App Smackdown! Day Two, Thursday 24th May

Collect your lunch then bring it along to this fast-paced App Smackdown session to kick off at 12.45pm. What is it?? It’s a chance for you to have two minutes of fame and share your favourite app with everyone else in the room. You have two minutes to step up, and use your iPad to project and demonstrate the app/apps you love. Just two minutes to tell all gathered why you love using that app in your classroom, therapy sessions, lectures, at home or just for your own enjoyment! Two minutes will go quickly but it means you will also have the chance to see many other ideas and thoughts re cool apps.

An online Google Doc compiling the apps presented and their links in the App Store will be built live as the session progresses – ready to be shared with all conference delegates and with all following the conference online via Twitter, Facebook, Scoop.It or Pinterest! If you have many apps to share, that’s fine too. Just line up again for another go after your two minutes are up! Join us – this will be fun!

Early bird prize awarded – we have a winner!

The early bird conference registration prize was randomly drawn on Tuesday – it sure was a big draw with over 900 delegates in the pool!

A big congratulations to Kathy Johns of Queensland! She is the lucky winner of the dinner vouchers valued at $200. Enjoy Kathy and see you at the conference!

Reserved seats at lunch for parents and carers | QIAT Listers

We are setting aside some tables in the lunch pavilion for two separate meetings on Day One of the conference, Wednesday 23rd May. One set of tables will be reserved for parents and carers, the others setup for QIAT Listserve members. We hope this will give you all an opportunity to get together and catch up!

Let us know at conference@spectronicsinoz.com if you’d like a seat reserved at either of these meetings and we’ll add this date to your personalised itinerary.

At-a-glance overview of the conference program highlights

Accommodation at Jupiters Gold Coast Hotel | An important update

Special delegate accommodation rates at Jupiters Gold Coast Hotel have been negotiated for conference participants – however, the hotel has advised that they are now almost fully booked. ALL accommodation needs to be booked directly with the hotel on 07 5592 8366 or international +61 7 5592 8366 (let them know you are with the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012) – if there are any rooms available for the nights you require they will be able to assist you. If it is more convenient you can also email the Group Reservation agent at jgcgroups@echoent.com.au.

#ILT2012 Conversations starting on Twitter

If you are on Twitter, you may have noticed some chat starting up about the conference there. To follow, just search for messages with the #ILT2012 hashtag included. To contribute to the chat, just add #ILT2012 to the text of your tweets about the conference or of interest to other delegates attending. You should also follow the conference on Twitter. Search for our Twitter Name of @ILT2012 and click follow. We have added a listing of all Tweeters attending the conference on the conference Facebook Group. Please go in and add your details if not already listed there.

If you are not on Twitter, it is easy to create an account at https://twitter.com. If it is all too confusing, and we totally get that, all of the conference team will be available to help you out if you want to give Twitter a trial while onsite at the conference. Charlene Cullen (from Spectronics) and David Harraway (from ComTEC in Melbourne) will be able to help out too in their 90 minute presentation titled “OK I get that I need to use Social Media Tools. But HOW do I do it?” – scheduled for after lunch on Day One of the conference (Wednesday 23rd May).

ILT2012 Conference Facebook community

Our Facebook community is steadily growing – it’s great to see the new members since our last update. Welcome!

Don’t forget to actively invite your Facebook friends/colleagues/family who would like to be part of this fun forum! The Conference Committee also posts informative updates as they come to hand, so it is a useful tool to keep up-to-the-minute-up-to-date!

Travelling from overseas?

Visas are required by all visitors travelling to Australia, except for New Zealand passport holders.

If you are planning a holiday or a short business trip to Australia, you will need to apply for either a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority). An ETA will let you spend up to three months in Australia. Further information on ETA eligible countries can be found online, click here.

European Union and some other European passport holders are eligible to apply individually for an eVisitor visa to travel to and enter Australia. Further information on eVistor eligible countries can be found on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website. eVisitor applications can be made online. For more information contact the Australian Embassy in your country or visit the Australian Electronic Travel Authority.

Helping you to Prepare for the Conference

The first of our free introductory webinars kicks off in three weeks – Thursday 19th April.

If you are a “first timer” at an Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference, these introductory webinars might help you to get a feel for how to get the most out of your conference experience. We will take you on a tour of the innovative new web apps for planning your schedule at the conference, accessing presentation resources from all presenters and adding notes taken in the sessions to your timetable. Even if you are a “regular” attendee, you may also find this useful as many new initiatives are in place this year.

So come along and have any questions you may have answered!

Register now for free by clicking on the links below – choose from the two sessions (content repeated):

Only one month to go! Thursday 19th April 3.15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time
Only two weeks to go! Wednesday 9th May 3.15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time

Early Bird Registration | Accommodation | Ever-growing Prize Pool

The early bird registration will be closed on Monday 9th April – just 11 days away (Easter Monday)! So if you’re yet to register and would like to be in the draw to win dinner vouchers valued at $200, complete your registration NOW. You’re free to spend these as you wish at any restaurant outlet of your choice at Jupiters Gold Coast – what a great treat!

Speaking of Jupiters, our accommodation block is now almost full. As I mentioned last month, we are unable to fully guarantee that the reduced room rate of $189 per night will be available for much longer. Once again, if you’re yet to book your accommodation at Jupiters Gold Coast Hotel I’d suggest you do so ASAP, as the hotel has now advised that there are no guarantees past mid-April.

And while you’re thinking of accommodation (and therefore your travel plans), keep in mind the fabulous Conference Closing Session at 3pm to 4pm on Friday 25th May. Ensure that you book flights or plan your trip home to allow you to attend, as the prize pool (which will be drawn during this session) is still growing! It is currently sitting at $49,863 – but I can confirm that by this afternoon it will be over $50,000!!! Take a look at the fantastic prizes online now.

Trade Display Drinks, Canapés and iPad Prize

ALL delegates registered for Day One are invited to join us for drinks and canapés on Wednesday 23rd May from 5pm. Be there to be in with a chance of winning the one and only prize being offered that evening – an iPad prize valued at $2500! See the Prizes webpage for more information! The bundle includes:

• iPad 2 – 16GB WiFi Black Version (supplied by MAC1)
• Proloquo2Go app supporting Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for those unable to communicate using their own voice
• iAdapter 2 – for effective amplification of the iPad in social settings and protection of the iPad in special ed settings (supplied by Communicate AT in Sydney)
• iPad 2 Home Stereo accessories valued at $1000 (supplied by Conexus in Sydney)
• An overnight stay in a Superior Room with two full buffet breakfasts at Jupiters Gold Coast Hotel

Sincere thanks to MAC1, Communicate AT, Conexus and Jupiters Gold Coast for their generosity!

Adding Swype to your Assistive Technology Toolkit

Swype is a revolutionary new way to enter text from an onscreen keyboard at rates of 45 words-per-minute and higher! Originally developed as an assistive technology, Swype has now become a mainstream tool on dozens of smartphone models around the world.

Randy Marsden, the co-founder of Seattle-based Swype Inc will be joining us from Canada!

His session “Adding Swype to your Assistive Technology Toolkit” (Thursday 24th May, 1.30pm to 2.15pm) is not to be missed! Come to this session to learn how to use Swype, and how to apply its power to help people with disabilities compose text faster and more accurately. Of benefit to people with physical disabilities, hearing loss, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and many others.

Support for Delegates with Hearing Loss

We have recently been made aware that some of our delegates have a hearing loss and will require additional supports to be able to fully participate in conference presentations and associated activities. We are working on plans for captioning of selected sections using the clever Ai-Live Captioning
service, in combination with some Auslan Interpreter services for delegates who have advised us of their specific needs in this area. We have also arranged for hire of a number of personal UHF Transmitter and Receiver units to assist delegates who require this additional assistance when using hearing aids in the larger presentation rooms. Please do let us know ahead of time if you also have specific hearing support requirements to ensure that your needs are accommodated onsite at the conference.

Printable Program Session Outline PDF

The Conference Committee has had many many requests for a printable version of the program outline, the format as seen online. This is the easiest way to look at the program when groups sit and select their sessions together. So … to help you with this we have created a printable “Session Outline” PDF for you to use. It is now available online, or you can download a copy here.

The ILT2012 Conference Facebook community is building

There are a lot of interesting conference-related conversations happening now on the ILT2012 Conference Facebook Group – we’d love for you to join in!

The difference from other Facebook pages is that we can’t automatically join people up – you need to login and join. Once you are a member you can also invite your other Facebook friends/colleagues/family who would like to be part of this useful (and friendly) chatter!

Have a happy and safe Easter!

Program update | Sensory Guru’s Interactive Sensory Room Technologies

In December we let you know that Bas Tijdhof from Link-AT Assistive Technology in Adelaide will be displaying Sensory Guru’s Magic Carpet and EyeFX at the conference trade exhibit. Well, the latest, exciting update is that Sensory Guru’s

Managing Director, Lee Blemings is making the long trip from the UK to attend the conference!

Catch Lee’s presentation on Wednesday 23rd May, 2.15pm to 3pm “Overview of Interactive Sensory Room Technologies by UK’s Sensory Guru”. Visit the program page for all the info. And be sure to pop in and see the Magic Carpet in action – Lee and Bas will be at the Link-AT booth in the Pavilion Marquee.

AppTastic! Hands-on with the iPad | Fully booked

As we predicted, the popular “AppTastic! Hands-on with the iPad for Accessibility and Special Education” pre-conference workshop is now fully booked. All 200 seats have been snapped up.

Unfortunately we are unable to take names for a waiting list. But we encourage you to keep an eye on the program as some delegates may decide to select another pre-conference workshop – which would mean a spot would open up.

We know that there are A LOT of disappointed delegates who have missed out, so we are working hard on ensuring the session content will be available to ALL (registered ILT2012 conference delegates only of course!). The session will be videoed and made available online via the Conference Online Resource Hub. More to come about that later, but for now we just want you to be aware that you WILL have access to the session content and footage, even if you’ve missed out on a place.

Gala Conference Dinner | Thursday 24th May

Spectronics’ favourite conference band SAVvY, has been secured (in fact we booked them way back in May 2010!). So please join us for another fun night of dancing and fine dining!  As always there are no speeches or presentations – just time to down tools and relax.

We are expecting 600 people this year – it’s going to be huge. Certainly the biggest dinner our committee has ever hosted! We have more space this year, as well as a much bigger (all important) dance floor – so no excuses – dance the night away!

If you’d like to book a ticket just shoot us an email at conference@spectronicsinoz.com and we’ll arrange it straight away. Tickets are $110 and include a three-course meal, all drinks and entertainment – partners and friends are welcome!

As always please be in touch if you have any questions at all about the conference – we’re here to help!

I also thought I’d give you a “visual” of how HUGE the registrations have been for the past month – almost three times that of the 2010 conference. The graphic below might give you an indication as to why I’m urging you to register NOW if you haven’t yet done so! We very much expect to be fully booked this year – so secure your spot now while you still have the opportunity.

App Smackdown!!!

Collect your lunch then bring it along to this fast-paced App Smackdown session to kick off at 12.45pm. What is it?? It’s a chance for you to have two minutes of fame and share your favourite app with everyone else in the room. You have two minutes to step up, and use your iPad to project and demonstrate the app/apps you love. Just two minutes to tell all gathered why you love using that app in your classroom, therapy sessions, lectures, at home or just for your own enjoyment! Two minutes will go quickly but it means you will also have the chance to see many other ideas and thoughts re cool apps.

An online Google Doc compiling the apps presented and their links in the App Store will be built live as the session progresses – ready to be shared with all conference delegates and with all following the conference online via Twitter, Facebook, Scoop.It or Pinterest! If you have many apps to share, that’s fine too. Just line up again for another go after your two minutes are up! Join us – this will be fun!

Facilitated by Barbara Landsberg, Greg O’Connor, Mark Coppin, Charlene Cullen and Katie Lyon

Do you still need to register? Best you do it now!

Before I sign off (again!) I thought I’d let you know that I’ve had a few enquiries recently regarding the sharing of registrations. Please be aware that you are not able to share your conference registration. We understand that it might be convenient for a school to share around the PD opportunity between three or four staff, however we have packaged the registration fees to ensure that those delegates attending under the “I Want Everything” or “Full Three Days” packages benefit from the reduced price. The other issue is that the fees are set to cover certain costs of your attendance – including the ‘little’ things like your name badge, lanyard, satchel, registration kit, printed personalised itinerary, etc – we would need to supply multiple of each if we were to allow extra staff to attend under the one registration – and it all adds up. I hope that clears things up in case you were wondering!

Have a lovely weekend!

PS. Another heads-up too! The popular full day Pre-Conference Workshop “AppTastic! Hands-on with the iPad for Accessibility and Special Education” is nearly full. We have 200 iPads in the hands-on lab for the day, but incredibly, there are ONLY 20 PLACES left!! 180 people have already secured their spot! Please register VERY soon if you are planning to join this workshop – seriously. As advised earlier too, your place in any sessions selected cannot be considered locked in and confirmed until we have received your registration payment in full.

The buzz is certainly building! Here is some more information to keep you up to speed!

WIN an AbleNet iPad and Easy-Tech Bundle – valued at $5,000

AbleNet, one of our fabulous Gold Sponsors originally offered to fund one lucky delegate to travel to attend the ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association) Conference in the USA in January 2013. A very exciting prize! But… we have had feedback that it would be difficult for a school or organisation to select just ONE person to attend the conference when successful integration of technologies is always a collaborative team effort. We fully agree!

So we have had a change of plan. The AbleNet team has worked with the Conference Committee to compile a great bundle of technologies for use in the classroom or in your disability support organisation. It would also be a fantastic collection of tools for one lucky child at home!

The AbleNet bundle starts off with a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad 2. (It may even be an iPad 3 by the time the conference kicks off!) Pre-loaded with AbleNet’s own SoundingBoard app and bundled with an Apple TV unit and HDMI cable.

Just plug your iPad 2 into a large LCD Touchscreen or Interactive Whiteboard projector using the HDMI cable and all apps installed on the iPad will be displayed on the big screen. Great for supporting interactive group activities not possible on the smaller iPad screen. Even better, this package allows you to project wirelessly to an LCD Touchscreen allowing freedom of movement around the classroom or therapy room for both the teacher/therapist and the iPad being shared.

AbleNet has also included many of their own popular iPad/iPod/iPhone switch access accessories and latest Easy-Tech technology releases. To learn more, click here. Or if you’re already registered to attend the conference, submit your entry online now!

Get excited about these prizes too!

WIN a Texthelp Read&Write GOLD Bundle – valued at $14,000

Texthelp Systems are generously contributing a Texthelp Read&Write GOLD Dual Platform for Windows and Mac – P-12 School and Home Site Licence (for two campuses) along with five USB Mobile versions of the program. This comprehensive package will provide excellent literacy support for ALL students – to use on Mac and Windows computers at your school and in their homes on computers owned by the students for the duration of their attendance at the school. Add in even more flexibility with the five USB Mobile versions of the program allowing on-the-road access to computers not owned by the school or the students – when visiting the local library or Internet Cafe for example.

Texthelp has also offered to exchange this offer for an equivalent value University, TAFE or PolyTech licence if the winner comes from a tertiary education setting! Enter online, or in person at the conference – read how to go about it now!

WIN a DynaVox Maestro – valued at $13,000

DynaVox Mayer-Johnson have offered the fantastic prize of a DynaVox Maestro speech generating device to give away at the Conference Closing Session! Simply tell us about your situation and how winning the DynaVox Maestro would benefit you, your school, your organisation, or the person whom you are supporting!  Check out the website for more information.

Early Bird Conference Registration Prize

If you complete your conference registration by Monday 9th April you will automatically go in the draw to win vouchers valued at $200 – you’re free to spend these as you wish at any restaurant outlet of your choice at Jupiters Gold Coast! Register now to be in the running! Good luck!

As we’ve been communicating with all delegates recently, all registrations must be paid in full to secure your attendance (and session selections!) at the conference. Likewise, only delegates who are fully paid will be eligible to go in the draws to win any of the fabulous prizes available!

Program Update

A new session has just been added to the conference program, so I thought I’d bring it to your attention! Randy Marsden from Swype (also founder of Madentec) is joining us to present “Adding Swype to your Assistive Technology Toolkit”. He’ll be presenting on Thursday 24th May, 1.30pm to 2.15pm.

And we’ve noticed since session selections opened up in early January that some sessions are proving to be particularly popular. This means that some delegates will miss out, so to avoid disappointment we have decided to repeat the following sessions. So if you miss out first time around, sign up ASAP to the second!

The iPad and iPod touch in the Special Needs Classroom – presented by Mark Coppin. To be repeated on Wednesday 23rd May, 3.30pm to 5pm.

Using the iPad and Proloquo2Go in an Educational Environment – presented by Kelly Fonner and David Niemeijer. To be repeated Friday 25th May, 11am to 12.30pm. (Note – this repeat is not hands-on with the iPad.)

As I’ve mentioned previously, we have negotiated a great reduced rate of $189 per night – that rate includes FREE wireless internet access in your room for the duration of your stay (normally $25 per day)! Jupiters have advised that the block is filling up, and the number of rooms available to our conference delegates is continuing to reduce. To absolutely guarantee that you have a room reserved at the conference rate we encourage you to make your booking by the end of the month (only two short weeks away!). From 28th February some rooms will be available at the reduced conference rate, however we can’t fully guarantee it – so that’s a risk you’ll have to take!

Benefits of staying onsite at the conference venue?

Convenience!

FREE wireless internet 24/7 for the duration of your stay!

Continue to network with like-minded peers once the conference closes each afternoon! (AND there’s a myriad of dining and entertainment options onsite and close by for you to experience while mulling over the day’s presentations!)

Book now!

Be sure to use the promotional code (LT2012) when making your booking. This will ensure that your name goes into the draw for a chance to win the Accommodation Prize valued at $775. The prize includes two nights’ accommodation at Jupiters in a superior room for two adults (including full buffet breakfast each morning!), as well as two dinner and show tickets.

See the conference website for all the information and instructions on how to book. Alternatively shoot me an email via conference@spectronicsinoz.com or give me a call on 07 3808 6833. I’m happy to help!

The Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012 on Queensland’s Gold Coast from 22nd to 25th May this year will provide valuable targeted learning in these areas – and much more! Innovative and practical applications of technologies to address literacy, numeracy, communication and behavioural challenges are embedded throughout the four day program.

Delegates consistently tell us that they leave with a renewed confidence, enthusiasm and commitment to the challenge of really making technologies work for their students of all ages – and ALL abilities.

Principals and Team Leaders consistently tell us that their delegates return equipped with real-world strategies – enthusiastically hitting the ground running on day one of their return!

Spend just four minutes viewing our video. You’ll understand then why you need to join us in May.

Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012 from Spectronics on Vimeo.

iPad hands-on workshops. Lots of them!

The iPad has turned even experienced technology users into beginners again! So much to learn. How do you make the BEST app choices when there are 500,000 to choose from? How do you successfully embed iPads within your learning support programs? 

We feel your pain so this year’s conference kicks off with a full-day hands-on lab with 200 iPads pre-loaded with apps to support learning by students of ALL abilities. BUT there are only 100 places left in this Pre-Conference workshop. To ensure your place in this particularly popular session, you need to register soon!

What to do now?

• Learn more by visiting the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012 website
• View the comprehensive program now live on the website
• Sign up for emailed conference updates
• Contact me on conference@spectronicsinoz.com with any questions at all
• Or if you are ready – Register NOW! The earlier you register, the more likely it is that you will be able to book into ALL of your preferred sessions. 400 delegates have already chosen their sessions. We don’t want you to be disappointed by missing out on yours! 

Session selections now open

Delegates are now taking advantage of selecting their preferred sessions. As we promised in December, session selections have been open since early January. What a way to celebrate the first day back for 2012! We are thrilled to see that so many people have already logged in to select their preferences. If you have already completed your registration but haven’t received an email with your session selection log in username and password, please contact us at conference@spectronicsinoz.com and we’ll resend all the information you need.

Session selection is optional – you’re more than welcome to “wing it” whilst at the conference. Please be aware however, that if you have registered for the “I Want Everything” package you will need to log in to select your pre-conference workshop selection for Tuesday 22nd May – this is the only day where a session selection is absolutely necessary.

A reminder too, for those of you who know that you are attending but haven’t yet got around to submitting your registration … the earlier you register the more likely you are to select your preferred sessions. So register now to lock in your preferences!

Conference accommodation at Jupiters – and Jupiters’ prizes!

Now is the time to start thinking about your trip to the Gold Coast. We have negotiated a discounted rate (available for conference delegates only!) at Jupiters Hotel Gold Coast, the conference venue. In addition to the convenience of staying onsite, you will also have access to FREE wireless internet – both on the conference floor and in your room! A saving of $25 per day. To take advantage of these conference rates please note that all bookings must be made using the special Spectronics booking link – see the Accommodation page for all the information and instructions on how to make a booking. Rates are valid for occupancy on a single, twin or double basis (per room, per night):

• Superior room $189
• Corner balcony superior room $220
• Executive room $240

And as an added incentive to stay at Jupiters Hotel Gold Coast, ALL delegates who book their accommodation using the special Spectronics booking link will automatically go into the draw to win a spectacular prize valued at $775. The prize includes two nights’ accommodation in a superior room for two adults (including full buffet breakfast each morning!), as well as two dinner and show tickets.

Jupiters has also been generous in providing our early bird registration prize – a fantastic dinner and show package for two, valued at $198. But you need to be fully registered by Monday 9th April to go in the draw!

FULL program PDF now available to download

We know it’s handy to see the conference program in its entirety – and in a printable format! So we have developed a PDF of the FULL program for you to download and share with your Principal, colleagues and friends and family. To download a copy click here. The most up-to-date version of the document can be found on the Program page – it will be updated each time we update the online version. Enjoy!

Free introductory conference webinar

The Conference Committee thought it might be useful to host a free introductory conference webinar, aimed at helping you to prepare for your attendance at the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012. We hope it may help you to get a feel for how to get the most out of your conference participation!

We will take you on a tour of the innovative new web apps for planning your schedule at the conference, accessing presentation resources from all presenters and adding notes taken in the sessions to your timetable. Even if you are a “regular” attendee, you may also find this useful as many new initiatives are in place this year. Keeping it fresh and inspiring for you!

We will be hosting two sessions, and will record them both so that if you are not able to join us “live”, you can watch the presentation later at a time that suits you better.

Choose from the two sessions we have available (content repeated) and register online now for free!

• Only one month to go! Thursday 19th April, 3.15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time
• Only two weeks to go! Wednesday 9th May, 3.15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time

Session selections opening in January

As we’ve been promising, session selections are back! It is now only a matter of weeks until you can pre-book your preferred sessions – it is optional however. If you have already completed your registration you will be given priority to make your selections from Monday 9th January and we will be in touch with details of how you go about it.

Session selections will then be open to ALL as part of the registration process from Monday 16th January.

The earlier you register the more likely you are to select your preferred sessions, so if you know you are attending but haven’t yet got around to submitting your registration, register now to avoid any disappointment.

Keynote Presenter: Linda Burkhart | AT and AAC Integration Specialist for children with significant disabilities

Linda Burkhart is another of our keynote presenters – she is an internationally known pioneer in the field of simplified technology for children with severe challenges. Linda has developed numerous adapted switches and innovative applications for using these devices with children. She is the author of a number of books and software titles on topics of assistive technology and augmentative communication.

Linda was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. Then for eight years, she worked as an Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology Specialist for the Centre for Technology in Education – a joint project between the Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland State Department of Education. Currently, Linda works as a private consultant and technology integration specialist.

You will have many opportunities to see Linda presenting at the conference – one of her sessions, Learning Partner: Assisted Scanning with PODD, co-presented with Gayle Porter, (developer of the Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display – PODD – communication books and pages sets for speech generating devices) is bound to be a popular one! This session will share creative strategies for systematising the process of partner and child learning. Learn about when and how to use a direct model, partial model or full model to enhance understanding of patterns within PODD. Learn methods for recognising and teaching initiation as well as helping a child to develop a clear mode of response for partner-assisted scanning. Practical strategies, videos and case examples will be shared.

Amazing Sensory Guru technologies now here in ANZ | See it in action at the Conference!

Multi-sensory Room technologies have not changed dramatically for many years, but Sensory Guru in the UK is now ramping it up in amazing ways! They are turning around largely passive environments, offering options for active participation and for a progression of skills development within a multi-sensory environment.

The Magic Carpet interactive projection system is just one of their new technologies. The system projects interactive games and images onto the floor so that users can play with and control the images simply by moving on or over the projected image – even with the slightest of movements. Its multi-user interaction supports group activities allowing for collaborative play with able-bodied peers.

Add in the Tobii PCEye, (a clip-on eye control device for a computer) and Sensory Eye FX software, and students with even the most significant physical disabilities can actively participate in games with their peers. They can join in by controlling the fun Magic Carpet activities by eye control alone. A great way to build competence in eye control before moving on to more demanding applications too.

Mmm … it’s hard to convey how cool these tools are with words alone. Click here to watch a short video to help to bring it all to life for you!

To see some of the other truly innovative multi-sensory environment installations being created by the Sensory Guru team in the UK, visit their website or join their active Facebook Group. Their inspirational catalogue of options and ideas is also wonderful to flick through.

The great news just in is that these technologies are now available across Australia and New Zealand from Bas Tijdhof at Link-AT Assistive Technology in Adelaide. Bas will be displaying the Magic Carpet and EyeFX at the conference trade exhibit. It will be a popular (and fun) exhibit for sure!

From the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference Committee at Spectronics – we wish you a wonderful Christmas/New Year break! Looking forward to seeing you in 2012!

Do you use any of the above pictured “easy-tech” tools from AbleNet in your classroom or disability support organisation? Do you use any at home? Tools like the PowerLink 4 Control Unit, BIGMack, Step-by-Step Communicators, All-Turn-It Spinner, the MEville to WEville Early Literacy and Communication Skills Curriculum Collection, Jelly Bean or Jelly Beamer switches, or the popular SuperTalker Progressive Communicator? Any other AbleNet technologies?

If you do, and if you share your story about how you use these technologies, AND you are attending the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference in May 2012, you will be in the running to win a fabulous prize of a fully-funded return trip from Australia or New Zealand to the USA in January 2013 to attend the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference in Orlando, Florida. A prize worth over $5000 … and just a 10 minute drive to “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Centre” (in case you are so inclined)!

We sincerely thank AbleNet, as a conference Gold Sponsor, for making this opportunity available as the ATIA conference offers many opportunities to hear presentations by prominent assistive technology practitioners from across the globe. It also includes an extensive trade exhibit hall, again featuring all key assistive technology suppliers from many different countries. A great chance to update your knowledge and form lasting valuable contacts.

What do you have to do to enter the competition?

It’s simple! Just register to attend the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2012 and show us how you are using AbleNet technologies in the classroom, within your school, organisation or at home. Submit a presentation (in any format) to tell your story and to share with other Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference delegates over the days of our event. The only proviso is that all entries must be submitted online by Friday 4th May 2012. An online entry form will be coming soon, but if you have any questions at all, just contact Eliza Bale, Conference Convenor on conference@spectronicsinoz.com.

Maybe spend some time thinking about how you might like to be in the running to win over your Christmas/New Year break? Especially as we have no entries to date. Could you be the lucky winner?