Minspeak e-Newsletter, Issue 80

Send to Friend August 30, 2013 I Have A Question: "Where can I get lesson plans that are specific to teaching Minspeak and Unity?" The Minspeak website has a variety of different intervention plans to help you plan goals and objectives, as well as teaching activities for the new school year! Plus, visit the renovated AAC Language Lab for a variety of free and subscription-only resources. Core in the Classroom: Use the Contraction Action worksheet to help your students understand and practice contractions that are part of the Unity® program. The AAC Language Lab also has a clinical lesson plan for teaching contractions. The Pixon Project: Pixons can be used as teaching materials for picturing the metaphors behind Unity®84 icon sequences.  The word for this week is "stop."   Compare the Pixon for stop to the icon sequence,  using the appropriate verb endings.  Teach the meaning of the word stop by making a stop sign and using it in various activities that involve movement and other actions.  Extend the meaning of the word stop into other contexts that don't involve obvious physical actions or movements (e.g., your nose is stopped up, our team stopped them from scoring, the music stopped, etc.).   Pixon Permission:  It's the start of another school year and if you have a Pixon Project Kit, you will want to copy the CDs to your computer.  If you work in a facility where the IT department monitors your computers and requires written permission to copy things to the computer, go to the Minspeak website for a copy of a permission form. Spotlight: Mackenzie Kench, from New Zealand, has used AAC tools and strategies most of her life. As part of a University assignment she had to create a 10-minute documentary. She chose to do it on Minspeak in order to help educate others on how she communicates.