#spedchat: Learning Differently

Join us as we discuss assistive technology that can help students who learn differently become confident readers. Follow: @iplante @schoolhealth @julesteaches @bamradionetwork Jules Csillag is a licensed speech-language pathologist who has worked in a variety of settings throughout New York City. She is the author of Differentiated Reading Instruction: Strategies and Technology Tools to Help All Students Improve.

Our guest has deeply explored the use of Chromebooks as an assistive tool for students who learn differently. In this segment he shares the unique benefits he discovered. Follow: @iplante @mmatp @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Mike Marotta, ATP - AT Specialist, Inclusive Technology Solutions, LLC. Mike is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional who has been providing AT evaluations and training to individuals with all disabilities for over 25 years. Mike is a nationally and internationally recognized presenter as well as an Adjunct Professor at Felician College and California State University, Northridge.

In this segment we discuss why it's important to allow autistic children to learn at their own pace and strategies to help make this happen. Follow: @iplante @MarthaGabler @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Martha Gabler, B.A., M.A. and her husband are the parents of two boys. The younger one, now 18 years old, was diagnosed at age 3 as having severe autism and being profoundly non-verbal. She is the author of Chaos to Calm: Discovering Solutions to the Everyday Problems of Living with Autism and Behavior Basics: A Primer for Autism Parents.

The world of assistive technology has changed profoundly, but some fundamentals remain the same. Learn more... Follow: @iplante @KarenJan @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Karen Janowski is an Assistive Technology Consultant in the Greater Boston area who is passionate about supporting struggling learners using Universal Design and appropriate technologies.

Our guest has spent over 30 years working with students who learn differently. In this segment we talk about how the field of special education got started, how far it has come and the road ahead. Follow: @iplante @JeffreyBenson61 @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Jeffrey Benson is the author of the book "Hanging In--Strategies for Teaching the Children Who Challenge Us Most." His career is highlighted by over 30 years of direct teaching and administration of school programs for students who have struggled.

Our guest in this segment is both a teacher of special needs students and the parent of a special needs child. She shares with us what she's learned about the role of expectations in the process of working with children who learn differently. Follow: @kyleredford @iplante @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Kyle Redford has been an educator for over 25 years. She currently teaches at Marin Country Day School and is the Education Editor for The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

Much attention is placed on providing support services to get students with special needs through primary and secondary school. However, too often, little attention is paid to the critical transition period when students are moving beyond school. In this segment we discuss the key considerations and recommend resources to provide the needed support. Follow: @assistivetek @iplante @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork Jodi Click, a private Assistive Technology/AAC consultant, is the Special Education Coordinator for The Excel Center in Richmond, IN, a unique high school for adults who were previously high school drop-outs and have returned to school to earn a high school diploma. Tonya Turner is the Director of Special Education for INIschools. She has a Masters Degree in Special Education, a School Administrators License, and a Director of Special Education License.

Our guest tells us that the chronic messaging special needs children receive creates a climate that requires exceptional resilience. In this segment we discuss ways to help nurture greater resilience in all children. Follow: @drmichaelhart @iplante @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edcha t #spedchat #specialed #UDL Early in his career as a psychologist, Dr. Michael Hart developed an expertise in neuroscience and learning problems, especially dyslexia. After 25 years of practice, Michael continues to provide consultations, online professional development courses for educators as well as informational webinars for parents of children with dyslexia and other learning

In this episode we talk about the process of evaluating student needs to effectively identify the tools best suited to assist in their learning. Follow: @assistivetek @iplante @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edcha t #spedchat #specialed #UDL Brian Friedlander is a licensed school psychologist with expertise in assistive technology and is an associate professor of education at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown NJ where he teaches courses in special education and assistive technology.

In this episode we talk about new tools for tracking student progress and measuring the impact of interventions. Follow: @possbeth @attipscast, iplante @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Chris Bugaj is an assistive tech- nology trainer for Loudoun County in Virginia and coauthor of The Practical (& Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools. Beth Poss serves as the administrator for an Early Childhood Special Education program in Montgomery County, Maryland. She was part of the writing team that developed a Universal Designed for Learning curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Montgomery County Public Schools.

Our guests have spent their lives coping with learning differences. They have now created an organization to help the next generation overcome the stigma. Follow: @E2ENationol.org, @iplante. @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL David Flink is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Eye to Eye. Author of Thinking Differently: An Inspiring Guide for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities. Marcus Soutra is Think Different Ambassador Chief Operating Officer, Eye to Eye. He has taught in both middle and high school classrooms. In addition to creating Keene State Disabilities Advocates (KSDA), Marcus is the founder of the Keene State College chapter of Eye to Eye. He also co-founded Camp Eye to Eye, the Eye to Eye summer program.

In this episode we discuss universal design and clarify its relevance to general and special education. Follow: @KatieNovakUDL @drrevdean, @iplante. @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Bryan Dean is currently an educational consultant and instructional designer for a large intermediate school district in MI, where he develops professional learning opportunities centered around UDL, Cultures of Thinking, student engagement, and accessible curriculum. Katie Novak is currently the Assistant Superintendent of the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District and is the author of best-selling book on inclusive education, UDL Now!

In this inaugural episode of Learning Differently, the chairman of the Special Olympics talks with us about pivotal themes involved in teaching students with learning disabilities and bring out the best in all children. Follow on Twitter: @SpecialOlympics @TimShriver, @ShaaonPlante. @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed Timothy Shriver is an educator, a social activist, a film producer, and Chairman of the Special Olympics. He has led Special Olympics to serving upward of four million athletes in 170 countries, for more than a decade. Shriver is the author of Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most