Teaching Time Telling Resources

Interactive Online Activities

• Clock Talk
• Ambleside Primary Clock
• Time for Time Games
• Mr. Myers Interactive Clock
• Teaching Time
• Clockwise
• Virtual Manipulative Digital and Analog Clocks
• Kid's Numbers Clock Games
• Journey in Time
• BBC Clock Game
  

Worksheets, Worksheet Generators and Printables

• Dositey Time
  
• Time for Time Worksheet Generators
• Instructor Web Telling Time Lessons
• Superteacher Worksheets
• Black Dog Time Collection
• Soft School Time Worksheets
• A-Z Teacher Stuff Time
• Teachnology Time Skills
• Math Fact Cafe Work Sheet Generator
• Math Worksheet Generator
• Super Kids Worksheet Creator
• About.com Time Worksheets
  

Clipart and Photos

• Clipart ETC
  

Downloads (Games, Talking Clocks, Stop Watches Timers and More!)

• Click Clock Game (scroll down, on left)
• Speaking Clock Website
• Stopwatch
• Versa Timer
• Online Stopwatch
• Class Timer
  

Books and Music About Time for Kids

• A Second is a Hiccup by Hazel Hutchins
  
• The Grouchy Lady Bug by Eric Carle
• I Can Tell Time at the. . . series by Weekly Reader Press
• Explorers on Safari by Sally Hewitt and Serena Feneziani
• Tell Time with the Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
  
• Croc Around the Clock by Dereen taylor
  
• Telling Time with Big Mama Cat byDan Harper
• Telling Time by Jules Older
  
• Telling Time with Diego by Laura Bergen
  
• Bunny Day by Rick Walton
• Clocks and More Clocks by Pat Hutchins
• My Grandmother’s Clock by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Stephen Lambert
• Tick Tock by Eileen Brown
• Just in Time by Cathryn Cave
  
• Telling Time by Jennifer Fixman in the We Love Math With Miss Jenny Collection

Commercial Time Teaching Products

• Zoobee Time Teaching Watches
• Learning Resources Primary Clock
• Judy Clock
• Edmark Time Telling Program
• Trudy's Time and Place House (switch accessible)
• Teaching Hands Clock
  

Communicative Mouse Pad

Long a fan of Giving Greetings, the company that sells greeting cards and note pads (among other things) that utilize Mayer-Johnson Picture Symbols today I noticed this on their sister site, Say It with Symbols (which sells clothing and gifts) today. It is a mouse pad that has a communication board for the picture. Toss those old, stained mouse pads from computer companies, Edmark and local pharmacies and consider adding a few of these to your classroom for $15.00 each.

Boycott The Movie Tropic Thunder

The following disability groups (and nearly a dozen more) are calling for a boycott of the new movie Tropic Thunder which negatively portraits a man with cognitive disabilities, including orginally using the line, "once upon a time there was a 'retard'".

• the Special Olympics
• the ARC
• the National Down Syndrome Congress
• the American Association of People with Disabilities

The following websites can help you teach about ableism and stopping mistreatment and bullying of those with cognitive and other disabilities:

• Stop the R-word
• Don't Laugh at Me
• Kids on the Block
  

I happen to think that if we stop the R-word another word will just replace it unless we, as a community of people with disabilities and their allies, find a way to radically change how society perceives intellectual and other challenges. Just look at the history of the words we have used to label people with various cognitive disabilities - "feeble minded", "idiot", "moron", etc. If we start using the words, "developmentally delayed" how long will it be until the kids on the playground start calling each other "D.D.s."? My God daughter has Asperger's syndrome and in her middle school the big insult was to be called a "SPED". It isn't the R-word, but it needs to stop. Getting rid of the R-word isn't going to stop the "short bus" joke either. I wouldn't be surprised if "on the spectrum" becomes a school yard slam in time.

That's because when we just change the word we haven't changed the perception. (Otherwise we wouldn't need to keep changing the word.) We need to think about bigger change than just vocabulary. We need to change the stigma of disability. We need to get rid of the stigma of disability. We need to change the idea of "normal". We need to expand "normal" to include every person of every kind of ability.

We need a movement. We need a revolution. It is time to expect society to do the right thing and stop the R-word and every former version of the R-word and every future version of the R-word, not because it is the R-word, but because people are people and the perception of disability as a negative has stopped being an insult.

Reinforcers

This fantastic reinforcer list was posted to the QIAT list serv today. Just in time for the new school year and keeping in mind all the ways we can set up positive behavior supports for our students.

Here are some other lists of reinforcers:

• Mini Reinforcement Assessment
• Natural Reinforcer List (Mostly interactions to have with young children)
  
• About.com (aimed at general ed)
  

How to conduct a forced choice reinforcement assessment.

Crocodile Dentist

Remember the Crocodile Dentist game? Maybe you had one as a child, maybe your friend had one, or maybe (like me) you just saw the commercials and wished you had one. Now Hasbro has an online version everyone can play for free. It works fine with touch screens and should work well with eye gaze and head trackers with some way to "click". Enjoy! (You might want to enjoy it with the sound off, it gets annoying.)

I am pretty sure I got this link from Barrie at One Switch.

P.S. I am in awe of the summer site statistics. Since June first there have been just barely under 27,000 visits to the site and 84 MP3 downloads of blog entries via Odiogo. And it's summer! And I wasn't posting some of that time because I was sick! Good thing more and more intensive/severe/profound special needs blogs are popping up to fill the need for this kind of information!

List Serv Gone Bananas

I belong to a bunch of List Servs, related to both my professional life (Boardmaker, QIAT, ATA, Resna, TEAL) and Personal Life (Boston SnB, Save Darfur, etc) and right now my inbox is a sea of "Boardmaker" green (the color of the labels I apply to Boardmaker emails).

The end of last week an e-mail went out over Boardmaker from the moderater, who I have had virtual conversations with and who lost a neice the same time I lost my sister, stating she was dissappointed with the level of participation on the group. She stated that participation was down and requested people post files, ask and answer questions and share via the list. She also asked people respond or they would be removed from the list.

I have to admit the tone of the e-mail struck me at first as bitter and unkind. It even made me wonder if the moderator was okay or if she is going through as hard of a time with her grief as I am. Then I thought for a while and depersonalized it, realizing that I have been posting, I have put a number of boards up this month and answered a few questions. I commented something along those lines.

Yet my inbox continues to be flooded in a sea of green Boardmaker messages. Some are folks saying, "Keep me in the list", others (many, many less) saying "get me out of here". Some are complaining about the tone or content of the scolding e-mail. Others are just getting on with it, reminded that the group is here and school is starting soon. People are asking questions, answering them posting boards and doing all of the things the board is meant to do.

Precision Songs: ABA Music to Teach Functional Language

Precision Songs is a series of music recording and books/worksheets designed for students with autism and other developmental disabilities. The aim is to teach functional language through music. The song uses a method that involves repeating a pattern of language in order to illustrate a concept. Although some music is easily identified as children's or folk music (the Proud Song is The Ants Go Marching) many are not, however it is doubtful that this music will pass muster as age appropriate past elementary school. That being said I can see this music being an excellent resource in speech therapy and the classroom in early childhood and elementary settings.

Right now there is a half off sale on bundles (CD and books together).

Please note: Although nothing indicates the CDs/Books have religious content (except the obvious religious Sing to Show What I Believe) the website does contain religious links and the news letter has religious comments.

Name Stamps

Many of us use name stamps with student who cannot physically write there names (and many of us who cannot afford name stamps use one dollar labels from the dollar store pre-printed for sticking on papers). Now a company has gone a step further and is selling name stamps that are in a dotted font for tracing. You can choose all CAPS or mixed but sadly it is first name only (limited to nine letters).

Isn't that a great idea for pre-writers of all ages? I am sure special educators and OTs will be all over it. See it at The Little Stamp Company.

Don't worry non-writers aren't left out! The funky font series is perfect for them! There are eleven fonts to choose from and three colors.

All stamps are about $27.00 CA plus shipping. There is a sale write now for orders over $80.00 (great if you need to order stamps for your entire class or school.)

Age Appropriate "Sippy" Cup

Do you have a student in your room over the age of three who still needs to drink from a "sippy" cup? Have you been looking for a cup that will allow this young person to drink with out standing out for using a baby cup? This Klean Kanteen may be the answer. The "sippy" is an Avent mouthpiece, just like on must babyish cups, but the bottle is a reusable, lightweight 12oz stainless steel bottle, with a wid opening for ice cubes. You can buy it at Nubius Organics or Amazon.

I'm upset because... You can help me by...

Upset Because And Help By Binder

View SlideShare presentation (tags: aac feelings emotions autism)

As has been posted here before the team in our classroom at school has an extremely effective technique we used to address many negative behaviors. It is based on the idea that all behavior is communication. We teach our students to state how they feel, why, and what staff or peers can do to help them. Most of the students use high tech AAC for this, but this summer this lower tech AAC binder was created for one student and then changed in small ways and duplicated for other students. I will post to the Yahoo Boardmaker Group if anyone want to be able to change it in Boarmaker or download from Slideshare as a PDF to use as is.

G-Tube Clothes

This is a follow up to the blog entry Tube Feedings at School.

The following companies sell clothing for children and/or adults who use g-tubes for nutrition and/or hydration. You may want to share these sites with parents this upcoming school year.

• Easy Access
• Tummy Tunnels (iron on patches)
  
• Special Clothes Online
• Bundie Baby Medical Onesie
• Sew-G-It

One of my biggest pet peeves is undershirts under body jackets with no cutout for the g-tube in the undershirt. For this school year I have used those packets of iron on patches meant for worn out knees on pants (you can find them in the sewing notions section of discount stores and drug stores) and ironed them over the area where the g-tube if and then cut a hole (the patch is on the outside as to not be an irritant). This way if the student does not have on a shirt with a hole we can change to one when we put on the body jacket during the morning change. Nothing makes me crazier than a student who cannot fully participate because he or she cannot sit up straight because his or her body jacket has been removed for a feeding (and likely will not be put back on for some time if at all).

Six Message Communication Device DIY for $30.00

This message box records six messages for play back at the touch of a button. It would be perfect for low-vision/blind students with good dexterity or students with good memory who do not need pictures or words to remember which message is where. Another idea is to record six sentences or words and have a student have to play them in order to make a story or full sentence. The possibilities are endless.

Tactual Books and Activities

Are you looking for some new ideas for activities for your learners who have low vision or are blind? Here is a website with some great photos of tactual activities you can make. Check it out.

Tactual Books and Activities

Imagine What You Could Do with This! CamSpace

This free software is currently in closed beta (that means you can't have it yet) from Cam Space.  Open beta is coming and you can sign up to be notified.  It works most web cams. There site includes links to a wiki, a blog, FAQ, and a number of featured applications.

Until it comes out of beta you can play around with Eye Toy.

Thanks to Barrie from One Switch for the link.

T's Technology

This is T, a former student of mine, who now lives a few towns over in a group living situation and works in program for adults with disabilities. She asked me if she could show off her computer prowess online.

T is profoundly blind, has athetoid cerebral palsy and mild hearing loss. She uses a Darci USB with a single switch at right temple to type using Morse Code on her computer. Using her left switch she accesses Jaws, her screen reader (which was not really cooperating for her today) via a switch interface. The University of Massachusetts at Lowell Engineering Department took T's computer on as a project and build her a special speaker mount which drops down from her push bars on the back of her wheelchair so she can hear her Morse Code beeps and Jaws better. (Sidenote: hearing those beeps brought back all those years of her in my classroom, beeping away at her school work. I'll never forget the month we spent learning about contractions in spelling.)

Next to her monitor hangs a sign her old school (after my class) made her so the program assistant at her house can set up her computer. It explains step by step, in simple language, what to do, a brilliant idea.

Today T was asking about switching to a different service for her instant messaging, perhaps Meebo or Miranda- something that will allow her to chat with friends who use all sorts of different instant messagers. Does anyone out there know how these will behave with Jaws? (The Darci behaves like a regular keyboard so that is less of an issue if her correspondent is patient.) T tried to join QIAT today so she could ask the group for herself (she's an independent kind of gal), but their site up website was down. Also T and I chatted about maybe using Twitter or Plurk, but they seem less likely to get along with Jaws. She is really looking to create some community. Ideas?

You can see more pictures of T online. Here she is skiing as a Wednesday's Child with a local TV celebrity and her dad. Here she is in her senior photograph for the class of 2007 from Perkins School for the Blind (PDF-click, don't try to open in a new tab). I wish I could find a picture of T with her favorite celebrity, Celine Dion, who she has met twice, but there doesn't seem to be any on line.

Bumbo Seat and Bigger Bumbo Seat

Lots of special needs classes have been using Bumbo seats for smaller children with relatively low tone.  At about $40.00, $50.00 with the tray, they are a good deal and they do a nice job of supporting certain children.  They come in six pastel colors and are available on many websites and in local department and children's stores.  It is recommended for approximately ages 6-14 months. 

Now a company in Texas has created a Bumbo-like seat for larger children with special needs.  It is called the Childrite Therapy Chair and is specifically designed to be a Bumbo seat for older special needs children.  The seat is 10.5 inches in width, 10 inches in depth and 11.5 inches in height (from the seat bottom to the top of the seat back).  The Childrite Therapy Seat sells for $199.00, but there is currently a deal for $50.00 online.  Also I saw one online at eBay for $175.00.  The higher cost is because of the smaller volume being made and sold as well as the larger size causing a larger amount of material to make it.  Additionally it is made in the USA andthe Bumbo is made overseas.  It should be noted that the Childrite is make with permission of the Bumbo company. 

Yes No Keychain

These two photo keychains came from the Dollar Tree Store yesterday. They make a great quick yes/no, more/all done, first/next, etc. communication board. The large clip is also from the dollar store.

Update: I handed these three keychains out at our ESY program today and had to commission a friend to swing by the Dollar Tree again and pick up more. The idea seems popular.

One little six year old girl, who communicates via eyegaze (and is awaiting the new Dynavox Vmax with Eyemax accessory) took to it right away, in fact she used the pink keychain to tell me she wanted the blue one. It was pretty great.

Ablenet Image Bank and How to Videos

The Ablenet Image Bank has high quality photographs of the Ablenet, Saltillo and TASH line of products. The photos are high resolution and come in JPG or TIFF images. These images are excellent for use in visual glossary of assisitive technology (I like to attach these to all IEPS and 3 Year Evals), for making labels to organize a closet or shelves and to drag and drop into Boardmaker 6.0 (or upload into early versions of Boardmaker).

Another section of the site has how to videos for products. Need to be reminded how to work that Super Talker? Need to train new staff on how to record messages on the Step-by-Step videos for those products and more can be viewed or downloaded.

Splash Proof

After a day of torrential rains at summer camp the idea of a waterproof seal appeals. (In fact I would want to start with my sneakers. ) In my office at camp are two Big Mack switches drying out from the quick run from the bus stop to the cabins and most of the high tech AAC users stayed home today or couldn't use their devices because of concerns about the rain (and leaky roofs).

Thus the idea of AAC devices, high and low tech, with the splash proof Golden Shellback coating sounds like a good one. Watch the video below to learn more and then imagine your decreased panic during a rainstorm or at the local water park with your AAC users were the devices to have such a coating.

Storage Ideas

A while ago there was a discussion on the Boardmaker listserv about storing picture symbol cards. Many, many ideas were shared.

I happen to currently store my 1.5x1.5 symbols in a 100 pocket counting chart, which works out so-so. Which means I can fund the symbols I want, but no one else bothers to look. Thus, like every other special needs teacher in this branch of the field I am constantly on the search for better ways to store my picture symbol cards. Right now I am thinking about finding a better way to store the 1.5 by 1.5 symbols and my 3x3 inch symbols. Here is what I am considering for now:

• Hardware drawer organizers (above)
  
• Cardstock Organizer
• Picture Container
• Portable Adjustable Organizer
• Photo Storage System
  

What do you do?

Some other storage I am considering is:

• Notions organizer six tray (pictured above) which allows you to put pictures into the lids, I am thinking about using this to organize sensory integration/oral motor items and make them more self-serve for some of my students
  

An Electronic Visit to the Library

To make a short story long I have a couple of students in our extended year program who earn a visit to my office to spend time with me as part of their positive behavior support plan. One of these students loves interactive stories, so today after work I was bookmarking some of our favorite interactive book sites on the office computer and went to my local library's website to add their free (with a library card) link to Bookflix.

While I was on the library website I started exploring some of the things that they offer online, either for free or with a library card. I am excited about using many of their offerings in the fall with my students. I can't wait to explore some of the audio books that can be downloaded (and sometimes even burned to a CD) with some students via Overdrive. (I am feeling very excited about keeping my Audible.com credits for myself; call me greedy!) You can search if your library has access to Overdrive on their search site or at your library's site.

In addition my public library offers access to the following paid online services for free with your library card as well:

• Salem Health (an online medical and health library)
• Learning Express Services (test tutorials and practice tests for GED, GRE, US Citizenship, Middle School Reading, etc)
• Global Road Warrior (travel planning and travel advice)
• Rosetta Stone (foreign language software online)

A little clicking around and I even discovered that a library in our consortium has free access to Tumblebooks! Now if only one of the consortium members had free access to Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. I would be hysterical with glee.

Did you know that my public library is so cool they have a Myspace page? Yours might too.

What does your public library offer?