physical disabilities Archives - Page 4 of 6

Published February 24, 2014

Honoring Women in History—March

March is Women’s History Month. Do you know the name of a woman astronomer who discovered a comet in 1847? Who was the first woman Indian Chief to lead the Cherokee Nation? Who fought for a woman’s right to vote? We’ve pulled together some interesting titles about women activists, leaders, poets, and individuals who conquered remarkable odds to improve society. First, to answer our question about a woman astronomer. Maria Mitchell (1818–1889) was an astronomer who discovered a comet, which was named after her, on October 1, 1847. She was the first woman elected to the American Association for the…

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Published February 10, 2014

Parent Advocates for Learning Portability for Children with Chronic Illness

Each year, thousands of students miss school due to a chronic illness and fall behind on their homework. This is the case for Hailey Bopp, a Texas youngster who is blind and has cognitive delays. “When Hailey misses school, she gets sad and depressed,” says Ann Bopp, her mom, “because she doesn’t get to read the books her teacher and classmates are reading.” To mitigate her daughter’s frustration, Ann signed Hailey up for a Bookshare individual membership and advocates for the online library to other families in similar situations. “Using Bookshare and an iPad, Hailey keeps up with reading assignments…

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Published January 28, 2014

Teacher-Recommended Titles for Black History Month

Earlier, we wrote about Black History Month. In this blog, we want to share some great reading recommendations from one of our amazing sponsor members, Donna Schneider. Donna is an Assistive Technology Specialist and Bookshare Mentor Teacher. She gave us her list of teacher-recommended books to read and learn about black history. Some titles meet Common Core Standards, so please share them with other teachers and students. Here’s a tip! Use Reading Lists to save, organize, and share these books with students who have Individual Memberships. View this tutorial for educators or this tutorial for Individual Members. * * *…

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Published January 13, 2014

Two FREE “Bookshare for Educators” Workshops during ATIA 2014 Conference in Orlando

Educators near or close to Orlando, Florida, and those who will attend the ATIA 2014 conference, reserve your seat now for FREE Bookshare training workshops on Friday, January 31. This is your chance to get hands-on training and answers to questions directly from our Bookshare trainers. You do not have to register for ATIA to participate. The events will take place at the Caribe Royal Hotel in conjunction with ATIA 2014. Once we reserve your spot, we’ll send you details in a confirmation email. Space is limited, so please sign up on the waiting list for these in-depth training sessions:…

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Published December 26, 2013

Praise for Accessible Books and Reading Technologies by Bookshare Mentor Teacher

As 2013 comes to an end, we want to send our heartfelt thanks to all educators, sponsors and Bookshare Mentor Teachers who continue to partner with us to provide accessible educational opportunities to their students. With that sentiment, we’d like to share this letter from Theresa Brousseau, a teacher of the visually impaired, who wrote us this letter. “Thanks to Bookshare, I feel good that I’m able to help more students with print disabilities achieve their goals, make progress and be successful! As a VI teacher, the students I work with require reading assignments in accessible formats to access the…

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Published December 19, 2013

Bookshare Listed Among World’s 100 Most Inspiring Applications of Digital Technology for Social Innovation

This post is reposted from the Benetech Blog. The Nominet Trust, a United Kingdom leading social tech funder, included Bookshare, a Benetech Global Literacy initiative, on its list of 100 global ventures using digital technology to solve some of the world’s biggest social problems. Through its innovative technologies, Bookshare is raising the floor for people with print disabilities (such as visual impairments, physical disabilities, or severe learning disabilities) by providing them with the world’s largest collection of accessible copyrighted content and reading tools. Bookshare currently has over 250,000 members and a collection of more than 220,000 titles, which are delivered…

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Published October 1, 2013

Get Students a Bookshare Individual Membership at Home!

Throughout October, parents and educators often meet to discuss how students are progressing through the school year. Parent-teacher conferences, IEP meetings, and other face-to-face opportunities are the perfect time to discuss how students can take reading and studying to the next level with Bookshare. How? Get qualified students access to Bookshare at home. Most of our student members access Bookshare through their school account. This means that educators find and download books for students. A fast growing number of students are also getting individual memberships. This allows them to discover books on their own, download independently, and develop a personal…

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Published September 14, 2013

Best Practice — Teacher Makes Stories Come Alive Through Accessible Books and Sensory Learning!

We’re sure you’ll agree that Jennifer Cassese Appleton, a reading specialist at Virginia’s Alternative Paths Training School, has mastered the art of blended learning. She is also the parent of four children, including a son with dyslexia. Jennifer wants all students to have an engaging reading experience, no matter their learning or print disability. How does she engage her students to read with curiosity and anticipation? For many books that her students read, they also do a companion learning project involving art, music, or cooking. “When you pair good literature with a sensory learning experience, you create positive memories in…

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Published August 14, 2013

Get Ready for Back-to-School with Bookshare!

Back to School is a time for teachers, parents, and students of all ages to brush off the summer dust and get ready for a brand new school year. How can you be sure that you are ready to make this year a success on day one? By making sure you are prepared with the books, tools, and information that you or your students need before class begins. That way, you can spend more time focusing on teaching and learning and less time getting ready. Bookshare can help! Throughout the fall, we’ll provide you with step-by-step information to set up…

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Published July 29, 2013

Photo Journal: U.S. Official Visits Benetech and High School/College Transition Program Using Bookshare

Michael Yudin, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, visited our Benetech headquarters recently. He was on his way to observe a dual-enrollment transition program at Mission Middle College in Santa Clara. This unique collaboration of Santa Clara Unified School District and Mission Middle College offers new opportunities for high school seniors who were not performing well academically to complete high school graduation courses and accumulate college credits. At the technology demonstration, students, parents, and educators shared experiences with Mr. Yudin and Betsy Beaumon, our General Manager and VP. Bookshare student members demonstrated…

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Category: physical disabilities