#bookshare #ld #blind #disabilities #dyslexia Archives - Page 2 of 3

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…

Leave a Comment

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…

Leave a Comment

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…

1 Comment

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…

2 Comments

Published October 19, 2010

Wait for Superman? Or Borrow His Cape!

I had the opportunity to watch “Waiting for Superman” last week, and as promised, the movie exposes many flaws in our educational system and discouraging statistics about student performance. The U.S. currently ranks 23rd out of 29 of the top world economies in graduation rates. The movie portrays failures in administration, teaching, and attitudes. It portrays “drop out factories,” or high schools with inordinately high percentages of high school drop outs. It also exposes motivation and eagerness on the part of some students, the qualities that as a nation we need to recognize and encourage. The movie follows five students…

1 Comment

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…

Leave a Comment

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…

2 Comments

Published October 4, 2010

Bookshare on the Rachael Ray Show!

Bookshare on the Rachael Ray Show Set your TiVOs, DVRs, or tune in Wednesday, October 6th to the Rachael Ray Daytime Talk Show. Bookshare is featured on a segment with Chrissy Steltz. Chrissy is an amazing woman. When she was just 16, a gun accident shattered her eyes, cheeks, nose and part of her jaw. She lost a major portion of her face in the accident and was left blind as a result. Since the accident she has worn a sleep shade whenever she was in public. After a year-long process, months of surgeries, and a week of face molding, the…

Leave a Comment

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…

1 Comment

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.…

Leave a Comment

Tag: #bookshare #ld #blind #disabilities #dyslexia