Thank You Thursday
4 years ago
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Mandy's Halloween Poem
Yesterday, Imagine! Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Mandy visited the preschool class of Site Supervisor Chantelle Tweten’s daughter to read a special Halloween poem to the kids. Mandy wrote the poem herself. Mandy said, "The Halloween poem was for a preschool so I had to make it not scary but as entertaining as possible."
Below is her poem. Great work, Mandy!
"On Halloween the children dress and go Trick or Treating.
Some of the children see how much candy they can eat before they go to sleep.
The children walk up and down Trick or Treat street.
When they run out of candy the Children were not happy.
Then all the children lined up on the sidewalk and people who work at Hammons candy factory would fill the top of this special electric truck that only came out on Halloween.
Someone who worked at the factory would program it to go to their address and they would program it to go back to the candy factory."
Below is her poem. Great work, Mandy!
"On Halloween the children dress and go Trick or Treating.
Some of the children see how much candy they can eat before they go to sleep.
The children walk up and down Trick or Treat street.
When they run out of candy the Children were not happy.
Then all the children lined up on the sidewalk and people who work at Hammons candy factory would fill the top of this special electric truck that only came out on Halloween.
Someone who worked at the factory would program it to go to their address and they would program it to go back to the candy factory."
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Technology Tuesday
A couple of weeks ago, we shared some popular apps that may benefit individuals with a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities. While these apps are indeed helpful, they have mainly been designed and developed for kids to use, and aren’t always age appropriate for adults with cognitive disabilities. Imagine!’s tech guru Alex Andrews has set out to create apps that can teach basic skills and concepts around numbers and letters, but are more suited for adults. A chance meeting (guided by James Sandstrum, MA, CCC-SLP of University of Colorado, Assistive Technology Partners) at The Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities’ Annual Conference has put this project on the fast track.
During the conference, Alex began discussing his desire to create the more age appropriate apps with Sri Kurniawan, Associate Professor at the Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California Santa Cruz. Professor Kurniawan agreed to collaborate by having some of her students help to create the apps as part of a student project.
The two have set an ambitious goal of designing 25 apps and coding 15 of them by January. Alex is doing the designing, and the students will assist with the coding. In addition to catering to a more adult sensibility, the apps will be designed to track and store data on individual users, allowing support staff to track progress and see how individuals are improving.
We offer our sincere thanks to Professor Kurniawan and her students, and we’re looking forward to seeing the final products! We’ll keep you posted.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Thank You, ANCOR
The ANCOR Foundation has provided Imagine! with a grant of $6,000 for flood relief! The ANCOR Foundation is dedicated to expanding the commitment and capacity of providers and communities dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Imagine! is a longtime and proud member of ANCOR (The American Network of Community Options and Resources) and we are so pleased that they are helping to support us in our time of need.
Below, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald offers his personal thanks. His home was severly damaged during the floods.
Below, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald offers his personal thanks. His home was severly damaged during the floods.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thank You For Your Support!
Imagine!’s crowdfunding campaign for flood relief came to a conclusion last Friday, and we are very pleased with the results. We raised $18,197, 91% of our ambitious goal of $20,000. This total doesn’t include grants from the St. Vrain Flooding Relief ($10,000) and the ANCOR Foundation ($6,000). Thanks to all of you who donated or shared the campaign with your friends and family – we couldn’t have done it without you!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
John Updates Us On His Life
This post came to us during a visit to the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome Monday night. John is talking about going to the circus earlier this month on October 5th.
It was really good. There were elephants, clowns, trapeze, and a girl inside a rocket who was shot off into a net. That was unbelievable. Even the juggling people did their thing, and the music was really cool. There was a circus band. It was a whole lot of fun.
The next Saturday I went to the IMAX. There was a movie about a furry animal that lives in a hole and digs. It's a little bit bigger than a rabbit, but I don't know its name.
I'm looking forward to Halloween. I'll make some cards with pumpkins, black cats, witches, and ghosts.
My IP (Annual Planning Meeting) is next month, so it's time for me to think about what goals I want to have for next year.
It was really good. There were elephants, clowns, trapeze, and a girl inside a rocket who was shot off into a net. That was unbelievable. Even the juggling people did their thing, and the music was really cool. There was a circus band. It was a whole lot of fun.
The next Saturday I went to the IMAX. There was a movie about a furry animal that lives in a hole and digs. It's a little bit bigger than a rabbit, but I don't know its name.
I'm looking forward to Halloween. I'll make some cards with pumpkins, black cats, witches, and ghosts.
My IP (Annual Planning Meeting) is next month, so it's time for me to think about what goals I want to have for next year.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Presentable
Imagine! SmartHome gurus Kevin Harding and Greg Wellems are presenting today at a pre-conference symposium before the NADD 30th Annual Conference in Baltimore. Kevin and Greg will be discussing “Implementing Technology to Improve Services: SmartHomes to SmartSupports.” Good luck, gentlemen!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Technology Tuesday - Chris's Corner
This week’s edition of “Technology Tuesday” brings the debut of “Chris’s Corner.” Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Specialist Chris Baumgart will use this space to discuss various goings on in the world of assistive tech at Imagine!, and offer follow up information as projects move forward. Today Chris discusses how Imagine! is exploring technology as a way to allow individuals with cognitive disabilities work toward increased self-sufficiency in the community by better understanding the concept of money.
One of the challenges we find our clients are looking to overcome as they work toward increased self-sufficiency in the community is the concept of money. At home, our residents also find that meal preparation relies heavily on staff assistance. The Manhattan In-Home Kitchen Marketplace Project is designed to provide tools to achieve progress toward meeting both challenges.
To start the project, we sat down with the residents and staff at Imagine!’s Manhattan Group Home to determine what the clients would like to learn to help them cook more independently. In addition, using the SmartSupports Functional Knowledge Inventory Tool, we were able to establish each client’s existing skill base when it comes to number familiarity, time familiarity, mathematical computation, and currency familiarity. We found that each individual’s skill base differed a great deal (no surprise there), but one thing everyone had in common was this: each person was able to successfully identify common currency denominations. However, each person also expressed the desire to learn more about how the denominations related to one another. In addition, a common question was raised, “What does $5.00 buy?”
Now that we’ve established a baseline point of reference, as well as determining goals for moving forward, we’re we’ve taken the first steps in the project. To date, using the AbleLink Technologies Visual Impact app, we have developed a basic review tool that teaches basic currency denomination relationships, i.e., one dime is the equivalent of ten pennies, one dollar is equivalent to four quarters, etc.
At the same time, we are developing a virtual marketplace to incorporate what the clients are learning about currency, and will be using meal preparation as the foundation of which items they need purchase in the virtual store.
This project is in the early stages, but we are excited to see where it will lead us.
Next up on deck:
Chris’s Corner
"No One But Chris puts Chris in the Corner"
The Manhattan Project Part 1: The Vision
Welcome to the Manhattan In-Home Kitchen Marketplace!
Teaching the economic values of tangible items, relationships between currency denominations, and furthering meal preparation independence since 2013!
One of the challenges we find our clients are looking to overcome as they work toward increased self-sufficiency in the community is the concept of money. At home, our residents also find that meal preparation relies heavily on staff assistance. The Manhattan In-Home Kitchen Marketplace Project is designed to provide tools to achieve progress toward meeting both challenges.
To start the project, we sat down with the residents and staff at Imagine!’s Manhattan Group Home to determine what the clients would like to learn to help them cook more independently. In addition, using the SmartSupports Functional Knowledge Inventory Tool, we were able to establish each client’s existing skill base when it comes to number familiarity, time familiarity, mathematical computation, and currency familiarity. We found that each individual’s skill base differed a great deal (no surprise there), but one thing everyone had in common was this: each person was able to successfully identify common currency denominations. However, each person also expressed the desire to learn more about how the denominations related to one another. In addition, a common question was raised, “What does $5.00 buy?”
Now that we’ve established a baseline point of reference, as well as determining goals for moving forward, we’re we’ve taken the first steps in the project. To date, using the AbleLink Technologies Visual Impact app, we have developed a basic review tool that teaches basic currency denomination relationships, i.e., one dime is the equivalent of ten pennies, one dollar is equivalent to four quarters, etc.
This project is in the early stages, but we are excited to see where it will lead us.
Next up on deck:
- We will continue the development of the Manhattan In-Home Kitchen Marketplace by adding inventory, prices, and an iPad tool to assist with virtual purchases.
- We will be building iPad Tasks to teach the preparation of recipes of three different skill levels.
- We will be integrating the Virtual Store purchasing process into each recipe.
- We will be developing a scheduling tool so that each individual has equal opportunities for learning and participation.
Monday, October 21, 2013
AmeriCorps Team Helps Rebecca Celebrate Her Birthday
Last week, members of the AmeriCorps team who are helping Imagine! clean up its homes after the floods, including the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, took a little time out from their hard work to help SmartHome resident Rebecca celebrate her birthday.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Last Day For Our Flood Support Campaign!
Today is the last day our flood relief crowdfunding campaign, which ends at midnight. We are currently at $17,777 or 89% of our goal of $20,000. Thanks to those of you who have contributed personally and those who have passed along the link to the site. We’d love to reach our goal, so we’d very much appreciate it if you would continue to spread the word!! Every little bit helps! Thank you on behalf of our SmartHome residents!
Watch the short video below, and then please click here to donate.
Please share with anyone you think would be interested.
Can’t see the video? Click here.
Watch the short video below, and then please click here to donate.
Please share with anyone you think would be interested.
Can’t see the video? Click here.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Happy Birthday, Rebecca!
Wishing the happiest of birthdays today to Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Rebecca. Make it a great one, Rebecca!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Rebecca's New Walker
Here’s a nice photo of Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Rebecca with her new walker. The new walker has a support strap that goes around Rebecca’s waist, and she told us that the advantages of her new walker over her previous walker are that this one helps her to walk a little slower, provides better support, and is safer for her than her previous walker.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Technology Tuesday - Stephanie's High Five
This week’s Technology Tuesday features the debut of “Stephanie’s High Five” – where Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab facilitator Stephanie Tilley shares five apps for tablets and mobile devices that may benefit individuals with a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Stephanie is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist who has worked for Imagine! for more than 10 years, and is the author of “101 Adapted Games for Kids,” which provides adaptations for children’s activities to create inclusive activities and environments.
Reading Raven in an extremely engaging learn-to-read educational activity that provides step-by step reading and writing lessons. Each lesson builds skills through self-paced educational activities in the following progression: letter matching, letter tracing, letter recognition, word matching, vocabulary, word beginnings, word building (spelling), word spotting, reading aloud using voice recorder, word tracing, and word groups (rhyming and beginning sounds). Reader Raven goes on an adventure with you through five extensive lessons with tons of individual activities inside each lesson. There are fun characters and activities such as catching butterflies with letters in a net, or throwing snowballs at words, or recording your own voice to sound out a word. There are both verbal and visual prompts to support engagement along with verbal praise and virtual “stickers” as individuals progress through the lessons. It has been given a 4.5 out of 5 star rating out of 373 ratings as well as won awards (Parents Choice) and been highly rated by many organizations including the Huffington Post.
The Opposites is a challenging matching activity in which two siblings (a boy and a girl) take turns saying words that become bubbles and float to the top of the screen. The object is to tap on two bubbles that match because they are opposites. The words start with easier word pairs such as up and down, and progressively become more complicated. There is a dictionary option that can be accessed to learn the meaning of words used in the app. Individuals engaging in this app work on expanding their vocabulary while understanding the importance or word context. This app has been given a 4.5 out of 5 star rating out of 237 reviews.
The object of Math Bingo is to get a pattern of five Bingo Bugs in a row by correctly answering math problems. Players tap on the correct answer and a Bingo Bug will appear in that space. Each time a player gets Bingo, they get a Bingo Bug. A little bit of strategy is involved as there may be multiple spots that contain the correct answer, but the player is trying to get Bingo, so may choose one spot over another to try and achieve that goal. There are five different game options, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or mixed. There are three different levels of difficulty in each game as well, easy, medium, or hard. Individual profiles can be made for players which include the players name and a character. Each profile saves the players progress and any Bingo bugs acquired during play. Once the player has collected Bingo Bugs there are three fun games within the app that can be played with the Bingo Bugs. This app has a 4.5 star rating out of 5 out of 4,092 reviews and has been featured in the New York Times, Disney Magazine, ranked #1 in Educational apps for 3 weeks straight, and ranked in the top 50 for over 3 years.
Create your own music in seconds with Falling Stars. No musical ability is needed. Simply drag your finger across the screen and a vine will grow where you drew. Drops fall from the stars and make a sound when they hit the vine. The more you tap the stars the faster the drops fall. There are five vines to choose from in the free version of this app and seven in the paid version. Tap on the different vines located in the bottom left corner of the app to change which vine you will draw. Each vine makes a different sound. When a drop hits a vine it bounces and hit other vines. In no time you’ve made an original musical piece. If you don’t like the sound after you draw a vine simply double tap the vine and it will disappear. You can save your creations or delete them and start again. This app not only allows individuals a creative outlet, it works on fine motor skills and decision making. This app is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 by 1,701 reviews and has been features in the New and Noteworthy, What’s Hot, Staff Picks, and has been a top 10 free entertainment app.
Grandpa’s workshop is a fun multi-skill app with fun graphics and creative learning tools. This app contains 7 mini games which work on numbers, measuring, colors, fractions, spacial relationships, and observation skills. Individuals help Grandpa build a clubhouse by measuring and cutting a board into section, counting objects such as nails in a jar, and selecting the correct tools. Individuals also help grandpa by choosing colors and working on fine motor skills while painting items Grandpa has built. Lastly individuals help Grandpa fix broken items by putting them back together like a puzzle. There are short videos on using tools and tool safety. Grandpa offers his encouragement by dancing and asking for high fives. This app has a 4.5 out of 5 start rating out of 142 ratings and was a Front Page Educational Feature in the app store.
Stephanie’s High Five – October 15, 2013
Reading Raven in an extremely engaging learn-to-read educational activity that provides step-by step reading and writing lessons. Each lesson builds skills through self-paced educational activities in the following progression: letter matching, letter tracing, letter recognition, word matching, vocabulary, word beginnings, word building (spelling), word spotting, reading aloud using voice recorder, word tracing, and word groups (rhyming and beginning sounds). Reader Raven goes on an adventure with you through five extensive lessons with tons of individual activities inside each lesson. There are fun characters and activities such as catching butterflies with letters in a net, or throwing snowballs at words, or recording your own voice to sound out a word. There are both verbal and visual prompts to support engagement along with verbal praise and virtual “stickers” as individuals progress through the lessons. It has been given a 4.5 out of 5 star rating out of 373 ratings as well as won awards (Parents Choice) and been highly rated by many organizations including the Huffington Post.
The Opposites is a challenging matching activity in which two siblings (a boy and a girl) take turns saying words that become bubbles and float to the top of the screen. The object is to tap on two bubbles that match because they are opposites. The words start with easier word pairs such as up and down, and progressively become more complicated. There is a dictionary option that can be accessed to learn the meaning of words used in the app. Individuals engaging in this app work on expanding their vocabulary while understanding the importance or word context. This app has been given a 4.5 out of 5 star rating out of 237 reviews.
The object of Math Bingo is to get a pattern of five Bingo Bugs in a row by correctly answering math problems. Players tap on the correct answer and a Bingo Bug will appear in that space. Each time a player gets Bingo, they get a Bingo Bug. A little bit of strategy is involved as there may be multiple spots that contain the correct answer, but the player is trying to get Bingo, so may choose one spot over another to try and achieve that goal. There are five different game options, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or mixed. There are three different levels of difficulty in each game as well, easy, medium, or hard. Individual profiles can be made for players which include the players name and a character. Each profile saves the players progress and any Bingo bugs acquired during play. Once the player has collected Bingo Bugs there are three fun games within the app that can be played with the Bingo Bugs. This app has a 4.5 star rating out of 5 out of 4,092 reviews and has been featured in the New York Times, Disney Magazine, ranked #1 in Educational apps for 3 weeks straight, and ranked in the top 50 for over 3 years.
Create your own music in seconds with Falling Stars. No musical ability is needed. Simply drag your finger across the screen and a vine will grow where you drew. Drops fall from the stars and make a sound when they hit the vine. The more you tap the stars the faster the drops fall. There are five vines to choose from in the free version of this app and seven in the paid version. Tap on the different vines located in the bottom left corner of the app to change which vine you will draw. Each vine makes a different sound. When a drop hits a vine it bounces and hit other vines. In no time you’ve made an original musical piece. If you don’t like the sound after you draw a vine simply double tap the vine and it will disappear. You can save your creations or delete them and start again. This app not only allows individuals a creative outlet, it works on fine motor skills and decision making. This app is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 by 1,701 reviews and has been features in the New and Noteworthy, What’s Hot, Staff Picks, and has been a top 10 free entertainment app.
Grandpa’s workshop is a fun multi-skill app with fun graphics and creative learning tools. This app contains 7 mini games which work on numbers, measuring, colors, fractions, spacial relationships, and observation skills. Individuals help Grandpa build a clubhouse by measuring and cutting a board into section, counting objects such as nails in a jar, and selecting the correct tools. Individuals also help grandpa by choosing colors and working on fine motor skills while painting items Grandpa has built. Lastly individuals help Grandpa fix broken items by putting them back together like a puzzle. There are short videos on using tools and tool safety. Grandpa offers his encouragement by dancing and asking for high fives. This app has a 4.5 out of 5 start rating out of 142 ratings and was a Front Page Educational Feature in the app store.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Spooky Gingerbread Houses
Things are getting spooky at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. Check out these haunted gingerbread houses made by the residents with the help of friendly arts and crafts volunteer Gary!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Getting In The Halloween Spirit
The residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome are getting in the Halloween spirit. Here’s a picture of Lana with a pumpkin she picked from staff member Claudette Moloney’s garden. The residents decided that they’d paint it and decorate it rather than carve it. They said that will be less dangerous, easier, and more fun than carving it. We look forward to sharing a photo of the decorated jack-o-lantern once it is finished.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Relaxing At The SmartHome
Pictured are Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome residents Gerald and Donna enjoying the Imagine! 50th anniversary beer made by Twisted Pine Brewery, where Gerald is employed.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Thank You, Living Resources
Last week, Fred Erlich, CEO of Albany, New York-based Living Resources presented Imagine! CEO Mark Emery with checks totaling $1,200 to help Imagine! rebuild homes damaged by the recent flooding, including the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. The checks were collected from Living Resources staff members, and Fred was out in Colorado to attend a Technology Best Practices Provider meeting hosted by Imagine!, as well as the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities’ Annual National Conference. We offer our sincere gratitude to our New York friends and partners in using technology to improve the lives of individuals with a variety of disabilities.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Technology Tuesday
At the 2013 Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities’ National Conference, Imagine! tech guru Alex Andrews and University of Colorado Professor Melinda Piket-May gave a presentation on a collaboration which involved CU Engineering students creating assistive technologies for individuals with developmental disabilities served by Imagine!. The collaboration has been very successful. Check out the presentation below to learn more.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Presentable
The mission of NADD is to advance mental wellness for persons with developmental disabilities through the promotion of excellence in mental health care.
Good luck, gentlemen!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Declaring The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access
Yesterday, several members of Imagine!'s SmartHome team participated in the Thirteenth Annual Coleman Institute National Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology. The highlight of this event was the official unveiling of a Declaration on the Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access. The declaration is a statement of principles: the rights of ALL people to inclusion and choice in relation to technology and information access. You can see the declaration below (click on the image to enlarge it), or you can view the declaration and read more about its formation by clicking here.
David Braddock, professor of psychiatry and executive director of the Coleman Institute on Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado, said, “The formal declaration is being presented at a time when the pace of the digital age is accelerating rapidly. Access to technology and information access is essential for community and social participation, employment, education, health, and general communication. Advocates for people with cognitive disabilities may use this declaration to stimulate greater attention nationally and worldwide to the possibilities now at hand for people with cognitive disabilities through technology while promoting their rights as citizens to access to it.”
This is a momentous time in the history of serving individuals with one or more cognitive disabilities. Technology is creating opportunities for community participation and enhanced quality of life in ways unthinkable just a few short years ago. But if the folks we serve can’t access this technology, those opportunities won’t add up to much. That is why this declaration is so important.
So today, we aare challenging all of our SmartHomes fans to endorse this declaration. Let the world know that the community of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the organizations and caregivers who serve them are united in the belief that all individuals have a right to access comprehensible information and usable communication technologies to promote self-determination and engage meaningfully in major aspects of life.
Go here to endorse The Declaration.
Go here to read a Linguistically Accessible Version of The Declaration, as provided by The Arc.
Go here to read Frequently Asked Questions about The Declaration.
David Braddock, professor of psychiatry and executive director of the Coleman Institute on Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado, said, “The formal declaration is being presented at a time when the pace of the digital age is accelerating rapidly. Access to technology and information access is essential for community and social participation, employment, education, health, and general communication. Advocates for people with cognitive disabilities may use this declaration to stimulate greater attention nationally and worldwide to the possibilities now at hand for people with cognitive disabilities through technology while promoting their rights as citizens to access to it.”
This is a momentous time in the history of serving individuals with one or more cognitive disabilities. Technology is creating opportunities for community participation and enhanced quality of life in ways unthinkable just a few short years ago. But if the folks we serve can’t access this technology, those opportunities won’t add up to much. That is why this declaration is so important.
So today, we aare challenging all of our SmartHomes fans to endorse this declaration. Let the world know that the community of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the organizations and caregivers who serve them are united in the belief that all individuals have a right to access comprehensible information and usable communication technologies to promote self-determination and engage meaningfully in major aspects of life.
Go here to endorse The Declaration.
Go here to read a Linguistically Accessible Version of The Declaration, as provided by The Arc.
Go here to read Frequently Asked Questions about The Declaration.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Surprise Gift Makes Ladies Lunch Out Special
Staff member Shannon Bundy recently took all of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome female residents to lunch at BJs. Mandy got gluten free pizza, Rebecca got pizza, Donna got chicken fingers, Rae got pasta, and Lana got a chicken salad. A very nice gentleman sitting nearby bought them a $50 gift card to help pay for the lunch! All the women said thanks to the man, and Donna said, "There needs to be more people like that."
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Technology Tuesday
For almost five years, students in University of Colorado Professor Melinda Piket-May's freshman engineering classes have been creating assistive technology projects for individuals served by Imagine!. The projects have been great for Imagine! and the people we serve, but it has also served as an eye opening experience for the students. The video below, which will be featured at tomorrow’s Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities Annual Conference, has the students sharing, in their own words, what they projects have meant to them. One student in particular was so moved by the experience he first volunteered at Imagine!, and then spent the summer as a paid employee.
Can’t see the video? Click here.
Can’t see the video? Click here.
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