Transition Archives - Page 4 of 5

Published September 3, 2013

Reading Lists to Get Organized for Back-to-School

In our last blog post, we shared tips to help you find your school books. Today, we want to help you keep those books organized for back-to-school with a great new tool called Reading Lists. What Are Reading Lists? Reading Lists (formerly Bookshelves) are virtual lists that let school sponsors and student members save and organize titles that can be accessed anywhere with Internet. How do Reading Lists help you? Teachers can create a class Reading List, like fifth-grade American Literature, and save titles for the semester. Whenever a student needs a particular book, just go to your Reading List…

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Published August 29, 2013

Back-to-School Books for Schools and Universities

Throughout August, we’re encouraging students to get ready for the new school year. You can start this now and get on the right foot by reading this blog and following the steps below. In our last blog post, you read how to make sure your school or home accounts are up-to-date. Today, let’s make sure you’ve got your books! Get the books you need! Start by getting your required book list from your school or DSS office, then follow these steps to success: Go to www.bookshare.org and log in. Use the search feature located at the top of every page…

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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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Published July 2, 2013

On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by Radical Braille Advocates… by Betsy Beaumon

On the Future of Braille: Thoughts by Radical Braille Advocates by Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager, Benetech’s Global Literacy Program I recently had the honor to speak at the first-ever Braille Summit, hosted on June 19-21, 2013 by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) and Perkins School for the Blind. With the goal of promoting braille literacy, this landmark meeting brought together braille experts from around the world to Perkins’ campus in Watertown, Massachusetts. My biggest takeaway from the summit: the time could not be more urgent, and more hopeful, for the future…

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Published July 1, 2013

Bookshare Celebrates 250,000 Milestone and Members of All Ages!

Bookshare is helping people with print disabilities around the world to read books for school, work, and fun so they can reach their personal goals and more fully participate in society. This summer, we celebrate a very important milestone: we now serve 250,000 members! Did you know that Bookshare members include students, adults, seniors, veterans, and international members in over 40 countries? We could not have achieved this milestone without the help of members, advocates, and partners like you. Your tireless efforts have helped to build Bookshare’s thriving community. And your continued support will help us reach hundreds of millions…

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Published June 17, 2013

Bookshare Student Advisor Receives 2013 CEC Yes I Can! Award

Seventeen-year-old Brian Meersma embodies the characteristics of a leader. From the time he was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade, Brian embraced his learning disability (LD) with strength and courage. First he learned how to use assistive technology, and then he explored many resources to help him read and write better. Today, he dedicates much of his free time to helping others with similar learning challenges. And for his advocacy, Brian just received the 2013 Yes I Can! Award from the Council for Exceptional Children. CEC President Christy A. Chambers said, “Brian deserves this award for his perseverance and hard…

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Published March 29, 2013

Bookshare Webinars in April and May

During the next couple of months, we have several webinars to help you get your students prepared for summer reading, their transitions, and your fall planning. Register for the webinars that are of interest to you, and note that there are dates in April and May for each webinar. If you can’t attend, but are interested in the content, please go ahead and register anyway. You will be sent a link to the recording after the webinar. Google Education on AIR – Tips for Using Bookshare’s Web Reader with Chrome (a 45-minute hangout) Date: Weds, May 8, 2013 Time: 4:00…

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Published August 7, 2012

Books to Help You Prepare for Those Big Tests!

Good preparation can make that important day when you take the big test so much less stressful. Bookshare has a variety of resources that will help you get ready. You’ll find books from all the popular test preparation publishers, including Peterson’s, Barron’s, and Kaplan. If you don’t find the book you want, search by the name of the standard test in our collection, and you’ll find lots of choices. These books give you lots of opportunities to take practice tests and look more closely at subjects that you want to review more intensively. Here are some general titles to get you…

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Published August 2, 2012

A Computer Science Degree to a Job with Bookshare

I learned about Bookshare in 2004 just before my senior year of high school. Bookshare wasn’t free for qualified students back then, so I paid for my first subscription with money I received for my high school graduation. I joined six weeks before I started college, knowing I would need as many sources of accessible materials as possible. While there weren’t many textbooks, I thought I would find materials that would help with research papers. However, another use was rather surprising. For a political science class, I was required to read the newspaper, e.g. The New York Times, several times…

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Category: Transition