AT Classes and Events - 2019, 2020
Scheduled Classes and Workshops
The following classes and workshops are open to the community at large.
2019
May 3 - Technology Supports for Reading & Writing: A Practical Guide to Selecting & Implementing Tools (EdRev Educator Sessions - San Francisco, CA)
May 4 - Taming Digital Distractions: Tools & Strategies to Keep Students On Task While On Tech
(EdRev Expo - San Francisco, CA)
July 16 - Taming Digital Distractions: Tools & Strategies to Keep Tech Users On Task
(AzTAP Conference - Scottsdale, AZ)
2020
1/06/20 to 3/13/20: Assistive Technology for Learning Differences
(10-week, 3-unit ONLINE course through UCSC-Silicon Valley Extension, Santa Clara, CA)
Technology Supports for Reading & Writing: A Practical Guide to Selecting & Implementing Tools (EdRev Educator Session)
Do you have students in your classroom who struggle with reading and writing? Technology can help them improve their academic performance as well as increase independence and build self-confidence. Successful outcomes, however, require more than just knowledge about tools. How do you “make it happen”?
This session will provide a practical approach to building effective assistive technology solutions for students who struggle with reading and writing. Through demonstrations and some light hands-on activities, Assistive Technology Consultant Shelley Haven will guide you through strategies for selecting, implementing, and supporting technology solutions that “work” (i.e., produce the desired results) for your students.
Session includes:
- Demonstrations of how specific technology features address challenges associated with reading (fluency, comprehension, critical thinking, and taking notes) and with writing (composition, writing mechanics, vocabulary, and producing text).
- Strategies for applying tools to accomplish common academic tasks (such as taking notes while reading, brainstorming ideas prior to writing, completing a worksheet).
- Acquiring, creating, and sharing accessible educational materials for use with these reading and writing tools.
- Protocols for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of technology supports for reading and writing.
Audience: This session is for educators including general education and special education teachers, tutors, learning specialists and educational therapists who work with struggling readers and writers in grades 4 through college.
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Date: Friday, May 3rd, 2019
Time: 9:30 am to 2:30 pm (4 hours training; 1 hour lunch)
Location: Oracle Park (formerly AT&T Park), San Francisco, CA
Cost: $195 (includes lunch)
Registration: Please visit www.edrevsf.org/educator-friday
Registration deadline: April 29, 2019
Continuing Education: This workshop offers 4 hours of CEs through the Association of Educational Therapists. Requests for AET CEs can be made at time of registration.
Taming Digital Distractions: Tools & Strategies to Keep Students On Task While On Tech
(EdRev Expo)
For students with attention and executive functioning challenges, technology can be both a blessing and a curse. The laptops, mobile devices, and online access that help with schoolwork are often a source of endless distraction, leading to off-task behavior and poor performance. This session will explore selected utilities, applications, and online services that:
- Reduce visual clutter and aid focus
- Restrict access to distractive apps and websites at selected times
- Monitor device usage and increase awareness of distraction triggers.
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Date: Saturday, May 4th, 2019 (Star Wars Day!)
Time: 9:30 am to 10:30 am (1.0 hours)
Location: Oracle Park (formerly AT&T Park), San Francisco, CA
Cost: Free, but EdRev Expo registration required
To Register: Please visit www.edrevsf.org/expo
Taming Digital Distractions: Tools & Strategies to Keep Tech Users On Task
(AzTAP Conference)
For individuals with attention and executive functioning challenges, technology can be both a blessing and a curse. The laptops, mobile devices, and online access that are so important to 21st century learning and academic accommodations can also be a constant source of distraction, leading to off-task behavior and reduced performance.
This session will explore selected utilities, applications, and online services that:
- Reduce visual clutter and aid focus
- Restrict access to distractive apps and websites for selected durations at selected times
- Monitor device usage and increase awareness of distraction triggers.
We will also describe tool-supported strategies to help sustain mental focus when working on tasks, and to gradually build executive function skills related to attention.
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Date: Tuesday, July 16th, 2019
Time: 11:15 am to 12:30 pm (1.25 hours)
Location: We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center, Scottsdale / Fountain Hills, AZ
Cost: Conference registration required
To Register: Please visit aztap.org/conference/registration
Assistive Technology for Learning Differences
(10-week, 3-unit ONLINE course through UCSC-Silicon Valley Extension, Santa Clara, CA)
Technology can help struggling students leverage their learning strengths and bypass weaknesses to improve performance, independence, and self-confidence. In this online course aimed at teachers, learning specialists, educational therapists, and parents, you will learn about a wide range of tools to support students with learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), executive functioning deficits, and issues with processing information and memory. Through lecture, video demonstrations, and hands-on activities, you will learn:
- How various tools address specific learning needs.
- How to match students with appropriate tools.
- Practical strategies to implement technology solutions and integrate with curricula.
- How technology can facilitate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) practices in the classroom.
- Laws that govern assistive technology (AT) in education.
- Local, national, and online resources for AT information, equipment, and services.
SKILLS NEEDED: Students should have a basic understanding of the academic challenges faced by individuals who have learning disabilities, ADHD, and executive function issues. This can be satisfied in one of four ways:
- Completion of "Understanding Learning Differences" (EDTH.X309) or equivalent coursework.
- or Professional experience addressing the needs of students with learning differences.
- or Prior review of material on learning differences (provided by the instructor).
- or Other requisites may be approved in advance by the instructor.
TOOLS NEEDED: Hands-on experience with certain technologies is an essential part of this course. For these activities, students will need access to the following minimum tools:
- Computer: a PC with Windows 7 or above, a Mac with macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or above, or Chromebook with latest Chrome OS.
- Google Chrome browser.
- Personal Google account.
- Ability to download and install free and trial software. Specific titles to be provided in class.
NOTE: This course is part of the Educational Therapy Certificate Program at UCSC Silicon Valley Extension. For more information, please visit:
www.ucsc-extension.edu/certificates/educational-therapy
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Dates: January 6th, 2020 through March 13th, 2020
Times: This is a mostly asynchronous online course with 10 weekly modules and two synchronous online sessions:
- Thursday 1/09/20, 5:30 to 8:00 pm PST (2.5 hours)
- Thursday 3/12/20, 5:30 to 8:00 pm PDT (2.5 hours)
Location: Online; registered students will receive access to UCSC Extension’s Online Learning Center one day prior to the first class.
Tuition: $640
To Enroll: Please visit www.ucsc-extension.edu/courses/assistive-technology-for-learning-differences