Lumisonic: free speech and music software

Today Barrie over at One Switch sent me a great link for some free software that acts as a visualizer for voice, vocalization and any sound input to the computer OR it acts as a way to manipulate recorded sound being played on the computer. It is called Lumisonic and is available from Sonic Arts. You can download it in PC or Mac version, with or without the other software you need (C++ and Quicktime). It can also be used with a Wi in order to manipulate music or sound through movement. A link is included with ideas to use the software as a visualizer and as an instrument.

Upgrade Your Boardmaker!

The newest upload to Boardmaker is available online at the Mayer-Johnson site (or if you use Windows go to Start -> All Programs -> Mayer-Johnson -> Check for Updates on your desktop).

This update has one very cool feature, it let's buttons on boards connect to websites online. Check out Yuichi's Blog to see how.

News-2-You and Choking

Dear News-2-You,

I love your product, but what were you thinking making a whole paper about popcorn? It is on every published list of choking hazard foods I have ever seen. For example from Consumer Reports, Seattle Public Health, Texas Center for Childhood Injury Prevention, University of Michigan and the list goes on and on. Perhaps when you are choosing your topics you could stay away from things that are commonly known to be contraindicated when working with learned with intensive or multiple disabilities (which I assume are a core part of your demographic).

Sincerely, a teacher who got dirty looks from every therapist in the the building for popping pop corn to use as a visual to go with this week's News-2-You because the therapists thought I might feed it to the kids and risk their lives (as it is a top ten choking hazard)

Top Choke Hazards (in children under 4 and those with swallowing issues and how lower the risk)

• hard candy (do not allow)
  
• whole grapes (cut grapes in quarters before serving)
  
• popcorn (do not allow)
  
• gum (do not allow)
  
• whole hot dogs or slices of hot dogs (cut hot dogs in quarters the long way first)
• large pieces of meat (especially tough meat, cut into small pieces or grind)
• cheese cubes/squares (cut into very small pieces)
  
• raisins (avoid unless cooked or very soft and plump and student has very good chewing skills)
  
• raw vegetables (shred, chop or cook)
  
• seeds and pits (remove from foods before serving)
  
• nuts (do not allow)
  
• spoonfuls or dollops of peanut butter (use appropriately in small amounts as a spread, serve with a drink - the same goes for all sticky spreads)
  

The Sixth Week Stride

Since my student teaching I have been meta-cognizant of the fact that any major change in the classroom takes six weeks until everyone adjusts. We are entering the sixth week of school here and at the end of last week I started to feel like things were leveling out. Maybe your school has been in session since mid-August or maybe you didn't start until well after Labor Day, but I hope you all have a successful week.

Incredible

Below are the website statistics for this blog during September. They are based on a cookie (a little piece of code stored on your web browser - which isn't always the most reliable way to count visitors because often people erase cookies meaning returning visitors come up as new visitors). I can't believe that 9,662 people read this site in September. Whoa!

		Page Loads	Unique Visitors	First Time Visitors	Returning Visitors
Total		19,491	9,662	8,100	1,562
Average		629	312	261	50
Day	Date	Page Loads	Unique Visitors	First Time Visitors	Returning Visitors
Wednesday	October 1st 2008	591	323	272	51
Tuesday	September 30th 2008	673	329	274	55
Monday	September 29th 2008	646	360	279	81
Sunday	September 28th 2008	534	285	236	49
Saturday	September 27th 2008	480	237	190	47
Friday	September 26th 2008	706	326	276	50
Thursday	September 25th 2008	659	348	297	51
Wednesday	September 24th 2008	707	351	290	61
Tuesday	September 23rd 2008	859	356	297	59
Monday	September 22nd 2008	634	352	307	45
Sunday	September 21st 2008	539	291	230	61
Saturday	September 20th 2008	463	262	234	28
Friday	September 19th 2008	641	288	252	36
Thursday	September 18th 2008	769	357	316	41
Wednesday	September 17th 2008	617	326	276	50
Tuesday	September 16th 2008	629	315	257	58
Monday	September 15th 2008	724	355	297	58
Sunday	September 14th 2008	539	272	230	42
Saturday	September 13th 2008	506	184	148	36
Friday	September 12th 2008	606	307	256	51
Thursday	September 11th 2008	788	344	278	66
Wednesday	September 10th 2008	719	351	303	48
Tuesday	September 9th 2008	663	347	277	70
Monday	September 8th 2008	695	363	304	59
Sunday	September 7th 2008	534	275	228	47
Saturday	September 6th 2008	528	255	214	41
Friday	September 5th 2008	484	273	235	38
Thursday	September 4th 2008	614	302	255	47
Wednesday	September 3rd 2008	642	325	277	48
Tuesday	September 2nd 2008	765	334	284	50
Monday	September 1st 2008	537	269	231	38

My favorite search term from the last 24 hours? "Developmental delay chewing shirt saver". Can't you just picture the poor mom (or dad) who is just totally exhausted with pulling the shirt out of her son's (or daughter's) mouth? Time for a Chewy Tube, or an Ark Grabber, or Chewlery, or at the very least a bandanna around the neck to chew on.

Downloading Activities

I traditionally spend Sunday evening moving all of the Boardmaker, Classroom Suite and Clicker 5 things I will use during the week onto my travel disk drive so that I can import them into my classroom computers (one set up for switch users and two for touchscreen or head tracker users). This means that whenever I can I download any activities I find online and save them to use when they fit into my curriculum.

Today (while updating the Free Boardmaker Boards and Activities Permanent Post) I discovered some great new activities at My Dynamic Therapy. Be sure to check them out.

Also be sure you are getting the monthly downloads from Mayer-Johnson and the boards everyone posts at the Yahoo Boardmaker Group.

Through the Windshield?

Tonight, after a meeting, I was to deliver an AAC system and a very large rolling mount system to a student's home and show his mom how to set up the device, the Headmouse Extreme, and the rolling mount. Unfortunately I discovered that the rolling mount did not fit comfortably in my already full PT Cruiser and I had no tools to disassemble it. I tried the backseat, no dice. Then I tried the front seat, it pushed too far into the driver's seat. So I tried the front seat with the rolling mount upside down and I managed to crack my own windsheild. How exactly am I going to explain that to my insurance company?

P.S. So for the lack of posts this week, my internet has been down at home and I do not currently have internet at my school.