Day 5

Day 5 –

Today I was feeling a little less stressed entering the classroom. I had worked on my blog this past week: watching videos; playing with the blog; and getting a little help from my computer genius brother who writes code for a living. It was interesting sitting down with him and learning about the blog because everything about computers comes second nature to him. Just e was a cute example (remember we are brother and sister so there is a bit of banter between us) – he told me to select text from the Microsoft Word document I had written. I proceeded to go to the top left corner of the screen and hit the select drop down arrow and clicked select all. He looked at me with this grin on his face and said what are you doing? I said selecting the text. He said, do that again and I’m going to punch you in the face (remember we are brother and sister). I was like what? He says hit the control key and A. So by the end of the evening of learning all the different things my blog could do, I still don’t think I’m Steve Jobs or anything but I did feel a lot less stressed about the blog and adding information to it!

The first item of the day when we got to class was for us to get into groups of two to learn about 2 or 3 features of Google Read and Write. I decided to make a table to summarize what I learned from everyone about the different features.

Features of Google Read and Write * NOTE: Remember some things need to be turned on in settings. If you don’t see your extensions in chrome go to the 3 lines on right hand top screen and click on extensions. Make sure permission is granted as well there
Text to Speech	Can be done on all three. More in scribbler. On a webpage you need to select the text you want to read. On a document you just place the curser.
Push Pin Annotation in PDF	Can insert a hidden pin and add 500 characters. More in scribbler
Fact Finder	Brings student to a definition of word in web
Simplify for Webpages	Less words, no pictures. Good for students who have trouble focusing attention.
Vocabulary	Makes vocabulary lists. Makes text accessible to everyone
Dictionary	Works on all three. On web, highlight the word and brings up the word definition and then plays it for you. Don’t have to highlight it in a doc, just have to have curser beside it. In a PDF just click on a word and a mini toolbar will come up.
Translate	PDF (the arrows) will translate the word. Can go into settings and change the language. It will say it as well. Great for ESL learners.
Picture Dictionary	Any format, just highlight and brings up pictures of the word. Ok for simple words but a little harder for struggling learners to understand the picture
Text to Speech	The T in PDF Like post its or stickies in our textbooks. Similar to push pinannotation. When you speak it didn’t show it until you are done.
Settings	Can change the voice, speed, and language. Can change the prediction amounts in settings as well
Screenshot Reader	You can click and select certain parts of the document or website and it will read it. Something where there is text within a picture or a PDF
Voice Notes for Google Document	Can comment or ask questions. You can speak your comment or question. Only a minute time limit. It would be good for someone who has difficulty writing or typing issues. Speeds up the process of collaborating with each other. Watch your tone.
Clearing and Collecting Highlights Button	Works on all 3 and can use different colours. You can pick which colors you collect. It extracts the text you highlight and puts it in another document. It can show where you collected the info (the website) You can collect it as you highlighted down the screen in order of selection. Select text and then clear it. Good for studying
Word Prediction	The words come up as you are writing sentences in a document. If you hover over the list of words it will read the words for them.
Hover Speech	A web tool click the hover speech and it will read it by sentence.
Speech to Text	Student who can say verbally what they want to say. Need clear speech and little noise. You need to say the punctuation as well.

Implementing it in the classroom: I absolutely love Good Read and Write! I had learned how to use it quickly at an in-service two years ago but we never got the chance to implement it in the classroom because there were so many bugs in it at the time. Having been off of teaching for a year, I haven’t used it but I am excited when I return to teaching next year. I can see so many uses for this in the classroom and out of the classroom. I absolutely love the vocabulary feature! I know so many History and Science teachers who need for their students to understand key words before beginning a chapter – this tool would be fabulous and save so much time when it comes to looking the definition up and writing it down. The picture along with the definition is a great bonus for certain types of students – especially visual ones. This would just be one way it could be implemented but Read and Write is a program that every student should have access to in this day of universal learning. Espeically since it only costs $2 per student!

Some Issues with Read and Write:  While the vocabulary and highlighting, and fact finder seems great for all students. Read and Write it is not the solution for everyone. Kids with physical disabilities will have issues and it doesn’t run on an IPAD.

Alternatives to Read and Write:  Just using IOS features such as bolding the keyboard letters and spacing could be the solution for certain students on IPADS. However it is a third party keyboard – go into setting and go into keyboard and allow full access. It allows the developer access to any information you type (credit card info and privacy issues of the school board). Activate 3^rd party keyboards through the globe. It doesn’t have a lot of the features as the chrome.  Word prediction is not as strong. You can change the color of the keyboard and you can have it read aloud. It is not as strong as Co-reader.

Other writing supports for students with disabilities: The next task we completed was looking for other writing supports for students with disabilities to enhance writing performance for students. We were to find a youtube video that shows it and share youtube videos on your blog. We were shown the video called How do Blind People Text/convos with Julia. In the video she showed us how she texted using a program on her phone using voice over. We were to find a youtube video that shows it and share youtube videos on your blog. The link to our Youtube video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouI1ZlhzAYw. 

This video amazed Nick and I. It is amazing how far technology has come and what it is capable of doing. This app gives deaf people access to communication they never had before - a conversation with a co-worker at the water fountain about the latest movie or a quick collaboration about a work deal. This app changes the work place for a person who is deaf who otherwise might not be able to have a quick conversation with someone who does not speak sign language. 

Below is a table with a list of all the videos as well as their links and a brief description of each.

Videos

Video Name & URL	Brief Description
Head Designed youtu.be/x31u1seLTo0	Using Keystrokes to control the computer. Without keystrokes he wouldn’t be able to live by himself and would be in an institution.
AssistiveWare - It's all there: Ruby with Proloquo2Go using the new Rosie voice youtube.com/watch?v=nBIcGXCEaTw	Proloquo2Go – Her behavior has improved 95% because the IPAD software is allowing her to unlock her communication on a daily basis. She doesn’t need a lot of guidance – able to teach herself with the IPAD. Presumed Competency at work! IPAD touch could choose the child, recognize the child and chose to play with the child. Can say what she wants now. Made us aware that the knowledge was already inside of her! She can be assessed by the classroom teacher now and is doing the national curriculum level.
A voice for those who cannot speak: Proloquo2Go assistiveware.com/product/proloquo2go	Communication has increased to family and extended friends. Taken away frustration he used to suffer from getting his point across. Tantrums have lessened. Not just - auditory but imprint as well.
Translating Sign Language To Speech—MotionSavvy youtube.com/watch?v=ouI1ZlhzAYw	How the app MotionSavvy can be used by deaf people to communicate. The person moves their hands over the IPAD using sign language and the app translates it into text. Allows for basic communication and collaboration between colleagues that wouldn’t normally happen.
A Child's Touch: How a Father with ALS and His Son Use Technology To Talk youtube.com/watch?v=1U3y-ZBB0iA	Neuroswitch which allowed him to talk to his wife and son. The son talks back to the dad by pressing neuroswitches on the fathers arm. Living with loss of speech and paralysis regain speech
Technology for Learning Disabilities youtube.com/watch?v=Npd_ETGZcRE	Less about specific technology but more about how technology helps LD
How A Blind Person Uses A Computer youtube.com/user/TommyEdisonXP youtube.com/watch?v=UzffnbBex6c	2009 MacBook Pro, option on the machine that will read the screen called voiceover in accessibility. It repeats what he is typing.