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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

All of us at VizZle hope we express every day how much we appreciate the hard work of educators who help all our kids learn and thrive. Teacher Appreciation Week is a great excuse to let us say it again though! Thanks to all the men and women who have chosen to dedicate themselves to educating the next generation. We salute you, and hope the week brings great affirmation and well-deserved appreciation your way!

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Phonics+ Beta is a flexible new template based on experts’ best practice principles for teaching reading to kids with ASD. It allows you to create primary activities that break words down into discrete letter and sound pairings (individually or in combination). “Plus” you can add secondary activities like popups or quizzes to reinforce word comprehension (a concept most of our kids struggle with). You can also choose not to use sound and make engaging spelling lessons and tests.

Phonics+ with Sound

When you create Phonics+ adding your recorded voice, it helps kids learn to associate sounds with letters, and to form words with those sounds and letters. You can sound out single letters, or group letters together to emphasize a specific sound (e.g. the initial letter sound, or the vowel sound, or the final sound, or syllables—you can emphasize it however you wish).

You can also add popups to reinforce the meaning of the word, or use the word in a sentence to ensure greater comprehension. And you can add a quiz to check that the student understands. You can layer phonics, popups and quizzes in whatever way works best for the child you are working with.

Check out these examples:

• Initial ABC’s Phonics (A-M) (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 147734
  13 primary activities of CVC words stressing the initial sound only, for the first part of the alphabet (A to M), with custom celebration, 13 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Word Family “at” (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 136080
  7 primary phonics activities for words ending in /at/ plus secondary image w/ audio TO text comprehension quizzes for each, 14 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Word Family “an” (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 136082
  5 primary phonics activities for CVC words ending in /an/, each with 2 secondary activities (one Image w/ audio TO text, one text TO image), 15 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Diphthong “ou” (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 136084
  5 primary phonics activities for the /ou/ diphthong, 5 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Short Vowel Sounds (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 136087
  5 primary phonics activities for short vowel sounds, each with secondary quiz (letter w/ audio TO image and audio), 10 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

Spelling with Phonics+

The Phonics+ template is also great for teaching, reinforcing and testing spelling or vocabulary words. You can use any list, from basic CVC words to SAT vocabulary, and set the lessons up to emphasize meaning, spelling or both.

Excellent Examples:

• Spelling 6.1.1 (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 147822
  10 secondary activities, popup text w/ audio sentence using the spelling word, and 10 primary spelling activities for sixth grade spelling words (content comparable to 6th grade unit 1, Home Spelling Words)
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Job Words Spelling (Phonics+), VizZle ID Number: 136090
  15 primary spelling activities, for words comparable to Edmark Job Words, 15 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

Our Mission:

To empower educators, clinicians, and parents to effectively engage, communicate with, and educate individuals with autism and other communication disorders

Monarch Teaching Technologies (MTT) is a rapidly growing software company, affiliated with a well-established not-for-profit that runs The Monarch School for Children with Autism. MTT launched its special education (autism) software called “VizZle” after 3 years of development testing. This next generation product (Web-based software) is unique and eclipses existing alternatives. The company is experiencing high interest from schools, parents and professionals through trade shows, direct sales, web/viral contacts and word of mouth.

Autism affects 1 in 88 children throughout the world, and U.S. public schools have the obligation of providing appropriate education under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and IDEA legislation. As a result of these mandates, special education costs for K-12 schools have skyrocketed. Through research and development with educators, clinicians and software engineers specializing in rich Internet applications, MTT has produced VizZle, an affordable Web-based platform for creating, organizing, and sharing visual-language-based learning activities.

MTT is currently seeking candidates to join our team of dedicated professionals in these areas:

Software Development QA Lead
Content Moderator
Curriculum Specialist

I. Software Development QA Lead (Full Time)

Seeking someone who wants to help shape new product functionality, can demonstrate excellent diagnostic and troubleshooting skills and has the people skills to be able to clearly critique product deficiencies in a constructive way.

This role requires individuals with the following qualities / skills:

• Self-motivated, technologically flexible with a keen desire to learn
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, technically strong software development and test team
• Strong teamwork and communication skills, both written and oral in a highly collaborative Agile environment
• Problem solving skills across multiple technologies with advanced analysis and troubleshooting skills
• End user representative testing of educational software products
• Design innovative test cases for specified functionality to validate product and solution quality
• Create test strategies, test plans and test cases
• Execute test cases and accurately report results
• Focus on removing complexities from our products and services and improving customer and partner experience
• Detect software performance problems, report and work within the DevOps team to provide a resolution
• Experience with regression testing automation tools (QTP, FlexMonkey, etc.)
• Reviewing the underlying product requirements, design and specifications writing test plans
• Performing the testing, and debugging problems at a subsystem level, working beside the developers to reproduce and rectify the issue and then capturing the tests by developing automation to re-run them on demand
• Review customer facing product / support documentation as needed
• Participate in initiatives to enhance existing organizational test processes
• Open and engaging collaboration style. High level of energy and initiative. Encourages feedback. Ability to lead virtual team efforts, partner across organizational boundaries and influence development directions.

Experience in the following is advantageous:

• (2-3) years experience in a system integration and testing environment
• Previous experience in planning and implementing projects
• Flash / Flex, JavaScript, HTML / HTML5, CSS

Education:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

II. Content Moderator (Part Time)

Sorry-this position has been filled

III. Curriculum Specialist (Part Time)

Sorry-this position has been filled

Qualified individuals should submit their resume via email to: hr@monarchtt.com

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VizZle Web will be offline beginning at 11 PM ET Saturday, April 28, for approximately 4 hours as we update with new fixes and features to enhance VizZle 4.1 (including some changes to Phonics+ Beta you suggested to us–many thanks for all the great feedback!).

VizZle Web (at www.govizzle.com) will update automatically with no prompt when you login on Monday. You may notice a slight delay the first time you login as it updates.

If you have any questions or need more details, please contact us at support@monarchtt.com or call 1.800.705.1382. We are happy to help!

Happy VizZling,
The VizZle Support Team

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Earth Day Ideas and Lessons for All Ages – VTips for Autism

Earth Day (April 22) is a great reason to focus on themes like recycling and conservation that benefit everyone year-round. Here are some excellent examples of lessons shared by educators designed engage students in the learning.

Younger Kids

The best lessons present the information in simple, easy to understand language, with lots of visual support. Including fun songs or videos can both reinforce the learning and heighten the engagement. Good examples are:

• The Three R’s of Recycling (Book), VizZle ID Number: 11982
  Images and text w/audio about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, with a video on the last page, 16 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Recycle (Sorting), VizZle ID Number: 137372
  Image and text w/ audio sort directions and image sorts, paper OR glass, metal OR plastic, 2 sorts, custom celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

Rather than a general theme, you could have fun with a very specific theme, like “Be nice to earthworms!” or you could do a hands-on experiment, like the DIY Greenhouse.

• Earthworms (Book), VizZle ID Number: 35665
  Images and text about earthworms and their importance in the ecosystem, with popup quizzes to check comprehension, with a fun video about a boy whose goal is to find a way to recycle using worms, and an ending video of Wiggly Worm doing the compost rap, 7 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Do It Yourself Greenhouse (Book), VizZle ID Number: 122752
  Image and text w/ audio outlining the steps to making a greenhouse in a ziplock bag (e.g., “We will place the cotton balls into the ziplock bag.”), includes several popup text questions (e.g., “What is in a greenhouse?”) TO image and text label (e.g., “plants”), 16 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

‘Tweens

A good way to make it meaningful to kids that are a bit older is to make it personal. Write the lesson from their point of view, or ask how the theme relates to them and their lives. And no matter what their age, screen-based interactivity makes it more interesting to kids with ASD.

• The Environment and Me (Book), VizZle ID Number: 15069
  Images and text w/audio about the importance of recycling, 8 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Generalize: Recyclable Glass (Matching), VizZle ID Number: 33011
  Image of glass recycling sign and text directive (i.e., “Find recyclable glass.”) TO image, field of 3 choices with set distractors, 25 pairs, with custom celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Generalize: Recyclable Paper (Matching), VizZle ID Number: 32990
  Image of paper recycling sign and text directive (i.e., “Find reclyclable paper.”) TO image, field of 3 choices with set distractors, 25 pairs, with custom video celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

Older Kids

Keeping it age-appropriate is important, no matter what the cognition level. Older kids won’t relate as well to younger kids in a video or singing a song, even if they still need well supported and less complex language. Interactivity can help to engage older kids with higher cognition too:

• Earth Day: Recycle (Book), VizZle ID Number: 137315
  Images and text w/ audio about learning the recycling rules where you live, geared to teens and young adults, with video (no sound) about recycling, 15 pages, custom celebration
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Recyclables (Sorting), VizZle ID Number: 137233
  Images and text w/ audio categories and image sorts for recycling and composting, including glass, metal, paper, plastic, mixed, non recyclables, compost and not for compost, 4 sorts
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)
• Earth Day (Matching), VizZle ID Number: 12283
  Text w/audio of fill in the blank questions about Earth Day (e.g. “The United Nations celebrates Earth Day on the first day of___.”) TO text w/ audio, field of 3 choices with set distractors, 5 pairs
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

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VizZle v4.1 Debuts with Awesome New Features!

Welcome to VizZle v4.1! With hundreds of improvements large and small, we think you’ll be as excited as we are about it! There are all kinds of cool new features, including:

Phonics+ Beta

Our cool new reading template! Phonics+ Beta, the newest VizZle lesson template, allows you to create primary activities that break words down into discrete letter and sound pairings (individually or in combination). “Plus” you can add secondary activities like popups or quizzes to reinforce word comprehension. You can also choose not to use sound and make engaging spelling tests!

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VizZle Player Improvements

Faster, more intuitive and easier to manage, the new VizZle Player continues to evolve to bring the best play experience possible to students.

Redesigned Student Management

Adding, deleting and managing shared Student Folders to your account is faster and easier than ever with the new layout under My Profile in Teach.

Major Improvements to Search

In order to handle our ever-expanding collections better, search capabilities and functions are faster, more flexible and more accurately reflect the breadth and depth available in both Share (the shared user library) and in the media library. A new paging feature on every kind of search allows you to see everything available, rather than just a selection. And new filters in a drop-down let you better define every search.

All New IEP Goal Creator

A more flexible, more intuitive layout and more control make it even faster and easier to get your students set up with their goals and objectives every year with the new IEP Goal Creator interface. Now you can remove mastered goals and add new goals with just a few clicks.

And Much More!

VizZle v4.1 includes over 40 high-priority improvements we’ve been looking forward to making, including:

• Enhanced IEP data tracking
• New, more intuitive quiz creation for book and games
• The browsers’ “back” button no longer immediately exits VizZle
• VizZle Web now shows an “updating” animation when a new version of VizZle is loading

You’ll notice too that there are new and updated videos available, including a tour of the new Phonics+ Beta in Create. So come on in and explore! As always, we are here to help if you have any questions or run into any trouble. Contact us at support@monarchtt.com, or call 1-800-593-1934.

We hope you have as much fun using v4.1 as we did making it!
The VizZle Development Team

The all new VizZle 4.1 with awesome new features like a reading activity template and a new IEP Goal Creator interface has been released! Click the VizZle Blog for all the latest information. Ready to log on to VizZle Web? Click here to log on now at www.govizzle.com!

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VizZle will be offline beginning at 11 PM ET Friday, April 8, for approximately 8 hours as we get ready to unveil VizZle 4.1 (with the brand new Phonics+ template, among many other cool new features and updates).

VizZle Web and VizZle Player Web (at www.govizzle.com) will update automatically with no prompt when you login on Monday. You may notice a slight delay the first time you login as it updates.

VizZle Desktop or VizZle mobile applications will ask if you want to update. Say Yes! The installation will occur automatically so long as you have admin rights (you are allowed to install programs on your computer without requesting help from school IT support). If you do not have admin rights, you will need to contact your support with an update request. Feel free to login to the Web versions at www.govizzle.com in the meantime.

If you have any questions or need more details, please contact us at support@monarchtt.com or call 1.800.705.1382. We are happy to help!

Happy (New Cool Stuff!) VizZling,
The VizZle Support Team

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Rachel G from NYC shared a new moderator favorite called Poetry. New York City creators have been on fire this month–thanks for sharing some awesome lessons ladies! (Check them out by running a search for D75 in Share)

• Poetry (Book), VizZle ID Number: 120553
  Image and text about various types of poems (e.g. “Poems can be silly.”), page 3 contains an 18:41 audio clip of poet Sarah Kay reciting If I Should Have a Daughter, 13 pages
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)

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Thanks for Sharing the Superb Sorting Idea Amanda!

Thanks to Amanda D from Bridgeport, CT for sharing a sorting lesson this week with a brilliant premise that gave me a proverbial V-8 moment (as in smacking myself on the head as I thought “Why didn’t I think of that?”). Instead of having the student sort into “vehicles” or “tools” she asked them to “put the vehicles in the garage” and “put the tools in the toolbox.” What a fun way to add another layer to the exercise! It has me thinking of all kinds of applications… Check out her lesson:

• Tools or Vehicles (Sorting), VizZle ID Number: 113786
  Sort objects into vehicles OR tools, text instructions, image and text w/ audio categories and sort tiles, 8 tiles per sort, 1 sort
  (No access to VizZle? Click here for a browser version—remember to maximize your browser and click play at the bottom.)