Change is in the air. I just put up a new theme that I really like but there are ads that I have no idea how to get rid of. I have sent out an SOS to Cynapse, my site manager, for help.

I like the fact that I could put a variety of odd shaped ads if I choose to go that route. But, overall, the theme looks very up-to-date and professional.

So, bear with me as I work things out. While there is no sign of any widgets specifically for the ads, if anyone has any advice about where I can find them to delete them, feel free to comment.

I received an e-mail from a regular reader yesterday who explained that her daughter had just graduated from high school and was about to start university in September – without the English grammar and spelling abilities one might expect — and wondered how she would survive university without those skills.

It was also explained to me that she, the mother, had asked her daughter’s high school teachers over the years about why her daughter wasn’t being taught distinct grammar and spelling.  In response she was always told they, high school teachers, didn’t have to do that. That whatever spelling and grammar she learned as a distinct subject would have been done, or at least should have been done, at the elementary level. Since that didn’t seem to have happened, the mother asked for my recommendations.

First of all, you can’t start from scratch. You can’t go back to the junior grades once your son or daughter is eighteen.  So, once your children graduate from high school with the required marks and credits to get accepted into a Canadian university, it is best to deal with where they are at right now.

As such, my first recommendation was that her daughter make sure she take part in her university’s orientation “essay” writing and related courses because some grammar and spelling would be included, if only in a contextual way.

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Without a doubt, for anyone who is interested in the education field, be it as a teacher, a student or a parent, teachingtips.com is an excellent resource to have at your finger tips. Literally. But, one post regular readers will not want to miss is this one which lists 50 must read blogs by educators.

And, I am very proud to announce, that Crux-of-the-Matter is listed as # 5 on this list under the “general” blog category and as a blog that “focuses on issues in the news about education, politics and disabilities in Canada and all over the world.”

The categories of the 50 best education blogs are: “general,” “subject specific,” “international,” “technology” and “tips and tools.” And, as Christina Laun writes in the preamble:

“Whether you’re new to the teaching field yourself or a seasoned veteran, you can find inspiration, advice and shared experiences by reading the blogs of other teachers. Both established bloggers and those new to the game like the bloggers listed here can offer some interesting and sometimes entertaining reading material for anyone involved in the education field.Check these new bloggers out the next time you’re looking for something educational to read.”

A great resource and I am pleased to be able to post on it.

Jack atJack’s Newswatch came across a CTV article yesterday telling the story of a special Web browser developed for children and youth with autism. Designed by John LeSieur for his grandson Zachary, it is called the “ZAC Browser” in his honour. 

This type of browser would be a huge breakthrough for all children and youth with autism or other types of concentration problems and/or learning disabilities. And, perhaps most important, it allows these special needs children to access the Internet and all the important educational sites so important to their future.

However, technical help is needed to get this browser working properly. It is apparently still in the Beta stage and the interface still has a lot of bugs, such as the forward and back buttons.

As such, is there anyone or any company who would be willing to take a look at the ZAC browser as it is now and then upgrade it to make it a reality?

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C/P at Jack’s Newswatch.

Like so many people, I don’t particularly like change. So, when I was faced with having to upgrade to Word Press 2.5, the latest version, I was a little nervous. Particularly because it was reported to be quite different and I am not a techie by any stretch of the imagination. Well, I can report that I have made the transition and it was relatively painless. Here is what you can expect:

(1) When you sign in, the blue background is gone and the font and design is very different. You will realize immediately that this is a newly designed space. But, relax because the changes are intuitive.

(2) If you are not careful you will miss the word Dashboard because rather than being right beside Write, you will find it in the far upper left corner, almost hidden inside a black bar.

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Update: Carly’s story was on CTV’s W5 last night, Saturday, March 22nd at 7pm. It was and is a very uplifting story. The CTV tape of the program will be delayed due to copyright considerations but apparently will be available in about a week. When it is, I’ll post it here at COTM. In the meantime, here is updated CTV information.

(H/T to MadMacs of Bytown.)

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What a beautiful story and a true miracle of medicine and technology. A young girl with severe autism by the name of Carly Fleischmann, aged 13, learns how to use a computer to communicate. Although Carly cannot talk, the techology, along with her determination, has given her a voice — her own voice that would otherwise have been silent. And, in so doing, the computer has not only allowed Carly to invite people into her world of emotions and sensory experiences, it has also given her life challenge and meaning. It is a fascinating story to say the least.

Before I retired from teaching university, I also ran a special needs private practice on a part-time basis. What I did was rather unique (here is a book I wrote on the subject of using compensations) and involved two phases. In the first phase, I assessed how children, youth and adults with disabilities could improve their literacy skills. Then, during the final phase, I would implement (or staff at a board of education or agency would do so under my supervision) a program of rehabilitation or enhancement.  And, of course, I tried and used every conceivable piece of technology and learning strategy available that would make the outcomes successful.  
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Written by Cathy Cove and originally published in the Goderich Signal Star  on February 28th, 2007. Used with the author’s permission.

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I admit it. I am a techno-holdout when it comes to bowing to the pressure to purchase the latest electronic gadgets. I am especially stubborn when it comes to owning a cell phone. I don’t feel it necessary to be in constant communication mode while driving, shopping, or waiting in a doctor’s office. It is annoying to be forced to listen to one-sided dialogues, by cell phone users who talk a little too loudly when being reminded of what brand of peanut butter to buy, or what to have for dinner.

That’s why, when Toronto District School Board trustee Josh Matlow made headlines calling on banning cell phones from schools didn’t register as a major concern with me.

Initially, I wondered whether the call for a ban was in fact, more of a reflection of a discomfort level adults have with technology, and what youth are capable of doing with it, rather than a method of controlling abuses.
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