More Sonokids Ballyland video tutorials and songs on the Ballyland YouTube Channel
Blending digital and tactile learning to develop skills for tactile reading.
Presented by B. Marek (Hungry Fingers, Poland) and P. Damsma (Sonokids Australia) for Tactile Reading Conference, Oslo. 29-30 April 2021.Understanding the value of blended teaching, bridging the gap between traditional and high-tech resources, to produce accessible multi-sensory learning that benefits children with blindness and visual impairments. Using Ballyland Sound Memory and Ballyland Code apps with grids, rows, and columns. The tactile diagrams also support educators who are blind to develop a better understanding of touch screen interaction through finger gestures.
Ballyland Magic Plus - Split Tap gesture tutorial
Short video by Diane Brauner for Paths to Technology, demonstrating the finger drag and split tap gesture in Ballyland Magic Plus, Scene 1, level 2.
Great new features in Ballyland Magic Plus
Ballyland Code Apps Tutorial
A video tutorial explaining the learning outcomes and best practice for using Ballyland Code 1: Say Hello, Ballyland Code 2: Give Rotor, and Ballyland 3: Pick Up to teach students who are blind or have low vision computational thinking and coding.
Ballyland Sound Memory app, part 1
This video by Diane Brauner demonstrates Ballyland Sound Memory in the ‘Flick’ mode. She demonstrates how to get started with the self-voicing feature, settings, and how to play the basic game using flick (swipe) left/right to navigate. Note that the selected sound set is “Ballylanders”, playing the signature sounds of Ballicopter (turning rotor), Tinkleball (bells), Wheelie (car), Squeaky (squeaky sound) and Babballoony (balloon letting air out). Diane Brauner is teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), instructor in orientation and mobility (O&M), iPad accessibility trainer, and manager Perkins Paths to Technology website.
Ballyland Sound Memory app, part 2
This second video by Diane Brauner demonstrates how to use Ballyland Sound Memory to introduce basic grid/table skills by listening to the row and column hints and by dragging a finger to learn the physical/spatial relationships of each card in the grid. The play mode selected is ‘Drag’, and Diane turns on the ‘Black curtain’ setting as well. Note that the selected sound set is “Ballylanders”, playing the signature sounds of Ballicopter (turning rotor), Tinkleball (bells), Wheelie (car), Squeaky (squeaky sound) and Babballoony (balloon letting air out). Diane Brauner is teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), instructor in orientation and mobility (O&M), iPad accessibility trainer, and manager Perkins Paths to Technology website.
Ballyland Rotor app - VoiceOver Rotor Gestures
Learn a variety of ways to turn the VoiceOver 'rotor' on an iPad or iPhone, and use the Ballyland Rotor app and 3D printed learning tool to consolidate the skill.
Ballyland keyboarding software: Tutorial Any Key Goes
The video demonstrates ‘Any Key Goes’, the entry level of Ballyland Early Learning Keyboarding software, a fun beginners’ typing game for PC, with a physical QWERTY keyboard. Discover the many options to support safe, accessible, inclusive learning by children with diverse abilities.
Ballyland keyboarding software: Key Games Tutorial
Each Key Game uses a single active key - the rest of the keyboard doesn’t respond. Learn how the Key Games support the development of a range of skills and why the selected keys have additional relevance for children who will be using screen reader technology.
Ballyland keyboarding software: Settings and Sounds Tutorial
Demonstrates the use of settings available in the Ballyland Early Learning Keyboarding software to adapt the learning support in order to best suit individual learning needs.
Ballyland keyboarding software: Zoom and Colours Tutorial
Learn how to use the specific settings to enlarge images or adapt colours in the Ballyland Early Learning Keyboarding software, to best suit students’ individual vision needs.
Ballyland keyboarding software: Ballicopter's Key Game
Five so-called Key Games each introduce one single key. These keys, the Spacebar, Escape key, Enter key, Left and Right Arrow keys, are the building blocks for future keyboarding skills and formal computer navigation.
In Ballicopter’s Key Game only the Spacebar is active. All other keys are disabled. When using screen reading software, Space bar is used to toggle a checkbox on or off. So the same key is used to turn something on, and then to turn it off again. This concept is supported in this Key game. Pressing Spacebar once, makes Ballicopter land. Pressing again, makes him take off again. When he lands – in high grass which makes it impossible to rely on visual clues – you can hear what animal is there. The goal is to find the duck.
This video demonstrates how nine year old Natalija, who is blind and is a more experienced computer user, plays Ballicopter’s Key Game. She presses the Spacebar and responds to the sounds she hears every time Ballicopter lands. Her joy at finding the duck speaks for itself.
Ballyland Magic Review by Wonderbaby dot org
Ballyland Magic Plus, fun with the Tap tap Song. From the 'ABC's of iOS' Manual
Video showing six year old Aeden with the Tap Tap song in Ballyland Magic. He masters the double tap and enjoys the trumpet he adds to the music for every correct double tap! Published with permission from the publishers of “The ABC’s of iOS”. This VoiceOver Manual for Toddlers and Beyond is a collaboration between Diane Brauner, Educational Assistive Technology Consultant, TVI & COMS and CNIB Foundation. For purchase from the CNIB website.
Young girl playing with Ballyland Magic
Find out who Madilyn’s favorite Ballylander is, and watch her use touch gestures on the screen to play with the Ballyland Magic App.
Spanish spoken review and demo of Ballyland Mágico
Ballyland Mágico is the Spanish version of Ballyland Magic. The video from well-known YouTube channel ‘Ali Bluebox’ also features Daniela Rubio, who translated the English app and also recorded some of the voices for the app.
Video: Sharing the experience reading the accessible eBook ‘Stay Still, Squeaky!’
With his older brother, who is blind, clearly in charge and swiping the pages, this young boy is eager to join in.
Audio tutorial Ballyland Magic
If you are a blind educator or parent wanting to support a child in learning VoiceOver with Ballyland Magic app, this excellent audio demo/tutorial 'from a blind person’s perspective', created by accessible technology expert David Woodbridge, will help you on your way.
Audio tutorial Ballyland Rotor
If you are a blind educator or parent wanting to support a child in learning VoiceOver with Ballyland Rotor app, this excellent audio demo/tutorial 'from a blind person’s perspective', created by accessible technology expert David Woodbridge, will help you on your way.