The good news is that, with the technology available today, there is a plethora of tools available to provide numerous options for every learner. Because most of the emerging tools are free of monetary cost, because they are readily available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection, and because they are easy to use, there is no excuse for teachers who do not use these tools or make them available to the learners they support.

Flypaper is a versatile presentation tool with an infinite range of potential uses by learners and teachers–to engage, represent, and express. Flypaper is easy to learn and use. It is a downloadable program for the PC, so it can be used off line when an internet connection is unavailable. Still, you can easily share your work online in the Flypaper “community”, or embed it wherever else you want to. Flypaper has made it easy to turn your presentation into a flash file, and you can even upload it directly to Youtube from within the application.

In a Flypaper presentation, you can include virtually anything you choose–text, graphics, audio, video, action buttons, hyperlinks, etc. I particularly like the fact that it is convenient for the presenter to add voice narration. A presentation may be a single page, or it may contain multiple “chapters” with as many pages as you want.

Flypaper encourages you to download “models” created by other users, and to use these models as templates for your own work. Flypaper offers tutorials for new users, as well as user forums. There is also a well organized 114 page user manual in pdf format.

I’ve embedded an example of a Flypaper presentation here that merely hints at the potential of the application.

Speaking Of Speech is a major online resource for speech/language pathologists and teachers who are “interested in the speech and language development of children”. It is a place where professionals can share ideas, lesson plans, materials, and even IEP goals.

Among other things, the materials exchange houses printable Boardmaker games, communication boards, and social stories that can be downloaded free of charge in pdf format. Some of the resources are helpfully organized by theme and according to school level. Your contributions to this exchange are encouraged, with clearly stated guidelines.

Pat Mervine, the experienced SLP behind Speaking of Speech, has created an invaluable resource that deserves to be well known.

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff.

Here’s a very helpful resource for those who need visual supports as they learn to read and write. This one is filed on the Content & Curriculum Page.

SymbolWorld.org (online resource) This is a website that has been created to offer free content for users of Widget Rebus Symbols. The entire site has been constructed using Writing With Symbols 2000 (2.6) and Communicate: In Print 2. SymbolWorld includes a variety of curriculum-based learning activities organized under the following headings: Science & Nature; Life Skills; Cooking; Interactive; Humanities; Literacy; Different Languages; Current Affairs. There are separate sections for stories and personal contributions. SymbolWorld also hosts a monthly online magazine called eLive. eLive offers a collection of current event news articles as well as film reviews, puzzles, recipes, jokes, etc. A pdf version of eLive is available for download, and eLive is archived with access to editions dating back to 2002. The entire site is easy to navigate with large easily accessible buttons.

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff.

The online resource I’ve added to the Content & Curriculum page today is really a repository of hundreds of links to helpful resources for educators. If you were not already aware of this site, I’m certain you will be happy to make the discovery.

Internet4Classrooms This website offers a veritable catalogue of links to internet resources for educators, many of them of outstanding quality. The site is well organized and easy to navigate so that you can browse easily through the literally hundreds of suggested resources. Main categories include Links for K-12 Teachers, Assessment Assistance, On-Line Practice Modules (for learning computer applications), Daily Dose of the Web, and In-School Integration Support. Each category is also well organized for convenient browsing. In the Resources section, under Links for K-12 Teachers, there is a helpful page of Assistive Technology links.

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff.

Do you know someone who needs help with transitions? Cool Timer may provide some support. Or, do you ever need to be reminded that you’ve already been at the computer for way too long? Then Cool Timer may even help you?

Cool Timer (downloadable program) This completely free program is a simple but effective countdown timer that is extremely easy to use. An alarm sounds to indicate that a specified time period has ended. Any wav, mp3, or midi file can be used as the alarm. You can watch the countdown from a window on your screen; or the program can be minimized to the system tray while counting down. Find out more and download the program from Harmony Hollow Software.

This program runs in Windows only.

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff.

pictureSET from SET-BC (online resource) A collection of downloadable visual supports that can be used by students for both receptive and expressive communication. Most of these resources have been created in Boardmaker, with some in other programs such as Writing With Symbols. Files can be downloaded in their original format (eg. as Boardmaker files) or as pdf files. This searchable database allows you to find a wide range of useful visual supports for different curriculum areas, activities, and events–life skills, social skills, basic concepts, literacy, numeracy, art, music, physical education, French language, science, social studies, holidays/seasons, etc.