Day 5- June 3rd, 2017

We started today by getting into pairs and exploring the features Google's Read & Write program has to offer. Read and Write exploring features in pairs and coming back to explain.

Why wouldn’t you use it: you need to teach the teacher before you teach the student. Knowing what features are good for certain students. Vocabulary, highlighter tool, extracting, fact finder features would work for all students. Technical piece- needs to be attached to each students Google account. It is not a solution for everybody.

Speech Input: This would work for students who can verbally articulate what they want to say but struggle when it comes to writing it down. Student would need to be able to enunciate. Good for self-editing.  Would need to be in a quiet area. Might be an issue with focus and attention issues.

Word Predictor-Would work for: know what they want to say and know the beginning sounds but lose after that. Students would need to be able to phonetically aware to be able to pick out the words.

Hover Speech: would work for students with concussion or ADHD. Very clear voice and isn’t choppy. Good for low vision. This one doesn’t require you to have to highlight or select what you want to read aloud.  

The Read & Write toolbar changes depending on the program you have open (internet explore, PDF or Document).

In Nova Scotia, this program is only available to student's with an LD and cost $2 per student.

Below is a tutorial YouTube video that helps explain the features of Goof Read & Write 

First class exercise was to find an inspirational video on assistive technology for writing AT for students with different forms of disabilities. Barb’s example:

Following videos were found by fellow classmates showing people with physical disabilities, blind, deaf, cognitive delays, and autism using AT:  

I really enjoyed this video finding extradition in the fact I am a person who likes to watch videos on real life stories. I know if I sent my students off to find a video on a certain topic, they would love it. 

We then talked about different types of keyboards you can get for ipad’s. Two examples of these are the Keeble and Google Read and Write keyboard. 

Barabra also pointed out something I didn't know was possible. She showed us that you can change the setting of the regular iPad keyboard, to meet the needs of the student ex: bold letters or larger spaced between each key.