TechNinja

Time to move on....

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:54:35 -0400

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HOW MANY IPADS DO YOU NEED TO BREAK? For our Assistive...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:18:46 -0400

HOW MANY IPADS DO YOU NEED TO BREAK?

For our Assistive Technology team the number was three. In the month of December we had three iPad-2’s break. All of our iPads were in thin protective cases. Really, just a credit-card thick plastic shell over the back of the device.

The first iPad broke when one of our students with Autism discovered the video camera, and how much fun it was to look at the iPad view of the room as he ran circles around the room. The last video is of him running, and a teacher in the background hollering “Joe! Joe! Quit running, you will break the iPad!”. This was followed by a thrill-cam view of the room, and than a black screen. (the student’s name was changed to protect the guilty). The result: shattered glass.

The second iPad became the object of tug-o-war between two high-school students. Evidently, one student unexpectedly let go, and the other caught off guard, accidentally let go as well. The iPad shattered on the ground.

The last broken iPad was my fault. Always wanting to be a good role model, and knowing the staff felt badly about allowing the ipads to be broken, I guess I felt I needed to contribute to the situation. I put my iPad in the backseat of my truck, and upon arriving at a school, opened the door to discover that the iPad had shifted on the seat. When the door opened the iPad was released to the perils of gravity. When the glass shattered on the third iPad I knew something needed to change.

Apple generously replaced the broken devices for $294.58 each. Certainly less than a new iPad, but still painful. It was time to look for some serious protection for our iPads. There are a number of offerings out there, but anything that seemed to provide real protection started at $60 and quickly went up. Now, I’m not saying it’s not worth the price, because $60 is definitely less than $294.58. However, we would need to outfit roughly 60 iPads. I needed to find a less expensive solution.

After searching the web I found a solution. It’s perfect, albeit not exactly elegant. Big Grips made by KEM seem to be made from the same rubber as Crocs. They are easy to grab, and provide a tremendous amount of protection. Everyone who sees them is intrigued, and likes the cartoon-like look. Most importantly, they offer great protection. All of our breaks occurred when the iPads fell to the ground and landed on their edges. Big Grips must have at least an inch of squishy rubber all around, like a picture frame. They come in different colors, including grey, pink, and green.

The Big Grip with a stand retails for $49.95 a piece. I emailed the company to get a quote, and all my correspondences were answered by Kirk Mills, the president of KEM. That’s a nice touch, though it may not last when the company grows. I originally felt the stands would be unnecessary, and asked Kirk to sell me just the frames without the stands. He gave me a volume discount price without the stands which was half the cost of the cheapest Otter Box, and then he threw in the stands for free. Once I saw students and staff use the stands, I realized that we wouldn’t want to go without! They are stable, and easy to use, allowing kids to use either hand to interact with the iPad.

There are just a few complaints, and they are minor. The first, takes care of itself with a little bit of time. When 60 cases and stands arrived in my office the rubber smell was very strong. I could barely stand to be in my room. After several days the smell had dissipated, or I’d become immune. When I sent them out, no one complained, so I think it was the newness and the pure numbers which overwhelmed me. I would add that Kirk confirmed to me that Big Grips are made of non-toxic materials, and as a product intended for children Big Grips are required by law to pass independent lab testing confirming this fact.

The other complaint is a bit more pragmatic. Accessing the charging port, headphones jack, and the volume, and on/off controls is difficult through the small holes with adult size fingers. It’s doable, but sometimes awkward.

Students and staff seem to really like Big Grips. We have them on our iPads, iPad-2’s, and when we upgrade to the new iPad, we will stick with this terrific product.

Happy therapy!

I recently received an email from a Speech Pathologist who works...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:40:00 -0400

I recently received an email from a Speech Pathologist who works with my school district. She was concerned about something she’d read in an ASHA blog. Here it is:

“In light of the concerning information on the I-Pad-2 magnets potentially reprogramming programmable shunts, what evidence is known about the I-Pad 2’s magnetism and potential for adverse reaction for students with vagus nerve stimulators who are swiped with a magnet for cessation of seizure? I don’t know the mechanics of the VNS, but am concerned that there could be similar disruption of their proper settings. Thank you for any information you may have.”

I contacted my Sales Rep from Apple, and he directed me to Sarah Herrlinger who is an “Accessibility Specialist” with the company. Here is the her response:

“A quick Google search brings up this:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/health/ipad2-hydrocephalus-brain-shunt-jan-31-2012

The two things of note in here are:

1) The iPad needs to be directly adjacent to the valve to be a problem and they say that “a distance of 2 inches is probably safe enough and 6 inches is certainly safe.”

2) They also state that the same is true of “all other sources of magnetic fields which includes most other electronic devices and household magnets as well.”

They also say that they believe the device is “probably more beneficial from its academic and developmental benefit standpoint and we would prefer that the child still use it rather than be kept at a large distance from it.”

This was also going around the internet from Medtronic in late February:

Hi Jonathan:

Per our conversation this morning, I am writing to confirm that we did discuss the magnetic strength of the IPad 2. As I mentioned, the information noted below was a preliminary notice we did send out to the field. Since that time, we have quantified the safety distance needed for the iPad 2. That is, as long as the iPad 2 is kept a minimum of 2” from the valve it will not interfere with the valve setting.

We are currently updating our patient information. This information is forthcoming and you will be able to download the file from the Medtronic website at www.medtronic.com.
As we discussed, it will be a couple of weeks before the final copy is ready, so please look for it then. “

So, the bottom line would seem to be: keep the iPad-2 two to six inches away from a shunt. Don’t leave a student unattended with the iPad-2 if they cannot understand that rule.

Comic Life Birthday. Adding questions the student answers them...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:06:00 -0400

Comic Life Birthday. Adding questions the student answers them on a separate sheet of paper, focusing on letter formation, sizing, spacing, and orientation. When the student is finished with this task, we print the strip, and he/she writes the text on the final product.

See a more in-depth review of Comic Life below.

Creating Writers with Comics

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:04:00 -0400

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Don't be blinded by the glitz!

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:27:45 -0400

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Assistive Technology Guideline

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 13:11:03 -0400

Make sure your goals are driving your technology, not the other way around!

From the Recycled Sketch Project. Twitter is an interesting...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:34:00 -0400

Sketch: Allyn Howard

The Machine

From the Recycled Sketch Project.

Twitter is an interesting phenomena. People post some truly inane thoughts. They also post some profound thoughts on occasion. It is a machine, and frankly, it makes me a wee bit nervous. The Twitter bird seems fairly benign. I think I’d be more comfortable if it was more upfront about wanting a martini, or cupcake. Yes, the QR codes are active….

From the Recycled Sketch Project. As we become more engaged in...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:47:00 -0400

Sketch: Matt Elmore

Family Dinner

From the Recycled Sketch Project.

As we become more engaged in Social Media, and electronic entertainment, we run the risk of becoming more socially isolated in the real world. I have sat at dinner with my family and realized that we were ALL plugged into our smart phones. Oh the horror!

From the Recycled Sketch Project. This piece considers one of my...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:44:00 -0400

Original Sketch: Julia Knerr

FaceBook Friends

From the Recycled Sketch Project.

This piece considers one of my most visited “places” to spend time these days. I find there is a certain happiness, and predictability with Facebook and my dogs. Comforting.

Recycled Sketch Project.

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:40:00 -0400

So, I’ve been doodling around with a number of drawing programs on my iPad. I decided it...

Toontastic, reviewed below is a tremendous app that supports...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:25:48 -0400

Toontastic Splash Page

Toontastic Scaffolded Drawing

Toontastic Interactive Play

Toontastic: Choosing Mood Music

Toontastic, reviewed below is a tremendous app that supports many of our educational and occupational therapy goals.

Injecting excitement into the Writing Process: Toontastic is Fantastic!

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:38:00 -0400

As an Occupational Therapist I often find myself working with students who are struggling with the...

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Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:55:00 -0500

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Old technology gives way to new technology.

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:24:10 -0500

Old technology gives way to new technology.

The iPad: the single worst thing to happen to the field of Assistive Technology

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Recently, I had a long conversation with the sales representative for a prominent software company....

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And so, we come to another Thanksgiving. Indeed there is much to be thankful for. I am thankful for...

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Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:37:46 -0500

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Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:23:00 -0500

“to live in this world you must be able to do three things to love what is mortal; to hold...

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