The CALL Scotland CPD Programme for 2013 - 2014 has now been formally launched and is on its way to schools throughout Scotland. We generally send it to Learning Support in the case of secondary schools and to the Head Teacher for primaries and special schools. Let us know if you would like to receive your own paper copy. Details of the courses we are offering are available on the CALL web site. Booking is now open.

Communication and Technology

CALL Scotland courses cover a broad range of topics relating to ICT to support pupils with additional support needs. Courses are aimed mainly at teachers, therapists and other professionals working with these learners, but parents are also welcome to attend if a topic is of particular interest to them. Get in touch with us for information on our ‘Parent-Rate’.

iPads

As a result of high demand for our ‘hands-on’ iPad courses, this year we are running more and have also added an Introduction to iPads course to our programme. If you are new to iPads, we encourage you to attend this course before one of the more advanced ones. Topics for these courses include Picture and Symbol/Text Apps to Support Communication, and the use of iPads to support learners with dyslexia or with a visual impairment. These courses have a limited number of places and fill up fast, so book early!

SQA Digital Exams

Over 1,300 candidates from 173 schools/centres used digital papers for SQA exams in 2012. SQA have announced that from August, using human readers and scribes will not be regarded as 'reasonable adjustments' for National Literacy Units. CALL’s courses on Creating and Implementing Digital Exams will be especially relevant for the coming session as digital papers increasingly become the most appropriate format for many learners with reading and writing difficulties and physical disabilities.

Hands-On

Many of the courses have a significant ‘hands-on’ component, giving an ample opportunity to explore programs and devices with lots of support readily available from CALL staff. We have our own sets of laptops and iPads for training courses.

For Parents

The programme includes two events specifically aimed at parents. The Information Day in November (Date to be confirmed) is a ‘parent/carer-only event, giving a chance to ask questions and to find out more about technology without having to keep an eye on the children. We also have a more child-centred event, The Family Fun Day (Date also to be confirmed), which we organise in conjunction with Augmentative Communication in Practice: Scotland. Here, parents and children can try equipment and take part in various activities together. Further details will be announced in the near future. To be sure of getting information about these, sign up for our regular email newsletter.

CALL Scotland has been organising the FREE annual ICT and Inclusion road-show since 2001. It provides people with an opportunity to see and compare the latest software and technology to support students with additional support needs from most of the leading UK companies.

Location and dates for the exhibitions are:

• CALL Scotland, Edinburgh - 18 June 2013
• Thistle Hotel, Glasgow - 19 June 2013

Suppliers will describe their key products in timetabled sessions and there will also be short presentations by staff from CALL Scotland.

The exhibitions will be open from 9.00 am until 4.00 pm.

Free Lunch! A free buffet lunch is provided at each of the three venues. It is therefore important that people register for the exhibition in advance so we have an idea of numbers before the day. Please indicate when you book a place if you wish to stay for lunch.

To find out more and to book online, go to the ICT and Inclusion web page or telephone CALL Scotland on 0131 651 6235 to book a place.

CALL Scotland has been organising the FREE annual ICT and Inclusion (originally called ICT/SEN Update) roadshow since 2001. It provides people with an opportunity to see and compare the latest software and technology to support students with additional support needs from most of the leading UK companies.

Location and dates for the exhibitions are:

• Best Western Invercarse Hotel, Dundee - 15 June 2010
• CALL Scotland, Edinburgh - 16 June 2010
• The Bruce Hotel, East Kilbride - 17 June 2010

Suppliers will describe their key products in timetabled sessions and there will also be short presentations by staff from CALL Scotland.

The exhibitions will be open from 9.00 am until 4.00 pm.

Free Lunch! A free buffet lunch is provided at each of the three venues. It is therefore important that people register for the exhibition in advance so we have an idea of numbers before the day. Please indicate when you book a place if you wish to stay for lunch.

To find out more and to book online, go to the ICT and Inclusion web page or telephone CALL Scotland on 0131 651 6235 to book a place.

Act NOW and book a place at one of the forthcoming Scottish Communication Matters Road Shows. It is completely free, and you get a free lunch as well! Choice of three venues (all 9.15am - 3.30pm, or 'drop in'):

• Tuesday 1st December - Edinburgh (Murrayfield Stadium, with CALL)
• Wednesday 2nd December - Aberdeen (Pittodrie Football Stadium, with TASSC)
• Thursday 3rd December - Glasgow (Hampden Park Stadium, with SCTCI)

This is THE opportunity of the year to find out about all the equipment and software available to support people with complex communication support needs. Suppliers of communication technology exhibit their wares and highlight any new products. As well as each giving a short presentation - you choose which you wish to attend - product experts are on hand all day to answer any questions you may have, demonstrate equipment, supply catalogues and literature, give you mini 1:1 tutorials. Unlike with visits from one particular company, you get the chance to 'compare and contrast' systems. Staff from the local specialist AAC services in Scotland are on hand to help to point you to local sources of informaiton and support, and you will also be able to 'network' with like-minded colleagues. Hope to see you there!

To find out more and to book online, go to Communication Matters Road Shows. Or, you can email Communication Matters or ring 0845 456 8211, giving your name, full address with postcode and contact telephone number. You will receive an acknowledgement of your booking.

You are also always welcome to contact CALL for further information, on 0131 651 6235 or 0131 651 6236.

Paul Nisbet and Stuart Aitken have developed a comprehensive 4 day course that attempts to cover techniques for making learning resources in accessible formats. The course is split into two sections and the first half was held on 29/30 September, at Stirling Management Centre. It was attended by colleagues from across the country - from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, and was very successful. It was great to have a meeting of minds both geographically and also in terms of remit - there were people who make Large print, Braille and audio books for pupils with visual impairments and also staff who make digital books for pupils with other print disabilities due to physical impairments or dyslexia. This mix made the two days very stimulating (and hard work).

Over these first two days we covered:

• where to find and source accessible formats;
• accessibility of different formats for different groups of print-disabled pupils;
• how to add structure to digital books and make 'Intermediate Files' using Microsoft Word;
• how to convert these Intermediate Files to different audio, print and digital formats;
• adapting digital files from publishers.

The second part of the course will be on 19/20 November and will cover scanning and OCR, making interactive resources, uploading accessible books to the Books for All Database, and copyright issues.

We hope to repeat the four day course in February/March 2010 initially, and also in summer 2010 and/or the 2010/2011 session.

These courses are funded and organised by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS): attendence was FREE for participants. If you would like to find out more, contact Gayle Monteith at LTS (G.Monteith@LTScotland.org.uk).

Special Interest Group-AAC Scotland

This study day is being held on Monday the 26th of October at St John's Hospital in Livingston. It is relevant for Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs), Teachers, Occupational Therapists (OTs), Support for Learning Assistants (SLAs) and all staff who work with people who use AAC. The day costs £20 per person and both coffee and lunch are provided.

As the speakers on the day will be covering topics from both child and adult services , it should attract a wide range of professionals and will be a great opportunity to share ideas and practical approaches to working with clients in the field of AAC!

For more information and to book a place, please download the AAC SIG flier and follow the instructions provided.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Janette Graham and Andrea MacBeath, based at the ASL Technology Service in Richmond Park School in Glasgow provided their top ten tips (well at least twelve, really) for supporting literacy. They covered Word Prediction such as using Penfriend or Co:Writer; symbol support using Boardmaker; use of WordTalk and a host of others. Not only that but they kindly offered to share their PowerPoint slides for the presentation with others.

Katie Robinson, a teacher at Middlefield, a school in Glasgow for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder,  presented on her use of the SmartBoard with pupils she works with. She has found that Smart technologies offer particular advantages for pupils with ASD. These include:

• being bright and attractive, drawing on the strengths of visual learners
• being interactive, pupils really can "Do to learn"
• allows the teacher to reduce his or her use of verbal language – free from multiple sub-clauses
• easier to focus on, helping when teaching the skills for taking part in a group – such as turn-taking

Katie noted that she had found Education City particularly appropriate software with the pupils she worked with. Problems of positioning the board, using a touch sensitive screen as opposed to the kind that lock you into using a particular kind of pen (options of magic wands, conductor’s batons and such like led to some useful discussion).

About 130 people attended here in CALL Scotland, in Edinburgh, for the second very successful CALL Scotland ICT and Inclusion day. It's quite ambitious to try and meet the CPD needs & interests of everyone from staff working with Primary pupils with severe and complex additional support needs, to NHS therapists, to tutors of students with disabilities in Further Education. But somehow our mix of exhibition displays, suppliers' presentations and good practice workshops seems to have pulled it off! Evaluation forms show that participants liked everything a lot, and especially the chance to have 1:1 discussions and hands-on with suppliers, the ideas provided in the practitioner workshops, and information about free software resources.

About 80 people enjoyed a great day at the Ross County Victoria Park stadium in Dingwall yesterday on 16th June. There were 18 presentations from suppliers and practitioners on a wide range of topics as well as a chance to look at software and hardware in the exhibition space. A quick glance at the evaluation forms shows that all the participants found the day useful. Craig Mill's AccessApps and 2Simple software got several appreciative mentions, as did the lunch and the weather. Next up Edinburgh and then Glasgow.