Zone Editing (Mr. Martin's Blog)

Assistive Technology for Dyslexic Students - Infographic

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:07:06 EST

Infographics have become quite popular on the Internet, and since many dyslexics learn well with visual aids, I thought I'd try my hand at creating an infographic for assistive technology tools. While this certainly is not a complete collection of AT for dyslexic students, it does provide a good starting point when considering what is available.

Please share!

A House Doesn't Make A Home (Moving Day!)

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:42:35 EST

Moving makes us nostalgic.

Like most people, I have moved several times throughout my life, to different cities and towns and for various reasons, but the move that is most poignant for me is when my family moved out of my childhood house in Oswego, NY to be closer to family in Poughkeepsie. Oswego is certainly not the cultural Mecca of New York State, but it's where I grew up. It's where I played Little League baseball, learned to ride a bike, and saw The Empire Strikes Back for the first time. It was a big part of my formative years, and I was sad to leave it behind.

Today, after waiting for almost a year, we finally moved into our new Assistive Technology Lab at The Kildonan School. It is a beautiful new space, with ten dictation rooms, solid oak countertops, abundant natural light, two electronic display screens, and glass panel doors that rival the Apple Store aesthetic. Nevertheless, I can't help but reflect on the space that we are leaving behind. Sure, the old lab tucked into a corner of the aging library was cramped, dysfunctional in many ways, and glowed with outdated fluorescent tube lighting. But it's the place where we grew up. It's where we started teaching our one-to-one curriculum, where students regularly starting using AT to complete assignments and tests, where we welcomed many visitors who were interested in what we were up to, and where we discovered the many benefits the iPad provides to dyslexic students. In truth, it makes me a little sad to leave it behind.

In the U2 song, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," Bono sings, "A House Doesn't Make A Home." I can't think of a more basic and genuine sentiment. It's not about the space people inhabit – it's about what goes on in that space. Yes, our shiny new AT Lab will provide a fresh face to assistive technology at Kildonan, but it's important to remember that the lab itself will not define what we do in it. It will still be about dyslexic students gathering tools to help them be successful. It will still be about fostering confidence. It will still be about watching smiles appear when independence is reached. It's those things that will make our new house a home.

ATIA 2013 – Tools to Try and Educators to Follow

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:07:25 EST

Last week, I was in sunny (but chilly) Orlando, FL for the Assistive Technology Industry Association's annual conference. This was the third year that I traveled to the event, and along with giving my own presentation on combining AT and active reading strategies, I was able to attend ten educational sessions in two days. By the time I was on the plane heading back to frigid Amenia, my brain was exploding with new ideas, tools, and strategies that I am eager to implement at Kildonan.

Although I am still synthesizing over six pages of notes, I will try to create a "Best of ATIA 2013" list to give you a flavor of the many assistive technology tools that are available for dyslexic and/or ADHD students. Here are some things for you to explore (links included):

1) Diigo – free online tool used to collect and annotate websites during the research process (iPad app also available)

2) Symbaloo – free online tool to display and organize website bookmarks visually with icons; access those bookmarks from anywhere

3) PocketMod – free online tool used to create recyclable pocket organizers

4) iStudiez Pro – electronic planner for older students with executive functioning difficulties; available for Mac desktop and iOS devices

5) Inspiration Maps – iPad companion to Inspiration desktop software; multipurpose graphic organizer; one of my top three apps for dyslexic students

6) Stop Motion Studio – iOS app, paired with LEGO building blocks and minifigures, provides a fun way for students to tell stories without having to write

7) Readlist by Readability – collects a group of web sources that can be downloaded as a single eBook; various AT tools can then be used to read and annotate that eBook

8) SpellBoard – multisensory iPad app for teaching and learning customized spelling lists

9) MyScript Calculator – iOS app that converts handwritten equations to digital text before computing the answers; winner of the Mobile App Showdown at CES 2013

10) Oh No Fractions! – iOS app that lets students visually compare and explore fractions

Also, since many of the educators in attendance at ATIA 2013 are continuing the #AssistiveTech dialogue on Twitter, here is a list (by no means complete) of great people to follow as they share their knowledge of assistive technology:

1) Beth Poss - @possbeth

2) Chris Bugaj - @attipscast

3) Dave Hohulin - @dehohulin

4) Jason Carroll - @jkcarroll

5) Mike Marotta - @mmatp

6) Paul Hamilton - @paulhami

7) Karen Janowski - @KarenJan

8) Patrick Black - @teachntech00

9) Brian Wojcik - @bwwojci

10) Brian Dowd - @BrianDowd

Immersion Reading: Kindle Fire's Ace in the Hole

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:25:00 EST

The folks at Amazon have been pushing the envelope in the world of e-books since they introduced the first Kindle in 2007, and when they introduced Immersion Reading as a key feature of the Kindle Fire this past September, they positioned themselves as the clear leaders in pairing assistive technology and digital texts.

Studies have long suggested that text-to-speech technology, combined with synchronized highlighting of the words being read aloud, leads to increased reading rate and improved comprehension. Kurzweil 3000, Read & Write Gold, and other desktop programs have been utilizing such technology for years, but only recently have devices concentrating on e-books gotten into the game.

When Apple released iOS 6, adding synchronized highlighting to its text-to-speech feature, the iPad became a very good reading device for people with language difficulties. But as good as the iPad is, the Kindle Fire goes a step further with Immersion Reading. When presented with the option of using a synthesized text-to-speech voice to help them read text, my students sometimes complain that it's not a real person's voice. What Immersion Reading has done brilliantly is combine recorded audio books (with real people's voices) and synchronized highlighting of the text. Immersion Reading is a joint venture between Amazon and Audible, and it has made audio reinforcement of written text a more authentic multisensory experience. No longer do people with reading difficulties have to tolerate a computerized voice for an entire novel.

I took Immersion Reading for a test drive with John Green and David Levithan's coauthored novel, Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Since there are two distinct narrators telling the story, it helped to have two different actors on the audio recording. It took a few chapters to get my mind in tune to reading along to an audio book while the text was being highlighted, but after 50 pages or so, it became a reading experience that I had never had before. Because I was listening to human voices, I had a better sense of the characters and was able to create more vivid imagery of the story. About halfway through the novel, I tried to read the text without the audio recording and found that I couldn't do it. Because I had attached human voices to the narrators, I couldn't read their words in my mind without those voices. I believe that Immersion Reading gave me a more complete reading experience of the novel.

Another thing that makes Immersion Reading appealing is the price of the books. Many of Amazon's e-books are priced between $5-$15, and the audio narration can often be added for just another $5-$15. For a complete reading experience, that's not bad at all. There is also a plethora of titles available – almost 19,000 as of this writing.

Without a doubt, I believe that Immersion Reading on the Kindle Fire is currently the best e-book reading option for adults and students with language difficulties; and if you don't have difficulty reading, it's worth a try as an alternate way to experience books.

In the Homestretch: New AT Lab Nears Completion

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:21:00 EST

The construction on Kildonan's new AT Lab has progressed steadily during the past month and a half. The electrical work and new HVAC system have been completed, the walls and ceiling have been sheetrocked, and the lighting fixtures and floor tiles have been ordered. During the remaining weeks of the project, the glass partition and door system that will separate the dictation rooms from the main work area will be installed, new exterior windows will be put in, and a paint palette of earth tones will complete the clean, modern aesthetic of the new facility. We hope to start using the new lab shortly after the new year. Below are a couple of photos of the work to date:

Shakespeare on the iPad: Studying The Bard with Assistive Technology

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:41:39 EST

For kids growing up in an age of technology, where the English language is becoming increasingly abbreviated, the works of William Shakespeare are becoming less accessible all the time. After all, it would be a rare thing to receive a text message or an email written in Elizabethan English. It's not just students with learning differences, such as dyslexia, that have a difficult time with Shakespeare's plays; it's all students that are part of the mobile device generation, which has replaced the phrase, "as merry as the day is long," with just three letters – "LOL." Fortunately, the same technology that is contributing to the evolution of the English language is capable of doing something about this conundrum. Developers of iOS apps have begun to create versions of Shakespeare's best-known works that are interactive, engaging, and a lot more accessible than those that are trapped inside my dusty copy of The Riverside Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press recently launched it's series of apps for the iPad, called Explore Shakespeare, and a developer called MindConnex continues to release plays in its Shakespeare in Bits collection.

As of this writing, Cambridge University Press has just two Explore Shakespeare plays available, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, but they are promising to release more over time. The apps have a clean, professional design, and they contain a lot more than just the unabridged text of Shakespeare's works. There is a full audio performance for each play, with real actors, that students can listen to while following along with the printed text (similar to Immersion Reading that was recently introduced by Amazon and Audible.com). Within the text, Elizabethan words and phrases can be tapped to produce modern-English translations, and each scene contains photographs from professional productions or movie adaptations so that the reader can have visuals to better understand the story. What Explore Shakespeare does really well is provide students with a wealth of supplementary materials. There are word clouds for each scene and each character, line graphs that chart thematic content, embedded activities in the text, and professionally written articles that explore the characters, themes, and history of each play. The one drawback of the Explore Shakespeare apps is that the text is not compatible with the iPad's Speak Selection feature, so the apps are not quite as accessible as they could be. Hopefully, Cambridge University Press will remedy that in future updates.

MindConnex's Shakespeare in Bits is just as useful for studying Shakespeare's plays, and because it is richer in accessibility features, it is perhaps a better choice for students with learning differences, especially for those with dyslexia. Like Explore Shakespeare, it has a clean, easy-to-navigate interface and contains the unabridged text of each play. It also has an audio performance of the text with real actors, but the accessibility goes beyond that. The audio is synched to both the text (with highlights of each sentence as it is being read aloud) AND an animated depiction of each scene for visual reinforcement. This kind of multisensory presentation of the story engages the students and helps to solidify their comprehension of Shakespeare's words. The apps also have scene synopses, notes, character descriptions, and analytical articles, all of which are compatible with the iPad's Speak Selection feature. The amount of supplementary materials is not quite as vast as in the Explore Shakespeare apps, but Shakespeare in Bits is an excellent option for making The Bard's plays highly accessible to students.

Back when I was teaching literature in an English classroom, I often struggled with helping my students to understand and appreciate Shakespeare. They always liked to watch the film adaptations after reading the plays, but while we were studying the text, they often seemed uninterested. These two app collections will surely help students increase their engagement with Shakespeare while breathing new life into his classic stories.

AT Lab Construction Update

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:32:42 EST

The construction of Kildonan's new AT Lab is progressing steadily. The walls have all been framed, and work has begun on the electrical and HVAC systems. The new photos below show the progress to date. If you have the chance, please visit the campus to see the construction in person!

Movin' On Up: Kildonan's New AT Lab Under Construction

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:06:05 EST

When I first started directing the Assistive Technology Program at Kildonan five years ago, the lab was located in an old student dorm room. It was cramped, dark, and off the beaten path in terms of how our academic buildings are situated on campus. I was soon able to move the lab to a more centralized location in the library that was brighter and had a little more room to move around. Nevertheless, assistive technology use at the school has increased significantly since that move, and we are now anxious for another new home.

Kildonan's campus master plan identified a larger, state-of-the-art AT Lab as a priority in the first phase of the school's future development. We were able to quickly secure the funding, and after a series of smaller construction projects to make room for a new lab, work has begun on our new assistive technology facility. The completed lab will have a center area that will be used for AT instruction, along with giving the students an area in which to do their scanning and printing. The perimeter of the lab will contain a series of soundproof dictation rooms, where the students will be able to use speech-to-text technology in a private, secure environment. Although the construction is still in the early phases, I wanted to post a couple photos, along with a diagram of the lab's layout. I'll continue to post updated photos until the project is completed, hopefully by mid-year.

A New School Year; Two New Dragons to Train

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:31:56 EST

The Dragon dictation software from Nuance has been a mainstay of Kildonan's AT Program for the past 14 years. It has proven to be an effective tool for many of our students, allowing them to focus on the content of their writing rather than on spelling mechanics. As one student recently said, "I can write a lot quicker. [Dragon] took a while to get used to, but it was worth learning because now it helps me with my spelling, and it helps me when I take tests." Students are trained to use either Dragon NaturallySpeaking (for Windows) or Dragon Dictate for Mac as part of our comprehensive one-to-one assistive technology course. They are given the opportunity to use dictation for their subject matter assignments and often experience an immediate increase in the quality of their work.

Nuance has released improved versions of its software on a regular basis, and this year, we are lucky enough to start the school year with new versions of both Dragon NaturallySpeaking (v.12) and Dragon Dictate (v.3). Both versions are capable of up to a 99% overall accuracy rate after some training and vocabulary customization, but Nuance has improved the out-of-the-box accuracy rate for both – up to a 20% improvement for Windows users and up to a 15% improvement for Mac users. What that means for our students is less time training their user profiles and more time using the software for their schoolwork. Both versions have also improved the correction process for dictation errors. The Windows version has added more options to the correction window, and the Mac version has revamped its correction process to make it easier and closer to par with the more seasoned Windows software. Unique to Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a new and improved text-to-speech voice for proofreading, which meets the higher standard of synthesized voices that we have come to expect from text-to-speech technology. A unique addition to Dragon Dictate is the ability to transcribe recorded audio files, giving the user the freedom to record his or her thoughts on a mobile device before downloading and turning them into text at a more convenient time. Nuance offers the free Dragon Recorder app for both iOS and Android to make this an easy process.

Kildonan's Assistive Technology Lab has been a dual-platform facility since 2008, in large part because of Nuance's interest in maintaining both Windows and Mac versions of its dictation software. Because they continually improve their technology, we are able to give our students better AT tools on a regular basis, which decrease the challenges of dyslexia. When it comes to training dragons at Kildonan, we welcome the task enthusiastically.

Kildonan's New iPad Program – Expanding the AT Toolbox

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:52:42 EST

I am ecstatic about The Kildonan School's new iPad program, which will formally launch in September. I will admit that when Apple released the first iPad in April 2010, I was among the skeptics who thought that it was an unnecessary device that wouldn't have much staying power. I am happy to say that I was very wrong. It is truly remarkable how quickly this computing platform has developed during the last two years. Beyond just being a recreational device on which to read and watch various forms of media, it has successfully tapped into students' inborn connections between curiosity and touch to become an innovative educational tool. Schools that were early adopters began finding ways to engage their students through tablet computing, but then Apple upped the ante on January 19, 2012. By introducing interactive, electronic textbooks (through iBooks 2), an easy way for teachers to create their own textbooks (iBooks Author), and a straightforward way to collect and post class materials (iTunesU), they legitimized a new platform for learning.

Soon after Apple's education announcement, Ben Powers, Kildonan's Head of School, wrote a blog post talking about the importance of iPads in education and what they will mean for students with dyslexia. For students who have struggled with reading and writing, the newest version of the iPad is a revolutionary tool. Beyond providing all students with an engaging learning experience, the new iPad has key assistive technology integrated into the operating system that dramatically increases the accessibility of learning materials. Add to that the ever-increasing variety of AT apps, and we suddenly have a game-changer in our hands. Here are just a few of the assistive technologies that are associated with the iPad that will change the way our students learn starting in September:

1) The latest version of Apple's mobile operating system (iOS 5) introduced two key accessibility features. The first is what most people know as "Siri," the mobile personal assistant that is part of the iPhone 4S. The underlying component of Siri is the speech-to-text technology developed by Nuance, makers of the Dragon dictation products. The new iPad integrates the dictation aspect of Siri, which will allow our students to dictate directly into any app. The second accessibility feature is called "Speak Selection," which mimics what the Mac desktop OS has done for a while – it allows any text to be selected and read aloud by a very good synthesized voice. Combined, those two features will make a big difference in how our students interact with their learning materials.

2) vBookz – This is an eBook app that not only reads the text aloud, but also incorporates synchronized highlighting for better focus and understanding. This app will be useful for studying classic literature, especially since a recent update added direct access to Project Gutenberg's library of over 30,000 books.

3) vBookz PDF Voice Reader – This app will allow students to use text-to-speech technology to read PDF documents aloud with the same synchronized highlighting as the original vBookz app. That will be particularly useful when reading electronic handouts from teachers.

4) Flashcards Deluxe – Similar to the iFlash desktop software that Kildonan has been using for a few years, this app allows students to create multisensory electronic flashcards. Each card can have multiple sides, can be read aloud with text-to-speech, and can have an image attached to help students remember definitions or concepts.

5) Talking Calculator – Talking calculators have been around for a while, but what makes this app unique is the ability for students to record their own voices so that they can hear themselves (or their friends) saying the numbers and operations aloud while computing. It is great for auditory reinforcement while using a calculator.

6) Inspiration Maps – This is a brand new iPad app from the makers of Inspiration Software for the desktop, and it retains almost the complete functionality of the Windows / Mac OSX version. At its most basic, it is a graphic organizer that takes students through the entire writing process, from brainstorming to final draft (using the iWork Pages app). On a more advanced level, it can be used to help with reading comprehension, create study guides, take class notes, and write lab reports. For students who think visually and/or have difficulty organizing their ideas, this is an extremely helpful app.

Readers of this blog will know how excited and proud I am of Kildonan's AT Program. We have been able to touch the lives of many students during the last few years, but the new iPads are going to change everything. They are going to expand the AT toolbox for all of our students (and teachers) in grades 2-12. In the words of William Shakespeare (who would have loved the iPad), "The best is yet to come."

Why Are Some Students Reluctant to Use Assistive Technology?

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:58:47 EST

Because I am such a fan of assistive technology for students with dyslexia, I am always taken aback when I encounter a student who does not share my enthusiasm. The majority of the students that I work with view assistive technology as a collection of valuable tools that alleviate some, if not all, of their struggles with language. They are excited about learning the software and how to apply it to their academic and personal lives. Nevertheless, once in a while, a student comes along that has little interest. He or she politely works through our AT curriculum but makes it clear that assistive technology will not play a major role in his or her life. After speaking with colleagues and giving it a lot of thought, I am hypothesizing that there are three main reasons why some dyslexic students are reluctant to use assistive technology.

AT Use May Add to the Stigma of Being Dyslexic

The students that decide to attend The Kildonan School have grown up (or are still growing up) with a different kind of brain. They have experienced academic failure, not been able to read restaurant menus, and have been looked down upon because of poor writing and spelling skills. Even though we now know that there are many advantages to having a dyslexic brain, some students tend to focus on just their shortcomings. They view their learning difference as a stigma. Luckily, once they get to our school, they are surrounded by other kids that are just like them; here, it's O.K. to be dyslexic. However, once a student is identified for instruction in assistive technology, he or she is suddenly "labeled" again and starts receiving "special services." Fortunately, the majority of the students in Kildonan's AT Program view it as an opportunity that they are lucky to get, but a handful of them just see it as another way to be different. We are making great strides to remove that perceived stigma. As more and more of our students receive formal AT training, assistive technology use is becoming a "normal" part of the school culture.

Students May Be Worried that Academic Expectations Will Increase

For many dyslexic students, completing independent schoolwork is a struggle. It's not that they don't possess the knowledge or can't formulate thoughtful responses to essay-type questions. They just don't have the necessary tools to communicate their understanding of the subject matter effectively. As a result, they become accustomed to giving answers that don't reach their potential. Because writing and spelling are so difficult, they think that they are only capable of giving short, incomplete answers. Many dyslexic students, once they start using assistive technology, are able to quickly overcome that belief and are finally able to share their knowledge completely. Nevertheless, some have difficulty coming to that realization. Even with the use of assistive technology, they continue to believe that they have the same limitations. They become worried that if they use AT, their teachers will increase their expectations, and the students are frightened that they won't be able to meet those expectations.

Students May Not Be Comfortable With Independence

The dyslexic students that attend Kildonan receive a great amount of support in order to be academically successful. They receive daily, one-to-one Orton-Gillingham tutoring, subject matter instruction is differentiated to meet their skill levels, and they receive appropriate quiz and test accommodations, including the use of readers and/or scribes. All of those supports are key ingredients in a successful Kildonan experience. The tricky part is when a student is expected to become more independent as his or her language skills improve. The main goal of the AT Program is to teach students how to effectively apply technology to their schoolwork as another avenue toward independence. Most of the time, that goal is met, but some students just aren't ready for increased independence and resist the tools that will provide it for them. They have gotten comfortable with receiving the support and have difficulty making the emotional leap toward completing certain tasks on their own.

Don't Give Up!

If every student at Kildonan embraced assistive technology whole-heartedly, my job would be easy, but the reality is that they don't. For the reasons above (and probably others that I haven't explored here), it takes a while for some of our students to fully realize the benefits of AT. The thing to remember is that many of them, given enough time, do come to appreciate the independence that AT can give them. There is one student in particular who has just recently reminded me of that. I started working with him four years ago, when he was in eighth grade. He came to Kildonan with low levels of reading and writing, and we identified him as a good candidate to receive assistive technology training. The problem was that he wasn't ready to use it yet. Despite our best efforts, he spent the past three years resisting AT and struggling with his work. This year, something happened. He is now in eleventh grade, he's matured a lot in his time at Kildonan, and he has gained confidence in his academic abilities. He has always had teachers act as readers and scribes for his tests; last week, for the first time, he took a final term exam by himself, using assistive technology. After the test was over, he had a big smile on his face and was walking around asking the other AT students how their tests went. It was clear that he finally felt like a member of "the club." Students like this are the true success stories. They require patience and understanding, but when it finally clicks for them, the payoff is remarkable.

"That Was So Much Easier!"

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:11:25 EST

I love final exam days at Kildonan.

Today, we had several students in the AT program use assistive technology for the first time to complete their final exams. They all felt a great sense of accomplishment and celebrated their newfound independence in test taking. However, the response of one student made my whole day. After finishing her literature exam, she exclaimed, "That was so much easier!" That was quickly followed by, "I wrote a lot more than I would have if I wasn't dictating." She walked out with her computer under her arm and a huge smile on her face.

Oh yeah.

That's what I'm talking about.

Practical Tips Abound at ATIA 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:13:13 EST

Last week, I was at the Caribe Royal Convention Center in Orlando, attending the annual conference of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA). As one of the leading organizations in the field of assistive technology, ATIA brings together software developers, manufacturers, educators, AT specialists, and end users in a setting where everyone speaks the same language and shares ideas about the latest and best developments in assistive technology. This year, I focused my efforts on collecting as many practical tips and suggestions as I could in order to bring some new AT tools back to Kildonan. I attended several sessions that were led by teachers and AT specialists who are passionate about using technology to reach their students in ways that were not possible in the past. They were generous in sharing the things that have worked for their students, and it was clear that they are excited to be part of an area of education that is constantly getting better. Below are a few of the sessions that I attended and the specific technologies that were presented that will benefit the dyslexic students at Kildonan. I encourage you to use the provided web links to fully explore each of them.

Add It Up: UDL (Universal Design for Learning) in Mathematics

Presented by Beth Poss and Lauri Susi (from Conceptua Math), this session focused on several ways that mathematics can be taught using methods and technologies (both low and high tech) other than the traditional pencil and paper. They stressed that math needs to be made accessible to all students and that the use of manipulatives (both electronic and hand held) should not be thought of as providing a crutch; rather, they are just part of good teaching practice. Here are a few tools and resources that were recommended:

1) Kidspiration - math tools
2) Conceptua Math - for teaching fractions
3) National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) (free online resource)
4) NASCO (resource for concrete math manipulatives)

App Smackdown!

Despite its name, the App Smackdown! was not an event where the attendees threw their iPads at each other in an attempt to win the iOS championship. Rather, it was more like an open-mic event where anyone could present a useful assistive technology app for iOS devices in two minutes or less. It was well-attended (people were sitting on the floor in the aisles), fast-paced, and fun. There were over 30 apps presented in just over an hour; here are the most useful ones for dyslexic students:

1) VoCal Voice Reminders - calendar with voice notes
2) Pictello - story writing with visual prompts; TTS enabled
3) Zombies Vs. Literacy - promotes early reading skills
4) Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Voice Search by Dragon)
5) vBookz - e-books with synchronized TTS highlighting
6) Typ-O - word prediction

Forty Free, Fun, and Fabulous Tools for Students and Educators!

This was a fast-paced session led by Beth Poss and Mo Buti, focusing on free online resources that teachers and students can use both at school and at home. While the functionality of many of these tools can be found in paid software, it's good to know that there are free alternatives available on the web. From the list of (more than) 40 tools presented, here are a few useful ones for dyslexic students:

1) Glogster - lets students express ideas visually with interactive virtual posters
2) Storyline Online - by the Screen Actors Guild; promotes early literacy
3) 60second Recap - fun literature summaries
4) Free Rice - vocabulary development
5) Awesome Highlighter - annotation tool for web pages
6) Tagul - interactive word clouds
7) NRICH Math - online math enrichment materials
8) Windows to the Universe - online earth science resources
9) The Week in Rap - Hip Hop summaries of current events

UDL (Universal Design for Learning) 2.0 for 2012

Led by Chris Bugaj and Beth Poss, this was a very practical, hands-on lab session in which participants had the opportunity to try out the tools that were presented. Chris and Beth chose several web-based tools that support the constructs of UDL, which address the needs of all students (with a wide range of abilities). Here are the tools from this session that would be useful for dyslexic students:

1) Diigo - social bookmarking with online annotation tools
2) Vocaroo - online voice recorder
3) Symbaloo - visual website bookmarking
4) ToonDoo - comic strip generator - promotes visual expression
5) One True Media - video generator - promotes visual expression through video
6) Storybird - promotes story writing through visual prompts
7) Mindmeister - online graphic organizer (with companion iOS app)
8) PhotoPeach - multimedia slideshows

At Its Best, Assistive Technology Compliments Remediation

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:42:21 EST

The following article was originally published by The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) in their November 2011 parent e-newsletter, Dyslexia Connection. The original publication is available at www.interdys.org.

I have been directing the Assistive Technology Program at The Kildonan School for five years. Kildonan has been teaching students with dyslexia for over 40 years, in a program based on Orton-Gillingham remediation. Because technology is improving rapidly, and because the array of assistive technologies keeps growing, it may be tempting to shift away from remediation and put more emphasis on accommodation. To do so, however, would be a mistake. The most successful students that I have taught to use assistive technology have been those who continued to make steady progress in their language skills through the Orton-Gillingham tutorial. There are several reasons for their success, and I'll explain them in terms of three areas: writing skills, reading skills, and study skills.

Writing a sentence, paragraph, or even an essay can be a daunting task for someone with dyslexia. Poor spelling, difficulty organizing ideas, and poor editing skills all contribute to a frustrating experience. Fortunately, assistive technology can make the writing process easier. Dictation software and word prediction programs can help reduce spelling errors, software that utilizes graphic organizers can help with sentence and paragraph structure, and text-to-speech software, along with contextual spell and grammar checkers can help in the editing process. Nevertheless, those tools cannot turn a dyslexic into a great writer. Dictation software is more effective if the user has good reading skills and can recognize correct spelling as the program prints what he or she is saying. A graphic organizer is only effective if the user understands the parts of a sentence and how to build a five-paragraph essay. Contextual spell checkers will be effective only if the user can distinguish between homonyms and words that are close in spelling. All of those skills are addressed in a good remediation program, and once a student increases competency in those areas, he or she can use assistive technology more effectively to become a good writer.

As with writing, reading and reading comprehension can be quite challenging for dyslexics. Weak decoding skills and a lack of reading fluency contribute to a poor understanding of written language. Assistive technology is an asset to those who struggle with reading. Text-to-speech software eliminates the need to decode words, while other programs provide annotation tools to aid in reading comprehension. Nevertheless, assistive technology alone cannot make a dyslexic a better reader. A computer has the ability to read text aloud, and it can define words that the reader does not know, but a student will not gain reading fluency if he or she has to stop a reading frequently to look up definitions. A good remediation program addresses vocabulary acquisition. Once a student's vocabulary increases, he or she can use assistive technology effectively to become a better and more fluent reader. When it comes to reading comprehension, software is available to help students annotate readings in order to understand them better, but they cannot effectively annotate text without understanding the concepts of finding main ideas and supporting details, hypothesizing, and making inferences. Language remediation helps students learn those skills.

Processing and remembering important information often presents another challenge for dyslexic students, and developing good study skills can be difficult. Assistive technology can provide alternative methods to receive, synthesize, and retain information, but without learning key skills in a remediation program, those methods will fall short of being effective. There are a variety of ways that assistive technology can be used for note taking. A simple word processing table, paired with dictation or word prediction software, can be a great tool for taking two-column notes, but students need to know how to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details. Electronic graphic organizers offer a visual way to take notes, but students need to be able to organize information into categories in order for them to be effective. Electronic study guides can be created by a variety of assistive technology, but students first need to learn how to pick out key information from a chapter or unit of study. Without learning study skills in a remedial setting first (or concurrently with assistive technology instruction), students are not able to gain the full benefits of using assistive technology to learn and retain information.

While the benefits of assistive technology are indisputable, it cannot be thought of as a panacea for the language difficulties experienced by dyslexics. While it is true that dyslexic students who use assistive technology have a better chance at being successful, they will only reach their potential if they pair their technology use with effective language remediation. In my experience, they go hand-in-hand in helping dyslexics overcome their learning differences.

Tech Forum New York 2011: Educational Technology at its Best

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:50:31 EST

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to attend Tech Forum in Tarrytown, New York. Tech Forum is an annual educational technology conference organized by Tech & Learning magazine. While the conference was not strictly about assistive technology, much of what was presented and discussed is applicable to what we are doing in the AT Program at Kildonan. The conference was well attended by educators from across the tri-state region and beyond, and it allowed me to network with other teachers and continue spreading the word about the great things that are happening at Kildonan.

Opening Keynote – Dr. Punya Mishra

Dr. Punya Mishra gave the keynote address. Dr. Mishra is a professor of educational technology at Michigan State University. During his lively, entertaining talk, he stressed that today's teachers need to creatively repurpose available technologies in order to give their students meaningful, appropriate learning experiences. He said two things that struck me as particularly relevant to Kildonan's Assistive Technology Program. The first is that "most technology is not designed for education, BUT users redefine technology." That is very true for technologies like dictation and transcription software. Dyslexic students are taking productivity tools and using them to compensate for their difficulty with writing. The second is that "technology changes HOW we teach." An example of that axiom is how we teach the writing process in the AT Program. Using Inspiration software has allowed us to streamline the process for dyslexics, taking them from brainstorming to completed essay without any wasted steps. Dr. Mishra has fully embraced technology as a vital part of education in the 21^st century, and his address encouraged all educators to do the same.

Evolving Models of One-to-One

After the keynote, I attended a morning breakout session on how schools are embracing the idea that all students should have their own computing devices in the classroom, from laptops to smartphones to tablet computers. Representatives from three schools shared their stories on how they made the decision to go to one to one computing and how they implemented their programs. I was particularly impressed with Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, which recently put an iPad into the hands of each of its students. The administration and teachers at Xaverian are not sure where the iPad will lead them in their educational journey, but they are willing to take a chance and discover it together with their students. In terms of assistive technology for dyslexic students, one to one computing is almost essential. The majority of students in Kildonan's Assistive Technology Program own their own laptops and software in order to have 24-hour access to the tools that help them complete their schoolwork.

Special Education Technology: Roundtable Discussion

After lunch, I was able to talk with other teachers about using technology with students who have various learning differences. It turned out that I was the only private school educator at the roundtable. While my public school counterparts shared stories of bureaucratic red tape in regard to using assistive technology, I was able to tell about the freedom that I enjoy at Kildonan regarding the implementation of AT for our dyslexic students. While public school teachers are often locked into one or two specific technologies, I am fortunate to be able to explore the array of AT that is available in order to determine what will work best for our students. It was an eye-opening discussion, and it reminded me how lucky I am to be working at Kildonan.

Web Tools that Rock the Classroom!

The afternoon breakout session that I attended was called, "Web Tools that Rock the Classroom!" It was moderated by Adam Bellow and Lisa Thumann, two dynamic presenters who are leaders in educational technology. In just over an hour, they presented close to thirty Web 2.0 tools for education. While none of the tools are specific to assistive technology, they all are useful and can be employed to engage a variety of learners. Please explore these classroom web tools.

Tech & Learning magazine put together a great day of discussion and learning. The Tech Forum conference is now in its tenth season, and I highly recommend it to educators who are interested in innovative ways to reach their students in a society driven by technology.

iFlash Software: Easy to Make Flashcards for the Mac OS

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:16:34 EST

For the past few years, we have been teaching our assistive technology students how to use an electronic flashcard maker called iFlash. This intuitive program allows students an easy way to create printable flashcards using assistive technology; but more importantly, it provides a multisensory way to study the cards on a Mac computer.

When a student begins making a new deck, he or she opens a flashcard template, into which text is inputted for the front and backsides of each card. That can be done by typing, using dictation software, or even copying and pasting from a teacher-produced document. The software then allows the student to attach an image to the card to act as a visual cue or a voice note to provide an audio cue. Once a deck is completed, the program quizzes the student, reading the text aloud. It will also keep basic statistics on what the student knows and what he or she needs to keep learning. Finally, there is a free companion iOS app available from iTunes so that a deck can be exported to a mobile device.

iFlash has been enjoying somewhat of a cult status at The Kildonan School since we introduced it in the Assistive Technology Program, and I am happy to report that we now have a school site license for the software, allowing more teachers and students access to a simple but highly effective learning tool. The site license is our latest effort to make assistive technology available to all of our students. iFlash is an inexpensive program ($14.99), and it can be purchased and downloaded from the Mac App Store.

First Days

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:54:34 EST

Today is my son's first day of kindergarten. Overall, it was a lot less traumatic than his first day of daycare five years ago. Back then, I felt like I was abandoning him to strangers, and I spent my drive to work swallowing tears. This morning, however, our house was filled with excitement. Excitement for a new Green Lantern lunch box and a new backpack loaded with pencils, an art smock, and a Spiderman folder. Excitement for all the new possibilities that "real" school will bring to our curious five-year-old.

It got me thinking about what the first day of Kildonan must be like for our students and their families. To finally be at a school that understands their dyslexia and is able to do something about it must be overwhelmingly exciting. I'm sure that parents are saddened to leave their kids away from home, but there must also be some relief mixed in, knowing that they are doing the best thing for their children. The possibilities for their education are real and provide hope for the future.

We have eight new students entering the Assistive Technology Program tomorrow. Their first days will provide them with even more excitement. For dyslexic students, using AT for the first time can be like magic. For me, there's nothing more exciting than the first day of showing them the possibilities of using technology to cope with their language difficulties. I can't wait.

The AT Year in Review

Wed, 25 May 2011 11:52:20 EST

It has been a breakout year for Assistive Technology at Kildonan. While we have been a part of the academic program for a number of years, things really started happening during 2010-2011, and they started happening FAST. We are now an established part of the school culture and are fulfilling our main objective of giving dyslexic students a greater amount of independence and academic success. As we approach graduation, I'm in a reflective mood, so here are a few highlights from this school year:

Programmatically, we solidified the AT curriculum and added new software in order to provide our students with more tools to help compensate for their language difficulties. Students started using Co:Writer and Ginger on a regular basis and found that those programs improved their writing a great deal. In addition, we were able to purchase unlimited site licenses for Inspiration and Co:Writer, allowing every student at Kildonan to have access to assistive technology on every school computer, as well as their own laptops. As proof that AT has become a crucial part of our academics, the number of students in the AT Program increased by 63% this year, and those students completed more than 4000 weekend assignments and more than 300 quizzes and tests with the use of assistive technology. Finally, the addition of Frank Sorrentino was a huge boon to the department. Frank is an outstanding teacher and took great enjoyment in empowering his students through the use of AT.

During this past year, word spread quickly about Kildonan's AT Program, and we became a model for other schools that serve the same student population. Teachers and administrators from The Greenwood School, The Norman Howard School, and Triad Academy visited campus and saw firsthand how our students are benefitting from assistive technology. In addition, I had the opportunity to meet with members of IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association) and special education representatives from the Hong Kong Ministry of Education in order to share with them how our AT Program makes Kildonan unique among schools that teach dyslexics. Finally, I was able to spread the word at two conferences: ATIA Orlando in January and NYSAIS TWT in April.

We were also fortunate to gain the attention of a few publications this year. The local newspaper, The Millerton News, did a story on how area schools are using technology, and Kildonan's AT Program was featured prominently in the article. Next, Hudson Valley Magazine, a regional publication, published a cover story that profiled private schools in the region. In Kildonan's profile, one of our students explained how the AT Program has become vital to his academic success and independence. Finally, a short video about our AT Program was posted on The New York Times website as part of a story they ran about the effects that technology is having on today's students. Perhaps the best thing about that Times video is that it was completely filmed and edited by our students – a priceless learning experience for those involved. It can now be viewed on the AT page of Kildonan's website.

As you can see, it has been an eventful year. I am proud of how the AT Program has developed and become such a strong part of our students' Kildonan experience. However, I can promise that there is more to come, and we will always strive to make the program better. After the kids go home for a well-deserved summer vacation, I'll come back to my office and start planning for next year.

NYSAIS TWT 2011 – Beyond Technology

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:34:20 EST

On April 27th, Mr. Sorrentino and I traveled to the Heschel School in New York City for the 2011 Teaching with Technology conference, sponsored by the New York State Association of Independent Schools. With close to 300 participants and presenters, it was a well-attended and useful conference.

Teachers that creatively use technology in their classrooms presented a wide variety of workshops; from using tablet PC's in math classes to creating exciting presentations with Prezi.com. It appeared that the most well attended workshops focused on SMART Board use and integrating iPads into the classroom – proof that teachers have a high interest in staying current with their technology use.

During the morning sessions, I was fortunate enough to give a presentation on assistive technology. Because the majority of the teachers at the conference were from more traditional private schools, I focused on giving them the basics of a wide variety of AT with the goal of inspiring them to find technology solutions for their students that may be struggling in particular areas. I was very happy with the turnout; in fact, we overfilled the room and two people had to stand in the hallway. It was clear that several teachers had limited or no previous knowledge of assistive technology, and I could see the wheels turning as they tried to synthesize ways they could use it with their students. At the end, one teacher told me that she wished she knew about AT three years ago, because she could have used it to save a few of her students. It reminded me that the AT Program at Kildonan IS saving students and giving many of them the opportunity to graduate and go on to college. It inspired me to continue to develop the program so that even more of our students can enjoy its benefits and be successful dyslexics. It made me realize that technology can be used to make people feel human.

AT Mobile Apps: Part 2

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:31:38 EST

Last June, I wrote a blog post about the emerging world of assistive technology apps. At that time, I highlighted Dragon Dictate, Speak it!, Web Reader, and MindMeister. Since then, there has been a virtual explosion of mobile apps that have the potential to make the lives of dyslexics a lot easier. Here is a list (with links) of the best apps for dyslexics that have been developed during the past year:

1) RFB&D Audio – Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, in the spirit of universal design, just changed its name to Learning Ally in an effort to not label and typecast its members as having a specific "disability." They also updated the way they deliver their audio books by creating the RFB&D Audio app (I can only assume that they'll change the app name also). The app allows Learning Ally members to download books to mobile devices rather than order specially formatted CD's that required a specific player. The app is priced at $19.99, but with a free membership for people with documented print disabilities, this is really a bargain.

2) ZoomReader - There was a lot of buzz about this app at the ATIA Orlando conference in January. Currently compatible with the iPhone 4 only, this app uses the phone's camera to take a picture of text, converts it using OCR, and reads it aloud. It allows people with reading difficulties a discreet way to read restaurant menus, museum signage, etc. I am hopeful that it will soon be compatible with all iOS devices. The app is $19.99.

3) Merriam-Webster Dictionary – Unlike other dictionary apps, this one has a voice search feature powered by Dragon. Just say the word you want to look up, and the Dragon computers convert your voice to text. In addition to being FREE, the best thing about this app is that you don't need to know how to spell a word in order to look up its definition!

4) Typ-O – Similar to desktop software like Co:Writer, this app provides the user with word prediction as he or she types on a mobile device. It suggests words for misspellings and also has a synthetic voice to read the choices aloud to ensure the correct word is chosen. It is useful for writing e-mails and social media posts in situations where dictation is not possible. It is priced at $4.99 for iPhone / iPod touch and $14.99 for iPad (HD version).

5) Mental Note – There are many note-taking apps available, but this one stands out to me for its ease of use and for providing the user with the ability to take multisensory notes. Within a given note, you can type words, draw diagrams, add voice notes, and insert photos and screen shots. It is inexpensive, priced at $2.99 (there is also a free lite version).

6) VoCal Voice Reminders! – This is a calendar app that is made up of voice memos rather than written entries. I don't think I need to explain how valuable this could be to someone who is dyslexic. It is reasonably priced at $2.99.

7) VoiceBrief – This is a productivity app that has huge benefits to those with reading difficulties. It uses text-to-speech to read aloud from RSS feeds, Facebook, Twitter, calendar entries, and the local weather all in one personalized "newscast." They are also promising to add e-mail integration soon. It is currently priced at $1.99.

8) Knowtilus Pro – This is a very innovative, multifunction web browser that does many things: It has three resizable browser windows in one, an integrated basic word processor for easy note taking, and the ability to read and organize RSS feeds. More important to dyslexics, it also has visual bookmarks and a text-to-speech avatar that reads web content aloud and can translate it to several different languages. You really have to use this app to get the full impact of its power. The pro version is $9.99, but there is a basic version for $2.99.

I am sure this will not be my last blog post about mobile apps. At this point, I am learning about new assistive technology apps on a weekly basis, and I am positive that their potential has yet to be reached.

How to Build an AT Lab With No Money

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:14:10 EST

O.K. – so you'll need a little money, at least enough to purchase a few computers, a printer, and possibly a flatbed scanner. But that's it. Don't get me wrong – I like to spend money on new technology, and often that's the only way to get software and devices that give you exactly what you want. However, in the last few years, I've realized that all of the essential assistive technology is available for FREE. In a time of frozen budgets and limited resources, that's very good news.

Here is a list of FREE Assistive Technology that will go a long way in helping students with dyslexia to read and write:

Dictation

1) Windows Speech Recognition – Included as part of the "Ease of Access Center" in the operating system, this technology comes preinstalled with any computer that runs Windows. It's not as versatile as the Dragon or WordQ+SpeakQ software, but it's pretty good and easy to use. After a brief training session, it's good to go and should provide a great deal of assistance for most users.

Word Prediction

2) Windows On-Screen Keyboard – Also included as part of the "Ease of Access Center," this tool gives Windows users basic word-prediction to help with spelling while typing a document or e-mail.

3) Google Scribe – From Google Labs, this is another basic word predictor that works very well. Once you have a completed document, you can copy and paste it to any word processor. It also has Spanish-language word-prediction!

Graphic Organizers

4) MindMeister – Similar to Inspiration, this is an online service that allows you to brainstorm and organize ideas for longer pieces of writing. It also has companion apps for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch so that you can work on your writing ideas on the go.

5) Mindomo – Another online graphic organizer, but this one also has a desktop version. The interface is similar in appearance to Microsoft Word 2010, which should make it easy to use for Windows users.

6) MindNode – Available in the new Mac App Store, this program can be downloaded directly to your Mac desktop.

Text Readers

7) Text-to-Speech Feature of Mac OS – One of the best "hidden" aspects of the Macintosh operating system, it is very easy to have your Mac read any text aloud, from websites to e-mails.

8) NaturalReader – From NaturalSoft, this software is a free download for BOTH Windows and Mac computers. The Mac version even has synchronized highlighting. It is easy to use and has "human" voices.

Research

9) SortFix – A Firefox add-on and website to help narrow Internet searches. With its graphic interface, this is an easy tool to use that not only assists the user but also teaches him or her good Internet searching skills.

10) EasyBib – An online citation and bibliography maker, this is one of my favorite free technologies. I still have to get out my MLA guide whenever I have the need to write a citation, so this website is huge time saver. See my blog post from 1/13/11 for more details.

ATIA 2011 Orlando Roundup

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:56:23 EST

Because we had so much snow in Amenia during the month of January, it was very exciting to travel to Orlando, Florida for the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) 2011 Conference on January 26th-29th. Besides getting a good dose of sunshine, I learned a lot during the conference and made several new contacts in the field of assistive technology. I attended several informative workshops, participated in an AT Smackdown, discovered a few new technologies that may be useful to Kildonan students, and had the opportunity to meet Don Johnston, an inspiring dyslexic and founder of the company that developed Co:Writer, the word prediction software that we began using school-wide in November.

I was able to attend eight educational sessions in two days, which I found very helpful in expanding my knowledge of AT and solidifying in my mind what it means to be a good coordinator of assistive technology. I'll highlight just a few. The first session I went to was called, "The Many Hats of the Successful AT Service Provider," given by Gayl Bowser, an independent AT consultant. Gayl reminded me that my job as Kildonan's AT Coordinator is not just teaching the students how to use the technology. Rather, it entails many things: I am an implementer, trainer, advocate, strategist, supporter, consultant, and coach. Because I do all of these things, my job never gets boring. It is by far the most exciting thing that I have done at Kildonan. Next, in order to find out how Kildonan's AT Program compares to programs on the college level, I went to a session called, "AT in the Higher Ed Environment: What Students Are Using," by Dan Comden, Jayme Johnson, and Howard Kramer, all members of ATHEN (Access Technology Higher Education Network). This session left me somewhat discouraged for dyslexics who go on to college, but it reinforced my belief that we are doing superior work with assistive technology at Kildonan. According to the panelists, because of higher education bureaucracy, politics, and lack of funding (at least at the larger universities), many AT services are incorporated into IT departments, and there is not a lot of formal assistive technology training going on when LD students enter college. Additionally, many LD students entering colleges do not even know that AT exists. Walking out of this session, all I could think about was how much ahead of the game Kildonan students are. Another session that I found particularly useful was called, "PD 2.0: Using the Read/Write Web for Professional Development in AT," by Beth Poss and Chris Bugaj. It covered a myriad of ways that AT educators can stay informed and connected in a rapidly changing field without spending a lot of funds to do so. Basically, Beth and Chris (both dynamic presenters) made things like Twitter, podcasts, blogs, and webinars seem like the hip thing to do in professional development, and I enjoyed their session a great deal. Perhaps the most useful session that I attended was the "AT Smackdown." Basically, it was an informal session, in which anyone in the room could get up and present an AT tip or strategy for two minutes before giving the floor to someone else. It was a rapid-fire, open-mic exchange of great ideas. In addition to learning about lots of new AT tricks, I was able to present two research-based tools to the group. Chris Bugaj (see above) made a podcast of the event, which you can access here. Also, he wrote a companion blog post, listing all the tips that were presented, which you can access here.

Of all the AT applications that I came across at the conference, three stood out as being potentially useful to Kildonan students. The first is called ClaroRead, a cross-platform program by a company based in England. It is an interesting piece of software that combines text-to-speech with synchronized highlighting and word prediction, resulting in a useful read/write assistive technology. The second is called WordQ+SpeakQ, which combines speech-to-text and word prediction in one piece of software. On the surface, it seems like a powerful tool, but I would like to see what the students think. I suspect that they might have difficulty switching back and forth between the dictation and typing while doing their work. I brought back a few trial versions, so time will tell whether or not this program finds its way to our lab computers. Finally, there was a lot of buzz at the conference about a forthcoming mobile app for the iPhone and iPod touch called ZoomReader. It promises to take a picture of a document, convert it to text using OCR, and read it aloud. Basically, it will do for dyslexics what the Intel Reader does, but in a much smaller package as part of a multipurpose device. The release date for this app has not yet been made public.

During the evening of the first full day of the conference, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a reception given by Don Johnston, Inc., a company specializing in the development and distribution of assistive technology. At the reception, Don Johnston, himself, gave a presentation about his recent education initiatives in Kenya, Africa. His stories about giving the children in Kenya new educational opportunities were heartfelt and inspiring. Afterward, I had the opportunity to meet Don and briefly discuss the good things that are happening at Kildonan, including our recent implementation of Co:Writer, one of the many technologies that was developed by his company.

I took a lot away from ATIA 2011 in Orlando. It was great to speak and share ideas with other professionals in the field of assistive technology, and I was proud to let others know about Kildonan's AT Program. The rapid development in technology has done a lot for dyslexics in recent years, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Online Help for Research Reports

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:11:38 EST

In an age when more and more academic research is being done online, there are two websites that I found that could potentially make things a whole lot easier for dyslexic students. The first is called SweetSearch, a search engine that only contains credible sources, and the second is called EasyBib, a free citation maker.

SweetSearch bills itself as "A Search Engine for Students." Its homepage has a very clean interface, similar in appearance to Google. To test the credibility of its search results, I typed the word "jackass" in the search field and kept my fingers crossed that it would take me to the history of the donkey instead of to the homepage of Johnny Knoxville's feature film. I was pleased (and relieved) to see that the top search result was a CNN piece describing the history of the donkey as a symbol of the Democratic party. Apparently, Andrew Jackson turned an intended insult into a positive attribute of his party, pointing out that the image of a stubborn animal could be used to promote the Democrats' defiant success. So yes, SweetSearch does, in fact, give students credible sources, no matter what they happen to be searching for. In addition, there are several subsites accessible from the home page, including sites for librarians and teachers, and sites dedicated to biographies and social studies. There is also a section on how to perform better research on the web. I highly recommend that students start with SweetSearch the next time they are assigned a research project.

EasyBib is an online bibliography and citation maker that is available in free and paid versions. The free version automatically creates MLA citations for just about any source imaginable. For journal or newspaper articles, all you need to do is enter the title and the website looks up all the necessary information needed for the citation and puts it in the correct format. For books, just enter the title or ISBN number, and the site will find the author, publisher, and copyright date and create the citation. Once all of the citations are created, EasyBib puts them in alphabetical order and exports your Works Cited page to an RTF document on your desktop. The paid version, called MyBib Pro, will also create citations in APA and Chicago style and creates footnotes and parenthetical notations to use in the text of a report. In addition, it has a Notebook section, in which virtual notecards can be created and turned into a formal outline before the report is written. The annual cost for MyBib Pro is only $20, a huge bargain considering all that it does. EasyBib is truly an assistive technology that all students (not just dyslexic ones) can benefit from, and it is now high on my list of recommendations for high school seniors who are planning to continue their education after they graduate. Below are two videos made by EasyBib. One is just an amusing ad, and the other shows just how helpful it can be.

AT Video on NYTimes.com

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 07:24:54 EST

About a month ago, I was surfing around on Twitter and saw a posting from The New York Times Technology section. The newspaper was seeking out short videos from teachers that address the topic, "How has technology changed the way students learn and the way teachers teach?" I immediately thought that what we are doing in the Assistive Technology Program answers that question perfectly. Without formulating a plan of how we were actually going to make the video, I promptly sent a proposal to the Times.

A week later, I received an e-mail from the Technology Web Producer saying that he liked my idea, and he invited us to go ahead and make the video for submission. The catch was that we had only two weeks to make it and send it in. Not knowing anything about digital filming and editing, I went to Mr. Costa, who teaches Kildonan's multimedia classes. He assured me that his multimedia student interns could handle the job and turn in a professional video.

Two weeks later, Erin M., Eric H., Emil K., and Ryan S. blew me away with the video that they had filmed and edited in just two weeks. As you will see, they truly did a professional job. The New York Times agreed, because last Friday, the Technology Web Producer called to tell me that they selected our video to be part of their story.

Soon, I will post the video on the Assistive Technology page of Kildonan's website, but right now you can view it HERE on The New York Times website. Joshua Brustein, of the Times, also featured Kildonan's AT Program in a companion blog post - you can read that HERE.

New Site Licenses: Co:Writer and Inspiration

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:21:42 EST

On Parents Day (10/9), I was happy to make the announcement that the Technology and Assistive Technology departments have purchased new unlimited site licenses for Co:Writer 6 and Inspiration 9. This is an important and exciting step in expanding the use of assistive technology at Kildonan.

Co:Writer is an excellent word prediction program that runs with any application that requires typing (word processing, e-mail, web browsing, etc.). In addition, it comes with many word banks that span all subject matter areas. The word banks can be modified, and teachers and students can even create their own word banks depending on what is being studied in class. The most exciting thing about the program is that it marries accommodation and remediation. The students who use it must rely on their knowledge of phonics in order for the word prediction to be useful. Therefore, it allows them to continue developing their language skills as they receive assistance with their writing.

Inspiration is a program that has been at Kildonan for a while. However, the school was two versions behind in its site license. Version 9 will give students more tools to organize their writing. In addition, it contains a new "Presentation" view, which allows a map/web to be converted into a slide show with one click.

Both programs are cross-platform, so they can be used on Windows and Mac computers.

The students in the AT Program who have already used the programs have given them rave reviews, and I am looking forward to every student at Kildonan having access to them.

The Case Against Assistive Technology

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:53:50 EST

I discovered this video today. It was created by Ben Johnston from Don Johnston, Inc., a company dedicated to providing assistive technology to those with learning disabilities. I don't think I need to spend any time explaining it - just watch and be inspired to spread the word.

The Mac Dragon Has Arrived

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:46:15 EST

It has been a busy year for Nuance Communications. First, they released the Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search apps for mobile devices. Next, they bought out MacSpeech, the maker of MacSpeech Dictate. In August, they released version 11 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Now, they have released Dragon Dictate for Mac, a seriously upgraded version of MacSpeech Dictate. By changing the software's name, Nuance has finally given Mac users a long-awaited Mac Dragon.

Dragon Dictate is a big improvement over its predecessor. Nuance has added its Dragon 11 speech engine, making it very accurate and fast (albeit a bit sensitive to coughs and heavy breathing while dictating). It has also added a fair number of navigation commands, plus proofreading commands. Finally, the program now allows the user to have multiple input devices for one voice profile. In other words, one can use different headsets without creating a whole new profile (a major drawback of the old Dictate).

The initial response to Dragon Dictate by the AT students has been very positive. Time will tell if there are any bugs that need to be worked out; but for now, it has been a pleasant surprise in the first weeks of the new school year.

AT Organizations / Resources

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:42:53 EST

As the 2010-2011 school year gets under way, I'd like to pass on information about two organizations that are good resources for assistive technology.

The first is called Closing the Gap.

Closing the Gap is a great resource for parents and teachers of students who use assistive technology of all types, and there is a fair amount of information that pertains to technology designed for language-based disabilities. On their website, they offer webinars and discussion forums, and they also have a Facebook page where they post up-to-date information.

Closing the Gap holds an annual conference in Minneapolis, MN. This year's conference is being held on October 21-23. You can find more information here.

The second is called Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA).

ATIA consists of assistive technology professionals and developers. Their website is not as user friendly as that of Closing the Gap, but it does have some good resources for parents and teachers in its AT Education section. There, you can find a nice selection of webinars. They, too, have a Facebook page where you can find up-to-date information.

ATIA holds two conferences each year, one in Chicago, IL and one in Orlando, FL. Upcoming conference dates are October 27-30, 2010 (Chicago) and January 26-29, 2011 (Orlando). You can find more information here. I'm planning on attending the January conference in Florida (when winter is in full swing in Amenia), and I'm looking forward to bringing back lots of good AT information to Kildonan.

In addition, here are a few more places to go to for technology / assistive technology news and information:

1) ATMac: Empowering Disabled Apple Users

2) eSchool News

3) CNET News

In a world where technology is changing on a daily basis, it is imperative for those who rely on it to stay informed. I hope that these resources help Kildonan students and their families do just that. If anyone comes across any additional resources that are useful, I'd love to hear from you.

Welcome Mr. Sorrentino!

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:09:33 EST

I would like to take a break from upgrading software to welcome Mr. Frank Sorrentino to the staff of the Assistive Technology Program. It is actually more of a welcome back. Mr. Sorrentino previously taught at Kildonan from 2000-2007. During that time, he was a language training tutor and taught classes in literature, history, and science. From 2007-2010, he was the Associate Director of Educational Support Services at St. Luke's School in New Canaan, CT. We are excited to have him back at Kildonan, and I am looking forward to having his technical knowledge and teaching experience in the AT Lab. He recently completed the course, "Assistive Technology for Stuggling Students," at the Landmark College Summer Institute in Putney, VT, and he is currently preparing to teach our AT course starting in September.

Caitlin & Dan on YouTube!

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:20:08 EST

This past spring, graduating seniors Caitlin L. and Dan C. took part in a study involving the Intel Reader, invented by this year's graduation speaker, Ben Foss. They each used a Reader for an extended period of time to evaluate how effective it was as an educational tool for dyslexic students. While they were at the EdRev conference in San Francisco with Mr. Powers, Caitlin and Dan shot the video below for Intel.

Mobile Apps: Pocket AT

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:13:43 EST

One morning this past January, my student intern, Dan C., came into the lab with some exciting news. “Dragon came out with an iPhone app!” he said, with the enthusiasm of someone who has more knowledge than me. “How long did it take you to train it?” I asked. “You don’t train it,” he answered, “it just writes out what you say.” We spent the rest of the class period experimenting with it, dictating fictitious e-mails and seeing how accurate it was. I have to say that I was impressed, and it sparked my interest in mobile AT apps, particularly for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Here was a whole new level of assistive technology that I hadn’t thought about – one that was even more portable than using software on a laptop. I made it a goal to explore AT apps this summer, in preparation for teaching a workshop to Kildonan students in the fall. So far, I have found some really useful apps that are sure to make life easier for people with dyslexia. Here are some of my favorites:

Dragon Dictation – Made by Nuance, the company that created Dragon NaturallySpeaking, this is a simple-to-use speech-to-text app. You don’t have to train it or create a voice file, like you do with its Windows counterpart. You simply record what you want to write and the app turns it into text that you can e-mail, text message, or copy to the clipboard. The best part is that it is free!

See demo on YouTube.

Speak it! – This is a basic text-to-speech app that can be used to read any text aloud. You can either type directly into it or copy and paste before choosing a male or female voice and reading speed. It is a great way to read e-mails, text messages, or any other piece of writing on your mobile device.

Web Reader – Like Speak it!, this is a text reader, except that it is devoted to reading internet content. It opens a web browser, with the standard search and bookmark options, but it also has “read” and “pause” buttons in the tool bar. When you find a website that you want to read aloud, you simple touch the “read” button and the app starts reading the most important text on the page. Alternately, you can select the text you want to read before touching the “read” button. You can also control the voice gender and speed.

MindMeister – This app is like a mobile version of Inspiration. It is a companion app to the MindMeister website, which is a web-based service for creating graphic organizers. Once you download the app and create an online account, your graphic organizers are synched between your mobile device and the website, making it easy to brainstorm ideas for a piece of writing while you are on the go. Later, you can download an .rtf outline of your graphic organizer that you can transform into paragraphs or an essay.

There are also “semi-AT” apps that I like, such as ShapeWriter, iFlash, Articles, Dictionary, and Stanza. If you are an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad user, they are worth investigating. I am excited about putting together the fall workshop on AT apps, but I’m even more excited about the future of portable assistive technology. I think that we are only at the beginning of something awesome.

One further thought on mobile apps: I came across an interesting article yesterday in eSchool News called, "Speech recognition, mobile apps help build reading skills." If you have a few minutes, read the whole article. Basically, it is making a case that students who use assistive technology and educational apps on their iPhones and iPod touches are seeing an increase in their reading skills. For me, the article is supporting my belief that technology is not just a way for our students to cope with their dyslexia, but also a way to help them improve their language skills. As Dan C. told me at the end of the school year, "I think my spelling has gotten better because I started texting so much."

Contextual Spell Checkers: New Wave AT

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:17:02 EST

I was recently turned on to contextual spell and grammar checkers. They are web-based subscription services that check words in the context of complete sentences. Therefore, they are able to catch homonyms and correct badly misspelled words that most standard spell checkers cannot. They have a level of “intelligence” that is pretty advanced for assistive technology. I often tell my students that when they are dictating, the computers don’t understand what they are trying to say. Well, now maybe the computers CAN understand. Contextual spell checkers are the perfect compliment to dictation software and can be a viable alternative to those who are not able or prefer not to dictate their writing. Here are two alternatives:

Ginger – http://www.gingersoftware.com/

When Ben Foss was here to speak at our graduation, I had a chance to tell him about our AT Program. During our discussion, he recommended a program called Ginger. When I went home that night, I downloaded the trial version and tried to make the worst spelling mistakes I could think of. I am not exaggerating when I say that the program corrected every one of them. I was highly impressed and plan to purchase Ginger for the AT Lab in September. The only downside is that it is currently only available for Windows. I contacted the company, and they are working on a Mac version. Hopefully, it will be released soon.

Ghotit - http://www.ghotit.com/home.shtml

Last night, Ms. Collins, Director of Language Training, passed on information about another contextual spell checker called Ghotit. I kind of wish they would spell their name correctly (since it is a spell checking program), but I understand what they are going for. Like Ginger, it seems to be incredibly accurate in correcting homonyms and badly misspelled words, but its interface is not as clean and easy to use. However, they claim to offer their service free to educational institutions, so it merits further investigation.

I am excited about contextual spell checkers. They offer a whole new level of assistive technology that will greatly benefit our students.

Independence Day

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:13:28 EST

Now that the 2009-2010 school year has come to a close, it's just me, the scanner, and some laptops hanging out in the AT Lab. It seems like a pretty good time to start a blog. This past year has been the most successful in our program's short history. Our membership reached 20 students. Those students completed roughly 1,000 weekend assignments, 75 unit tests, and 90 final term exams using assistive technology. To achieve that, they used 8 computer programs on 2 different operating systems. Those numbers translate into 1 word: Independence. By using assistive technology, many of our students are enjoying a higher level of academic independence than they would be without it. They can now read and write in several different arenas without having to rely on anyone but themselves. As I watched the AT students give their Founders Day presentations, I was filled with a great sense of pride; not just because they had learned the technology, but also because they felt confident enough to teach it to others. As we continue to develop the Assistive Technology Program during the next few years, my goal will remain the same - to make each day in the lab an Independence Day.