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Welcome to the 1st edition of Envision the Possibilities

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Welcome to the 1st edition of Envision the Possibilities

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This monthly newsletter is designed for Miami-Dade County Public Schools Assistive Technology Contacts (ATCs), district ESE staff,  teachers, therapists, and support staff.  We will keep you up-to-date with assistive technology news, tips, apps, professional development and more.

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Technology is all around us. We all depend on technology in our daily lives - alarms on our phones so we won't miss a meeting...enlarged font on a Word document or computer screen (is it just me or do the letters get harder to see as the years pass?)...or even a family grocery list. These tools help us navigate the demands of 21st century life.  We all need some supports to successfully do what we need to do.

Assistive technology is technology that makes it possible for a person with a disability to accomplish a task - to do something that might have previously required assistance from another person - to be INDEPENDENT. Here in the Assistive Technology department of M-DCPS we don't take the power of AT lightly :)

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For more information about assistive technology in special education in Florida - take a look at this Technical Assistance Paper from the Florida Department of Education:

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For more information about assistive technology in special education in Florida - take a look at this Technical Assistance Paper from the Florida Department of Education:

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Click on the image to view or download the document

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Go to assistivetech.dadeschools.net for the latest information on procedures, forms, information, links, videos and more...

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You may have heard the term "LATS" referring to the district Curriculum Support Specialists for Assistive Technology.  LATS stands for Local Assistive Technology Specialist - it is a designation from the Florida DOE for staff assigned to support the AT needs of each district.  We will be introducing members of our LATS team in this newsletter each month.

This month we begin Ms. Vivian Nunez, Instructional Supervisor (below right), (vnunez@dadeschools.net) and Ms. Sheila Miguel, Dept. Chair for Assistive Technology (below left) (smiguel@dadeschools.net). They lead a highly skilled and resourceful team of LATS. Ms. Nunez provides leadership and serves as an essential voice for the assistive technology needs of the district. Ms. Miguel coordinates the LATS team and all activities related to assistive technology tools and services for M-DCPS students.

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Each month we will explore apps, online applications, & accessibility features in mobile devices.  See below for this month's featured app.

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DID YOU KNOW that the Assistive Technology Assessment and Implementation Plan - ATIP for short (FM 7067) - is the AT assessment document for our district? Many of you have used it to find technology for a struggling ESE student.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW that it features live web links to information, photos, tools, downloads and clear, concise directions on each page?  These "on-demand" resources are available to anyone using the ATIP so you can get started with assistive technology ASAP. We encourage you to explore the links when looking for student solutions, but remember that you can request assistance from the LATS team when needed (by submitting the ATIP and signed parental consent - FM 7641).

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Our department logo was designed by a M-DCPS student. It visually captures our philosophy that, with assistive technology, there are no limits to what our students can do!

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App of the Month for...Organizational Skills/Engagement

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App of the Month for...Organizational Skills/Engagement

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http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/
This simple app is a useful classroom tool to use on an interactive whiteboard or on individual devices.  Follow the link above and scroll down the main page a bit and you will find 30+ different types of visual/auditory timers to support your students in staying on task and managing their work time.

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THANKS for joining us for our first installment of Envision the Possibilities - catch you all next month with many more assistive technology tips :)

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THANKS for joining us for our first installment of Envision the Possibilities - catch you all next month with many more assistive technology tips :)

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This monthly newsletter is designed for Miami-Dade County Public Schools Assistive Technology Contacts (ATCs), district ESE staff,  teachers, therapists, and support staff.  We will keep you up-to-date with assistive technology news, tips, apps, professional development and more.