PODCASTS By LitTech!
Have you explored the convenient world of information via PODCASTS? A podcast is a collection of files (usually audio but may include video) residing at a unique web feed address. The material is pre-recorded and users can check out the material at their leisure. You can watch them or listen to them on your own personal computer anytime with an easy click of your mouse.
LitTech is an Early Childhood Emergent Literacy Outreach Service project under our Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood umbrella. Two LitTech podcasters, Carol Bell and Judy Potter have created a new set of podcasts written for families of and professionals working with children ages 3-5 focusing on early literacy and technology. Topics include:
- Ways to Encourage Language Development. Includes ideas for using children's books to encourage language development.
- Activities to Support Oral Language Development
- Promoting Language Skills at the Computer
- Stages in Writing Development
- Using Picture Books to Inspire Writing
Click here to access PODCASTS by LitTech and then go ahead and explore the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood Education wesite for a wealth of information!
Illinois Special Education Rules and Regulations Return to ISBE for Revision
Illinois came very close to the implementation of new state special education rules and regulations, as required to meet the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004. However, on January 9, 2007 the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR) overwhelmingly voted to prohibit the proposed rules from being filed with the Illinois Secretary of State.
Therefore, the proposed rules returned to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to be revised and approved by the Board, issued for public comment for a period of 60 days, and forwarded to JCAR again. Some of the JCAR concerns causing the prohibition of the proposed rules were case load, Response to Intervention (RTI), and the confusing nature of the rules. Watch the ISBE website in the months ahead for an announcement regarding the availability of the revised Illinois Special Education (Part 226) proposed rules for public comment.
Potential Funding for Families' "Medical Needs"
The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet the needs of children across the United States with assistance grants for medical services not fully covered by health insurance.
Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000 for healthcare services that will help improve their children's health and quality of life. Examples of the types of medical services covered by UHCCF grants include speech therapy, physical therapy, and psychotherapy sessions; medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids, and eyeglasses; and orthodontia and dental treatments.
Any child 16 years old or younger living in any UnitedHealthcare region of the United States (all 50 states) and in need of financial assistance for healthcare services will be considered eligible for a grant. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States, and be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. The income is family Adjusted Gross under $80,000.
To learn more visit www.uhccf.org.
Training for Preschool to Kindergarten Transition
During the month of March, STARNET Regions I & III, piloted a new workshop titled Moving Right Along… The Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten. This all-day workshop presented by Jodi Knapp and Maureen Whalen featured information on changes in preschool and kindergarten programs; the need for developing transition plans for children with and without disabilities; ideas and suggestions on how to develop transition plans; and the resources available for developing these plans. Materials that help support young children were displayed and discussed, as well as the importance of including these supports when developing transition plans. Look for this workshop to be offered again in Fall of 2007.
Special Needs Car Seat Program Helps Keep Kids Safer
Children with special needs require special car seats. That's why Children's Hospital of Illinois' Special Needs Car Seat Program loans specialized car seats to families with babies and children who can't use standard car seats. This helps ensure the children's safety and defrays the cost of the special seats. "Special needs car seats range from $250 to $1,200 per seat," says Patrick Collier, Special Needs Program coordinator, instructor, and technician at Children's Hospital of Illinois. "Through this program, we typically ask for a $15 donation for the two-month loan." Children's Hospital of Illinois helped start the program six years ago, thanks to a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Originally designed to help families at Children's Hospital, the program was so successful that it grew and now serves families and children throughout the state.
A Variety of Car Seats
The program offers car seats for children with different needs, including:
- Children in a hip spica cast, which helps keep a child's hips and legs from bending after an injury or operation;
- Low-birth-weight babies or newborns who need to ride facing upwards or downwards for medical reasons;
- Children with cerebral palsy, developmental disorders, or Down syndrome;
- Children who need to wear special vests that provide support while riding in a car.
Certified Child-Safety Technicians
The program staffs four child-safety technicians who are certified through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The technicians teach parents how to correctly install and use child safety seats. "Many parents think they can secure a car seat the same way they buckle themselves in with a seat belt, but this isn't necessarily true," says Collier. "You need to lock in a car seat. It should not be able to loosen or move to the right or left more than one inch."
Using This Service
Anyone in Illinois who needs a special needs car seat can call Children's Hospital of Illinois' Car Seat Safety Information Line at (877) 277-6543. A technician will send a car seat that meets the child's needs to the family's home. Parents must contact a local technician to install the seat. Parents or caregivers with general questions about car seats also can call the information line.
Reprinted with permission:
Children's Hospital of Illinois
www.childrenshospitalofil.org
Tech on the Go
In the rural community of Paris, Illinois, Patrease Henson wrote a minigrant for a project in her classroom at Crestwood School. Her proposal envisioned a loan program for the families of her students that would encourage time outside of school engaged in an activity that will be the modality of the children's future - electronic devices and technology.
After being awarded the minigrant funding last October, Pat went about purchasing several electronic learning systems that could be used with different software games and 'played' with on a TV screen. With play as the medium, parents and children can have fun together while learning. This learning suppliments classroom curricula and moves them toward the benchmarks set forth in the Illinois Early Learning Standards (IELS). In evaluations, parents commented on the progress their children were making academically with numbers, letter recognition, and shapes; as well as socially and emotionally when the activities were shared with siblings.
A visit to Pat's classroom in March found children comfortable with joy sticks and other control pads, having mastered coordination of seeing/hearing screen directions with hand manipulation of the hardware. So, we give Patrease five stars for conceiving a project that moves several goals of quality early childhood forward, parent planning, parent involvement, IELS and technology. We're sure her students will keep going and going and going!