Off to the CSUN Conference

The AT Network Staff are off to  CSUN's annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference in San Diego this week. We will be back next week to talk about the newest devices in Assistive Technology. 


Until then...

Service Animals and Safeway

Safeway thinks people are trying to take advantage of service animal laws... what do you think? There is an option to 'vote' after you read this article. Click here to read the article titled "Safeway tris to enforce service animal rule" at SFGate.

Autism Apps--is there a benefit?

An article titled "Despite Popularity, Benefit of Autism Apps Questioned" posted earlier this week over on DisabilityScoop explores the benefits of autism apps designed for iDevices and Android platforms:

"Apps designed to help those with disabilities are all the rage, but it remains unclear how effective such new technology really is.


Hundreds of apps have come on the market in recent years claiming to help those with special needs, particularly autism. But technology is moving faster than science can keep up, experts say, meaning that it’s unknown which, if any, of the apps are truly making a therapeutic difference." Click here to continue reading.

So what do you think? What is your experience with apps designed to be used by children with autism? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.

The Debate Over Smartpens in the Classroom

by Shelley Haven, ATP, RET – Assistive Technology Consultant

www.TechPotential.net

New technologies for learning also create new challenges.  This is very evident with "smartpens" which capture a student's handwritten notes, record audio, and link the two together.  Devices like Livescribe’s Echo® can be incredibly helpful to students with dysgraphia, slow auditory processing, and other issues that impact their ability to effectively take notes.  Students can listen more, write less, and selectively review sections of the recording later by tapping their written notes with the pen.

The challenge is the pen's ability to audio record, so laws or policies that specify what can and cannot be recorded in class apply.  (These also apply to other notetaking technology that record – e.g., digital notebooks like Microsoft OneNote, various iPad notetaking apps, smartphone recorder apps, etc.)

I'm not a lawyer – nor do I play one on TV – but here is what I've gleaned from websites, list serve discussions, and my work with schools on this issue.  In short, there are no hard-and-fast rules that apply in every state, every school, or every situation.

Concerns center around three issues: intellectual property, student confidentiality, and teacher rights.

At the college level, a professor might object to recording on the basis of "copyright infringement."  One list serve post by a student claimed that her professor forbade her to use the smartpen because the lecture was his "intellectual property."  But what if the student uses it as an academic accommodation?

Institutions have different perspectives about this.  For example, the student handbook at Vermont's Middlebury College states: “Where a particular accommodation results in a verbatim transcription of a classroom lecture or presentation…[these] are the intellectual property of the individual professor, Middlebury College, and/or both,” and sharing these with anyone without prior written consent is prohibited.  Institutions may employ an agreement for use of recording devices as an accommodation, such as this form from North Carolina State University.

At the K-12 level, recording teachers (as well as students who speak up) raises fears that a questionable off-hand remark or disciplinary action might become the latest YouTube sensation.  States’ laws vary on use of recording devices in an educational setting, with some generalizing this to fall under laws regulating recording of phone calls without prior consent.

In California, Education Code Section 51512 says use of a recording device by any person, pupil or otherwise, without prior consent of both the teacher and the principal "disrupts and impairs the teaching process and discipline" and as such is prohibited.  However, the last paragraph appears to provide an exception for accommodation-related recording, saying "This section shall not be construed as affecting the powers, rights, and liabilities...as provided for by any other provision of law.”  This might include the ADA or IDEA rights of a student who needs recording as an accommodation.  So which takes precedence?

The key may be striking a compromise on a case-by-case basis that balances the needs and rights of all involved.  I've helped a few schools work out solutions.  For example, in one school we determined that the district's board policy took precedence, and thus the "site administrator" (the principal) could make final decisions.  The pen would only be used in certain circumstances (e.g., lecture portions of class but not discussions) and the student, parent, and teacher would sign a document indicating that they understood and would abide by the agreement, similar to this downloadable "Acceptable Use Policy" form for classroom recording.

Schools across the country are exploring other solutions that balance the educational benefits of technology like the Livescribe smartpen with the rights and confidentiality afforded to those being recorded, for example:

• Only use pen in certain classes, or during certain times in class.
• Pen is owned and retained by school; recordings are uploaded to computer controlled by school; teacher has 24 hours to approve recording before providing student access to it.
• Teacher (not student) uses pen under a document camera to teach, then shares the “Pencast” (file including both the notes and audio) with all students.
• For some activities, all students get to use a pen, or a limited number of pens are distributed to students on a rotating basis.

As with many emerging technologies, new capabilities raise new concerns and questions, so solutions are evolving and always a moving target.  Remember the furor over electronic calculators in school and how they would single-handedly destroy math instruction?  We seem to have survived that and even integrated the use of calculators into instruction.  I am sure we will do the same here.

Have you experienced smartpens in the classroom or been denied their use? If so, please leave a comment below.

Join us at the AT Network's annual AT Forum

Calling all AT Network members! Join us for the AT Network’s annual in-person training and networking event.

AT Forum Overview
The AT Network’s annual AT Forum will be held on Wednesday, February 29th from 10am to 4pm in downtown San Diego. This in-person event is a great opportunity to network with AT Network members, work on issues of mutual concern and receive training. Click here to register before the Wednesday, February 15th deadline.

I'm not yet a member. How can I join the AT Network?

It's simple. Click here to complete the AT Network membership application. Click here to learn the benefits of membership.

AT Forum Registration Information
To review the AT Forum agenda and to register, click here. Lunch will be provided for all registered participants. The deadline to register is Wednesday, February 15th.

Why is the AT Forum held in San Diego?
The AT Network is scheduled in tandem with the annual CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference in San Diego. The AT Forum is organized and sponsored by the AT Network. The AT Forum is not affiliated with the CSUN Conference. If you would like to learn more about the CSUN conference, click here.

AT Network Forum Agenda and Location Information
When: Wednesday, February 29th
Where: Columbia Center Building, 401 West A Street, San Diego, CA 92101, 3rd Floor, Room 300

Agenda Overview:
10 AM - 10:30 AM   Welcome and Introductions
10:30 AM - 12 PM   Small Group Discussions/Networking
12 PM - 12:30 PM   Reports to Large Group and Discussion
12:30 PM - 1:30PM Networking Lunch
1:30 PM – 4 PM      iPad Training with Debbie Drennan from Parents Helping Parents

iPad Training Description 
Do you know people who are swept away in the iPad tidal wave? Are you curious about how to make the iPad more user-friendly for people with disabilities? This presentation will focus on how to make the iPad user-friendly for all individuals. First, we will explore accessories for the iPad, including stands, cases, speakers, switches, etc. that can make the iPad more accessible. Then, there will be hands-on time with the built-in accessibility features on the iPad’s OS5 operating system. And, if there is time, there will be an opportunity for you to share your favorite apps for individuals with disabilities. Come, learn, and share!

iPad Training Note: The AT Network will provide a limited number of iPad 2s with the OS 5 operating system for participants to use. If you have your own iPad 2, please bring it and make sure to update it with OS 5 before you come.

Click here to register for the AT Forum before the Wednesday, February 15th deadline.