Bookshare Teacher Training Archives - Page 2 of 5

Published January 7, 2015

Monthly Support Tip: How to Get NIMAC Textbooks for Students with IEPs

As one of your trusty support specialists, I often receive calls from teachers asking how students with Individual Memberships and IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) can access textbooks, particularly those from the NIMAC repository. I tell them that this can easily be done with Reading Lists! Reading Lists are virtual bookshelves that let teachers and members save books for future reading. Teachers can create Reading Lists with assigned reading, including NIMAC-sourced textbooks for students with IEPs, and share them with students linked with their organization. (Note: Students must have an Individual Membership to access shared Reading Lists.) To read the books,…

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Published December 16, 2014

Bookshare’s 2014 Winter Bulletin Just Released!

Our quarterly newsletter, the Bookshare Bulletin was just released! This Winter 2014 edition is a wonderful recap of a tremendous year and an exciting preview of 2015. Thank you for this amazing year and enjoy reading the bulletin! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Giving Thanks and Looking Ahead A message from Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager, Benetech Global Literacy Program From our family to yours, we wish you the very best holiday season. Thanks to your support, Bookshare is serving more members than ever with a collection of…

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Published December 1, 2014

How did an Occupational Therapist Help to Build Statewide Delivery of Accessible Instruction Materials?

In 2010, the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) developed True AIM, a statewide initiative to ensure that all students with qualified print disabilities receive timely access to accessible instructional materials (AIM). To deliver on this promise, the Iowa DOE partnered with Benetech, Bookshare’s parent nonprofit. Nancy Dunn, an occupational therapist and Bookshare Mentor Teacher, supported this initiative at the Iowa Heartland Area Education Agency. She and others on the assistive technology team trained educators about the benefits and delivery of accessible instructional materials. Their efforts helped to build capacity in more than ten Iowa districts. What did Nancy and the…

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Published November 17, 2014

Updated Bookshare Web Reader Now Lets You Read on Safari!

Bookshare Web Reader, the popular and free reading tool, can now be used on current versions of the Safari browser for Mac! With this newest update to Bookshare Web Reader, Mac users can use Safari to find, open, and read Bookshare books directly within the browser. In addition, they can also listen to words read aloud and follow along with synchronized word highlighting. This full set of reading features was previously only available only on Google Chrome. This is a particularly great update because in addition to using the Safari browser, Mac users can take advantage of high-quality voices available…

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Published October 28, 2014

Bookshare’s Updated Website Is Live and Helps You Do More!

Bookshare’s updated website is live, so please tell everyone you know who uses the library! This year, our team has been working extra hard to make some great new improvements to our website while keeping many core features you know and love. What’s extra cool is that the updated website is now mobile-friendly, so members can enjoy an improved on-the-go reading experience on tablets and smartphones. And as always, our website continues to be fully accessible. Let’s check what’s under the hood with the updated site! What’s New? Clear, streamlined information—Find out if Bookshare is right for you, and read…

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Published September 25, 2014

Accessible Books for Texas Program Funded for Fifth Year and Offers Enhanced Spanish Language Support

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has just approved funding for Benetech’s Accessible Books for Texas (ABT) program for a fifth year, from September 2014 through August 2015. Benetech is the parent nonprofit of Bookshare. This funding supplements an existing award from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education, and allows Benetech to do even more via a state-level partnership with Texas. Through ABT, local outreach coordinators deliver customized, face-to-face AEM (accessible educational materials) and Bookshare training to Texas educators, parents, and students. Additionally, Bookshare applies dedicated resources to Texas membership and support questions and book requests.…

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Published September 22, 2014

Logged Into Bookshare, But Can’t Download. Renew Today!

If you’ve tried logging into your account but were unable to download books, it’s possible that your Bookshare membership has expired. Although Individual Memberships are free for U.S. students with print disabilities, it’s important to keep your school information up-to-date every year too. This will ensure a smooth transition back-to-school and uninterrupted access to the books you need for school and fun! Bookshare Support Portal and Renewal Reminders Bookshare does send out email reminders to renew your account. Remember too, that you can always visit our support portal to find answers to commonly asked questions about membership. If you’ve missed…

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Published September 16, 2014

Bookshare Mentor Teachers Go Extra Mile to Inspire Independent Readers

Dedication is the one word we use when referring to the more than 500 U.S. teachers and specialists who participate in the Bookshare Mentor Teacher program. Because of their commitment throughout the school year, hundreds, if not thousands, of new educators, parents, and students with qualified print disabilities are now members of Bookshare. They can effectively use the library and reading technologies for academic success. Are you an educator who wants to go the extra mile to ensure reading equality and independence? Do you want to empower more students to stay on task with reading assignments in school and become…

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Published July 28, 2014

Hot Off the Press! Bookshare’s Summer 2014 Bulletin

Bookshare members and supporters, the Summer 2014 Bulletin is out, and you can catch up on the latest happenings at Bookshare and Benetech, our parent nonprofit. What’s in the news? Bookshare is celebrating two major milestones—serving more than 310,000 people with print disabilities and providing access to over 250,000 titles. Wow! There’s still time to enter the Summer of Sleuths reading contest. Enter before 5 PM on August 1 for a chance to win awesome prizes! Get great tips on using Bookshare from our Support Team. Learn about our Parent Ambassador Program and great professional development opportunities for educators. Learn…

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Published May 6, 2014

Sharing Best Practices to Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Day!

Today we recognize educators everywhere for their dedication to teaching. That’s why we’re featuring some of the country’s most effective educators and specialists who work with students with print disabilities. Did you know that across the country, there are nearly 500 Bookshare Mentor Teachers? They use the online library and reading tools in innovative ways in their classrooms and to train other teachers, students, and parents. Why Do Bookshare Mentor Teachers Do What They Do? When asked, they’ll tell you it’s for the children, teens, and older students who could not enjoy reading a book or studying advanced curriculum.…

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Category: Bookshare Teacher Training