The Tech Ambassadors initiative at The Arc Westchester is designed to expand our staff’s knowledge of everyday tech and the ways it can be used to support the people we serve each day – in day services, in the community, at work and in their homes.
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Tech Ambassadors: Simply Read 3/5/19
Practicing reading skills is critical for people with cognitive disabilities. We focus on two free sources of simple reading experiences, Newsela and Tar Heel Reader.
Tech Ambassadors: 2/5/19 – Google Earth
Overview of the free app Google Earth and how it can be used to help people with cognitive disabilities become more aware of the incredible world that surrounds them!
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Tech Ambassadors: IDo In The Community – 1/28/19
We feature an app that shows, via video sequences and task-picture breakdown, typical activities of daily living. Age-appropriate and can be customized for the individual’s needs.
Tech Ambassadors: All Kinds of Teachers – 1/15/19
Demonstrates how K-12 resources can be adapted to help support people with cognitive disabilities. Features the work of Carla Butorac of BehaviorCommunicates.com
Tech Ambassadors: YouTube as a Teaching Tool 1/8/19
Our webinars on personal technology often deal with apps, but this webinar focuses on using YouTube as a teaching tool, especially when it feature peer-led instruction in an age-appropriate manner
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Tech Ambassadors: 12/4/18 picTTalk
This Tech Ambassadors webinar provides an overview of picTTalk, an app developed by Keele University. It serves as a basic conversation builder between an individual with cognitive disabilities and their close supporter (family member, professional). Especially helpful for discussions on health and grief, but has broad application to start many a conversation.
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Tech Ambassadors: 11/20/18 – Speaking E-Mail
This Tech Ambassadors video demonstrated the features of the app, “Speaking E-Mail”
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Tech Ambassadors: 11/6/18-Let Me Try
This Tech Ambassadors video focuses on helping people explore their lives and use some apps to accomplish goals in their daily lives. The more people learn to do, the more powerful their self-image!
Tech Ambassadors: 10/30/18 – Quizlet
This Tech Ambassadors webinar recording examines how the popular app Quizlet, which is widely used by the K-12 and other learning sectors, can be used for fun learning experiences in support of adults with cognitive disabilities.
Tech Ambassadors: 10/23/18 – Things That Go Together
This webinar recording is a fast-paced introduction to the app “Things That Go Together,” a versatile matching game that’s fun and a great learning tool.
Tech Ambassadors: 10/16/18 – Sensory Light Box
This Tech Ambassadors webinar covers the Sensory Light Box app by Cognable, a unique app teaching cause and effect, with multi-finger input and switch control. Stimulating and fun!
Tech Ambassadors: 10/9/18 – Learning Every Day
Our webinar focuses on how to incorporate simple tech into trip planning so the self-advocates can have more of a role in the experience. The PPT for this webinar can be downloaded from this Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/personal/Arc%…
Tech Ambassadors: 9/18/18 – Not Your Average Games
Games that are interesting, challenging and age appropriate!
Tech Ambassadors: 9/4/18 – Corkulous Pro
“Corkulous Pro,” a great iOS app that provides an idea map based upon the template of a corkboard, with pins, sticky notes, string connectors, photos, etc. It’s a great platform to make complex subjects more understandable and to see how ideas relate and are connected to each other. We use a basic person-centered planning process to illustrate what the app can do for you!
Tech Ambassadors: 8/21/18- Pinterest
This session focuses on Pinterest, a resource listing that is generated by the “Pins” on various topics. We set up a Pinterest Board on cognitive disabilities and find some great pins for it.
Tech Ambassadors – 8/14/18 – Microsoft Sway
A webinar that provides ideas on using apps to promote lifelong learning for people with cognitive disabilities. This session focuses on the free Microsoft Sway app that provides a powerful, but simple to use, digital storytelling tool.
Tech Ambassadors 7/31/18 – TA E-Scavenger Hunt
Being able to find things on the internet is an important skill. In this webinar, we talk about ways to search, using text or voice, using as example searches such as “advocacy,” “person-centered planning” and “ADA.”
Tech Ambassadors 7/24/18 – TA Apps to Relieve Stress & Anxiety
These days everyone is stressed and here are some apps to help us adapt to this fast-paced world and “chill” a bit.
Tech Ambassadors: Job Pro-My Life
We talk about JobPro-My Life, an interesting app that takes a games-based approach to the challenges of wrokrking and living independently, while at the same time juggling your time and budgets and scopial life. Fun and educational! Great for anyone transitioning to the adult world.
Tech Ambassadors 04/13/2018
Tech Ambassadors 02/27/2018
Tech Ambassadors 02/20/2018
Tech Ambassadors 02/06/2018 – The Impossible Letter
Tech Ambassadors 01/16/2018
Tech Ambassadors 09/19/2017
Tech Ambassadors 09/12/2017
Tech Ambassadors 09/05/2017
Tech Ambassadors 08/29/2017