The individual who is deaf or hard of hearing type out their message and IP relay operator speaks the message to the individual who is hearing. Then relays what the individual who could hear says to the individual who is deaf through text.	Free
Dragon Dictation	http://itunes.apple.com/app/dragon-dictation/id341446764?ign-mpt=uo%3D6&mt=8	Dragon dictation allows users to speak directly into the microphone, the words that they spoke appear in text on the screen.	Free
Face Time	Pre-downloaded on device	FaceTime is a phone calling app that features video and works through a Wi-Fi internet connection. It is very similar to Skype as it uses video to relay messages. FaceTime is ideal for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing because a user can easily observe facial expressions, gesture, and communicate using American Sign Language or lip reading.	Pre-downloaded on device
Signing time Lite ASL	http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/signing-time-lite-asl-sign/id306355760?mt=8	The lite version includes six flash cards and three shortened music videos.	Free but full version is $2.99
ABA Flash Cards & Games - Emotions	http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aba-flash-cards-games-emotions/id446105144?mt=8	Identifying, understanding, and responding appropriately to emotions.	Free **All ABA apps are free during the month of April!!**
Baby sign and sing	http://www.babysignandlearn.com/baby-sign-and-learn-asl-for-iphone-and-ipad	Learn sign language to a children's song. Great for young learners.	Free but you can buy additional songs
PCS Sign language flash cards	http://www.mayer-johnson.com/pcs-sign-language-flash-cards/	Learn signs, picture representations, and text all in the same app!	Free
ASL Dictionary for iPad	http://www.asl-dictionary.com/	A great reference for signs and phrases	$6.49
My Smarty hands	http://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id366804871?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4	Learn and practice 300 ASL signs	Lite - free full is $4.99
SparkleFish	http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sparklefish/id432462341?mt=8&ls=1	This app allows users to record word in their voice. It is similar to madlibs and comes with four free stories.	Free
Splingo's Language Universe	http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/splingos-language-universe/id457526530?mt=8&ls=J	Helps students learn and practice listening skills	$2.99
Learn American Sign Language	http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/learn-american-sign-language/id435624458?mt=8	Learn American Sign Language is a simple and fun way to learn signing, covering such useful topics as Greetings, Emergency Situations and more.	$2.99

iPad adaptations for students who are deaf or hard of hearing

First thing is first, lets look at some ways to make our iPad more user friendly for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The iPad has many adaptations that can be made to make it easier for students who are deaf and hard of hearing to access the device. 

---

Face Time

FaceTime is a phone calling app that features video and works through Wi-Fi internet connection. It is very similar to Skype as it uses video to relay messages. FaceTime is ideal for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing because a user can easily observe facial expressions, gesture, and communicate using American Sign Language or lip reading.  FaceTime can also be used to make and receive video relay and text relay calls. Below is a tutorial on how to set up face time on your iPad.

---

Volume adjustments

Users are able to adjust the volume  on an iPad. To do so follow the steps below:

1. Touch settings icon on Home screen
2. Click general settings tap sounds
3. Drag the slider bar to the right to increase the volume and to left to lower it 
4. Touch home button to close settings
5. 

---

Notes

Notes is an app that comes standard on your iPad. It can be used to type and record notes in class. Create new notes, review notes previously created, search for notes, save notes, delete them, and email them! Teachers can use this app to document instructions or directs for students to complete. Click create new note and the on screen keyboard will pop up. Compose your note and save it! The video posted below is an app tutorial. 

---

Closed Captioning - The iPad  supports the playback of open captions, closed captions, and subtitling. The captions appear onscreen, just like on TV. 

---

Visual Alerts

Some apps such as mail, app store, and skype on the iPad have visual alerts for the user. Visual alerts are also appear with time, date, wi-fi function, and battery life.

---

Mono Audio

To improve your listening experience when using headphones, turn on Mono Audio. When Mono Audio is turned on, iPad plays all sounds in both ears.

1. Click on the Settings icon
2. Navigate to  General settings
   Click Accessibility.
3. Click the Mono Audio On/Off button to turn on the feature.
   
   Mono Audio is turned on.
4.  Touch on  the Home button to close Settings.

2 days of Christmas - Santa's apps

Let's take a look to see what's on Santa's ipad! Here are some cute Christmas apps to use your on your iphone, ipod, or ipad.

• Best Christmas apps for kids
• 9 holiday cheer apps
• 10 free holiday apps
• Top 9 holiday apps
• 21 festive apps

ATIA 2011 from a distance

I am unable to attend too many conferences this year, so instead of attending the conferences in person I attend them via Twitter and any online sessions. I was  unable to attend ATIA this year, but here are some resources that I obtains through the Twitter hashtag #ATIA11. If you have any more notes or session notes you would like to share please add a comment at the bottom of the page.

• App Smackdown - Apps for AT and Augcomm
• Read the words - Text to speech online
• Tap it - an accessible smart board for individuals with limited mobility. I have seen this in action and it is truly amazing!
• Tactile graphics - production and design of tactile graphics
• Dot pub - convert a webpage to an ebook
• ATIA notes - Google doc folder of notes from ATIA
• ATIA notes 2 - Google doc folder of notes from ATIA
• SET BC - special education technology in British Columbia resoruces
• Atomic Learning - Education training for K12, higher ed, global education, and assistive tech!

Apps for all

Today I decided to post some of my favorite app resources.This is a list comprised of websites and wikis who have scoured the internet, iPod, and iPad to find some great educational apps to use in the classroom.

• Ipad Resources for Educators - a livebinder that I created with Ipad apps and resources. 
• Ipod Resources for Educators - a livebinder that I created with Ipod apps and resources. 
• Bloom's apps - a list of apps for all of the Bloom's taxonomy levels. 
• Special education apps - list of many different apps organized in alphabetical order. 
• SLP apps 2 - another list of apps for speech therapists.  
• Apps for note taking - here is a comprehensive list of many apps used to take notes. 
• Speech and language apps - a  great list of apps to use in the speech classroom. 
• Apps for spled - more apps for students with special needs 
• ipad apps for ESL - A list of apps to use in the ESL classroom.
•  ipads in the classroom  - Lists many educational apps to use in the classroom.
• Math apps - A comprehensive list of math apps

 For more apps visit my Diigo bookmarks here

Apps, apps, apps, and more apps!

I would like to take some time to share some of my favorite app resources and sites with you. Here they are in no particular order:

• Intelliapp
• Study by app
• Voice thread - Yep you read it right, voice thread has an app!
• There's an app for that - List of great apps all reviewed by respected panelist
• 10 apps for the visually impaired
• App Maker
• Fun educational apps
• Special ed apps
• 20 must have educational apps
• Apps for Autism 
• Apps for those with significant disabilities

Google Apps for the classroom

    This morning I attended a webinar about Google apps in the classroom. This webinar was presented by Alan Klein from Penn State. This webinar was all about how to use different Google apps in the classroom. There are many different Google apps to utilize, Google Apps are a collection of web-based programs. The first step in using Google apps is to have a Google account.  If you don't have one it is very easy to set up. 

After you have an account you have access to many, many cool apps from Google such as: 

• Docs – just like Microsoft office includes docs, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and drawings.
• Gmail – email
• Calendar – online calendar where you can mark events and make plans, also able to share your calendar. You can even have appointment slots!
• Groups -  Create discussion groups that supports threaded discussions. Great way to keep in contact with colleagues, students, and more! 
• Sites – web site creator, I created by Wednesdays with Sam site with google sites - very easy to do!

 Google Apps Classroom Applications:

•     Docs 
•     Easily share documents with students
•     Have students write notes using Google Docs to share with each other in and out of class
•     Forms - create a fun and interactive test or quiz with mulitiple choice, true/false, check list questions
•      Drawing - create a collaborative drawing or concept map in groups
•     Email
•     Keep in contact with parents and students 
•     Calendar
•     Share a class calendar with parents to highlight events in school or parent/teacher conferences
•    Sites
•     Create a class site to show what is going on in the classroom
•     The site can house all websites and resources used during class 
•     Wednesdays with Sam example

Advantages for Google Apps:

•     Any time and any where access to your materials and resources 
•      Convenient 
•     Save time, energy, frustration, and money!
•     Storage
•     Familiar and consistent interface

Disadvantage for using Google Apps:

•     If you dont have access to the net  - no access to your materials and resources
•     Materials and resources are stored on a 3rd party server
•     Security

Research tools and mobile learning apps

I attended an hour long Simple K12 webinar, regarding Mobile learning and research. This webinar was created by Shelly Terrell, a great leader in the education technology field. Here are my notes from this great and educational webinar:

We need to be lifelong researchers an learners
Develop new theories - open your mind to different ideas
Students should be able to take notes, research, cite, evaluate resources, question, have curiosity to learn more
Research is now a huge project - twitter, ipads, networking, collaborate with other professionals
In order to be a success in school, students need to know how to research properly
Teachers need to be facilitators of "good" researcher when using technology skills and apps
Apps and mobile learnign can easily be integrated with other tools and materials

Apps for research

Kindle - highlight tool and have access to books and magazines automatically
Google docs - great for collaborative note taking
Mind mapping app
Sticky notes app
Diigo social bookmarking app
Video
Photos/Pics
Notepad or inkpad
Audio recording
Internet access
Text and SMS apps
Podcasts - cliffnotes or topics that may be abstract to learners
Dictionary apps - great for ESL or SPLED students
Easy bib - citation app, scan the book barcode and it will automatically cite the book
Linolt - post a sticky note like wallwisher
Posterous - automatically blog with video and audio
Evernote - gather notes together and syncs with computer, take pics, newspaper clippings, etc.
Mindblowing - mind mapping app (say that 10x fast!)
Showme - screen cast what is done on the whiteboard
Dropbox - file sharing to anyone, anywhere
Ibooks - read pdf's offline
Wikitude - augmented reality
newsy - transcripts of videos and sources
Diigo
Google
Wikipedia
Read it later - bookmark something on twitter and websites available offline
Flipboard - see information and data
Project Magazine - see and multimedia in a magazine format

How to create a research rich environment
How do you research at home?

Provide a space for research
Music - let students listen to their music while researching
Pillows/comfy pieces
Areas for different research materials (ipad, computer, books, qr codes)
Provide snacks and drinks
Create an app for school or library