by Laura Jiencke | Mar 19, 2019 | Bluebee News |
Want to enhance your child’s communication? Join us March 22 12:00-1:00 EDT at UCF CARD for this week! The Bluebee Pal Pro is an interactive plush learning tool that “speaks” when paired with any iOS or Android device via Bluetooth connection. Bluebee Pals engage children during educational and therapeutic activities by providing the voice output/narrative during reading activities, fine motor/gross motor tasks, speech-language tasks, playtime and more! Learn how Bluebee Pals assistive technology tools can help your child increase participation in and attention to tasks to improve their functioning in all settings while having fun! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunch-bite-using-bluebee-pals-…
UCF CARD
The University of Central Florida Center for Autism and Related Disabilities provides services within the geographical region that includes Orange, Lake, Osceola, Sumter, Brevard, Volusia, and Seminole Counties. Florida is home to many individuals with autism and related disabilities. In response to the needs of these people and their families, seven regional, nonresidential resource centers have been established.
The Centers serves both children and adults of all levels of intellectual functioning who have autism spectrum disorders, dual sensory impairments, or sensory impairments with other disabling conditions. A constituency board comprised of family members representing persons with autism and related disabilities meet quarterly with the Center staff to provide guidance on policies, priorities and activities.
Description 
The Bluebee Pal Pro is an interactive plush affordable assistive technology tool that “speaks” when paired with any iOS or Android device via Bluetooth connection. Bluebee Pals engage children during educational and therapeutic activities by providing the voice output/narrative during reading activities, fine motor/gross motor tasks, speech-language tasks, playtime and more! Learn how Bluebee Pals can help your child increase participation in and attention to tasks to improve their functioning in all settings while having fun! Vist the Bluebee Pal Website. https://www.bluebeepals.com
Date & Time
Fri, March 22, 2019
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT
Location
by Laura Jiencke | Mar 18, 2019 | Bluebee News |
Personalized learning refers to efforts to tailor education to meet the different needs of students. It involves “instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each learner. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) may all vary based on learner needs. In addition, learning activities are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated” (The United States National Education Technology Plan 2017). To put it simply, personalized learning is a learning experience designed for each student with their specific needs in mind. Typically, technology is used to facilitate personalized learning environments. There are a multitude of resources available to address personalized learning.
Bluebee Pals are fun, motivating and engaging and can be easily integrated with any of the featured apps!
Here are a few App Recommendations:
Splash Math Grade K-5 Math Learning Games by StudyPad, Inc.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grade-k-5-math-learning-games/id672658828?mt=8
This math learning app features interactive content, personalized/adaptive learning, games, progress reports, a scratch pad for rough work and more. In the adaptive learning feature, topics start easy and build based on the user’s progress. Medium and hard levels are unlocked based on performance. For even more engagement, connect your Bluebee Palto narrate and provide feedback!
Bitsboard Flashcards & Games by Happy Moose Apps
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bitsboard-flashcards-games/id516842210?mt=8
This app offers a variety of learning tools and games in hundreds of topics. Users can learn a language, master vocabulary words, learn to read, improve spelling and more. It’s customizable and tracks answers so users can easily see what they’ve mastered so far and what they need to work on more. Bitsboard personalizes games based on the individual player’s skill and knows when the user is ready to move on to the next challenge. Bitsboard games are fun to play with Bluebee Pals!
Brain Pop Jr. https://jr.brainpop.com/
Ideal for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, BrainPOP Jr. offers standards-aligned movies, quizzes, games, and activities covering Science, Reading & Writing, Math, Health, Social Studies, and Arts & Technology. It encourages young learners to ask questions and form their own ideas. All text is read aloud to facilitate comprehension.Bluebee Palsare great friends to help you work and learn!
Articulation Station Pro by Little Bee Speech
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/articulation-station-pro/id491998279?mt=8
Articulation Station Pro provides students with the opportunity to record and listen to their own voices as they practice pronunciation of sounds and words in conjunction with a narrator who speaks them. Designed by a certified speech-language pathologist, the app lets students play with letter sounds through word games, sentences, and stories. Through these activities, students can build self-awareness, correct pronunciation and letter and word recognition. Activities can be tailored to meet individual student articulation needs. Your Bluebee Pal easily connects to the app and helps students listen and practice. Record student productions within the app and your Bluebee will speak in your students’ own voices. They will be captivated!
Explain EDU by Explain Everything
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explain-edu/id431493086?mt=8
Explain Everything is an interactive whiteboard that allows you to instruct in real time through interactive learning and lets students demonstrate knowledge by becoming the teacher (the best way to know if you know something is to explain it to someone else). It is an excellent tool for creating and designing presentations, forcing students to articulate their understanding, and collaborating with their peers.
Educreations by Educreations, Inc
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/educreations/id478617061?mt=8
This is an interactive whiteboard and screencasting tool you can use to teach/explain any concept. Screencasts allow teachers to duplicate and provide each student with his or her own teacher-created personalized video lesson. Each student controls the lesson and can work independently. They can pause, rewind, and listen to their teacher again. Additionally, those who miss class no longer lack the instruction, instead receiving the same lesson presented to their classmates.
Seesaw: The Learning Journal by Seesaw Learning, Inc.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seesaw-the-learning-journal/id930565184?mt=8
Seesaw is a student-driven, digital student portfolio that inspires students to take ownership of and do their best work. Students are able to express themselves and reflect on their learning. Teachers find or create activities to share with students. Students take pictures, draw, record videos and more to capture learning in a portfolio. Parents and teachers see their child’s work and leave comments and encouragement.
Nearpod by Nearpod
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod/id523540409?mt=8
Nearpod is a classroom tool for teachers to engage students with interactive lessons & assessments that students can access on any device. Teachers control the lesson, pushing content to student devices, which students complete at their own pace. Nearpod increases student engagement with lessons that require their interaction. Use Nearpod to collect and deliver video, web content, images, slides, PDF’s and assessments to your students in an single, organized collection for the lesson.
ClassDojo by ClassDojo, Inc.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/classdojo/id552602056?mt=8
Students need personalized learning when it comes to classroom management in addition to instruction. Class Dojo provides teachers with a platform to track student behavior and assign positive and negative remarks. In addition, teachers can send instant messages to specific parents and share photos from the class. Students can choose their own avatar.
Google Classroom: A member of the Google Apps for Education suite of services that helps teachers create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and easily communicate with their classes.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-classroom/mfhehppjhmmnlfbbopchdfldgimhfhfk?hl=en
by Laura Jiencke | Mar 17, 2019 | Bluebee News |
Easterseals
Massachusetts focuses on the full potential of every person and is changing the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s everyday lives. They provide essential programs and services to children and adults with disabilities throughout the state. Easterseals
ensures that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play. Their occupational, physical and speech therapists, assistive technology specialists, as well as our youth, employment, and
transition teams are experts in their fields and provide services in a wide range of settings.Assistive Technology
Easterseals Massachusetts is recognized nationally as a leader in assistive technology, their services are an excellent resource for children and adults with autism who need high and low technology solutions for home, work or school in order to increase their independence.
The Bluebee Pal Project & Easterseals
“I spoke with my team and everyone is thrilled and loved your product! .Our plans are to place 2 in each AT Loan Center and then use them directly with clients and our AAC Specialists, OTs and SLPs are so excited! Bluebee Pals will be a great communication and learning tool for all the assistive technology departments within Easterseals.” Kimberly Sokol: Vice President of Rehabilitation & Support Services-Occupational Therapist. http://www.easterseals.com/ma/
As a speech therapist working with young children, it can sometimes be hard to find ways to keep them engaged in therapy. The Bluebee Pal is a great interactive learning tool that is a fun and engaging way for the students to work on a variety of speech and language goal areas, especially when working with groups of children who all have different goals to be targeted.
The Bluebee Pal can target speech and language concepts such as making choices, categories, following directions, learning action words, expanding vocabulary, sequencing, inferencing, object function, wh-questions, articulation—the list goes on! The student’s love using the iPad and seeing the BluebeePal talk to them. The Bluebee Pal is another great assistive technology tool to have in a speech therapists toolbox…Laura N. Husted, SLP-M.S., Clinical Fellow-SLP
by Laura Jiencke | Mar 2, 2019 | Bluebee News |
“Read Across America” is an annual, nationwide reading celebration that takes place the week before and on March 2—Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Across the country, thousands of schools participate by bringing together kids and books to emphasize the importance of reading and learning. You can help your child to read, learn and grow, during this special week, and year-round, too! Here are some suggestions to get you started…..(And Every Day, too)!
As a Speech Language Pathologist, I often use our classroom Bluebee Pals during therapy to work on reading, talking and playing skills! My students really relate to their Bluebee therapy friends, and look forward to learning with them! Teaching and learning begin at home. Parents are the first and most important teachers in the early, developmental years. Young children learn essential, foundational speech, receptive and expressive language, social, pre-reading, cognitive, numeracy and communication skills necessary for future academic success through meaningful play and lots of language rich learning opportunities.
Read, Read, Read!
Read to your child daily. Reading helps develop vocabulary, attending, sentence construction, grammar, pronoun usage, social-skills, turn-taking, imagination, creativity, sequential thought, emotions, wh-questions, comprehension, receptive/expressive language skills, critical thinking and problem solving, and so much more! Parents provide many natural educational interactions while reading, talking about the subject matter and elements of the story, questioning about the story, and practicing story retelling.
During Read Across America week, books by Dr. Seuss are highlighted. Here are a few of our class favorites. Have your own Dr. Seuss celebration at home by reading with your favorite Bluebee Pals!
Green Eggs and Ham by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/green-eggs-and-ham/id1011476555?mt=8
One Fish Two Fish – Dr. Seuss by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/one-fish-two-fish-dr-seuss/id1092650486?mt=8
The Cat in the Hat by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-cat-in-the-hat/id1004090290?mt=8
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mr-brown-can-moo-can-you/id1249496615?mt=8
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oh-the-places-youll-go/id1067456521?mt=8O
Horton Hears a Who! by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/horton-hears-a-who/id1092651841?mt=8
There are also options to purchase bundles of Dr. Seuss favorites!
10 Dr. Seuss Bestsellers by Oceanhouse Media
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app-bundle/10-dr-seuss-bestsellers/id1203790264?mt=8
Talk, Talk, Talk!
Parents need to talk to their children! Talking and commenting on the world around them is a great, natural way to teach children. Examples: In the grocery store: “How many yellow fruits do you see? How many green vegetables? Let’s buy three red apples”. In the car: “Let’s see how many blue cars we can count” or “How many things can people ride in to go somewhere”? “Let’s look for things that are orange”. “Can you find a stop sign? What colors are in a traffic light”? At home during interactive play: “Oh, wow, I see that you are racing your red car and your blue car. Which one do you think will go faster”? Simple commenting and talking about what you and your child are doing and seeing and asking questions is a powerful educational tool. Commenting on the world around them will build and reinforce basic concepts, numeracy, turn-taking, pragmatic skills, receptive and expressive language, critical thinking and reasoning skills, problem solving, grammar, and more.
Play, Play, Play!
Play with your children! Lots and lots of learning takes place during play! Play dolls, play trucks, play games, play marbles, play pretend! Provide opportunities for you preschoolers to interact with peers! Beginning games such as Candy Land, Spot It, Pop the Pig, I Spy, Zingo and more are great for practicing social skills, turn-taking, sharing, numbers, colors, matching and categorization skills. Playing and learning through songs and finger-plays such as “Itty Bitty Spider, 5 Little Ducks, etc, is a great way to teach rhyming, sequencing, memory and basic concept skills. Learning through play provides powerful opportunities for cognitive growth.
Above all, make learning FUN!
by Laura Jiencke | Feb 17, 2019 | Bluebee News |
We are thrilled to incorporate Bluebee Pals Educational Learning Tools into our Speech and Language Program at 
College Place School District(College Place, WA). Bluebee Pals were provided to our school through the Bluebee Pal Project. College Place School is a diverse population of 1300 + students from K-12th grade. The District is comprised of one high school, one middle school, and one elementary school. CPPS offers a broad range of course offerings and programs that align with Washington State Learning Goals are offered to students at all grade levels.
Davis Elementary School offers a complete curriculum with a core focus on literacy, mathematics, and social sciences. Bilingual and English acquisition courses are offered. In the 2014-2015 school year, Davis added the Highly Capable Program for gifted students to Kindergartners – 5th grade students. John Sager Middle School includes a unique learning environment for students. The middle school also offers the Highly Capable Program, special education, and elective and exploratory classes.
College Place High School will support a four-year, comprehensive program with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship and Business. Currently, the High School is serving 9-12 graders. The core curriculum, a vocational program, honors, special education, and elective courses are offered. All students will complete a Personal Finance course as a Board directed requirement. College Place High School also supports Sea-Tech and Running Start programs for students. For more information regarding Washington State, Graduation Requirements
College Place School District-Camille Granitz-SLP
After I watched the Bluebee Pal Tutorial Facebook Live Stream Video presented by University of Central Florida, I was hopeful our school would be a recipient of Bluebee Pals through the Bluebee Pal Project donation program. We are happy to provide data and feedback from our usages and successes with Bluebee Pals. Our speech therapists and educators are anxious to implement Bluebee Pals assistive technology tools into our programs.Thanks for considering us for a donation of Bluebee Pals. 
We just received Bluebee Pals them today! We are so excited to start incorporating them into our therapy.Thank you so much! We will update you with our success..
College Place School District
1755 S. College Ave
College Place, WA 99324
by Laura Jiencke | Feb 7, 2019 | Bluebee News |
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has become widely recognized as the most effective treatment for autism spectrum disorder. ABA therapy follows a comprehensive treatment plan to produce socially significant improvement in behavior, while decreasing problematic behavior related to symptoms of autism. ABA teaches children how to learn from their environment, a skill that their typically developing peers already have. Bluebee Pals are a great tool for teaching children to learn from their environment. Bluebee Pal’s engage children in learning in a way that is fun in motivating, providing a unique way to present learning opportunities.
Bluebee Pals can be used for teaching individual skills and group social skills. The speaker function of Bluebee Pals help children to build speech skills, as they learn to echo words or respond to verbal prompts given by a Bluebee Pal. Children can develop receptive language skills by following directions given by a Bluebee. Since ABA is intense by nature, we’re constantly looking for the best ways to keep learners engaged. Creating an environment of engagement is a way ABA professionals help children succeed. Bluebee Pals provide a unique, engaging ways to teach skills.
ABA programming is teaching children self-regulation and social skills that will help them to be successful throughout life. Bluebee pals help children through hands on learning experiences. Bluebees can be used in social skills group by using the speaker feature to share a fun story that teaches a lesson about sharing. Children can be more engaged in the lesson, by using the Bluebee to prompt intraverbal responses throughout the story. After the story, children can then engage in a social skills activity that involves taking turns with the Bluebee.
Adding individualized support to a child’s natural environment helps a child learn in a way that is similar to peers. Bluebees Pals are a great tool for adding extra support by turning everyday experiences into fun learning opportunities. Additionally, Bluebees are a great tool, as their individualization allows them to be a learning tool throughout many stages of development. Bluebee pals add to ABA programming by creating unique ways to keep children engaged in intensive learning.
LAURA HOWENSTINE, MS / Project Manager
BIERMAN ABA AUTISM CENTERS / www.BiermanABA.com
