PLUK News feed

Learning Starts At Home - Free Parent Conference - Rapid City, SD - September 25-26

Friday evening will include information and ideas on how to support learning at home for parents of children from pre-school through high school youth, such as: Are you the parent of a toddler or a child in pre-school? Come learn about the early learning guidelines! * Parents of children from kindergarten to 8th grade – learn what you can do to help with math and science learning at home! * High school parents – learn how to help your child build study skills and monitor homework! * Parent of a child with a disability – learn about how help your child through the transition process!

Saturday will begin with a keynote address from Keith Moore, Indian Education Director from the SD Department of Education followed by breakout sessions on a variety of topics. Topics to include: * Parent Leadership * Children’s Mental Health * Financial Literary for Kids * Procedural Safeguards * Character Counts * Bullying * Parent Policies and Compacts * Nutrition and Health * Building Relationships with Teachers * School Report Cards * Internet Safety * And MANY MORE

Friday September 25, 2009 from 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Saturday September 26, 2009 from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Ramkota Inn in Rapid City, South Dakota

The event is FREE! (Includes appetizers on Friday evening and breakfast and lunch on Saturday!!!!)

For more information or to Register, Click HERE

Education News Parents Can Use - A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan - September 15th

During the September 15, 2009 edition of Education News Parents Can Use, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will participate in a discussion with parents across the nation by telephone, email, and with a studio audience. This event is one stop along the secretary’s national Listening and Learning tour to gather input on the administration's education agenda, including: early childhood learning, quality schools, parent responsibility, higher standards, teacher quality, health and safety, workforce development, and higher education. For more information, go to http://registerevent.ed.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewer.description&intEventID=233

Eleanore's Project Institute for Families and Professionals - Missoula - October 2nd

Eleanore’s Project is pleased to announce our first Institute for Families and Professionals on October 2, 2009 at the Holiday Inn downtown in Missoula. The subject is “Transportation Safety for Wheelchair Riders and Children with Disabilities” and we are thrilled to have one of the foremost national experts on this subject as our speaker.

Download EPI Institute Registration Form 2009

Snow Leopard makes strides in accessibility | Mac OS X | Macworld

• Snow Leopard makes strides in accessibility | Mac OS X | Macworld

  tags: computer, accessibility, screenreader

  • Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) introduced a host of features that made using a Mac easier for people with physical disabilities. Among its key improvements was VoiceOver, a screen reader that narrated whatever was on the Mac’s display. Leopard improved on those features, adding a more human-sounding computer voice (Alex) and offering more ways to interact with the Mac (including support for USB Braille displays and number-pad input). Snow Leopard continues those efforts to make OS X more accessible.

Sleek New Wheelchair Design Could Mean Less Reliance On Caregivers - Disability Scoop

• Sleek New Wheelchair Design Could Mean Less Reliance On Caregivers - Disability Scoop

  tags: wheelchair

  • The next generation of wheelchairs could have a totally new look and allow users to get in and out with less assistance, if a new model unveiled Wednesday in Japan is any indication.

Bill would create national registry to track undiagnosed illnesses | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

• Bill would create national registry to track undiagnosed illnesses | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

  tags: undiagnosed, illnesses, registry

  • In May 2008, the National Institutes of Health started an undiagnosed diseases program. Its goal is to provide answers to patients with mysterious conditions that have long eluded diagnosis and to advance medical knowledge about rare diseases.

Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Schools (Grades K-12)

• Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Schools (Grades K-12)

  tags: flu, communication, toolkit, schools

  • The purpose of “Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Schools” is to provide basic information and communication resources to help school administrators implement recommendations from CDC’s Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year. 
    

What is FAPE and What Can it Mean to my Child?

• What is FAPE and What Can it Mean to my Child?

  tags: FAPE, IDEA

  • FAPE is the acronym for a Free and Appropriate Public Education. It is one of the most misunderstood concepts of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). And it often causes the greatest conflict between parents and schools. A required component of IDEA, FAPE mandates that school districts provide access to general education and specialized educational services. It also requires that children with disabilities receive support free of charge as is provided to non-disabled students. It also provides access to general education services for children with disabilities by encouraging that support and related services be provided to children in their general education settings as much as possible.

Fear of iPods and Facebook in classrooms does not compute | csmonitor.com

• Fear of iPods and Facebook in classrooms does not compute | csmonitor.com

  tags: technology, classroom

  • York, Maine - I remember a time when teachers jumped at the chance to use the latest technology in their classrooms. In fact, I remember the time about a decade ago when my administration gave me my first Apple computer to use in my room.

    My students were all huddled around me as I investigated new learning tools. The graphics were terrible but it was like magic to my students. It lit their imaginations and sparked great discussions.

    Today students have taken a fearless lead in online social networking and the creative use of new technologies. Technology has become a part of life for them and they want more of it in the classroom.

    Many teachers and administrators, on the other hand, now seem to fear this. Some claim technology dumbs down students. They block social media sites like Facebook and Web-based e-mail because of a fear that it might be abused. They also reject the use of iPods and cellphones because they are distracting and encourage cheating.

    News flash: These technologies are here to stay.

ADA Streaming Video Gallery

• ADA Streaming Video Gallery

  tags: ADA, video

  • ADA Signing Ceremony
    

    This video documents the speech given by President George H. W. Bush when he signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990. In the video, President Bush speaks to a huge audience of activists, Congressional supporters, people with disabilities, and their families and friends gathered on the south lawn of the White House. The 22-minute film, provided to the Department by the George Bush Presidential Library, is being re-released on the Internet to increase awareness of the ADA.

    Dial Up (Modem & ISDN) QuickTime: Open Captions | Audio Description Real: Open Captions | Audio Description High Speed Internet (DSL/Cable) QuickTime: Open Captions | Audio Description Real: Open Captions | Audio Description