Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA)

Interactive Accessibility(IA)  has a webpage about Accessibility Statistics, which  explains why accessibility matters.  IA suggests 5 Tips to Improve the Web for Mobility/Dexterity Disabilities.  IA also provides other free content  worth noting:  Accessibility Resources such as Accessibility Checkers    and     Web Accessibility Guidelines.

The presentation:  Modern Web Accessibility with JavaScript & WAI-ARIA - Paul J. Adam leads to  an article about Accessible Data Tables with Static Headers  and  links to the Open source java script libraries jQuery and Dojo and YUI (Yahoo User Interface Library)

For more information, see:  WAI-ARIA Overview - W3C  ”The Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite, defines a way to make Web content and Web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. It especially helps with dynamic content and advanced user interface controls developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript, and related technologies.”

See also:  Introduction to Web Accessibility | Essential Components of Web Accessibility | WAI-ARIA 1.0 Primer - W3C | Using WAI-ARIA in HTML - W3C

HTML5 Code for Tables

I found Script Junkie  when I was looking for HTML5  code examples for  tables. Script Junkie  is part of MSDN Magazine.   I found a number of interesting articles, including  Designing Accessibility with HTML5 (which had code for a sample HTML table that’s accessible to Acessible Technology devices.) It was the most useful website I found in my search for alternatives to tables in HTML5. No Browser Left Behind: An HTML5 Adoption Strategy recommends  (modernizr.com)  - a JavaScript library that “… detects the availability of native implementations for next-generation Web technologies, i.e. features that stem from the HTML5 and CSS3 specifications.”   Other articles of note:

• CSS Architectures, Part 1: Principles of Code Cleanup and the New Best Practices
• Designing Experiences for Responsive Web Sites: Adapting Your Content From 4-Inch Phones to 40-Inch TVs
• Flexibility: A Foundation for Responsive Design
• How I Built the Paint 4 Kids Windows Store App Using Only HTML5 and SVG
• HTML5 and Accessibility
• Improving User Experience: Preload Images

Wow Factor (Hint: Don’t use IE browser)

Before you try to see these awesome websites, do yourself a favor and make one of these browsers your default:  Chrome - Safari - Firefox.

Looking for “Wow!” on the web?  This is my wow of the day:  60 amazing examples of HTML5  which included links to these jaw-dropping websites:

Band: bjork : Constellation turns into title.

Band: Metropol:  Drag virtual single disk into the virtual player for a wow!

Design and Hype :  It’s like the tumblr  share site, but focused on Design , Illustration , Interiors , Photography , Typography ,  and Websites .

The Space:  Get your art-fix at this mega-gallery Dance, Film, Literature & Spoken Word, Music, Performance & Festival, Theatre, Visual & Media Arts.

Cell Cycle Ring Design app:  Design a ring or just play with slider bars.

Picozu-image-editor :  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/shooter/

Shapecatcher:  Draw something and let Shapecatcher help you to find the most similar unicode characters!

See more at Creative Bloq : Your daily dose of design tips and inspiration!

The 10 best movies about design

Every designer should see these brilliant movies, covering everything from typography to urban art.

10 brilliantly innovative website menu designs

The success of your site hinges on how well you design your navigation system.

How to write a business plan

To set up a design business, you need a business plan. 

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children “Many gifted and talented children (and adults) are being mis-diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (OD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders such as Cyclothymic Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Depression, and Bi-Polar Disorder. These common mis-diagnoses stem from an ignorance among professionals about specific social and emotional characteristics of gifted children which are then mistakenly assumed by these professionals to be signs of pathology.”

Misdiagnosis, the Recent Trend in Thinking about Gifted Children with ADHD  “Many writers have also referred to how there are similarities between Dabrowski's overexcitabilities  and ADHD particularly in relation to psychomotor overexcitability.”

To educate yourself on this issue look at Davidson' Gifted Articles such as Gifted children with Asperger's Syndrome and The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism.

See also: SENG Video: The Misdiagnosis of Gifted Children  and University of Wisconsin Grand Rounds presentation by James T. Webb Ph.D.: “Accurate Assessment? Asperger’s Disorder, and Other Common Misdiagnoses and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children”

Education and Asynchronous Development

It is not true that if a child is really smart, they don’t need any specialized education.  Every child needs some tailoring of their education, but that is usually not addressed unless a student is perceived by parents or teachers to be “out of sync” with the “norm” of their classroom.  The more a student deviates from the norm,  the more apt they are to get specialized attention. 

When children question adults, they are seen as rude, even when they are correct and the adult is wrong.  If you review the Bright Child vs. Gifted Child you can see that gifted children are not really showing bad behavior,  they are showing different behavior – which can be unsettling.   A bright child will know the answers to your questions, a gifted child will question the answers. 

Many gifted children are ahead of their age-peers in their intellectual skills, but lag behind significantly in social or motor skills. Another way to explain this is that asynchrony is the discrepancy between mental and chronological age.

Psychology Today had a blog article on the issue: Many Ages at Once: The science behind the asynchronous development of gifted children Published on January 24, 2012 by Lisa Rivero in Creative Synthesis “Parents often describe these children as being many ages at once. A five year old, for example, might read third-grade books, lack the small motor coordination necessary for kindergarten art projects, have lengthy conversations with adults, and struggle to communicate effectively with age peers—all at the same time.”

“Asynchronous development refers to uneven intellectual, physical, and emotional development. “  this topic is discussed in Asynchronous Development By Carol Bainbridge, an About.com Guide

She also discusses the intensity of emotion and reactions often found in gifted children in a discussion of  Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities or Supersensitivities in Gifted Children .  For more information, you can read Educational Options and Issues of Gifted Children.

Twice Exceptional: Bright/Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities

Psychology Today once again introduces a puzzling topic with some basic information: Gifted Kids with learning problems... The Twice Exceptional Child. by David Palmer, Ph.D. in Gifted Kids “For some children…the differences between their abilities are so great that it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to succeed in school just by working harder or through compensating.”

A Gifted and Learning Disabled Student is someone who is highly intelligent (and is expected to achieve well in school) but struggles in school due to some form of processing difficulty. See some FAQs from LDinfo.com.

In the article Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities, article by Linda Silverman explains, “A bright student may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, calculating, or organizing. Giftedness can be combined with blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, other physical handicaps, and psychological dysfunctions. It provides no immunity against physical diseases and accidents that impair functioning.”

 In Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students Dawn Beckley explains, “There are at least three subgroups of twice-exceptional students, many of whom are not being properly served by the current educational system. The first group is students who have been identified as gifted yet are exhibiting difficulties in school. Students identified as learning disabled, but whose exceptional abilities have never been recognized or addressed comprise the second group, and students in general education classes and are considered unqualified for services provided for students who are gifted or have learning disabilities make up the third group.”

Other articles of interest:
Cognitive and Academic Distinctions Between Gifted Students With Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Gifted and Learning Disabled: A Neuropsychologist’s Perspective

Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities need Focused Tutoring

More links and information can be found at: Gifted/Learning Disabled Resource Room.

Resources for Parents and Educators of Bright and Gifted Children

Center for Talent Development  :  Alternative test  NUMATS : Uses tests intended for older students to provide a more accurate measurement of aptitude, because studies show that students who score in the top 10% on school achievement tests differ widely from average students in their abilities and educational needs. In-grade achievement tests just don’t accurately represent these gifted students’ potential. 

Davidson Institute for Talent Development  database can be searched by state. See:  Wisconsin State Policy information.

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page: All-things-gifted site, full of resources, articles, books and links to help and support parents, teachers, and gifted children alike. 

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) has a Resource Library that includes articles on  Characteristics of Gifted Children;  Diversity/Special Populations of Gifted; Mental Health/Diagnosis/Misdiagnosis/Dual Diagnosis and many more.

Looking for swans?

If you saw Photos, video: Swans draw wonder from Black Creek to New London

In the Post Crescent,  you may be wondering…where do I go to see them?

You can go to Google and search for Wisconsin swans and limit using [Search Tools] to [Past Week].

Best links for finding swans include:

Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) has a webpage that will help you  Find Birds.  Links lead to websites such as Wisconsin eBird.

Wisconsin eBird News

Excerpt:
 Wisconsin Hotspot: Lower Mud Lake in McFarland. Yahara River generally makes this one of the first shallow lakes to open in the spring. Recent trip reports from this past week indicate a high diversity of waterfowl including Tundra Swans and most species of diving ducks.

More at Wisconsin eBird - Range and Point Maps

Discussion Lists:

Wisconsin Bird Network (WISBIRDN) or (WisBirdNet)

>WISBIRDN or WisBirdNet  Archive

>>[wisb] VIDEO and PHOTOS: Thousands of tundra swans in Outagamie County

Madison Audubon Message Board

Excerpts:

4/1/2013 9:09:49 AM Tundra swans, maybe 150, Easter Sunday evening in 2 field ponds near hwy DM and Harvey Rd Southern Columbia Co.

3/31/2013 8:24:10 PM We saw several swans along with plenty of sandhills at KK and Bowers Road in Milton.

Government Webcontent:

DNR- Wisconsin - Birding and bird conservation has a link to The DNR's Wisconsin Outdoor Report with weekly statewide birding reports and updates on birding opportunities.

> Wisconsin Outdoor Report for March 28, 2013

Excerpts:

Burnett County - The Grantsburg area…swans and geese are visible in open rivers.

Crex Meadows State Wildlife - A couple of local rivers are open which has brought numerous trumpeter swans back to the area.

Fond du Lac County - Looks like spring might actually come with the recent return of the sandhill cranes, swans, and migrating geese and ducks. 

Wyalusing State Park -Open waters of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers are teeming with waterfowl – ducks, geese, swans, blue herons and gulls.

Columbia County – Tundra swans

La Crosse County - About 1,000 tundra swans are using the open water area of the Mississippi River just south of Goose Island in Vernon County.

Pepin County - Although county snowmobile trails have closed there is still a lot of snow on the ground. The Chippewa River is slowly losing its ice and migrating ducks, geese and swans are taking advantage of the open water. 

See also:

Bird City Wisconsin festivals  offers an updated list of festivals each year.

Explore Wisconsin Outdoors helps you find places to go and things to do on state lands.

To see up coming  Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) field trips, click here. 

Swan Identification Tips

 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources WDNR:

Swan Identification

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Mute Swan Issues Wisconsin

Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative:

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator): All Bird Conservation Plan

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus): All Bird Conservation Plan

Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds :

Excerpts:

Tundra Swan and Trumpeter Swan have all black bills without knobs and straight necks. Juveniles have pink bills, but show varying amounts of black as they age.

Trumpeter Swan without yellow spot in front of eyes. Bill profile flat. Eye more connected to black facial skin, without constriction in front of eye. Border of bill and forehead in deep V-shape from above. Voice deeper.

Tundra Swan usually shows variable yellow spot in front of eyes; spot may be absent. Bill profile curved slightly upward, not flat. Eye more distinct from black facial skin. Border of bill and forehead rounded or nearly flat from above.

Mute Swan with curved neck, orange bill.

Snow Goose smaller and with shorter neck, black wingtips, pink bill. 

Links to Free Resources to Help You Quit Smoking

The University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) is nationally recognized for its groundbreaking tobacco research and tobacco treatment training. It's all in an effort to help patients quit smoking. See: Community Guide to Quit-Tobacco Resources.

See also:     

+ UW-CTRI: Options for quitting  

+ UW-CTRI: Medications to Quit Smoking       

+ UW-CTRI: Quit Line Services for Smokers Age 13-24       

+ UW-CTRI: Operation Quit Tobacco Helps Troops, Vets     

+ UW-CTRI: Tobacco Treatment for Healthcare Providers    

About.com: Quit Aids        

American Council on Science and Health: The Scoop on Smoking  

American Lung Association: Freedom from Smoking Online 

Cancer.gov provides Free Help to Quit Smoking and information about Smokeless Tobacco. More information at Smokeless Tobacco: A Guide for Quitting.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides information on other Smoking Cessation Products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention answers to Smoking & Tobacco Use: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)          

Smokefree.gov: Find Tools to Help You Quit has links to      

+ Smokefree Smartphone Applications  

+ Smokefree-Spanish

+ SmokefreeTXT free mobile service     

+ Smokefree-Teens

+ Smokefree-Women

           

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Striving to Quit and Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Links.

         

You are not alone! Nicotine Anonymous can connect you with other people going through the same process.  

Your tax dollars at work: Government Publications

Go to Publications.USA.gov to search for documents created with your tax dollars.  These are biased towards improving your health and circumstances to create a stronger economy and happier citizens.

For example, Help for Difficult Financial Times has resources and documents to help you with  Unemployment, Jobs, and Training, Family Support, Housing, Health Care and Insurance, and Debt and Credit issues.

Under the Food Category,  you find links to documents about  Food Safety,  Nutrition, Organic Food, and  Recipes. 

Food, Nutrition, and Fitness links to resources such as Sample Menus for a 2000 Calorie Food Pattern or 10 Tips for Eating Better On A Budget or  Kitchen Companion: Your Safe Food Handbook (authored by USDA) can get you started on better eating behaviors.

Of course a healthier population spends less on healthcare, so it makes sense for our government to try and educate us about these issues.  Under the Health category you will find these links:

+ Child Development

+ Cosmetics and Cosmetic Procedures

+ Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention

+ Drugs & Health Aids

+ Exercise, Diet and Weight Management

+ Health Care

+ Health Hazards

+ Health Insurance & Medicare

+ Health Scams and Fraud

+ Medical Problems

+ Medical Tests

+ Reproductive Health

+ Staying Healthy

+ Surgery

+ Vaccines

We the People Petitions Work!

After 65,704 signed the petition to Require free access over the Internet to scientific journal articles arising from taxpayer-funded research....

The White House responded thus:

Increasing Public Access to the Results of Scientific Research By Dr. John Holdren

Excerpt:

The logic behind enhanced public access is plain. We know that scientific research supported by the Federal Government spurs scientific breakthroughs and economic advances when research results are made available to innovators. Policies that mobilize these intellectual assets for re-use through broader access can accelerate scientific breakthroughs, increase innovation, and promote economic growth. That’s why the Obama Administration is committed to ensuring that the results of federally-funded scientific research are made available to and useful for the public, industry, and the scientific community.

Moreover, this research was funded by taxpayer dollars. Americans should have easy access to the results of research they help support.

To that end, I have issued a memorandum today (.pdf) to Federal agencies that directs those with more than $100 million in research and development expenditures to develop plans to make the results of federally-funded research publically available free of charge within 12 months after original publication. As you pointed out, the public access policy adopted by the National Institutes of Health has been a great success. And while this new policy call does not insist that every agency copy the NIH approach exactly, it does ensure that similar policies will appear across government.

See Memorandum:

US OATP Presidential Directive Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research: February 22, 2013 

“The Administration is committed to ensuring that, to the greatest extent and with the fewest

constraints possible and consistent with law and the objectives set out below, the direct results of

federally funded scientific research are made available to and useful for the public, industry, and

the scientific community. Such results include peer-reviewed publications and digital data.”

Objectives include: “Maximize access, by the general public and without charge, to digitally formatted scientific data created with Federal funds.”

Altmetrics versus Peer-review as Basis of Importance

Tomorrow’s filters: altmetrics

Excerpt:

Peer-review has served scholarship well, but is beginning to show its age. It is slow, encourages conventionality, and fails to hold reviewers accountable. Moreover, given that most papers are eventually published somewhere, peer-review fails to limit the volume of research.

In growing numbers, scholars are moving their everyday work to the web. Online reference managers Zotero and Mendeley each claim to store over 40 million articles (making them substantially larger than PubMed); as many as a third of scholars are on Twitter, and a growing number tend scholarly blogs.

These new forms reflect and transmit scholarly impact: that dog-eared (but uncited) article that used to live on a shelf now lives in Mendeley, CiteULike, or Zotero–where we can see and count it. That hallway conversation about a recent finding has moved to blogs and social networks–now, we can listen in. The local genomics dataset has moved to an online repository–now, we can track it. This diverse group of activities forms a composite trace of impact far richer than any available before. We call the elements of this trace altmetrics.

Increasing Ease of Access to Open Access Journals

Open access, Primo Central and addressing accessibility to open access articles in hybrid journals:

Primo Central indexes an increasing number of open access articles available in hybrid journals that contain both free and for-fee articles, and enables access to such open access material not only to subscribing institutions but to all users.

Finch Report: Accessibility, sustainability, excellence: how to expand access to research publications

Excerpts:

There are a number of interlocking strands to the open access movement:

-Free, often after an embargo period. This strand is often called green open access

-Free from publisher’s own platform. This strand is often called gold open access

-Some version of an article is free. This is often called gratis open access

-The removal of most if not all of the restrictions on the use and re-use of articles. This is often called libre open access.

Overall, recent studies suggest that the growth of open access articles has been much faster than for peer-reviewed articles as a whole. This has been the result both of the creation of new ‘born open access’ journals and the switch of established journals either to open access or to the hybrid model.