We've Moved

We have not posted to our blog for a long time. We have been busy with so many things. For the past few months we have been working to create a fresh new look on our web site and to incorporate our blog on the site. We hope you will check us out at Being Astonished Blog When you come to our new blog, click on 'comments' under  any of the posts and you can share the post on FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. You can also leave a comment for us. We love to hear from you.Thank you so much for following us on Astonishing Days. We hope you will continue to do so on the Being Astonished Blog

Hey, Rebekah!

Hello out there!

SO, it's been a loooooong time since our last post, folks.

The A!TLC Fall 2014 Semester began on September 3 with thoughts of Student Researcher, Rebekah Lindenbach, who had become extremely ill and had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Rebekah's wonderful family, friends, and A! community rallied around Rebekah in full force and continue to do so now. Rebekah who is amazing, and a fighter (a real Rocky Balboa!), is now in the process of returning to her strong self in the comfort of her own home(s), We are all ready to support her and CELEBRATE all the milestones in her recovery.

Rebekah -We wish to give YOU the shout outs today as we think about just how much we are missing you.

These sentiments come from everyone in the room at the time that this blog was created:

Kelsey: "I hope to see you at Inclusion Cafe ASAP!"
Avery: "I am excited to come and see you! And I will make sure to bring my world-traveler parents with me."
Kaitlyn: "Can't wait to see you. SO glad that you are on the recovery road."
Kennen: "I just want to see you."
Wendy: "Rocky, keep up the great work."
Ella: "Lovely lady! I cannot wait to see you!" xoxo
Silvia: "Abrazo (hug) for you! See you soon."
Courtney: "I am looking forward to getting to know you!"

We are SO excited to see you, Rebekah.

We are also excited this week for Jake Sawa, a wonderful Kin. student t the U of R, to teach us how to hip hop dance! We have Jake coming to the A!TLC tomorrow to teach us a few moves....and have invited all of our awesome Core Members to join us (and Jake!) for "A! Dance Project" on Thursday. It will all be easy-going, relaxed, and super FUN.

One last thing! Our favorite, Inclusion Cafe  is also happening this Thursday at the Owl from 2:30 - 4:00. Come and hang out. Lots to look forward to, that's for darn sure!

Literacy Days - Kelsey's Technology Lesson

Hello out there!

Our A! Summer Literacy Program is well underway and we are having such fun! 

We are learning lots from one another. In one of our latest technology lessons, Kelsey Culbert did a fantastic job of educating us on how she uses a few of her portable electronic devices to work for her. Kelsey's lesson was a massive hit and we simply have to share it with you now...

SPEECH TO TEXT:  

What do you use?

My recipe for my portable devices:

Phone – 1. Speech to text for Samsung Phone (microphone button),

2. Voice Search Samsung App  

Ipad –3. Dragon Diction, 4. I pad menu – accessibility – speak selection – “on”

1.    1. Speech to Text for my Samsung phone. What is it?

Comes on my phone – I got a google email account. Then I went to the keyboard on my phone to install a microphone button. It is accessed through my keyboard. To activate voice input on the Galaxy Tab keyboard follow these instructions: Display the onscreen keyboard.

Touch a text box or somehow get the onscreen keyboard to appear.

Touch the Settings button, the one with the Gear icon.

Touch the check box by Voice Input to place a green check mark there.

Touch the Yes button to confirm. Once it is installed – go to the microphone. You have to properly enunciate. If it still is unable to understand a word that you are trying to say, go to the word and touch it – the phone will have suggestions of what it thinks that you are trying to say. If you want one of those suggestions all you do is touch it and the word will be replaced…if you do not want any of these suggestions, delete and either type in the word manually or say it again. The better your diction, the better your results. Also, it helps to speak only a sentence or less. You can edit your voice input just as you edit any text.

Speak the punctuation in your text. For example, you would say, “I’m sorry comma and it won’t happen again” to have the Galaxy Tab produce the text I’m sorry, and it won’t happen again (or similar wording). Common punctuation you can dictate includes the comma, period, exclamation point, question mark, and colon. Pause your speech before and after speaking punctuation.

There is no way presently to capitalize words you dictate.

Dictation may not work where no Internet connection exists.

The Galaxy Tab features a voice censor. It replaces those naughty words you might utter, placing the word’s first letter on the screen, followed by the appropriate number of asterisks. For example, if spatula were a blue word and you uttered spatula when dictating text, the dictation feature would place s****** on the screen rather than the word spatula.

The Tab knows a lot of blue terms, including the infamous “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television,” but apparently the terms crap and damn are fine!

2.    2. Apps – Voice Search – Samsung App – What is it? Voice commands can be executed by speaking specific statements to your device. You can tell your phone what to do. This is like “Siri” for my Samsung – Commands like “Read my text messages”, “Open my email”, “Tell me the weather forecast”.  

3.    3. Dragon Dictation – What is it? I use this on my Ipad –free app – simply install and set up language and region. I can use Dragon Dictation to type emails, copy and paste things to my blog. –Can I use it with other things? Yes - Facebook (my “Status” – goes directly to my wall), twitter, email. I am able to use punctuation by saying the marks that I wish to insert i.e. period, comma, question mark, etc… tap the “i” icon to see some helpful tips!  Dragon Dictation -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTQDEOEsj0Y

4.    4. IPad Settings - Accessibility – Speak Selection - What is it? For when I want to have the content on my Ipad read to me.  I go to settings, accessibility, speak selection, read select content, chose my reading speed, and highlight passage that I would like to have read to me. I do this with emails, books, etc…

Why do you use these types of technology?

It makes my life easier. It gives me a timeline that is far more manageable. I can do in 15 minutes what used to take me 3 hours. And it got me out of the 90s!

What advice can you give to people wishing to use these types of technology?  Be patient! It is going to feel frustrating but it is worth it. Be prepared to reinstall Dragon Dictation if you need. Find the best thing, or combination of things, that works for you!

Can you tell us a bit about your Neil Squire Adaptive Technology Assessment? – What is this and how did it work for you? This service is only available to help people that are out of school and that have an employment goal at some point. Once they find a successful candidate, Neil Squire applies for funding. Great service, you can try all of the technology out before you get it. They make it easy on you – when I worked with Brooke, she came directly to me. They are super flexible! Neil Squire also goes onsite to do ergonomic assessments for your work station.

Thanks to your Neil Squire Assessment, what technology did you come away with?

Dragon Naturally Speaking and Zoom Text

Do you use Dragon Naturally Speaking? This is expensive! I am happy to have it but it takes practice. Once you know how to use it, it is the best thing that you can possibly use. Even though I have had DNS for a while, I can still ask the folks from Neil Squire to come out and help me at any point.

What is Zoom Text? A magnifier. It can also read things to you.  Both Dragon Naturally Speaking and Zoom Text are on my personal computer at home.

What technology did you try that did not work for you? Eye gaze. It did not work for my vision and neck control. 

Thank you so much for educating us, Kelsey, and keep up the good work! 

Check in and check it out!

Hello out there! 
Long time! We at the A!TLC figured that we had better Check In* with you folks! 

For the past few A!TLC sessions, we have been chipping away at Filmpossible (http://www.filmpossible.ca/hollandbloorview), an online video contest that brings visibility to disability. We are looking back at our childhood adventures to show viewers all of the POSSIBILITY. Kennen will complete a photography assignment today will help us to complete this goal. We are camera ready! 

Kennen the photographer with Ella

Submission deadline is May 28th. Wish us luck! 
Last week, we were delighted to go on location to Riffel High School to take in their production of "Seussical" , a musical based on the books of Dr Seuss. It was a lovely time filled with lively performances. Keep up the good work, Riffel. And thanks so much for the invite! 
This weekend, many of us Student Researchers will attend the Astonished! Annual General Meeting (THIS Saturday, May 24, 3:00 - 5:00 @ 177 Sunset Drive) - hearing all of the great things that have gone on at the A!TLC this year will feel really good. PLUS it is an excellent chance to see old friends, eat delicious snacks, and be merry! Huge thanks to all of the supporters that make our time at the A!TLC possible. It means the world. 
Thank you so much for reading! And don't be afraid to Check In with us, once in a while. We would be delighted. :) 

*A daily Check In is how we begin each A!TLC day, btw. It is a chance for each person in the room to tell a story and set their tone for the day. It is a wonderful routine, we must say! 

Lovely April

Hello out there!

Hope everyone is having a lovely April so far. Things at the A!TLC are going along nicely!
Today the group is split, as some of our A!TLC gals are attending the CPA's "Discovering the Power in Me" workshop at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. Kesley and Avery have each taken this workshop already (and highly recommended it to the others!), and will spend the day with regularly scheduled programming at the University. Here, Avery might spend some time prepping for her highly anticipated trip to Mexico and Kelsey might work on some practice speeches for Toastmasters, a public speaking organization that she is soon becoming a member of....
Something that we are all really EXCITED about is happening TOMORROW at Rebekah's house (thank you so much to our lovely hostess and her roommates!). Why are we on location at Rebekah's place? We are going to celebrate all of the successes that Kennen has made to date with her transition plan from Grenfell High School to A!TLC. It is going to be a wonderful time and a great reason to have a party! Kennen, we are so proud of you and all of your hard work.
Next week we are going to cheer on our friends at the U of R's Campus For All program at their year-end showcase. More huge accomplishments,here! Congratulations to all of the CFA students on their achievements this year and thank you so much for the invite! 
The last official day of our Winter 2014 A!TLC Semester is on May 1 (we know, we know, it has been officially SPRING for a while now!) and we are going to mark it with an off-campus lunch + a shopping excursion to celebrate! Looking back on all the good things that we have done, makes us really pumped for the Spring 2014 Semester to begin...fortunately there is no real time to wait - Spring 2014 Semester begins May 6th! ;) 

Thank you for reading, folks! 

Hello to spring and goodbye to a few wonderful volunteers!

Hello out there!

Well, it finally happened, honest-to-goodness, springtime weather has hit Regina (touch wood)! We at the A!TLC have dreams of some sunny outdoor field trips dancing in our heads. There is lots to look forward to and we are excited for a change of pace. One thing that we are not looking forward to this week, however, is saying goodbye (for now!) to some truly incredible volunteers that we were fortunate to have with us for the Winter 2014 Semester.
Angel Genreux, our SW practicum student has done some amazing work with us these past few months and we are sad to see her go! Thank you, Angel and hope to see you again real soon!
We also had Rheanne Gerwing, Cassandra Hanley, and Gabriela Camalari regularly attending A!TLC Sessions and A! Social Club events as part of their ECS 200 Volunteer Experience. What fine young women they are! It was a pleasure to have them on board. AND we also were delighted to have repeat volunteers in Tara Lazurco and Jasmine Gerein, wonderful faces that we hope to see in A!TLC for many semesters to come. Truly we have lucked out!
This week will be busy - we have the aforementioned farewells, plus Inclusion Cafe, PATH Work, party and field trip planning, and  a presentation to give on April 10th! We would like to wish Kennen a very happy belated 22nd birthday (it was on April 6!) and Kelsey a happy belated 21st birthday (it was April 7!). April is a great month for great people to be born.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the sunshine!

Lots to be thankful for AND lots to look forward to!

Hello out there!

Let's catch up.... 
Well, we at the A!TLC have been having a very good time, indeed!
First, can we talk about the whirlwind that was our 2nd Annual Fundraiser? We worked hard in the weeks (ok , months!) leading up to this event - we were so eager to give everyone a wonderful experience! On March 8th, 2014, the wings on our wheels were out in full force - a room filled with excellent people, captivating entertainment, lively fundraising activities, and delicious food. And we did not even mention the dance, hosted by our great Core Members! The dance playlist was selected by our A! Leadership Team....Kaitlyn made darn sure that Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was one of the first songs to play! All in all, we had a fantastic time (Ella: "Kelsey, what was your favorite part of the fundraiser?" Kelsey: "OMG, everything!" )and cannot begin to tell you just how grateful we are for such outstanding community support. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!
Following our fundraiser, things did not slow down at the A!TLC....not by a longshot! We have kept up with a real steady routine (we love our regular book club, To do lists, PATH Wednesdays, Techno Thursdays, AND a little thing called Inclusion Cafe!) and new (and old!) things keep on being added to the mix. In the next few months we will be working with Dr Brenda Rossow-Kimball to prepare a workshop on Inclusive Education for the University of Regina's Centre for Teaching and Learning AND will be delivering our classic Barriers and Enablers presentation in Kin 120 on April 10th! There has also been talk about our Student Researchers assisting one of our volunteers with her end of semester presentation, but we will keep you posted on that! Kennen, Kaitlyn, and Rebekah are excited to be attending a profound workshop, "Discovering the Power in Me", that is being put on by the Canadian Paraplegic Association over three sessions on April 16, 23, & 30. Kelsey and Avery have each attended this workshop in the past and highly recommended it to the rest of the ladies!  
That's all for now! We would like to close this blog entry by giving a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Kennen Dorgan for finishing up her job at Grenfell High School on March 28th. Everyone is so excited to celebrate with you, Kennen. 

Take good care.