Technology Expo

November 15, 2007 | 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

The 2007 Technology Expo is a showcase of innovative products and projects from the key leaders in the assistive and learning technology field. Join us for an evening of hands-on experience with emerging and exciting technologies designed to improve the learning outcomes for students with special needs.

First Annual NCTI Peer Awards for Brightest Idea

Congratulations to SmartBrain Technology for winning the First Annual NCTI Peer Awards for Brightest Idea voted on by conference participants! See our Winners page to learn about other exhibitors and projects that were also recognized at the 2007 competition.

Expo Participants

See who is presenting. Click on an exhibitor name to view a description of the tool or research project. Check out the 2005 Expo presentations.

AbleNet, Inc.

MEville to WEville™ Presented by Cheryl Volkman MEville to WEville™ integrates reading, writing, speaking, augmentative communicating and listening for elementary students. Activities are based on early literacy learning from the reports/research of the National Reading Panel, National Reading Research Council Project, Reading Difficulties in Young Children, and guided by Dr. Karen Erickson from the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies. Learn about this program and its integrated supports for the classroom, the school and the entire district. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Access Technologies Group

Social Simentor Presented by Lucy Baney The primary reason people with cognitive disabilities lose jobs, is their inappropriate social skills in the work environment. Social Simentor uses a patented simulation technology to immerse the learner in virtual social scenarios enabling them to practice their behavior using a computer. A learner can practice as often as they choose in a penalty-free environment. Research will demonstrate the enthusiasm of the learner and the skill transfer of simulated learning. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Bridge Multimedia

Universal eBook Presented by Matthew Kaplowitz & Judy Vesel The Universal eBook, developed by Bridge Multimedia and TERC, utilizes “Bugs for Lunch,” an existing science-based children’s book for ages 4-7 (Facklam & Long, 1999). This prototype integrates the full range of NIMAS- and 508-compliant assistive technologies, including accessible keyboards, customizable screen displays offering selectable font size and background color, screen readers, Braille output, embosser-generated tactile graphics, signing avatars, captioning, audio description, picture graphics for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users, and more. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

CAST

Monitoring Students Progress toward Standards in Reading Tool Presented by Tracey E. Hall, Vue Ge & Patti Ganley CAST will demonstrate our new technology-based system combining two powerful and proven approaches—Curriculum Based Measurement and Universal Design for Learning—in a digital learning environment to improve reading instruction for students with disabilities and to enhance the performance of students in standards-based settings. Built into the tool are

• Four novels from in middle school curriculum,
• CBM reading measures, and
• Student forums for student-to-student-to-teacher dialogue about the novels.

» Visit exhibitor’s website.

CAST

Science Writer Presented by Boo Murray & Mindy Johnson Science Writer is a digital tool, framed in the principles of Universal Design for Learning that guides students in writing a report based on the scientific inquiry process. Embedded supports include animated agents, rubrics for self-checking, a glossary, and a journal. Teachers can track individual student progress in the writing process, provide feedback through Science Writer’s work log, and use the built-in progress monitoring system to inform instruction. » Visit exhibitor’s website

Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood, Western Illinois University

Technology by Children, For Children, and About Children Product Showcase Presented by Linda Robinson, Carol Schneider & Letha Clark The products in this showcase are based on the Center’s 14 years of research on child outcomes and technology use. First, is a set of online workshops (EC-TIIS) and effectiveness data on educator and family participation. Second, is TechTools, a CD-ROM product to assist providers and families in determining learning experiences for infants and toddlers and documenting progress. Third, is set of podcasts created by early elementary students and sample activities from ACTTT: Accessing Curriculum Through Technology Tools curriculum. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Center for Literacy & Disability Studies

MEville to WEville™ Meets Start-to-Finish Literacy Starters® Presented by Karen Erickson This comprehensive literacy instructional program is built using MEville to WEville™ (AbleNet), Start-to-Finish® Literacy Starters (Don Johnston) and SOLO™ (Don Johnston). It includes a set of 135 literacy lessons that integrate assistive technologies into word study, comprehension, and writing instruction. The new program also includes modifications to SOLO™ including a user profile for Co:Writer and simplified toolbars across all of the applications. Recent research suggests the program is effective in providing evidence-based instruction to students with moderate to severe cognitive impairments. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Dancing Dots, Inc.

GOODFEEL® Braille Music Translator Presented by William R. McCann Thousands of Braille-reading students throughout the U.S. lack timely access to Braille music materials and thousands more blind musicians lack the means to independently produce printed scores of their own musical ideas. GOODFEEL® from Dancing Dots relieves the world-wide shortage of transcribers, keeps transcription at local level and empowers blind musicians to print their music, solving two age-old problems: first, how to independently learn new material from print scores and, second, how to express creative musical ideas in print medium. GOODFEEL® promotes literacy, independence and inclusion. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Don Johnston, Inc.

SOLO and SOLO Writing Coach Presented by Ruth Ziolkowski Some of our technologies include SOLO and SOLO Writing Coach, a new Response to Intervention Solution. SOLO is a software tool set that builds learning skills in reading, writing, planning, organizing, revising and editing. It is an ideal solution for inclusion of social studies, science and language arts classrooms when students need individual support. SOLO Writing Coach is a writing intervention developed by Dr. Karen Erickson. It has demonstrated dramatic writing gains — proven in real schools with real teachers and students. >> Visit exhibitor’s website.

Eugene Research Institute

Picture Planner™ Presented by Tom Keating The Picture Planner™ is a cognitively accessible icon-based personal activity organizer designed for students with limited reading ability and for whom typical user interfaces are too complex. Accessible features include multi-modal icons providing image, text, and text-to-speech information, single-click operability, and metacognitive support for completing the steps of activity scheduling. It’s a Windows and Mac desktop application and now also exports schedules to Windows Mobile 5 handheld computers. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

George Mason University

KIHd (Handheld Collaborative Data Collection and Analysis System) Presented by Shuangbao Wang, Michael Behrmann & Heidi Graff The KIHd system is a real-time handheld-based collaborative data collection and analysis system. Sample data can be stored on either handheld devices or remote database with Internet or wireless connections. Data stored on the handheld devices is automatically synchronized once the connection to the remote database is available. The system can be operated either on handheld devices such as PDA’s, cell phones or on a regular PC with Internet connections. It uses an XML-based Portal Dataset® and web services to enhance data protection and security. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Intelligent Automation, Inc.

Playmation Presented by Shannon Mayhew & David Mayhew Playmation is a system that integrates the powerful learning modalities of touch and manipulation within the familiar instructional paradigm of picture strips. This system enables a child to move a three-dimensional character across a photographic “playmat” to communicate actions being performed by the character. A web camera captures this movement and software identifies the play patterns, creating an animated movie or a storybook to reflect and reinforce the children’s play. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Juniper Gardens Children’s Project

Online Progress Monitoring and Decision-making System Presented by Jay Buzhardt Early intervention and progress monitoring is key to reducing the impact of developmental disabilities on children’s growth. This demonstration highlights our online progress monitoring and decision-making data system used with over 8,000 infants and toddlers across 9 states. The system is driven by standardized Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDIs) for Infants and Toddlers. Among other tools, users have immediate access to reports, individual and aggregated child graphs, and a data-based decision-making ‘advisor.’ » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Opdo Limited

Lomak™ Communication Technologies Presented by Christopher Mulcare Opdo Limited has developed a range of revolutionary communication products for children and adults with severe physical disabilities, who are unable to communicate verbally, hold a pen or use a computer. Opdo’s products are based around the award winning keyboard Lomak™ (Light Operated Mouse and Keyboard). Lomak™ uses advanced light sensor technology and a proprietary circular keyboard design. Users operate the keyboard by either a hand held pointer or a head mounted light pointer. The distinctive radial arrangement of keys makes for easy understanding and learning. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Quillsoft

WordQ/SpeakQ Presented by Fraser Shein The WordQ/SpeakQ software can help students of all ages with learning disabilities who struggle with writing. WordQ uses advanced word prediction to suggest or cue words. Text-to-speech feedback enhances writing and editing through auditory cueing. SpeakQ, a speech recognition plug-in for WordQ, addresses problems faced by users with learning disabilities who often cannot benefit from current speech recognition technology due to its reading demands and operational complexity. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Research and Development Institute

Interactive Mathematics Software for Braille Note Presented by Gaylen Kapperman & Jodi Sticken Many blind students experience difficulty reaching levels of achievement in mathematics which are commensurate with their ability. One of the stumbling blocks to success in math is the youngsters’ inability to read the braille math code. We have developed an interactive tutorial which operates on the Braille Note, a small hand-held specially designed computer which speaks and displays braille. Blind students can use the device with our software to increase their ability to read and write the code of braille mathematics thus enhancing their chances for success in the study of mathematics. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Rochester Institute of Technology

C-Print Pro™ Presented by Michael Stinson & Pamela Francis C-Print Pro™ provides note taking support and speech-to-text support for deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstream classes by enabling the use of an electronic stylus for graphic input. Using the note taking option, students view notes in real-time on a tablet as they are being taken by a note taker whose tablet communicates wirelessly with the student’s. Students may also add their own notes. With the speech-to-text option, a service provider uses a tablet to provide graphical information along with the text-based real-time display. Research indicates that C-Print Pro™ increases academic performance, improves attentiveness in class, and increases student involvement. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

SMART Brain Technology

SMART Brain Home System Presented by Domenic Greco, Judith Pokorni & Lindsay Greco SMART Brain Home System, developed by CyberLearning Technology, uses neurofeedback to improve the behaviors of individuals with autism, language disorders, and attention deficits. Individuals play a Sony PlayStation® racing game while wearing a visor with 3 sensors and using a specially programmed game controller. The player receives auditory, visual and tactile feedback, depending on the real time brain wave patterns being used. The equipment is being tested through an NCTI grant with adolescents with ADD. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Special Education Assistive Technology (SEAT) Center at Illinois State University

Assistive Technology Curriculum Presented by George Peterson-Karlan & Howard P. Parette The SEAT Center at Illinois State University is dedicated to preparing educational professionals to provide assistive technology to all students with disabilities in PreK-Grade 12. This is accomplished through a comprehensive assistive technology (AT) curriculum to develop practitioners, specialists and leadership in AT. This curriculum is implemented through University courses, workshops and on-line learning and supported by a vigorous program of scholarship, development and school-based research. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

TeachTown

TeachTown: Skill Builder Presented by Eric Dashen TeachTown, Inc. is developing a software program, TeachTown: Skill Builder, designed specifically for children with autism spectrum disorders. The program provides parents, teachers and clinical providers with an easily accessible, motivating, and efficient education and treatment program to help children with autism become more successful in a mainstream classroom. TeachTown: Skill Builder also includes a self-management component where children can learn to organize their own lives, follow lists, and develop classroom strategies for learning in difficult situations. Visit exhibitor’s website.

TERC

SigningAvatar® Presented by Judy Vesel The SigningAvatar® accessibility software has been incorporated into the illustrated 3D Signing Science Dictionary (SSD) for students in Grades 4-8 who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, we will show how the SSD interface and SigningAvatar® technology have been adapted to support a prototype Signing Science Pictionary (SSP) for young learners in Grades K-3. Plans will be shared for ongoing development of the SSP that is intended to meet the needs of parents and their deaf or hard of hearing children in out-of-school settings. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

TextHelp Systems

Embedded Literacy and Language Support Tools Presented by Kate Gilligan Texthelp Systems Literacy and Language Support Tools provide a wider range of differentiation for digital curriculum materials. These embedded tools for speech, synchronous highlighting, Study Skills, Dictionary and Word Translation are available for HTML, Flash and Java eLearning products. The technology provides important support for struggling readers and English Learners with tools designed to improve independent learning by increasing reading levels and improving reading comprehension. Demonstration of eBook, assessment, courseware and reference applications will be provided. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

University of Cincinnati

Math Pursuits Presented by Janet Zydney & Ted Hasselbring Math Pursuits is a multimedia program designed to help understand mathematics through discovering mathematical connections to the world around them. The program uses short video-based vignettes to communicate real world mathematics to students in an adventure game context. Visitors will have the opportunity to play the game and see how this software has been used to help students with diverse learning needs. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

WebAIM / National Center on Disability and Access to Education

Cognitive Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool Presented by Cyndi Rowland Project staff will present draft specifications for a suite of tools to evaluate the cognitive aspects of a Web page. By adding this suite to the existing Web Accessibility Versatile Evaluator (WAVE), web developers will have a tool for creating content and designs that are accessible to students with cognitive disabilities. Participants are encouraged to comment on draft specifications during these early stages of development. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

WizCom Technologies

Readingpen Presented by Christopher Anderton The Readingpen can be integrated into a student’s daily reading activities as they expand their vocabulary and comprehension. Results from studies will show how the Readingpen provides instruction/assistance in fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension, English language learning, and special education. It fulfills a wide variety of significant teaching and learning actions for readers of all ages. » Visit exhibitor’s website.

Details for Exhibitors

Exhibitors will have access to set up displays 30 minutes prior to the start of the Expo. One 6’ table and access to an electrical outlet will be provided for each participant. The Madison Hotel offers complimentary wireless service. Participants wishing to use the Internet should bring computers equipped for wireless access.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the NCTI staff at ncti@air.org.