Meghan Tonsetic High School Learning Specialist Lawrence Upper School [email protected] www.lawrenceschool.org 440-832-7830 Enhancing the Enhancing the Reading and Reading and Writing Process Writing Process Using Technology Using Technology
May 16, 2015
Meghan TonseticHigh School Learning Specialist
Lawrence Upper [email protected]
www.lawrenceschool.org 440-832-7830
Enhancing the Reading Enhancing the Reading and Writing Process and Writing Process Using TechnologyUsing Technology
Independent school to teach students with distinct learning styles, ignite their potential, and inspire academic and social success.
2 campusesBroadview Hts. – Lower School grades 1-6
About 90 studentsSagamore Hills – Upper School grades 7-12
About 225 students
Class sizes9:1 in Lower School11:1 in Upper School
learning differencesDyslexiaDysgraphiaDyscalculia Executive DysfunctionExpressive Language
DisorderPhonological Processing
DisorderReceptive Language DisorderVisual Motor Integration
Difficulties
attention deficitsADDADHDExecutive Function issues
organizational problemsother processing
differencesAsperger’s Syndrome
Many Diagnosed With:Many Diagnosed With:
Multi-sensory platform (hear, see, do)Organizational strategies embedded in all
subject areasBrain-based learning strategiesDifferentiated instructionOpportunities for social and academic
experiences and successBuilding wide classroom management
(assertive discipline model)
SmartBoards and projectors in every classroom1 set of 32 SmartBoard Senteos and receiver for check out by
teachersAll Upper School students have a tablet or laptop that they take to
all classesHigh school students also take home their tablet computers;
middle school students do notAll staff has tablet computer to use in classroom with DVD capabilityWireless network throughout buildingPrinters, digital cameras, camcorders, microphones available as
needed by teachersHeadsets to all staff and students
More for sale in school bookstore
Read & Write Gold and Inspiration on all computers from 1-12 grade
Dragon Naturally Speaking available to students as neededAfter school training done with one of the school’s learning
specialists until they have mastered techniquesAvailable to students 5-12 grades based on learning
difference and academic need
AlphaSmart NEO’s available to any Lower School student with written expression issues or dysgraphia
1 full day training session for pilot teachers and staff in 2005 from a vendor
Since then, have done all training in-houseTeach tools as needed to students and staff including weekly
Tech Tips and 10-15 minute group trainingTeach tools in short increments with opportunities to
practiceParents:
Assistive technology training throughout the year to parents (2-3 times a year)
Goal to teach them what software their children are usingEncourages home assistive technology use on laptops/tablet
computers
System-wide adoption and implementation crucial to de-stigmatizing assistive technology tools
If everyone is using it and trained on it, then no stigma for using it yourself
How AT Tools Are How AT Tools Are Used in the ClassroomUsed in the Classroom
95% of students use text-to-speech for reading purposes in class with teacher and for homework independently
7- 8% use speech-to-text
2-3% use word prediction
Inspiration software used in every grade and subject level to plan projects and papers, either independently or in whole-class discussions
High School:English teachers use Spell Check, Word Wizard, Dictionary
Tool and Homophone Checker tools as proofreading/editing tools
English, Science and Social Studies use Study Skills highlighters for researching information online
Science/Math teachers use Talking Calculator conversion tools
Spanish teacher/students use Translator tool to help reinforce vocabulary and pronunciation skills
Middle School:Used to read books as a class aloud (using RWG text
to speech) as an audio and visual activity while teacher able to use differentiated instruction to assist individual students
Lower School Demystification Project: Online researching for 6th
graders about learning differencesTopics typically written above reading level
•Has tools to help with organizing ideas and details, either web outline form•Using visual aids to map your brainstormed ideas
www.inspiration.com Inspiration software
Readability toolweb tool to help
eliminate distractions on web pages
Simple tool that can be loaded to web browsers to eliminate unnecessary text and images on screen when reading online
http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/
RWG Screen Masking toolMany choice to help you
focus on the line or window of your document
Features:Spell Checker &
Dictionary Word PredictionFact Finder/MapperTranslatorHomophonesText to SpeechSpeech to Text
Calculator/ConversionsScreenshot Reader Daisy ReaderPronunciation TutorScreen MaskerNote Taking FeaturesSpeech Maker (MP3,
WAV)
www.texthelp.com Read and Write Gold software
For students with LD’s not typically associated with visual print disabilities (ADHD, slow processors…)
Using a text-to-speech tool as a prosthetic processing tool to help them not just hear the words being spoken but also process and understand the content of the text in a way that doesn’t exhaust them.
Speechmaker tool in RWG Convert digital text to mp3 file
Speech to TextProgram that allows you to “talk” to your computer
instead of typing
www.nuance.com Dragon Naturally Speaking software
Balabolka “Free” Text to Speech Program. http://www.cross-plus-a.com/balabolka.htm
Kurzweil 30 day trials, Text to Speech Reading Softwarehttp://www.kurzweiledu.com/
Microsoft OfficePlanning and Concept Mapping Tools
CoWriterWord Prediction Programhttp://www.donjohnston.com/resources/
cowriter_index.html
Intel ReaderMobile Device, takes pictures of text and converts
for Text to Speech capabilitieshttp://www.intel.com/healthcare/reader/
about.htm
Google Chrome: built in spell check on web fields
Ghotit: Contextual spell checkerhttp://www.ghotit.com/home.shtml
Books.google.com Google Books; public domain e-books (free)
www.gutenberg.org Project Gutenberg; public domain e-books (free)
www.bookshare.org Bookshare; public domain e-books; subscription for copyrighted materials (free and/or proof of visual print disability)
Audible.com iTunes audio book store, Amazon Audio books
audacity.sourceforge.net Audacity; software for audio recording (free)
http://www.slideshare.net/smg421