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Penfriend XL Version 4.1

Penfriend Logo

Penfriend is delighted to announce that Version 4.1 is ready to download. Penfriend 4.1 offers new innovative features including:

• A Homophone option in the prediction window to support literacy
• Type on hover to help mobility for the on-screen keyboard
• Speak on hover to support typing with the on-screen keyboard
• A transparency option so you can see all your desktop Windows and icons when Penfriend is running and discretely use Penfriend without anyone knowing!

Confusable word hints
With over 400 homophones in the English language, similar sounding words add depth to a language but they can also be the cause of great frustration. Spell checkers can’t be relied upon where these troublesome homophones are concerned. Confusables are often highlighted by people who experience dyslexia as a source of annoyance and confusion as you could accidentally end up with a properly spelled word, but the wrong word!

 

With Penfriend’s new option ‘Confusable word hints’ (go to View and Preferences) you can now see and even hear the difference between confusable words, so there’s no excuse to get ‘pair’ and ‘pear’ or ‘bear’ and ‘bare’ mixed up anymore.

Homophones option

On-Screen Keyboard
Penfriend’s on-screen keyboard has always been a favourite feature with our customers, particularly those who use an alternative mouse such as a trackerball. With features such as ‘hover to click’ the on-screen keyboard has been greatly improved, offering increased accessibility and usability to our customers.

In Version 4.1 the improved on-screen keyboard now has an option to allows individual letters and function keys to be echoed or read back.

This is a particularly useful feature for individuals who are leaning to type such as early years or even those who are new to a computer and are learning to type. Speech feedback on the on-screen keyboard is also very beneficial to those who are struggling with literacy and require audio feedback to help scaffold their learning.

Transparency feature
And for those of you who’d rather be discrete about using Penfriend we’ve included a new transparent feature which means you can still see all your desktop windows and icons when Penfriend is running and you can use your favourite assistive technology without anyone else knowing….but you!

To find out more and download a trial version of Penfriend select this link

SCRATCH

Scratch Logo

Scratch is a program with tremendous potential to engage, while facilitating skill building and creative problem solving within a meaningful context. Scratch also offers learners multiple ways of showing what they know by putting together interactive multimedia projects. For example, I have seen Scratch used effectively by learners with autism to complete assigned social studies projects.

If you are involved in primary or secondary education, I believe you owe it to yourself and to the learners you support to be familiar with Scratch. Learners almost everywhere can use Scratch because it is truly cross-platform software, with downloads available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Scratch: overview from andresmh on Vimeo.

The Scratch website sums up the program well…

“Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art — and share your creations on the web.”

The online Scratch community enhances the engagement potential of the program hugely. Learners can not only share what they create, they can download and build upon what others have made with Scratch.

The screen shot below shows Scratch’s intuitive user interface. Blocks are dragged from the left into the center and locked together to create programs. Backgrounds (scenes) can be created within Scratch, or imported into it.Variables can be adjusted. Music, narration, and/or sound effects can be added. The music can even be created by using musical instruments built into Scratch. This is just ‘scratching’ the surface of what is possible.

Scratch Interface

Thanks to Paul Hami’s Edublogs site for this post.

SmartboxAT logo

SmartboxAT recently launched a new AAC iPad package to go hand-in-hand with their excellent Grid Player app which was released last month. One package includes the iPad 2 bundled with the iAdapter protective case, The Grid and Grid Player.

ADMI protective case

There are currently two packages:

Standard package – £995:
iPad 2
Grid Player app
The Grid 2 PC software
Portfolio case
Mini Amplifier

iAdapter 2 package – £1105
iPad 2
Grid Player app
The Grid 2 PC software
iAdapter 2 hard case

To find out more visit the SmartboxAT site

quixey

With so many apps on the iTunes store and in the Android Market Place, finding the App you want can sometimes be time consuming – but thanks to QUIXEY, a dedicated App search engine, you can find apps much easier and more quickly.

Whether you’re searching for apps on your mobile device, browser, desktop or any other platform, QUIXEY will help you to find the tools you need.

Visit the QUIXEY App serach engine.

Full list of Apps

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