Mobile Devices for Children with Disabilities Certification
Welcome
Mobile device use has skyrocketed in the educational, therapeutic, and home settings, enabling many learners with disabilities access to high quality software programs previously unavailable. Professionals and parents alike are confronted with an overwhelming number of applications available, time limitations, and confusion as to how to begin implementing such devices effectively to reach specific goals.
To address this need, BridgingApps has partnered with the Texas Computer Education Association to provide in-depth training to use mobile devices with a variety of learners who have disabilities. The purpose of the Mobile Devices for Children with Disabilities certification program is to ensure that special education teachers, therapists, parents, and classroom teachers are prepared to effectively implement the use of mobile devices such as iPads and resources with children who have disabilities.
Training
- 36 hours of coursework
- Techniques and strategies
- Real world concepts, ideas, hands-on
- Took the best of industry had to offer and put into digestible format
- Taught by professionals
- Some free classes
- Final hands-on project, applied knowledge
Who
For All
- Special education teachers
- Occupational therapists
- Speech language pathologists
- General education classroom teachers
- Parents
- Physical Therapists
- Anyone working with children in an educational or therapeutic setting
For the Teacher
Through this certification, you will become competent in using mobile devices in your classroom to augment both the general curriculum and Individual Education Plans. The sessions will address implementation and maintenance of devices, reasons to use mobile devices, methods for searching for and finding apps and accessories and apps available that are terrific for classroom use. Ideas for differentiation with a variety of learners will be emphasized.
For the Therapist
This course will provide you with the tools you need to use mobile devices as a therapy and diagnostic tool with children who have disabilities. It will help you stay on top of ever changing technology and provide you with the knowledge you need to stay above the curve. This training covers everything from accessibility features on the iPad to how to use mobile devices to reach a variety of therapy goals.
For the Parent
Mobile devices are great tools for enhancing all areas of your child’s development both educationally and therapeutically. Through the certification or individual courses, you will learn to use mobile devices with your child and choose and modify apps for his/her individual strengths and needs. You will also learn methods of collaborating with your child’s educators and therapists in using mobile devices to be an active member of your child’s progress and development.
Benefits
- Convenient online webinars
- Comprehensive training on using mobile devices with children with special needs
- CPEs/CEUs
- Online learning community for support
- Collaborative learning opportunities for professionals and parents
- Learn best practices and strategies for curriculum integration
Course Schedule
Link to FULL TCEA Certification Schedule: http://www.tcea.org/learn/certifications/mobile-devices
Free Classes
Free Classes
There are no free classes being offered at this time.
Registration
Registration
To register for the certification program, please click below:
For Individual Classes
For those interested in taking some classes of interest, but who do not wish to take the full 36 hour certification, you may register for individual classes of your choice. You may browse the schedule of classes offered and then click on the individual session on the calendar to the right of the schedule. The link below will take you to the schedule of classes and the calendar of individual classes offered: http://www.tcea.org/learn/certifications/mobile-devices
Cost
Membership to TCEA: $30.00 per year
Certification Cost for Members: $725
Certification Cost for Non-Members: $755
Individual Classes: Free on up. See individual class course description for pricing.
CPEs
TCEA is approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE) in Texas to provide continuing professional education (CPE) hours. This is only for Texas. It is the responsibility of the individual to maintain records of the sessions they attend and can look those up in their online profile that they will each need to have in order to attend the sessions.
Every district has its own policy on which sessions they approve for CPE hours regardless of whether an organization is approved by SBOE or not. TCEA has an electronic form (TCEA CPE Form) that attendees can complete and turn in as verification for their district.
Because the district can approve or reject whether sessions count towards CPE credits or not, even out of state attendees can receive credit via the professional development sessions.
CEUs
Mobile Devices for Children with Disabilities Webinar Series for Therapists
This series is offered for 1.0 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level; Professional area.)
Purpose
The purpose of this webinar series is to ensure that therapists and other professionals who work with children who have disabilities are prepared to effectively implement the use of mobile devices such as iPads in the therapeutic, home or educational setting. The emphasis will be on learning best practices and strategies for properly integrating the use of mobile devices to maximize therapeutic potential. It has been designed by a team of speech pathologists, special education teachers and parents of children with special needs.
Through participation in this webinar series, participants will learn to use a mobile device effectively in therapy sessions. The participant will learn strategies for choose appropriate apps for a variety of therapeutic goals addressing receptive/expressive language delay, articulation disorders and AAC users. Participants will also understand the sequence of cognitive and language development and the importance of understanding these sequences when using mobile devices.
Credit Information
All participants wishing to receive CEUs are required to complete 10 of the 12 offered courses listed below by June 30, 2013 to receive 1.0 CEUs total (Intermediate level, Professional area).
All courses are presented as live webinars. Full attendance is required, and no partial CEUs for partial attendance. The American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA) is approved by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology and audiology.
Cost
Participant cost is $280.00 for all 10 classes. ($25.00 per class x 10 classes + $30 membership fee to TCEA = $280.00). All registrations must be made online with a credit card. BridgingApps will redirect you to the TCEA website, which is handling all registrations.
Objectives
At the completion of this webinar series you will be able to:
1). Define engagement and importance in a therapeutic setting
2). Understand the importance of cognitive development as related to iPad use
3). List iPad apps that address Articulation goals and why the iPad is appropriate for artic therapy.
4). Understand language development precursors needed for successfully scaffolding with iPad apps
5). Discuss the value of an iPad as a part of a home program
6). Be able to choose appropriate apps for speech therapy for a variety of ages
7). Be familiar with pros and cons of several AAC apps for users of various skill levels
This online series of webinars allows you to:
- Learn in the convenience of your home or office
- Obtain effective learning methods for using the iPad as an effective tool for therapy
- All you need is Internet access and a computer
List of Webinars & Registration
Ten of the following 1 hour courses are required for 1.0 CEUs through ASHA. Click on the title for a description of each course and follow instructions for registration. All times listed are Central Standard Time.
- Introduction to Early Language Acquisition Needed to Use Mobile Devices 11/5/12 at 9:00am – 10:00am
- Cognitive Considerations in Using Mobile Devices 10/1/12 or 2/18/13 at 9:00am – 10:00am
- The Captivating Power of Mobile Devices: Interactivity 10/1/12 or 2/18/13 at 10:30am – 11:30am
- Partnering with Parents: Using mobile devices for home programs 12/3/12 at 9:00am – 10:00am
- Using Mobile Devices with Very Young Children 5/20/13 at 9:00am – 10:00am
- Using Mobile Devices with Children with Disabilities in an Elementary Setting 12/3/12 at 10:30am – 11:30am
- Getting Started with Mobile Devices 12/10/12 at 9:00am – 10:00am
- Labeling and Requesting: Early Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Beginning AAC 1/7/13 at 1:00pm – 2:00pm
- Reaching Language Goals with Apps (Expressive-receptive language) 1/28/13 at 1:00pm – 2:00pm
- Bringing Fun to Artic Drills! 2/21/13 at 9:00am – 10:00am
- Early Communication Goals and Mobile Devices 3/5/13 at 1:00pm – 2:00pm
- Building Language: Advanced Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) 10/30/12 at 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Instructional Personnel
The following individuals contributed to the planning of this educational event:
Betsy Furler, MS, CCC/SLP
Betsy is a speech-language pathologist and autism consultant with 20 years of experience in a variety of settings. She graduated from Austin College with a BA in Psychology and Sociology and from the University of Texas at Dallas with a MS in Communication Disorders. She also holds a Texas teaching certificate and is a certified PLAY Project consultant. In 2010, she began using the iPod Touch and iPad in therapy sessions. Her use of these mobile devices has expanded to include training educators to use them in the classroom. She is a member of ASHA and AAPPSPA.
Cristen Reat, MA, ATP
Cristen is the co-founder and program coordinator of BridgingApps.org, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston. BridgingApps helps parents, therapists, doctors, and teachers share information on how to use mobile devices like the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android devices with people who have special needs. Cristen holds a Master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, graduated from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and is certified through the Assistive Technology Applications Program at California State University. Her educational background is as a linguist, including serving in the United States Army in that capacity. She has worked in education for the last fifteen years, most of that time at an educational non-profit. She is the parent of two children with special needs.
Disclosures:
Betsy Furler and Cristen Reat receive financial compensation from Easter Seals Greater Houston for creating and delivering content in the Mobile Devices for Children with Disabilities webinar series. Betsy Furler is also a volunteer for BridgingApps and receives no financial compensation for this role. Cristen Reat has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
Full Certification
Additional webinars are available at www.tcea.org. For those wishing to pursue the Mobile Devices for Children with Disabilities certification, you must complete 36 hours of coursework.
What is TCEA?
TCEA is the largest state organization devoted to the use of technology in education. Founded in 1980, the organization has been very active throughout supporting instructional technology. Its primary focus is on integrating technology into the PreK-12 environment and providing its members with state-of-the-art information through conferences, workshops, newsletters, the Internet, and collaborations with higher education and business. Its current membership is 12,000 individuals who passionately seek better methods for integrating technology into teaching and learning. www.tcea.org
What can TCEA can do for you
As a member of TCEA, you have access to these and many more benefits:
- TechEdge quarterly magazine
- TechNotes bi-monthly digital newsletter
- Advocacy at the state and national level
- Free and member-discounted professional development
- Free Lunch and Learn webinars
- Free Thinkfinity training
- Certifications course
- Professional Development held onsite at district/campus
- Individual courses
- Annual state convention & exposition
- Special interest groups
- Area events
- Eligible to enter educator awards
- Eligible to enter student contests
- Social network for collaboration and sharing
To become a member of TCEA, please click below:
FAQ
Why is there a date and time on the individual courses? Am I not able to just watch the recording at my leisure?
The certification courses have a specific time and date as they are conducted live providing the participant the most benefit from networking and learning from each other. These sessions include hands on activities and are interactive.
If you are seeking certification, for you to get credit for the course, your participation and activity completion is required. If you are not seeking certification, then you are welcome to sign up and view the recording at the date and time that works best for you.
Having said that, we know how busy and hectic schedules can get. We sometimes make exceptions, and allow certificants to complete certain courses by viewing the recorded version, if it did not require as much active participation during the session.
Most of these sessions used to be face-to-face, and we have now made them available as webinars to accommodate attendees that cannot travel to attend the sessions. Our goal is to offer more flexible options while still maintaining the integrity and value of the course content.
When can I sign up for the certification?
This certification is ongoing and anyone interested can sign up at anytime throughout the year. All past courses repeat and will be available the following school year.
I missed a required class. What can I do to make it up?
All courses repeat and will be available the following school calendar year.
I signed up for the certification. Do I need to register for the individual required and elective courses as well?
All you have to register for is the certification, “Mobile Devices for Children with Disabilities”. Once you register you will receive a confirmation of your purchase. We receive an email letting us know that you have registered for this certification. We will then follow up with you via email with a listing of your required and elective courses. You will select your elective courses on this spreadsheet and return that to Chris (ckelly at tcea.org).
Where do I sign up?
To register, go to: www.tcea.org/mobiledevices and click on ‘Register Now’
What if I want to take additional courses beyond the certification courses?
Log in to the TCEA site at: https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/StartPage.aspx?Logoff=Yes&Site=tcea and proceed to the ‘Upcoming Events’ link on the left. Search through the event titles until you find the preferred session and make your selections.
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