You Need
the Special Needs Fringe Seminar Programme
the Special Needs Fringe ICT seminars are a great way to keep abreast of new developments, discover the latest products and find inspiration for using technology to support your learners. They are free to attend and you don't need to book places.
Wednesday 9th January 2008 - Specific Learning Difficulties
Thursday 10th January 2008 - Communication
Friday 11th
January 2008 - Severe and Complex Needs
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| Match Solicitors Legal obligations concerning SEN Presenter: Clive Rawlings Clive Rawlings is a leading Specialist Counsel and has been practising for 13 years. He deals mainly in education related matters and regularly acts for parents, children, teachers and students. His seminar will assist schools and teachers understand their obligations in relation to special educational needs within the school environment, and how to effectively deal with discipline, classroom behaviour and how to avoid exclusions, among other issues. |
12:00 | Lexion Lexion - a multi-tool system for dyslexics Presenters: Martti Martens & Annika Hallsvik Lexion is a computer-based system for assessing, stimulating and training individuals with dyslexia, aphasia and other language related disorders. The creators of Lexion will guide you through the assessment part that automatically creates appropriate exercises. Lexion also has 94 different exercise modules interwoven according to a thoroughly thought out educational pattern. Lexion fits well into mainstream or special education - see what it can do for you! |
| CENMAC Levelling the playing field: free technology in the classroom Presenters: Jessica Phillips and Imogen Wedgewood CENMAC helps hundreds of London pupils each year by loaning equipment, training staff and giving advice and support. If you work with a pupil with any physical disability that affects their ability to communicate (either verbally or using text), then this session is a must. We will look at how different students are currently helped by CENMAC in mainstream and special schools. This session is for anyone who works with struggling pupils and wants to understand more about the types of technology they could use to achieve more. |
13:00 | Smartbox Use your eyes to talk! Presenters: Nick Ward & Stephen Hyde Eye-tracking technology enables the computer to tell exactly where a person is looking on the screen. Through integration with effective communication software, this turns a computer into a hands-free, eye-controlled communication aid. In this session we will show why The Grid 2, integrated with the MyTobii eye-tracker, provides a cutting-edge solution to benefit users with a range of disabilities. This enables users to communicate through symbols or text, write letters, browse the internet, send and receive emails and text messages, and much more! |
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| AMDi Creating static displays that ignite communication Presenter: Rob McPherson Help your static users reach for the sky and increase their communication capabilities through Smart, interactive, and creative static display overlays and activities. This presentation will utilise AMDi’s new Smart Series of static display devices, as well as their Smart Ease pre-made communication page sets to help spark imagination and bridge the gap between static and dynamic display. You will learn how to create visual scene displays, hybrid visual scenes and interactive static overlays, as well as techniques used to foster the transition from static to dynamic. Case studies will demonstrate the use of these overlays in classroom activities. |
12:00 | Signalong Complete communication Presenter: Kay Meinertzhagen This seminar will cover what Signalong is, where it came from, where we are now and where we are going in the future. We will show how Signalong’s flexibility enables it to fit in with all augmentative communication systems and give examples of how it can be used alongside symbol systems, PECS and/or VOCA. We will also have a question and answer session. |
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| Penfriend Effective technology to support literacy Presenter: Allison Gajdus of Woodlawn School Explore the powerful software Penfriend and Wordbar. Penfriend is demonstrated as a tool with a range of uses for individuals with differing problems, from dyslexia to muscular dystrophy to cerebral palsy or learning difficulties. It is also shown to aid groups of pupils when used with an interactive whiteboard to support developing literacy skills. The seminar will also explore how Wordbar can be used with Penfriend to support people with complex learning needs, or on its own to develop extended writing. |
14:00 | Attainment Company Easy VOCAs, from 1 to 100 messages Presenter: Dan Hanson This session will include helpful ideas and hands-on demonstrations of easy-to-use recordable AAC devices, from single message devices like the Go Talk One to the versatile 100+ message Go Talk 20T. New this year will be the pocket-sized Go Talk 6T with a 60 message capacity. See how these user friendly devices can be used for both expressive and receptive communication. |
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| The Advisory Unit The Plasma Screen & Whiteboard Room Presenters: Sally Paveley & Nick Wonham Take a tour of the newly launched Plasma Screen & Whiteboard Room, a free online resource bank for teachers working with pupils who have SLD, PMLD and ASD. Sally has gathered together some brilliant resources teachers have created for their own classes and put them onto a learning platform so everyone can share them. She will show you a selection of the resources and explain how you can add more. Nick Wonham, author of the popular Choose and Tell software series, will talk about a fantastic set of PowerPoints based on the elements that he has contributed. |
12:00 | AbleNet Great assistive technology tools for the classroom Presenters: Adam Wing All students need to learn the skills that are essential to everyday life. Today, children learn and communicate more and more using a wide range of technology. Students with disabilities typically require appropriate assistive technology tools to meet with the same success as their counterparts. This session will demonstrate how to integrate proven technology tools to help students with developmental and significant disabilities progress toward 21st century skills in the areas of communication, self-regulation, work skills, social skills and academics. Every participant will receive FREE resource materials and a chance to win fantastic assistive technology tools! |
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