APH News: January 2013

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products – now available!

• APH Winter Wonderland Sale
• Building on Patterns: Second Grade, Unit 7
• REVISED! The Wilson Digital Voice Recorder, Ver. 4
• APH Braille Book Corner

Winter 2013 APH Video Contest

The deadline to enter your videos to the Winter 2013 Unforgettable APH Star Contest is approaching. Make a New Year’s resolution to send us your APH product videos before February 13, 2013. We can’t wait to see your creations!

Information on how to participate in the contest can be found at: sites.aph.org/contest.

By sending your product videos, you will be eligible to win cash prizes up to $150.00, a great way to start the New Year!

National Instructional Partnership (NIP) on Social Skills Scheduled for March in Kentucky

Product:
Getting to Know You: A Social Skills/Ability Awareness Curriculum with Authors Nita Crow & Stephanie Herlich

Where:
Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz, KY (special room rates available), Toll-free: (800) 325-1708

Date:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Time:
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (box lunch provided)

Registration:
Contact Monica Vaught-Compton to register: mvaught@aph.org, (502) 899-2297

Getting to Know You is a social skills/ability awareness curriculum for grades K–12. This curriculum engages students who are blind and visually impaired with sighted peers in activities that promote social interaction, social competence, and ability awareness. The product is designed for TVIs, O&M specialists, related service personnel, general education teachers, and families.

This free NIP Event is held as a KAER pre-conference workshop, and is a great opportunity to receive training on a new APH product and earn continuing education credit. The KAER Conference begins the evening of March 13 and concludes at noon on March 15. We encourage anyone who attends the Getting to Know You NIP Event to stay for the KAER Conference! For more information about the KAER Conference registration and fees, please email Jane Thompson: jthompson@aph.org

APH Literacy Workshop in New York City!

Staff members from the New York Institute for Special Education and Lavelle School for the Blind learn about Early Braille Trade Books and other APH literacy products.

Jeanette Wicker, Core Curriculum Consultant, provided training to 15 participants at the New York Institute for Special Education on December 6. Participants were provided an overview of the book collections contained in the Sunshine, TWiG, and Rigby sets and how use of these books promotes emergent braille literacy skills for young readers. Participants were also trained on the interactive website that allows teachers to track their student’s braille skills and match books in the series to student skill level, as well as other features. Teachers created an account and entered student data to gain a full understanding of the many features of the website. Field Services Representative Cathy Johnson provided a related literacy product display for the participants as well as other staff at the school. Special thanks to EOT Joe Catavero for coordinating this event!

MyPlate Goes Tactile!

Last year the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The USDA website features MyPlate—an educational aide to help teach individuals about nutrition and portion control. Check out nine versions of MyPlate graphics now available from the APH Tactile Graphic Image Library. You can choose the graphic that best meets the needs of your student(s) for a particular lesson. The ChooseMyPlate website features the Daily Food Plan and the SuperTracker.

The Daily Food Plan provides customized food group targets—what and how much to eat within your calorie allowance. Your food plan is personalized, based on your age, gender, height, weight, and physical activity level. A Worksheet is also available to help you keep track.

The SuperTracker can help you plan, analyze, and track your diet and physical activity.
Start the New Year off with a resolution of better health. Partner the ChooseMyPlate website with APH MyPlate tactile graphics. Let the fun (and weight loss) begin!

APH Research Department Welcomes New Employees

The Research department is very excited to announce that we have hired two new Research Assistants! Denise Snow and Laura Zierer joined the Educational Research team on January 2, 2013. Laura and Denise both come from other departments within APH. Laura comes from our HR department bringing a strong background in research and psychology. Denise worked 5 years in the audio books studio and now will combine that experience with additional experience in design. Of course both have great experience and skills in editing and research. Please welcome both Denise and Laura to Research!

Technology/Assistive Technology Experts: We Need Your Help!

Do you have technology/assistive technology expertise? Would you be able to assist APH in updating a document on Test Access: Guidelines for Computer Administered Testing? If you do, or if you know someone who does, please email Debbie Willis (dwillis@aph.org), Director of Accessible Tests. APH would sincerely appreciate assistance with updating this document which provides valuable information to states and schools working with test publishers and vendors to make state, district, and other assessments available via computer-based and online systems for students who are blind and visually impaired.

APH Visits the White House

Rosanne Hoffmann, STEM Project Leader at APH, accompanied Cary Supalo, President of Independence Science, and some of his employees to the 2012 White House Holiday Open House. Dr. Supalo is an APH consultant who is working with Rosanne on the development of SALS, a device that allows students who are visually impaired to participate in STEM laboratory activities. The invitation to the White House arose serendipitously during the November 2012 IsLAND Conference on Disability. Dr. Supalo was able to secure tickets to the White House event in the nick of time, courtesy of Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President (Obama) for Disability Policy. While there, the group enjoyed a tour through the East Wing of the White House including the East Garden Room, the Library, the China Room, the Vermeil Room, the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red room, and the State Dining Room (featuring the 300-pound gingerbread house; see photo). This was accompanied by live music from visiting music groups from around the US. The group also spent time checking out the monuments in DC, including the new World War II Memorial.

2013 Nomination Process for the Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field

The Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for 2013 induction consideration. If you are interested in learning more about the process for submitting a nominee to join the 50 inductees, please visit: archive.aph.org/hall_fame/nominate.html. The nomination process will close March 29, 2013.

“The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is dedicated to preserving, honoring, and promoting the tradition of excellence manifested by the specific individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame and through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired.”

Hall Legend Passes: Dr. Sally Rogow

We are extremely sad to report that 2011 Hall of Fame Inductee, Dr. Sally Rogow, passed away December 21. Dr. Ann MacCupsie of the Hall Board writes, "Sally made such a tremendous contribution to the education of Canadian children who were visually impaired. She was a dedicated and compassionate individual who had a great gift of being able to sincerely accept individuals as they were and promoting their assets. Sally will remain an icon in Canadian education."

To view the biography of this legendary teacher and activist, visit archive.aph.org/hall/inductees/rogow.

Treasures from the APH Libraries

The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is one of the largest collections of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, an ongoing digitization effort means APH will continue to make materials available through the online catalog at http://migel.aph.org.

Two of the many "Treasures from the APH Libraries" are described below.

From the Barr Library: Franks, Frank L. APH Meeting on Needs of Blind Students in Science. Atlanta, Georgia. Louisville: American Printing House for the Blind, 1979.

APH held a national meeting in conjunction with the 1979 National Science Teachers Association convention to explore the needs of science students who are blind. The goal of the meeting was to develop and prioritize instructional aids and materials for students who are blind in science classes. Meeting participants considered science concepts and assessed materials with a focus on tactile aids. While this work provides a concise summary of the meeting, it also compiles a large and detailed collection of handwritten survey results and tally sheets, product description sheets with added notes, and an item-by-item priority ranking.

From the Migel Library: Furman, Lucy S. Sight to the Blind; a Story. New York: Macmillan, 1914.

Sight to the Blind is a fictional work about a settlement school in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. In the story, a nurse named Miss Shippen helps to bring sanitation and health education through the settlement school at which she works. Of additional interest in the book is the afterword, which is a brief, illustrated account of the rural settlement and school in Hindman, Kentucky on which the book was based. The afterword explains that Hindman actually was home to the world’s first "social settlement," which was sponsored by the State Federation of Women’s Clubs of Kentucky. Several women spent three summers in the mountains building a school and offering social services and educational opportunities to the populace.

Contact Library staff: library@aph.org, 800-223-1839, ext. 705

Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series

The Game Kit is a collection of common game parts designed for use by low vision or blind players. Parts can be used to play games from the included handbook, to adapt commercial games, or to create new games.

The Game Kit includes three generic game boards of varying difficulty, two sets of dice, a plastic dice shaker and a dice tray, a set of six tactile/visual playing pieces, a set of brightly colored cards, a card draw/discard holder, four handheld disc card holders, a spinner with six tactile overlays, and a copy of the book Educational Games for Visually Impaired and Sighted Children, which contains nearly 100 unique games.

The print booklet that is included with this product has been recently updated and is now available as a free-of-charge PDF file that you may download and print as needed. Visit our downloadable manuals page at: archive.aph.org/manuals/index.html.

If you have any suggestions for other products you would like to see highlighted in this monthly feature, please send your comments to Monica Turner at mmturner@aph.org.

Field Service Activities

Weekly Sessions at the Mattingly Center

Field Services Representative Kerry Isham held a three-week series of product presentations in December for the Mattingly Center, a day-program facility in Louisville, KY, for adults with severe developmental disabilities and physical disabilities. The one-hour sessions – attended by speech, recreation, and occupational therapists – were held on December 3rd, 10th, and 17th.

The first session focused on the APH Intervention Continuum: The Sensory Learning Kit (SLK), Symbols and Meaning (SAM), and Tactile Connections.

Session number two addressed daily living skills. Products presented included: Sherlock Talking Label Identifier, Colorino, MotionPAD, Feel ‘n Peel Stickers, Wilson Digital Voice Recorder, iBill Currency Scanner, EZ Fill Pouring Aid, Picture Maker, and Math Flash.

The third and final session covered APH products for recreation and leisure such as: Web Chase, Scattered Crowns, TREKS, Talking GlowDice, Games for People with Sensory Impairments, Sound Ball, Rib-It Balls, Tangle Toy Kit, Sound Adapted Tangle Ball Kit, and Game Kit.

The therapists who attended these presentations were very excited to find out that APH provides such a broad range of products for individuals with multiple impairments, including blindness and low vision.

Great Product Info: Videos and Webcasts Online!

We have redesigned the APH products videos and webcasts page, making it easier to locate overviews and trainings on various APH products. Videos were created by APH staff, teachers in the field, and even students. Look for more video and webcast content to be added soon!

"Like" APH at Our Facebook Page!

We invite you to visit our Facebook page and "Like" us! You can find APH at these social media sites: Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and at our blog, Fred’s Head from APH.

www.facebook.com/AmericanPrintingHouse/

APH Travel Calendar

January

January 7-8, 2013
2012 Pacific VIP Winter Intercession;
Mangilao, Guam

January 18, 2013
Braille Plus 18 Hands On Training;
Elizabethtown, KY

January 28 – 30, 2013
NIMAS Board Meeting and AIM Advisory Committee Meetings;
Orlando, FL

January 30-February 2, 2013
ATIA 2013;
Orlando, FL

February

February 25 – March 1, 2013
CSUN 2013;
San Diego, CA

February 27, 2013
Sensory Learning Kit NIP Event;
Bend, OR

February 27-March 1, 2013
Virginia Chapter AER Conference;
Richmond, VA

APH Winter Wonderland Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH’s Winter Wonderland Sale 2013, January 1—March 31. As always, first come, first served.

archive.aph.org/sale

New Downloadable Manual Available

Get the manual you need instantly! APH offers a selected list of product manuals available for free download (archive.aph.org/manuals/). You may print or emboss these as needed. We will continue to package hard copies of these manuals with their products and sell hard copy replacements.

Newly added manual: FVLMA Practitioner’s Guidebook, braille (5-96153-00)

NEW! Building on Patterns: Second Grade, Unit 7

Print Kit: 8-78470-U7 — $219.00
Braille Kit: 6-78470-U7 — $219.00

Unit 7 Replacement Items

• Teacher’s Edition:
  
  Print: 8-78471-U7 — $119.00
  Braille: 6-78471-U7 — $119.00
• Student Textbook: 6-78473-U7 — $39.00
• Consumable Unit Assessment Packet (print & braille): 8-78476-U7 — $20.00
• Binder: 6-78474-U7 — $35.00


Celebrate Books

Building on Patterns (BOP) is a complete primary literacy program designed to teach beginning braille users all language arts — reading, writing, and spelling.

Note: Building on Patterns: Second Grade replaces Patterns Second and Third Reader Levels.

The Building on Patterns series addresses phonemic awareness (ability to hear and interpret sounds in speech), phonics (the association of written symbols with the sounds they represent), comprehension, fluency, and oral vocabulary, all of which have been identified as important for reading instruction.

This program also addresses specific skill areas needed by the child who is blind, such as language development, sound discrimination, tactual discrimination, and concept development. Braille contractions are introduced from the beginning along with sound and letter associations. Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) skills such as using tactile graphics and technology are also included.

New Features

• Three complete chapter books in braille
• Timed reading in each lesson
• More independent reading suggestions
• Simplified lesson monitoring sheets
• Quick Read for silent reading and reading comprehension practice
• Meet the Authors with information on the BOP writers in each unit

BOP Second Grade includes more worksheets, part-word braille contractions, and other remaining literary contractions and symbols, along with the rules for using them. The curriculum also emphasizes syllables and multisyllabic words, and the effect of certain letter combinations on vowel sounds. For optional map work, each lesson gives the foreign origin of at least one spelling word.

Prerequisite: Building on Patterns: First Grade or equivalent skills.

Recommended ages: 7 to 8 years and up.

REVISED! The Wilson Digital Voice Recorder, Ver. 4

1-03993-02 — $39.95

Not available with Quota funds.

New version includes battery-saving off switch!

This state-of-the-art digital voice recorder is simple to use. Record up to 12 hours of voice messages and download to your computer via the included USB cable. Features: store multiple messages, easily add or delete messages, and volume control. Clips to your belt, visor, or purse.

New Features

• Off switch
• When memory is full, the oldest recorded message is automatically deleted

Use to Record: Phone numbers, Addresses, Shopping Lists, Reminders, To-do lists, Notes, Appointments, Messages, Lectures, Directions, Instructions, and more!

Measures 2 x 3 x 0.5 inches. Requires 2 AAA batteries (not included).

Note: The Wilson digital recorder is not related to the Wilson Reading System product.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow several weeks for delivery.

Marching For Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don’t You Grow Weary
by Elizabeth Partridge: T-N1907-70 — $25.50
Recounts the 1965 protests against voting discrimination in Alabama led by Martin Luther King Jr. Discusses ordinary kids placing themselves at risk of being beaten and sprayed with tear gas to participate in the civil rights struggle in Selma and the five-day march to Montgomery. Grades 5-8 *(AR Quiz No. 132720, BL 6.6, Pts. 3.0)

A Princess of Landover
by Terry Brooks: T-N1869-20 — $97.50
Mistaya is suspended from school in the natural world after scaring a classmate with magic. Banished to Libris, the royal library, Mistaya discovers an evil magician is threatening Landover. Sequel to Witches’ Brew. Young Adult Reader *(AR Quiz No. 132443, BL 6.1 Pts. 18.0)

Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World
by Harold S. Kushner: T-N1884-20 — $51.50
Rabbi and author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People discusses fear and suggests ways to manage this emotion. He uses religious teachings and personal accounts as guides for empowerment. Includes a message of hope.

Choices
by Pamela Nowak: T-N1885-10 — $89.50
Dakota Territory, 1876. Miriam Longstreet leaves school for Fort Randall, where her father is the commander, and discovers that her mother is addicted to laudanum and wants Miriam to marry a lieutenant. But Miriam falls in love with a private. Some strong language and mature content. Adult Reader

Midnight Sons: Volume 1
by Debbie Macomber: T-N1870-00 — $95.50
Features two classic stories — "Brides for Brothers" and "The Marriage Risk" — that center around the three O’Halloran brothers, who, running a bush-plane charter service called Midnight Sons, campaign to bring women to their town north of the Arctic Circle. Adult Reader.

*Accelerated Reader quiz number, book level, and point value. For more information on the Accelerated Reader program, see the January 2006 APH News or www.renlearn.com/ar/