Closing the Gap Wrap Up

I'm back now in Colorado Springs following a productive trip to exhibit PointScribe at Closing the Gap in Minneapolis. I learned a lot from both educator attendees and vendors:

• General Ed classroom teachers are scrambling---desperate for easy, cost effective ways to keep handwriting in the classroom now that states adopting the Common Core Standards no longer require them to teach it. Many Special Ed professionals were grabbing our info for their General Ed counterparts.
• The iPad is a continued source of contention. Educators like many aspects of it---ease of use, portability, captivation... but don't like fighting a prevailing mood from parents that it is a magic bullet that can "fix what's wrong" with their child.
• Vendors waffle on the iPad App issue---many have robust software already built using Flash---which the iPad does not support.  Reworking their software from the ground up is a daunting prospect.
• Transitioning existing software to an App is also especially when many express trepidation that the kinks for overall deployment within a school system using iPad have not been fully worked out. Many are waiting for those who "were the first to stampede through that door" to make the mistakes and thus define best practices. 

I also want to give a shout out to  to two vendors who have been around for while---familiar faces at Closing the Gap---for a reason:  their products and services work: 

• Laureate Learning:  Laureate offers more than 50 computer programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), language impairments, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, aphasia, and traumatic brain injury.
• AAC Tech Connect:  A valuate source for toolkits, online resources, and workshops that simplify the augmentative communication evaluation process.  

 Next stop for PointScribe:  NAEYC in Orlando! (National Association for the Education of Young Children.