Game Helps John Improve His Money And Math Skills

John is pictured with the game Allowance at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. John has been using the game to improve his money and math skills (identifying different coins and bills, learning about spending and saving money responsibly, and more). John says that learning how many bills or coins he needs to make a purchase has increased his independence and that it’s a good thing to know.

Technology Tuesday

The video below isn’t actually about technology specifically, but shows how technology is becoming more and more an integral part of all services at Imagine!. This video was produced by the Colorado Department of Human Services and features the story of Bobby, who receives services from Imagine!. Early in the video (starting around 1.09), Bobby’s mom makes an offhand remark about Bobby communicating through an iPad. Her sense of amazement at that technology is palpable. The rest of the video is quite fascinating as well, so check it out!
  Can’t see the video? Click here. 

More Pics Of Gerald And Hick

Last week we showed you a photo of Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald meeting with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper at a recent Boulder Chamber of Commerce event held at Twisted Pine Brewery. Here are two more photos from the event, courtesy of Ryan Trupp Photography. Looks like everyone had a great time!

Happy 4th of July!

 

John, Rebecca, and the rest of the SmartHome residents and staff members wish you a safe and happy 4th of July!

Stacey To Perform This Weekend

Stacey, a resident at the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, will be playing the guitar this Sunday, July 6, at New Horizons Christian Church in Dacono, which Stacey and her housemates regularly attend and are welcomed. This FREE 4th of July Celebration, 10 am – 12:30 pm, is open to everyone and will have music activities including Elvis Presley tribute artist Steve Creason, a BBQ, games, dancing, and church.

Gerald Meets Hick!

In June, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Hoppy” Hour with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper at Twisted Pine Brewery. This exclusive Boulder Chamber event featured an opportunity for top-tier business leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and local elected leaders to interact with the Governor, who is also a brewing entrepreneur. Imagine! SmartHome resident Gerald, who has worked at Twisted Pine for several years, spent a little quality time with the Governor during the event. Way to go, G.!

Thanks to Ryan Trupp Photography for sharing the photo.

Technology Tuesday

Chris’s Corner

Yep—Still in the Corner

Can’t see the video? Click here. 

When watching this video clip, it’s easy to wonder what you’re seeing. A post-apocalyptic wasteland where mechanized creatures are placed in a ring solely for the purpose of fighting at the whim and amusement of some unseen overlord? Not quite. A bizarre time rift that has somehow sent mechanical creatures from across millennia of existence to battle one another in an arena whose terms of victory and defeat are nebulous and ill-defined? Hardly. And maybe it’s time to ease up on the action flicks.

 Is it some kind of mechanized tete-a-tete omelette of amazing drizzled in a caramelized awesome sauce? Absolutely. And you’re probably hungry. To put a finer point on it, this is the newest Educational Activity soon to be rolled out in the Imagine! CORE/Labor Source Communications class taught by our own Suzanne Phillips.

Here’s how it works. DynaVox communication devices support environmental controls, which in essence turns the DynaVox into a learning universal remote. This allows people to use these devices not only to communicate thoughts, feelings, wants, and needs, but remotely control the environment around them. Essentially any Infrared-controlled device can be controlled by the DynaVox device, from TV and home entertainment, to lights, to…well…dinosaurs and dancing robots. This activity provides an opportunity to learn a number of skills, from device navigation skills to directional navigation and peer socialization, to general mechanized mayhem. And it is way fun!

 Stay tuned to see more of the action!