Melted Crayon Art with Switches

Melted crayon projects have been all over Pinterest and would work great as a switch based project for learners with intensive special needs.

Most versions of the project on Pinterest call for using hot glue to attach the crayons to canvas and then using a hair dryer to melt the crayons.  For a less expensive version, mount on rectangles of some fore core board and use black masking tape covers the cut edges.   Use some left over silk ribbon attached with more hot glue to hand

The project can adapted for the students, of course.  Students can spend time choosing crayons and creating their pattern of colors.  They also can choose their silhouette or image to add.  Staff should hot glue the crayons on the fore core board, of course students can use AAC to shout, "Ready, set, glue!" and "stop now!" Next up is fun with switches!  Hair dryers can be attached to an environmental control box (a Powerlink) and switches can be used for the students to control turning on and off the hot air.

Variations on the melted crayon project include different silhouettes (hand cut or from a Cricut, arranging the crayons in shapes like hearts, having the crayons melt "up" and turning them into flowers, using stick on vinyl letters to write a name or word and then carefully removing to leave a print behind and more!  A quick Google or Bing images search for melted crayon art should show you lots of choices!

Share your pictures of this project and I will post here!

Wordless Wednesday - Juicing for Key Lime Pie

The student is accessing a wobble switch at mid-line on her wheelchair tray to activate the Wireless Jelly Bean Switch, which is plugged into the Power Link environmental control unit, which is controlling the power to the juicer. The teacher is pressing the lime onto the juicer. In the end we juiced one cup worth of lime juice!

Ablenet Introduces the New Powerlink 4

Ablenet has announced the new Powerlink 4 enviromental control device at Closing the Gap. No longer the teal box we are used to the new Powerlink 4 is upgraded for today. The new Powerlink is compatiable with the wireless Jelly Beamers and Big Beamers. The Powerlink 4 will cost $230.00 and will begin shipping in early 2010. A Powerlink 4 and two wireless Jelly Beamers can be ordered for at a discounted rate until the end of the year (12/31/09).

(Note to Ablenet folks - could someone clarify the discounted race, in the e-mail it was $307 and online it is $357. Thanks.)

PowerLink 4 features:

• Easy set up with built-in display and a simple new design
• Powerful access with six modes of control
• Accurate programming and data collection like never before
• Flexible outlets allow custom positioning of up to two appliances, activating independently
• Linkable™ wireless technology for use with multiple Big or Jelly Beamer switches (from up to 30 feet away)
  
• Two switch input jacks
• Position on table-top or wall-mounted

Modes of Control

• Direct
• Count (direct with data collection of number of activations)
• Two Switch (direct but two switches must be held down at once for interaction or safety)
• Timed Seconds (0-99)
  
• Timed Minutes (0-99)
  
• Latch (one hit on, next hit off)
  

High Tech Pudding

Today we made green and gold pudding in celebration of St. Patrick's Day (we like to get the party started early in our room). Here are some of my students making the pudding; differentiated instruction combines with assistive technology meaning everyone participates and learns independence.

For technology we used our Enabling Devices pouring cup with a "jelly bean" switch, some standard electric beaters with our Ablenet powerlink and an Ablenet "big red" switch. The students did 99% of the work them selves, with more able students handling the beaters, opening boxes, etc. and switch users doing the pouring (via the switch pouring cup) and powering the beaters via switch for their friend. The end result was four cups of gold pudding (vanilla), four cups of green pudding (pistachio), a bit of a mess and a good time.





































It was very yummy!