Sunrise School Division 2013. Student independence Foster specific skill development Access to curricular content Increase motivation Provide alternative

Sunrise School Division2013

Sunrise Student Support Services Assistive Technology Supports Read & Write Gold

Student independence Foster specific skill development Access to curricular content Increase motivation Provide alternative ways to express

knowledge

Assistive Technology Supports can help:


Student skillsEnvironment TasksTools

This requires:◦ Access to tool◦ Time to learn tool◦ Be taught how to use tool

Assistive Technology process:


Reading Supports Study Supports Research Supports Writing Supports

Purpose: why use RWG?


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. In addition, reading requires creativity and critical analysis. Consumers of literature make ventures with each piece, innately deviating from literal words to create images that make sense to them in the unfamiliar places the texts describe. Because reading is such a complex process, it cannot be controlled or restricted to one or two interpretations. There are no concrete laws in reading, but rather allows readers an escape to produce their own products introspectively. This promotes deep exploration of texts during interpretation.[1] Readers use a variety of reading strategies to assist with decoding (to translate symbols into sounds or visual representations of speech) and comprehension. Readers may use morpheme, semantics, syntax and context clues to identify the meaning of unknown words. Readers integrate the words they have read into their existing framework of knowledge or schema (schemata theory).

When the Purpose is Reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_process

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_acquisition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheme

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntax

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schemata_theory


???????????????


to learn new information aka derive meaning

for pleasure to review known information

Purpose of Reading: a little simpler


to be able to read to learn new information, readers need:

ability to decode the soundsvocabulary knowledgesentence structure comprehensionability to relate to previous knowledge

Check out the tools in the Reading toolbar:

Skills for Reading:


Text to speech aka Speech Feedback◦ Read by word, sentence or paragraph◦ Adjust the pace, pitch, volume◦ Highlighting to improve word recognition

Screen masking if difficulty is visually based

Difficulty decoding symbols? Try:


Dictionary Picture Dictionary Sounds like

Difficulty with vocabulary? Try:


Microsoft Office◦ Word - the tools just work, yeah!◦ PowerPoint – use ‘Open In Text Reader’◦ Email – depends

Outlook – should just work; Webmail - open in text reader

Html aka web pages PDF – oh those darn pdf’s

Know, Know, Know your format!


Open a Word document – try out some tools, try customizing (page 8 of handout)

Open a Webpage – now how?◦ Look on page 13 of handout for instructions◦ Inaccessible Flash? Oh no….use the Screenshot

Reader tool.

Remember - Know your format!


#1 Point to Note:The document has to be accessible

When a document is scanned from the photocopier, it is a pdf file but it is not accessible, there are a few ways to ‘make it so’

Reading a pdf


1. Make the pdf accessible from Adobe Acrobat Pro

or

2. Use the Scan tool in RWG

or

3. Use the Screenshot Reader tool in RWG

Options for reading a pdf


Open pdf file in Adobe Acrobat Pro (not Reader)Select File ->Action Wizard ->Create

Accessible pdfsFollow the steps just selecting ok and nextSave now accessible document

(honestly sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t and we haven’t figured out why)

Options for reading a pdf:#1 Make the pdf accessible from Adobe Acrobat Pro


The best way is to scan from file. 1. Go to your Scan drop down in RWG, choose

your output (Word, PDF or HTML).2. Go down the list a bit more and choose your

source (from file).3. Click your Scan button and navigate to the

file on your system. Choose the pages and voila it should appear in the format you indicated for output in step #1.

4. Use the PDF Aloud plug in to read if you chose pdf as the output format.

Options for reading a pdf:#2 Use the Scan tool in RWG


Options for reading a pdf:#2 Use the Scan tool in RWG


If you can’t scan it then the printing is likely locked in the original document. See if you can get the print unlocked on the document properties. If not then you’ll need to use Screenshot Reader on each page.

Options for reading a pdf#3Use the Screenshot Reader tool in RWG


http://blog.texthelp.com/2013/08/making-inaccessible-pdfs-accessible/

http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/our-products/readwrite/educator-resources/presentations-and-webinars

Look for help:







Need help with spelling? ◦ try Spell Check, Word Prediction, Speak as I type

Need help with vocabulary?◦ Try Dictionary, Picture Dictionary◦ Hey you can customize those dictionaries! (pg 9)

◦ And there’s many more….pg 17 of handout

When the purpose is Writing:


Online fact mappingWord wizardSounds likeVerb checkerVocabulary listVerb checker

Check out more Writing tools


Highlighters with a purpose ◦ Collect highlights◦ Vocabulary◦ Cool!

Study Tools


Study Toolsexample of a Vocabulary List generated by RWG


Study and/or Writing Tool


Fact Folder Fact Finder

Research tools:


Student independence Foster specific skill development Access to curricular content Increase motivation Provide a way to express knowledge

For more information:http://www.sunrisesd.ca/school/studentsupport/Programs/AssistiveTechnology%20Supports/Pages/default.aspx

Recap - Assistive Technology Supports can help:

Documents

Sunrise School Division 2013. Student independence Foster specific skill development Access to curricular content Increase motivation Provide alternative