Archive for the ‘Slide-A-Round Updates’ Category
I had a very exciting correspondence with Arlene Gunderson, Gallaudet University Southwest Regional Center Director. After she reviewed my math manipulatives and other information, she offered to contact the other directors at Gallaudet Regional Centers in the United States about my manipulatives. My manipulatives are already helping students at the Georgia School for the Deaf and Jean Massieu School for the Deaf in Salt Lake City. With Ms. Gunderson sharing my ideas with her colleagues, I am looking forward to helping several more students in all regions of the United States. At this time, I am scheduling trainings for the 2013-14 school year. I hope to see you soon!
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I would like to thank Ann Hart, President of the Autism Society of Greater Austin for sharing my information with the members on the ASGA listerv. Because I am still in the classroom and live several hours away from Austin, Texas, I sincerely appreciate her help sharing my ideas with her colleagues. Hopefully, our correspondence and her time will benefit at least one student in her area. I have a better idea….. Let’s go for helping more than 200!
I would like to thank Collette Bauman, Michigan Department of Education, for adding my manipulatives to her DOE’s listserv. Because I am still teaching in the classroom and a great distance from Michigan, I will be now able to reach parents, teachers, and administrators more efficiently. I am looking forward to the challenge in helping as many Michigan students as I can in least amount of time. Ready! Set! Learn!
My son and I were at a gas station near Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport. A Georgia state trooper was parked next to me by the gasoline pump. The state trooper roller down his window and asked for information about Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives because he saw the magnet on my car. The state trooper stated that he and his wife are very concerned about his son’s progress in math. After discussing his strengths and weaknesses, we decided that the 100x and Money manipulatives would be in his best interest. After doing a short demonstration by the gasoline pump, he purchased those manipulatives for his son to use during the 2013-14 school year. I never really thought about being able to help a student at a gas station. My goal is to help one student a time regardless of where I am.
I spoke with Jodi Burr, Assistive Technology Strategist at the Northwest Assistive Technology Center. We scheduled a training session for her colleagues to effectively implement the manipulatives in their classrooms that her center recently purchased. This is so exciting! While I am teaching my students at Elm Street Elementary in Rome, Georgia, my manipulatives are helping students about 600 miles away. The dream keeps on getting bigger!
I would like to thank Rebecca Cowan-Story, Georgia State Coordinator of Deaf Blind Services, for the opportunity to demonstrate my math manipulatives at the Cave Spring Vocational Rehabilitation Center for individuals who might have macular degeneration or other low vision conditions. My goal is to help one person at a time by sharing my ideas with parents, teachers, and specialists.
I met an administrator, Donna Morris, Assistant Director for the Tri- County Special Education Association, in Bloomington, Illinois. Even though I “dropped by”, she still made time to hear new strategies to help her students. After a short demonstration, she was willing to share my contact information with her colleagues. We discussed how my math manipulatives can be used to differentiate instruction in all academic settings and the limited manipulatives for students to use to round numbers up to 10,000,000.
I demonstrated my math manipulatives to Beverley Holden Johns. Because my manipulatives would be effective for all students, Ms. Johns invited me to present at the 2014 Illinois Council for Children with Behavior Disorders Conference on February 1st and exhibit at the 2013 Illinois CEC Conference on November 7th-9th. After I meet my commitments to schools and school systems and have time available on my calendar, I would like to accept her invitation.
Follow my blog for more information regarding my attendance at the conferences.
I have scheduled a demonstration with Beverely Holden Johns at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois on June 14th. I am eager to share my differentiation strategies and fractions manipulatives that can add or subtract whole numbers with different denominators without paper and pencil with her.
Ms. Johns also invited me to the 2013 Illinois Council of Exceptional Children Conference in Lisle, Illinois on November 7th-9th. I will do my best to be there because I am sure it will be a great conference!
I would like to Gayle Morrison at the Yarmouth County Learning Network in Nova Scotia, Canada for purchasing some of my math manipulatives to help her students. To make a long story short, when I first designed my manipulatives, my immediate goal was to help the students in my inclusion classroom. In just few months, they have spread from Rome, Georgia to Martinsburg West Virginia to Monroe County, Florida to Jean Massieu School for the Deaf in Salt Lake City, Utah and several other places in between. Now, they are being used in Canada! I am very grateful for Ms. Morrison and all of the other teachers, administrators, and parents who are willing to use my manipulatives as a Plan A, Plan B,… or Plan Z to help provide a solid math foundation for their students.
I had a great discussion with Darryl Lum, AT Manager at the Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii. Mr. Lum offered to share my manipulatives with his colleagues. I really appreciate his support and dedication to provide alternatives to teach students with disabilities.