My schedule over fall break will be quite busy…. but in a great way! On September 30th, I have two demonstrations scheduled. I have been invited by Kristine Taylor, Assistive Technology Facilitator at the Louisiana Central Region Assistive Technology Center, to present to her colleagues in Region VI in Alexandria, LA at 10:00. Then, I will demonstrate at the NW LA Assistive Technology Center in Bossier City, LA at 3:15; Jodi Burr and Karrie Bennett, Assistive Technology Specialists, helped coordinate the scheduling of my demonstration for the manipulatives that they purchased for the teachers and administrators in their Region VII. On October 1st, I am traveling to Lafayette, LA to demonstrate my manipulatives at the South Central Region Assistive Technology Center at 10:00 for Patty Lagron and her colleagues in Region IV. I hope to see you at the demonstrations!
Posted in 
I would like to thank Carrollton City Schools, Georgia for adding my website to their ‘K-12 Mathematics Coach” page. By posting my link to their website, teachers and administrators will have access to my complimentary downloadable handouts for their students and the latest news about my manipulatives. Parents will also be able to see alternative strategies to help their children with homework, especially if they do not have iPads or computers. Fall extra curricular activities are in full-swing. Fortunately, Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives are easy for students to transport and provide assistance to them as they do homework in between dance classes at the dance studio and in the car before soccer practice. Obviously, most teachers and parents would agree that completing math homework in the car is not the best environment for students to do homework. Being a parent of four children who are involved in several activities, I know time is hard to find; sometimes we must do the best we can with the time that is available.
This week I sent in my prototypes for my hybrid games of Sorry! and Bingo to my manufacturer. The purpose for the all of the games is to make learning fun! Common Core Standards are addressed in all of the games as important social skills elements. I hope to have them available for our students in 1-2 months. Stay tune for more updates!
I accepted the invitation from Elaine Thagard, Education Program Specialist, Vision Impairment, at the Georgia Department of Education. This will be a great opportunity to share my APH-recommended math manipulatives with Georgia’s vision specialists in Macon, Georgia. With the rigor of Common Core Standards and the importance of the GA CRCT, my manipulatives will provide an innovative and effective way for VI students to learn in all academic settings.
I would like to thank Jodi Miller, Autism Response Team Coordinator for Autism Speaks!, who has agreed to add Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives to their resource guide. As we all know, every student learns differently and deserves a quality education. Students require a variety of strategies to learn rigorous Common Core Standards. With the addition of my manipulatives to their resource guide, parents, teachers, and administrators will have more choices to meet the needs of their students, especially the visual learners in all of our schools. I am looking forward to having a positive impact on all students’ education.
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!
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!