Assistive Technology:

1. Assistive Technology: Helpful Programs For ALL Students

2. Presentation Contents • This presentation is slightly different from the presentation that you were a part of • We included extra slides reminding you of the uses of the programs for your English classroom. • Also, be sure to look at the “Notes” sections below the slide • These often contain the helpful tips that we mentioned • We also changed a bit of the order of the presentation for the second group, so for some of you the slides may seem out of order!

3. Integrating Assistive Technology • If you are dealing with reluctant users, it is better to ease them in. • Here’s the progression that I often use: • Start with Microsoft Speak until they are build listening to their responses into their traditional writing routine • Move to WordQ. Be sure to mention that it reads their text (just like Speak) BUT that it has the prompting options • End with Premier, as it also has the reading and prompting options that they are used to, BUT it has other fun features With SMART Ideas, I just build it in as a mandatory part of the writing process!

4. Why It Is Important to Use These Programs • These programs will allow your students to become more independent writers, readers and planners. • Once they have become independent, you as the teacher are free to float and assist with some of the larger writing concepts, conference with the students about their thesis, and discuss where/how they plan to prove their arguments. • Even advanced writers will improve their skills – through the use of varied vocabularies, listening for that elusive “flow” and tighter editing skills will only improve their abilities • And set them up with a skill set for success outside of the classroom

5. Assistive Technology • Though these programs were originally intended to help those with difficulties, WE ALL can benefit from their help • By incorporating assistive technology into your everyday expectations and activities, any of your students who require OR should really be using it, will feel more welcome to its use • Teens are VERY aware of what their peers are doing and if they are the ‘only ones’ they may not use the program, even if they require it

6. Today’s Programs • We are featuring how to use the basics of: • Premier’s Talking Word Processor • SMART Ideas 5 • Please note that this program will eventually be no longer supported by SMART software. There are currently other online versions (Poplet & Prezi) that you can use as well. • Microsoft Speak • Word Q • This is available for home use. Check out the PDF which walks the student through on how to install at home • Great way to get the students to ‘buy-in’ without their peers noticing!

7. Premier Technologies & the Classroom All About the Talking Word Processor

8. Why Use Premier? • This program offers the students assistance that will improve the following skills: • Reading Comprehension • Self-Editing • Word Choice & Vocabulary • Summarizing • Identifying, Classifying and Modifying Data within a Document • And much more! • It is important to stress that not every student will require the use of all aspects of Premier • Let them get comfortable with the program’s basics before introducing all the features

10. Areas of Focus We are sticking with three sections of the program. You can find these sections in the beige tool bar HOME STUDYING WRITING

11. How to Highlight Text • Find the beige Studying tab and click on it • Pick a colour, select the text, and then click on highlight • To change colour, keep clicking on the icon • Using the article, highlight the WHO (in blue), WHAT (in green) and WHY (in yellow)

12. Extracting Highlighting • Once you have the original with BOTH highlighting colours • Click EXTRACT HL • This then places all highlighted material in a separate document • A pop up will keep you informed as to its progress

13. Extracting Highlighting • What you pick depends on how you highlighted: • If colour categories is important – then group by colour • yellow = character; green = literary device etc • If you just highlighted key facts • Click extract as highlighted

14. Summarize • Click on the Summarize button • Choose how much – lots of info = at least 50% • Pick a highlight color different than the one you first used! • Click summarize

15. Summarize Blue = Computer Yellow = Student • A new document will open, with the summarized text pulled out into a separate page • To find the text highlighted by both the student and the computer: • Minimize and return to original

16. Text-to-Speech

17. Dictionary • There are two options: • Double click on any word • Dictionary will pop up • Misspell a word • Dictionary will pop up after you hit space (not enter)

18. Thesaurus • To find this button – click on the beige Writing button • Highlight the word you would like to look up • Click on the Thesaurus button • Once again, when you click on the word it will read it • If you click READ after choosing the word, it will read the entire definition to you

19. Word Prediction • To turn on Word Prediction • Click on the beige Writingtab

20. Looking for Key Words • Under the Studying tab • Click on the Find button • This feature scans your doc for a specific word

21. Looking for Key Words • Pop- up: • If you do not want the search to be case sensitive, uncheck the box • Results won’t be separated out, but rather highlighted in gray. • Now student can quickly move from page to page

22. Writing Stats • Click on icon, and a pop up will appear • Your text has now been analyzed • What does it give us: • Flesch-Kincaid Grade level AND ease of reading level • Word count • Sentence length • Use of unique words • Word occurrence amounts

23. Writing Stats • If you would like to quickly find any of the words that appear on your occurrences list • Click the word, choose the color, and then highlight all words • Can now quickly scan through and find them

24. Inserting Text Methods • From the Internet: • Copy and paste the information into Word • Get rid of the pictures – when you paste – choose keep text only • Open the Word document within Premier • OR: • Copy and paste unformatted text from a Word doc

25. Creating Text • As it is called a Word Processor, typing is an option. • You can type into and over any text within the processor. • Just like Microsoft Word, you can make use of Spell Check, Dictionary, Thesaurus, and text-to-speech options.

26. Other Premier Programs Worksheet wizard will be helpful for those that deal in PDFs. Interested? Talk to us after the presentation

27. SMART Ideas 5 & the Classroom Electronic Concept Mapping & Essay Planning

28. Why Use SMART Ideas? • This program offers the students assistance that will improve the following skills: • Understanding the Components of Particular Written Responses • Learning the Writing Process • Taking Ideas From ‘Space’ & Getting Them On Paper • I like tend to use this program as a class first • We brainstorm all of the components that belong in that particular writing response • From something as simple as a standard paragraph, to a final 4U level essay • Then we arrange them (as a class) into a usable, labelled & detailed template • Students then have access to the template for later, individual responses

30. Feature of SMART Ideas • This program has many templates that are already created, and they vary in subject and function • Spend some time clicking through them all • Just because they are labelled as “Science Lab Report” doesn’t mean that they won’t fit into your ENG3C Memoire writing unit! • As a reminder: • You can insert pictures in 9copy & paste via Google Image search) • However, unless the student attached some written description to the picture, when you switch to Outline view, there will be no text associated with that image! • I tend to introduce this program early on in the year (through class brainstorming & template creation) • It seems to produce the most buy-in when I use this process

31. Copy the information into your blank template!

32. Uses in the Classroom • You can use SMART Ideas to create templates and planners • As a class brainstorm what belongs in a paragraph , essay, or news report • As a class you can use whatever level of terminology that you require of them to build an accurate template • Students can then access the template for future use, allowing them to be more independent writers!

33. Creating Concept Maps • Outline view takes the text from your diagram and organizes it according to the relationships you created using directional arrows

34. EXPORT • SMART Ideas will send both your diagram and your outline to Microsoft Word • The diagram will show as a picture • The outline will be able to be edited within the document • Directions: • Click on File, and then Export to Microsoft Word document • Check the necessary boxes:

35. Try creating your own version of this below. It involves using colour, and switching to different line styles. You will also have to drag shapes to different places so that all text is visible.

36. Microsoft Speak & the Classroom Word as a Text-to-Speech Program

38. Why Use Microsoft Speak? • This program offers the students assistance that will improve the following skills: • Reading Comprehension • Self-Editing Skills • It is a great idea to start with this program FIRST, and here’s why: • It is NOT a separate program, just a button & one they can access at home • Most students will listen to music while they work, so no peer will recognize that they paused their tunes to listen to their story • I skim through their work on the screen and count how many errors I can see. Most of the time they are unaware of them. Then I USE Speak to get it to read the first few errors • They tend to see them right away. Turn it into a challenge – can they ‘hear’ the rest?

39. Turning Microsoft Speak On • File →Options → Quick Access Tool Bar • All Commands → Speak → Add → OK • Now you should notice a speech bubble on the top left hand corner of your screen.

40. Using Microsoft Speak Highlight the text you would like it to read and click the speech bubble If you need it to stop, click the speech bubble while it is speaking, and it will stop Speak should now be activated from now on, however, from time to time you may need to re-activate it

41. WordQ 3 & the Classroom Word Prompting & Test-to-Speech Software

43. Why Use WordQ 3? • This program offers the students assistance that will improve the following skills: • Word Choice & Vocabulary • Reading Comprehension • Self-Editing • I like tend to use this program after they become competent with Speak • Students can tailor the options to their individual needs • It has the ability to be used at home, without peers noticing • See last slides on how to install @ home

44. Opening WordQ 3 • Next → Canadian Advanced → Next → Next • Helpful tip: • Pick advanced as it generates from a larger vocabulary pool than the intermediate version

45. Running WordQ 3 • Type your name and then click on Save • This is the toolbar and prompt box • Selecting Options and then Prediction will allow you to change how your prediction box appears

46. Running WordQ 3 • Another option is to change the voice and pace • Recommendations: • Graham – quite British – great for Shakespeare! • Lucy – quite British • Ryan – best non-British male voice • Heather – best non-British female voice Pick out a reading speed and voice that works for you!

47. WARNING! • Currently WordQ 3 is experiencing technical difficulties. • All aspects of the program are working EXCEPT the voices. • Use Speak to read the text until IT finishes the “patch” they are working on. • Once patch is complete, WordQ 3 will once again “read”

48. WordQ 3 • Works as an auto-correct, word prompter & selector, and text-to-speech reader. • Program box: • Options – where you can make changes • Words – activates prompt box • Speech – acts as a mute button • Read – reads the selected text out loud • FAQ: • Why is there no sound? - Click the Speech button • Where’s the box? – Click the Words button

49. Prompt box • Hover over word • It will it say out loud • See a grey diamond? • Hover over it for a list of synonyms • See a grey triangle? • It will use the word (normally a homonym) in a sentence to help select correct word • Within the prompt box there are numbers in front of suggested words • You can click to word OR press the # to insert

50. Read Function • WordQ 3 will read any text that is in: • A webpage • Microsoft Word • When in Microsoft Word – follow the same steps as Speak: • Highlight & click Read • A grey box will appear and surround each word as it reads. • When on a webpage: • Highlight the text you want read and click read • Don’t select the entire webpage