Day 9- Mon., July 16, 2012.

For the first time ever I am more impressed with my PC's ability than my friend Nancy's mac. Normally I am very jealous of the speed at which her computer boots up, her programs respond, as well as downloading capabilities- not to mention the built in user friendly features. I love the Mac vs. PC commercials and on more than one occasion have secretly hoped my PC will soon die so I have a reason to invest in a Mac.

However, today as we use Kurzweil I found it more user friendly on my PC than her Mac, and honestly schools do not have Macs so it is best I get used to using it on PCs.
Kurzweil is a very inclusive user friendly program that Assitive Tech may recommended for a student with LD or Visual impairment. It provides the user with access to info. (compensatory measures) and is a means to export information through mp3/word doc. etc. Students could start using this program as early as Grade 3 or 4 and continue with it up to 12 and post secondary. The South Shore regional School Board doesn't start this program until Grade 7 (before then it is remediation tactics). Its cost is $1000/ license. As we were exploring the Kurzweil program I took the following notes on some of the features:

• collapsible tool bars so when a student does not need/not using one you can hide it to make the screen less busy for the viewer.
• zoom (magnification) for the visual impairment and reluctant reader who may say it looks too long to read 
• can speed up/slow down the reading rate (usually good to have around 140 words/min), some people with visual impairments can handle it as fast as 400 words/min. because they are strong auditory processors and don't get slowed down by the visuals
•  highlights each sentence and the word as it reads it (for students with attention/visual disabilities
• multi-sensory interactive reading activities to keep them engaged with the document (great for students with ADHD and comprehension needs)
• can repeat the text over as much as needed for those who have trouble decoding/ short term memory issues, it gives them access to the information, engages them, allows them to work independently, and can help them commit to memory
• dictionary option to read vocabulary (can change to younger student friendly dictionary)
• translate text to a different language
• synonym and pronounce features for ESL students, maybe students can read the text on own until they get to a word they don't know and have the program pronounce it for them
• syllables feature to break a word down to hear
• "Help" document houses a huge depot of resources
• can convert documents to another type of file (.doc., .txt, etc.) then can be taken into natural reader or another program on a computer that does not have Kurzweil (a resource teacher can send the teacher something to be worked on the classroom computer that does not have this program); converting the document takes away the formatting- some kids don't like it because it looks different then their neighbours piece and there are no pictures
• adaptable to select read by sentence/line/paragraph, have to click to continue to go to the next line/sentence/paragraph; this is good for visual disabilities to be able to follow along for tracking and attention to task
• press "thumbnail" to view where you are on the page and where you are in relation to the entire document so a student can visually see where they are on the page and how long the document is
• can highlight parts of text (good to use instead of having student write out answers to questions) to check for comprehension (because you can't type on the document), however can use sticky notes/text boxes
• can add sticky notes/text boxes (mini word processor to use word prediction) to the text to put in questions to be answered or give directions/a message
• use visual column notes to help organise, this is good for those who have executive function difficulties
• insert bubble notes to:

1. Assess comprehension (asking True/False, Multiple choice and Text answers)
2. Keeps the student engaged with the text
3. Chunk the text into manageable pieces
4. Provide interaction- students attend more because they see a question mark coming and know they will have to answer a question
5. Can make questions to use as study notes and highlight the main points of the article
6. Give background information
7. It automatically reads the questions (you can set it so they automatically pop up)
8. Provides Independence for the student

• Ways to use voice notes:

1. Embed audio files
2. Provide background information
3. Give instruction
4. Elaborate on a concept
5. Provide encouragement as they are making their way through a piece

• has a component very similar to the Inspiration program embedded in it (to make brainstorming maps, diagrams, etc.), can make notes in this section utilising a crystal ball icon offering word predicting for struggling writers so they can get out their ideas instead of getting bogged down with trying to decode and write the words, more freely flow thoughts (instead of the getting the sentence "The birds are dead.",  you could get "The Condor birds are almost extinct."). This allows you to evaluate what they know not what they can write
• access to information for kids, how many iPads can you buy for the price of Kurzweil...?! and only hat student can access it where everyone can use the iPad

To download your own FREE trial version of Kurzweil go to the following link:

Points of interest from our discussion today that made me want to think about/explore more are:

• Dept. of Ed. has their own printing company, and the Book Bureau gets a kick back from orders (things often cost more and we have to order from there)- Where is the accountability?When you have a monopoly over the market then there is no competition...why is it allowed to be set up this way?
• Assitive Technology has been flipped upside down because of devices like Apple products and apps. Everyone wants to use it and so many people are buying them, it's helping to bring the cost down- on the other hand it changes so quickly I am apprehensive to invest in the latest technology (specifically thinking latest iPad) because it becomes outdated so quickly. This weekend when I was at the mall I saw a QR code on a sign and by scanning it I was able to register to win a trip. If I didn't have a Smart Phone that could scan QR codes I would have missed this opportunity.
• It's about making curriculum accessible to everyone, not changing it for the disability 

If you cannot afford the the Kurzweil license and you do not have access to an iPad/iPodTouch (why haven't you bought one yet?!) then there are some built in/on board PC accessibility features that come standard with your PC computer. To find it go to:
- Start menu --> All programs--> Accessibility--> You will find a microphone to record and a folder called "Ease of access" where there is a magnifier, narrator, on screen keyboard and windows speech recognition

A great website that supports Universal Design for Learning is:

UDL needs to be in our vocabulary and in our practise because as a teacher it is our responsibility to provide materials that promote success. After exploring the site I have identified 5 programs through  UDLtoolkit that I could see myself use in my classroom:
1. StarFall for reading remediation- It is a great reading resource for pre-school - up until early readers. I like the site because it offers activities at various reading readiness levels (learning ABC's to early reading), plus students can have a story out loud to them, play games or explore the various theme units. I could see bringing this up on my classroom computer for all students to explore during independent work stations (after I have modelled it). I think students who are ESL, have difficulty with sound/symbol relationships, attention difficulties and trouble decoding would benefit from this site.
2. Mother Goose Club- I particularly like the song section of this website because it has been my experience that students can learn the words to poems/songs very quickly. My most struggling reader in primary could match words one to one when reading words that had a rhythm/were put to a beat. The site is easy to manoeuvre, with visual supports and audio labels to accompany the text. The characters and costumes also help to keep student attention.
3. National Library for Manipulatives- this site offers manipulatives and interactive activities for grades Pre K-12 in all of the main topics our NS curriculum covers in mathematics. This is a one stop math shop! This is great for differentiating math activities to varying ability levels, to help students attain to task and for kinesthetic learners.
4. Project Based Learning Writing Checklists- is a great tool I could see using in my class on a regular basis in Writer's Workshop. I can create check lists to have in the Writer's journal as reminders of what to lookfor when editing a writing piece and I can create lists specifically to accompany my mini lesson for writing topics to focus in on. This is useful for students who need assistance attending to task, who have execuative functioning difficulties and for those who like structure.
5. 100 Useful Tools for Special Needs- Although I do not agree with the name of this site, I believe these tools are useful for everyone not just those with "Special Needs", it is always great to have a "go to" site where there is a bit of all the curriculum areas at your finger tips. It has everything from evaluation tools (I would be caustious and hesitant in how these are used), to a variety of interactive and assistance providing L.A and Math sites, as well as sites that highlight tools for communicating/social skills, studying and organization.