Two Great Ideas: Core Words & iBooks

Hey Tek-ninjas! I'm excited to share a free resource with you. This is specifically useful if you are teaching Core Words, and/or reading skills to your people. I did touch on these books in a blog awhile back, but I'm really excited about using iBooks with them.

Tobii-Dynavox offers a selection of books that can be viewed on pretty much any computer. If you make a free account at mytobiidynavox, you can download these books, and lesson plans that come with them.

Like I noted, you can view these books on any computer. Or you could print and bind them. Or... and this is the solution that I really like... if you have an iPad, you can save the books in iBooks, and access them anywhere, even without wifi.

Take a look at the video to see the process.

Incidentally, if you really like these books, and prefer old-fashioned paper-back, you can purchase 36  of the books here, for $169.50.

ADDENDUM: Hey Tek-ninjas, I’ve had a professional license with Tobii-Dynavox for so long that I forgot that if you don’t have a professional license your myTobiiDynavox webpage looks different. Some of you may not have set up a professional license yet and so you’re not able to find these great resources. Take a look at this quick video as it will show you how to set up that professional license. Again, this remains free. Incidentally, the Professional account also affords you a free copy of Snap + Core First.

Happy therapy!!

"Ask Us Anything" Sessions with Tobii Dynavox and Boardmaker!

Learning Team and Tech Support Consultants

Hey Tek-Ninjas! This will be of interest to my peeps supporting AAC and Symbol users.

Starting April 19th, and following weekly, Tobii-Dynavox professionals will be available for an hour to answer questions, provide demonstrations, provide resources, etc. 

Someone from the Learning Team and Tech Support team will join up to offer open forums where learners can come and ask questions. As a learner you can stay long enough to just have your questions answered (by asking it aloud, typing in a chat window, sending it ahead of time – whatever your comfort level is) – or stay for the whole hour to hear what other questions might come up. 

The next offering for this is April 30th. 

Learners/Customers can register here.  Feel free to spread the word.

As if that weren't amazing enough...

The Education team will also offer ‘Boardmaker Ask Us Anything’ sessions. Registration is available on the Tobii Dynavox website and also on GoBoardmaker.com > Learning & Support > Webinars

April 16, 2019 @ 11:00 EDT HERE

May 9, 2019 @ 1:00 EDT HERE

May 30, 2019@ 5:00 EDT HERE


Happy therapy!

How to install an app on an older iOS platform

Hey Tek-Ninjas! Today's blog is a quick iOS app tip which will hopefully be useful for you.

Recently a colleague reached out to me, indicating that she was trying to download the Snap + Core First App on her mini iPad. Her dilemma was that iTunes kept telling her that she needed iOS 10 or later. Her mini iPad runs iOS 9.3.5 and would not install the newer version.

I knew there was a solution, but couldn't remember it.  Consequently, I had to send this tech-question up the ladder to my senior tech guy, my 17 year old son, Ben.

Ben quickly got back to me with the following:

So- the only way Apple will allow you to download an older version is if you already own the app. Once you find it in the “purchased” section of the App Store you can select “download” and it will give you the option to download an older version that is compatible with device

So what do we do if she hasn’t purchased it before? Go on a newer device like an

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iPhone or iTunes on a Mac (the latter is preferable) that is associated with her iPad’s Apple ID and can purchase the app. Buy it from there, and then you will find it listed in the “purchased” section of her iPad’s App Store. Then you can download, and receive the “older version” 

In the specific case at hand,  my colleague needed to download the "free" version. Once she logged into her "mytobiidynavox" account within the app she gained full functionality.

I can see this issue presenting with a variety of apps, and so I hope this is useful to you all. Thanks to Ben!

Happy therapy!


ADDENDUM: 
So the clinician who asked for help emailed back to tell me she had to take a few extra steps. She shared the following:

A few extra steps were involved because essentially the newest version of iTunes on Macs does not support connections with iPad. I had to uninstall my current iTunes and re-install an older version in order for the steps from your blog to work. Essentially, the iPad is too old and iTunes is too new.

I hope this is useful for folks!

"How do I Teach Core...Like fer real"...

Hey Tek-Ninjas! More than occasionally speech therapists ask me "how to teach core language, like fer real". (Disclaimer: no SLP I know actually speaks like this) I routinely direct them to make a free Professional account at www.mytobiidynavox.com. The answers and the materials are there. For free. Fer real. 

Core language is ideal because 85% of the words exchanged in everyday communication come from a relatively small pool of roughly 300 words. By providing systematic instruction in these words, we give people increased power as communicators and target their literacy skills at the same time. Words like "I", "Want", "More", "You" generalize across so many conversations. Mastering them opens up true spontaneous conversation. 

Tobii Dynavox offers free research-based instructional routines, found the in the Quick Lesson Guide.  And, while I'd like you to jump both feet first into the Tobii Dynavox world, I'd like to point out that you can use these lessons with anyone learning core language.  

Within the Professional account you can find books created specifically with a Core strategy in mind and maximize use of the target words in connected texts that support comprehension and engagement. Activities are intended for classrooms, therapy, or home use. Each word unit comes with word-byword Lesson Plans, so you know what to do to get started on Monday morning

Within the account, you can also print out overlays for a variety of tech devices. 

Even if you aren't a "professional therapist", you can also find much of this content in Pathways for Snap, another free tool that runs on iOS or Windows 10. 

Happy Therapy!

FREE downloadable Snap + Core First Core Board

Hey Tek-ninjas! Have you seen the Tobii-Dynavox  FREE downloadable Snap + Core First Core Board? ❤️ Perfect for printing and sticking up in your classroom or home!

Get yours today here.

Happy therapy!

Looking to Learn?

Hey Tek-ninjas! Recently I received a terrific list of webinars that I would have loved to have been present for....and now I get to watch them after the fact. I thought some of you might be interested in watching some of these as well so here you go.

Recorded Webinars Creating Pagesets in Communicator 5 Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Message Banking: Where, Why, and How to Preserve Your Voice Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Snap + Core First for Adults with Communication Needs Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Snap Scene: Overview & Activities for All Ages Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Introduction to Implementing AAC for Emergent Communicators Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Report Writing Basics: Existing Barriers Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Positive Behavior Supports within Snap + Core First Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Report Writing Basics: Report Requirements Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Report Writing Basics: Goal Writing Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Report Writing Basics: Summary Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Introduction to Feature Matching Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Back to School with Snap + Core First Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Tobii Dynavox Family of Products Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Tobii Dynavox Free Resources Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here Introduction to Gaze Viewer Webinar is available for you to view by clicking here

Happy Therapy!!

Free Educator Resources

Hey Tek-ninjas! Today I want to tell you about a really terrific resource that can be a huge asset regardless of whether you are an educator, speech language pathologist, behavior specialist, or parent.  Boardmaker To Go is a free online platform which offers printable activities for students in K-12. 

These activities are...
Free
Thematic
Leveled
Printable

The activities are divided based on your student's abilities;

Level A - Use these activities with your youngest students or most beginning learners.

Level B - Use these activities with your middle grade students or students ready to engage more deeply.

Level C - Use these activities with your high school students or students with some independent skills.

These robust tools can really propel the efficacy of your teaching, across all environments. 

Hajime!