A Mix of Sharing, New Stuff, and the Kindle Controversy
There will be much to share in the upcoming weeks and months. The Ph.D. program is going really well and while I feel like Gumby being pulled in all directions, I very much realize it is because I am growing. I just finished a terrific course on assessment and just started a behavior analysis seminar. The Stats and the independent study are going well. I have been visiting area schools with a classmate of mine and it is so exciting to consider the research and teaching that can happen here in Central Pennsylvania. Odd to call that and Penn State home, but I am loving it. I have been getting an occasional pining for Plum Island or my 18 month summer in South Florida. Yet, every day, I wake up thankful for this opportunity to learn what I might not choose to learn on my own, rigorous research methods. CSUN is rapidly approaching and I am excited to be attending my first one. Okay, while the guilt of not posting as frequently started to kick in, I realize that my plate is pretty full right now. Nonetheless, it would be nice to share about a couple things that I thought others would pick up, but haven’t. I miss posting more frequently, but trust me, the stuff I have been working on is worth it.
Eye Gaze Technology
Mid Tech Eye Gaze Communication (ya, you heard it right)
You have to check out this eye gaze frame. It is so simple and so powerful. http://www.megabee.net
and here is an online simulation, http://www.e2l.uk.com/megabee/megabee_simulation.html
and a picture of me doing the demo at ATIA
High Tech Eye Gaze Technology
PRC announced the ECOPoint, which utilizes Tobii’s eye gaze technology.
TobiiAti
I loved seeing all the new C-Series devices at ATIA, wow, now a month back. These are the replacements for the popular Mercury Series. They have a nice slick new design. Check them out here.
Don’t Forget All the Classic Lowtech Eye Gaze Frames!
While I totally missed seeing the The knfbReader Mobile at ATIA, I am so excited about it. Basically, using the Nokia Cell phone it runs off, you take pictures of text and it will speak that text.
Last but not least, please check out Adam Bowker’s coverage of the Kindle Controversy. If you have not heard, there has been questions of whether text to speech on the Kindle is breaking copyright.
Text-to-speech under attack and
Amazon caves to buggy whip manufacturers
So, I hope to do some more indepth reviews of the tools described in this post. Right after I finish my homework!
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That’s embarrassing. There’s a typo in my title that I was too lazy to fix at first and now I’ve been quoted.
It’s interesting to see you be so Meta about your education. I wish I had as much perspective. You’re getting first-hand evidence about Vygotskian learning theory.
Important to remember when we make demands on our clients that being in the Zone of Proximal Development is not a comfortable place to be a lot of the time. Quite often, the ZPD is confusing and stressful.
http://www.wordsift.com
Here is a fun and easy site to work with the development of text visualization skills, ways to expand vocabulary, story mapping and reading comprehension. The resource is very competent and offers all kinds of possibilities for different kinds (and levels) of text.
Hi Samuel – I really enjoy reading your blog and getting a feel of AAC and AT issues in the US. Wondered if you would be interested in joining a new web based SIG for EAT http://eatwebsig.ning.com/
Hi Sam
Thanks for the mention – ATIA was a great forum for introducing MegaBee and we have had an enormous response – its such good fun to demonstrate it and see people ‘get it’ so quickly – the photo proves your 30 seconds training course paid off! Many thanks
Lyndon Owen
Lyndon, I will never forget Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite in the exhibit hall of ATIA saying, you have to see this most terrific mid tech eye gaze set up. I was like, “Midtech?” Thanks for letting us try it out. That is such a simple and powerfully cool tool. Thanks for building it to be so easy to use.
Thank you Claire!
Cynthia, that is a strikingly relevant tool for me right now! Thanks!