The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools: Building or Improving Your Districtt Book

Assistive technology (AT) is a serious topic-providing students with special needs tools and strategies to aid in their learning-but reading about it doesn't have to be boring! In The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools, authors Christopher R. Bugaj and Sally Norton-Darr throw in a few pirates, monsters, and monkeys to keep you engaged but don't sacrifice the tips, strategies, and insight that will help improve your school or district AT program. From setting up a stellar team to consultations and evaluations, and from implementation to assessing success, this guide presents detailed advice and ideas to provide AT services that effectively and efficiently help students. The nuts and bolts of each area are presented in a practical way (with amusing metaphors thrown in for good measure) so that you can directly apply whats in the book and see tangible results.

Educators new to AT will find the step-by-step layout helpful in building an AT team and procedures, while seasoned AT professionals will find value in the fresh ideas on reducing paperwork, expanding an AT team, and strategies for considering AT for all students. The analogies, examples, and sometimes even rhymes in this enjoyable book will leave you excited to implement new ideas and improve your AT program, benefiting students, parents, teachers, schools, IEP teams, and of course, AT professionals.

Topics include:

-assistive technology
-special needs

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy and leadership for innovation. ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and ISTE's annual conference (formerly known as the National Educational Computing Conference, or NECC), ISTE represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of transforming education.

Some of the areas in which we publish are:
-Web. 2.0 in the classroom-RSS, podcasts, and more
-National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)
-Professional development for educators and administrators
-Integrating technology into the classroom and curriculum
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-Educational technology for parents