AIM Archives - Page 11 of 13

Published November 17, 2010

A Path Towards the Least Restrictive Environment

True or False: 1. Special education students are general education students first. 2. All students are special education students. The answer, both are true. Teachers who use Bookshare tell us again and again that students in special education can make progress in the general curriculum when it is presented to them in a format they can access. If the format of the material is appropriate to their learning needs, they can consume it. As consumers of the general curriculum, aren’t they general education students – just learning from a different format? In fact, all students learn differently. Some make copious…

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Published November 15, 2010

Bookshare and the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest

This post is contributed by Allison Hilliker, Bookshare Collection Development Associate. Thank you, Allison! I love Braille! I use Braille everyday for my Bookshare job and in many other areas of my life. All of us at Bookshare think Braille is a terrific tool for many people, and we’re thrilled that we can help make such a wide variety of materials available to our members. Most of you know that the Bookshare library has over 90,000 books available in BRF (Braille Ready Format and DAISY), but did you know that there’s another fun way to enjoy Braille? There is. It’s the Braille…

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Published November 11, 2010

What We’re Reading {November 11 2010} Special Veteran’s Day Edition

Today we celebrate Veterans Day (also known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day), a time to look back at the sacrifices members of the military and their families have made. In honor of the holiday, this special post provides books in the Bookshare collection that focus on the military, their families, and remembrance. I’ve also included books authored by veterans that share deeply personal experiences of war. We hope you enjoy the recommendations. Thank you to all who have served and are serving our country. Bookshare Military Special Collection: Books by or for veterans: Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and…

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Published November 4, 2010

Sunrise or Tsunami – The Rise of Digital Books in the Classroom

As surely as the sun rises every day, digital books are steadily, daily finding their way into classrooms. Their arrival will not flood our classrooms like a tsunami; rather they will appear because of the foresight and talent of leading educators who recognize the many benefits of digital books and know how to incorporate them into teaching strategies. If, when, why, and how digital books will appear in classrooms are all good questions for discussion; however, a less common, extremely important question is the format of these digital books. Ideally, digital books will be “accessible” books from the beginning, with…

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Published October 15, 2010

What We’re Reading {October 15 2010}

This week’s What We’re Reading brings you five of October’s best sellers. Something for every age group. The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan — Heroes of Olympus will be a five-book series. It is set in Percy Jackson’s world, and Percy has an important role to play in the series. At different points in the series, you will get to catch up with most of the characters from the first series, but The Lost Hero also features a new cast of main characters, so Riordan has been careful not to call it a “Percy Jackson series.”…

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Published October 11, 2010

What We’re Reading {October 11 2010}

Apologies for not getting the What We’re Reading post up last Friday! Instead, we’re bringing you this special Monday edition of What We’re Reading. In light of the recent bullying tragedies that have made headlines across the U.S., I thought it appropriate to share some wonderfully written books that address the topic of bullying. Each of these books is recommended for grades 9 – 12. Names Will Never Hurt Me by Jaime Adoff — Deftly interweaving the narratives of four unique, vivid teenagers, this powerful novel explores the enormous repercussions of daily school teasing, racism, and ostracism. Each of the teens reveal their deepest feelings and…

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Published October 5, 2010

Nichole Maples Wants People with Disabilities to Share her Joy of Reading

In rural Tupelo Mississippi, there’s a teenager who cannot speak or hold a book, yet is so passionate about encouraging people to read, she visits her local library to make sure reading happens for people like her. Nichole Maples, now 17, has severe Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, a disability caused by damage to the cerebellum or basal ganglia, an area of the brain that coordinates body movements. Nichole has little control of anything except her eyes, but she loves to read with the help of her computer and can listen to stories read aloud. For this bright young gal, reading has…

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Published October 1, 2010

What We’re Reading {October 1 2010}

In celebration of Banned Books Week, I have focused this week’s “What We’re Reading” on, no surprise, banned books. The first known record of banned books is The Index of Prohibited Books, developed by Pope Paul IV, intended to protect Catholics from controversial ideas. Since that time many lists have been developed around the world as various groups have tried to censor authors and prevent the publication of works the groups objected to. The good news, for us, is that many authors have found ways around censorship by publishing their books in other countries. One of the most well-known authors, who published…

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Published September 30, 2010

Summer Roadtrip Reading Contest – Announcing the Winners!

Drum roll please. This year’s winners for the 2010 Bookshare Summer Road Trip contest are… each of the 340 students who registered and participated! The contest was a “virtual road trip” where students downloaded and read books about our U.S. 50 states. After reading, they submitted a short review, including one “cool” thing they learned about that state. Collectively, these students downloaded, read, and submitted reviews for over 840 books… way to go! Everyone who participated should feel a great sense of accomplishment. Bookshare also wants to acknowledge our most active Road Trippers. These are the top downloaders and readers for…

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Published September 28, 2010

Parent Spotlight – The Impact of Digital Literacy on One Child, sponsored by Kurzweil, a Bookshare partner

Special thanks to Darla Hatton, a certified reading specialist who sent us this article. Mrs. Hatton created Dyslexia Facts (http://www.dyslexiafacts.net/) to provide information and resources to parents of children with dyslexia. Her mission is to encourage parents to be better informed and to seek early interventions for their school-age children. “As a mother with a familial propensity for reading difficulties, I knew that my preschool daughter was struggling. Her name is Kaila. She is dyslexic and was officially diagnosed in third grade. In her 5th grade year, I reviewed the required paperwork and signed her up for a Bookshare account.…

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