Volume 4 | Issue 11 January 22, 2016
TIS & THAT
Students in Mid-Ohio Valley Technical Institute’s Law and Public Safety Class are using the latest firearm training.
LaserShot‌ Give It a Shot! Have you ever wanted to learn to shoot a firearm? Was the initial cost of the weapon as intimidating as handling the potentially deadly force? If so, LaserShot could have just the answer for your desire. The Texas based company has created a way for individuals from all walks of life to have the opportunity to learn the proper mechanics of using a firearm without the risk that is normally associated with the discharging of a live weapon. In addition to the risk involved with firearm, the cost of ammunition can rapidly create a substantial bill; however, the LaserShot shooting simulator can eliminate the risks and drastically reduce the eventual price of firing weapons at a practice range. LaserShot offers users several unique shooting situations which can help prepare shooters of all ability levels. In order to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies, militaries, and training facilities around the world, LaserShot has created a number of valuable training simulators. These simulators range from basic still targets to advanced scenarios which require rapid decision making skills. The most basic application used by LaserShot is Course of Fire. This application reflects its name in terms of usefulness. Course of Fire allows students to learn and better understand the basics of firearm usage by simulating an actual gun range. Through this simulation students are able to learn how to aim and fire a weapon at a still target. It also helps students build a solid foundation for scaffolding their skills. As students’ progress, LaserShot recommends that students begin to test their abilities in the Skill Drill applications. These applications allow students to begin to fire simulated weapons at a plethora of moving targets. These applications offer challenges such as fast paced courses which require students to advance through stages to fast paced games which require students to shoot playing cards as they appear on the screen.
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LaserShot
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"LaserShot is a safe, cost efficient system that teaches students proper firearm skills."
Once students have demonstrated mastery on moving targets, the real challenge begins with LaserShot's most advanced application. Judgmental Training requires students to make decisions by simulating actual law enforcement and military scenarios. This application is controlled through a tablet operated by the instructor which allows the instructors to decide the actions taken by those in the scenario. On the student side, students must decide how to best deescalate a given situation. This application is invaluable in today's law enforcement culture.
- Chuck Mankins Law and Public Safety Instructor
Overall, LaserShot is an extremely valuable tool for instructing individuals who plan to enter the world of public safety. The package includes a projection screen, projector, Alienware computing system, Acer tablet, wireless mouse and keyboard, and access to LaserShot applications. The system also comes with optional wireless weaponry. Instructors are able to purchase replica weapons modeled off of some of the world's most popular weapons. This provides students with the opportunity to fire weapons which are nearly identical to the ones which will be used in the real world. If the idea of safe and cost effective firearm training is interesting, give it a shot!
OneNote Impacts Career Education Over that past school year, OneNote has rapidly made its way through schools across both the state of West Virginia and around the world. The reason for this success is the easy functionality and usefulness of the program. While this program is an obvious fit for schools, the programs usefulness in the area of Career and Technical Education has been quite impressive. While teachers in several educational areas have used the OneNote Class Notebook feature to create student portfolios, the Career and Technical sector has put a unique twist on the educational practice of student portfolios. The 2014-15 school year marked the beginning of the Portfolio and Capstone process which was created to serve in place of end of year testing for students in Career and Technical classes. Although the idea of using portfolios to assess student work is not a new idea, it does provide Career and Technical Students with new opportunities. The days of brining a large three ring binder to a job interview to display work are an idea of the past. Students now have the opportunity to show potential employers multiple years’ worth of work with the click of an app. As educators, it is important that we look for tools and skills that will help students be successful as they proceed through their lives. The skill of organizing and documenting work is one that is invaluable. Instead of viewing OneNote as an app to help organize school work, it is important that we educate students on the benefits that OneNote offer after school.
Newsletter Contributors: Jacob Clevenger, English Instructor, Mid-Ohio Valley Technical Institute Felicia Law, Special Education Teacher, Fayetteville High School Bethany Leighty-Gibson, Special Education Teacher, Morgantown High School
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“My hopes are to inspire people who hear. Hearing people have the ability to remove barriers that prevent Deaf people from achieving their dreams.” -Marlee Matlin
Being Deaf in the 21st Century Ground Breaking Technology for Individuals Living with Hearing Loss Three-hundred and sixty million people worldwide lives with some type of hearing loss. This directly impacts the daily lives of so many with facing the struggle of communicating and understanding spoke language. Over the years, technology has assisted people with hearing loss with assistance in communicating over long distances. The Telecommunication Device or the T.T.Y has allowed individuals who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing be able to make telephone calls since the 1960’s. Technology has come a long way in 50 years. Technology has surpassed our imagination and has impacted lives throughout the world. Below are three ground breaking technologies that are changing the lives of people who face the challenge of spoken language.
1. MotionSavvy UNIMotionSavvy was released in September 2015 by a team of students from Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. The UNI looks like a tablet. The purpose of it is to translate American Sign Language (ASL) into speech, and speech into text. It utilizes a special camera to track the location of both hands and all ten fingers. Graphic representations of the hands provide live feedback to make sure gestures are being captured correctly. The device also has voice recognition software to translate spoken language to text so the individual can read what the other person is speaking. The software’s dictionary can also be altered by adding additional signs from the internet. Solar Ear- The Solar Ear is a solar-powered hearing aid battery that costs a fraction of what traditional batteries cost, and lasts for 2-3 years (rather than one week). The company offers hearing aids that utilize this solar-powered hearing aid battery at a greatly reduced prices. 3.
ISEEWHATYOUSAY: ISEEWHATYOUSAY (from Digital Army Devices, Inc.) captures spoken language on a smartphone, converts it into text, and sends the text via Bluetooth to a remote user’s device. The company have chosen smartwatches for their hardware platform. So how does it work? The deaf person will be wearing the Pebble (smartwatch) and it will be paired to a smartphone. You can speak directly into your smartphone, and ISeeWhatYouSay will display it as text on the screen of the Pebble. This makes communication easy and functional using a device you normally would wear on a daily basis.
Technology Reference for Students with Hearing Loss Hearing
Communication Supports Assistive Listening Device: FM • Infrared Induction Loop 1:1 Communicators Personal Hearing Aids Vibrating Clock, Watches, Timer
Telecommunication: Cell Phone / Pager / Text Device Computer/ Web Camera Internet Protocol Relay Video Phone Video Relay Service Closed –Captioning Computer-assisted note taking Digital Pen White Board Voice to Text/Sign Caption Mic
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Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world. -Nelson Mandela
Studying in the 21st Century Studying today is not what it used to be Take a walk through the halls of any school today and there is no mistaking that times have changed. Students as young as elementary students can navigate iPhones, iPads and tablets with great ease. By having access to such technology at earlier ages, it is no surprise that students are finding “different” ways to study. Just the other day, I noticed a group of students huddled around a Surface Pro with their cellphones and to my delight discovered they were reviewing for an Anatomy test with a game of Kahoot! So, just what are some of the tools our students are using to studying today?
Kahoot! is a FREE, game-based platform that allows both teachers and students to create or utilize pre-existing quizzes across a wide variety of content areas. Students compete against each other and earn points based upon the accuracy and speed of their responses. Whether students are playing in a small group or with an entire classroom, they have fun while learning and may even get a little competitive. No more need for paper flashcards with programs like Quizlet or Study Stack. Utilizing these programs, students can create their own flashcards on various subjects and can review utilizing various activities, including games. Students can also take advantage of already created “stacks” or “sets” of flashcards. Teachers can also create classes and assign vocabulary to students. Also, not left out are those juniors and seniors who are preparing to take the ACT and/or SAT. Through play2prep®, students can prepare for both the ACT and SAT by receiving individualized preparation. Students take a diagnostic test that reveals the areas in which they need to study and are then given questions targeted to those areas. The basic app is free and is available in both Android and iOS operating systems.
Technology and Black History Month Black History Month (February) is quickly approaching. Here are two ideas to “teach” students about Black History, even if you are not the History Teacher. Jennifer Rosenberg, a 20th Century History Expert has compiled a list entitled, “100 Famous African-American Men and Women of the 20th Century” (http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/tp/famousafricanamericans.htm). Using this list try one of the following: 1. Scavenger Hunt using QR Codes: Using the wings of your building (i.e. Math, History, English, et cetera) find famous African Americans who have made significant contributions in that area. Place the individual’s picture or invention with a QR code that links students to additional information about that individual. Have students fill out a short “quiz” and offer small prizes or bonus points. Check out www.qrstuff.com for a free QR code generator. 2. Image from: http://worksheetsplus.com/BlackHistory/BlackHis toryMonth.html
Deck the Halls: Randomly assign a student or a small group of students to create a poster that will be placed in the hallways. Posters can be placed according to subject area or just randomly placed throughout the school. Try Canva, a free program that students can use to create posters at www.canva.com