Assistive Technology News

We are all excited for 2021! We look forward to what the new year will bring and to continuing to support the use of Assistive Technology throughout our county.

Our next session is January 26th from 11:30 - 12:30

Peter Zaremba will be presenting the Reading Supports content. Hope you can join us!

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvcO2spzgjG9Tp3tDsOpGL5YAjIRnMN6cZ

Please see our series notecatcher for links to the slides and resources.

Join ATIA 2021 for free! You will have access to 50+ education sessions, all exhibitor and networking activities (including prize giveaways!).

Free ATIA Registration

Each month we will introduce a different member of our Oakland Schools Assistive Technology team. This month's spotlight is on Shawna Veit.

Shawna is in her 6th year as a special education teacher consultant at Oakland Schools specializing in mathematics and accessible instruction. She taught elementary in Detroit, MS in Utica, and HS in Armada followed by five years as a special ed admin. in Troy.

Shawna has presented at local, state, and national conferences for special education and math organizations including her wow moment when Temple Grandin attended her session on teaching algebra visually and commented the whole time from the front row. She teaches Detroit by the Numbers for Wayne State and appreciates the free access to all of the journal databases as a perk of teaching. A lifelong geek, she loves mel.org and being able to request books from every library in the state of Michigan.

Not techy by nature, Shawna is willing to try out any new tool that will solve problems for teachers and students and is committed to saving teachers time and stress while improving outcomes for kids. She is relentless in her quest for cost effective (FREE, whenever possible) tools for accessibility and always ready to chat about a puzzling student.

Shawna is a proud mom of two grown sons, a sheriff’s deputy and a neuro trauma nurse, and has been married to her husband Drew since the age of 18. She spends way too much time alone these days and needs a hobby.

Region IV Assistive Technology Consortium is sponsoring a unique learning opportunity with expert presenters Alexis Reid, Bryan Dean, and Joni Degner. It will include 2 topics, each having an asynchronous component and a virtual synchronous session. You will be expected to complete the content module before the live session.

Session 1: Designing for Choice that Empowers All Learners

This topic will focus on how to manage choice, how to coach learners into making good choices, and avoiding the common pitfalls of choice in how to learn and show what they learned.

Asynchronous Learning begins February 16th

Synchronous Workshop February 23rd 4:30 - 6:00 PM

Register here

Session 2: Proactively Designing for Variability in Learning through Flexible Learning Environments

This topic will focus on establishing flexibility for learners to access the supports, content, resources, and approaches that work best for them as learners.

Asynchronous Learning begins March 16th

Synchronous Workshop March 23rd 4:30 - 6:00 PM

Register here

Cost: FREE, SCECHs available

See flyer for more information

The open and interactive listserv is a place where everyone can ask technology or assistive technology questions and respond with answers. Email your questions or ideas to AT@oakland.k12.mi.us.

Don't forget to log into miPLACE and the Assistive Technology for High Incidence Collaboratorium group for a variety of resources and video tutorials.

The purpose of the Oakland Schools Assistive Technology Team (OSATT) is to help LEAs leverage their existing technology resources to reduce or remove barriers to learning for all students with IEPs. OSATT accomplishes this by partnering with building or district teams to build local capacity regarding assistive technology (AT) knowledge and practice. Please contact OSATT via email (OSAT@oakland.k12.mi.us) with questions or for information about available professional learning opportunities.

Tameka Arnold, Supervisor SSLI

Bryan Myott, Manager Material Center

Melissa Karsten

Eric Bourque

Dawn Jones

Shawna Veit

Peter Zaremba