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Assistive Technology

The text-to-speech technology Snap & Read Universal, Co-writer 6, and OneNote with the learning tools add-on are being tested this year at a high school to help a student with dyslexia become more independent. The software converts text to speech on the computer, allowing the student to focus on content instead of struggling with reading. It can read digital text, PDFs, and some inaccessible text. Classroom implementation involves the Snap & Read toolbar that works within other programs and automatically or manually selects text to read. Training is provided monthly for the student, teachers, and parents. While the technology helps with reading, some barriers remain like the robotic voice and teachers not providing digital notes.

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85 views4 pages

Assistive Technology

The text-to-speech technology Snap & Read Universal, Co-writer 6, and OneNote with the learning tools add-on are being tested this year at a high school to help a student with dyslexia become more independent. The software converts text to speech on the computer, allowing the student to focus on content instead of struggling with reading. It can read digital text, PDFs, and some inaccessible text. Classroom implementation involves the Snap & Read toolbar that works within other programs and automatically or manually selects text to read. Training is provided monthly for the student, teachers, and parents. While the technology helps with reading, some barriers remain like the robotic voice and teachers not providing digital notes.

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Sondra Polan Assistive technology assignment: Text to Speech Technology

1. Identify an assistive technology in use in your school and describe how it is being used.

The text to speech technology is currently being tested out this year in our special education
department. Currently, a student diagnosed dyslexia is using Snap & Read Universal, Co-writer
6, and OneNote with the learning tools add-on. This program can convert text to speech on the
computer for individual use. In the past, the student worked with an academic intervention
specialist who read him tests and assignments, scribed during examinations, and worked with
him on lengthy written assignments. This year the student is using the assistive technology
while simultaneously working with Domenic Carrillo, a multidisciplinary intervention specialist.
Next year the student will only receive the assistive technology. The goal of the technology is to
help student become more independent.

2. How does the technology accommodate specific learning goals of student with learning
challenges?
Students with dyslexia often struggle in high school because the quantity and level of difficulty
of the reading material increases. In addition, some of the content for a subject is learned from
reading text in class and as an outside reading assignment. Students with dyslexia
may not read fluently because of weak word recognition skills (i.e., poor sight vocabulary) or
have weaker decoding skills. This can lead to frustration as assignments take longer to
complete. Text to speech programs like Snap & Read Universal software read text aloud which
enables students to focus on content. Snap & Read can read digital text and PDF documents
(accessible text) as well as inaccessible text (flash and images). Microsoft’s OneNote learning
technology has similar capability. As stated in Terence W. Cavanaugh Ph. D’s article, “Text-to-
speech technology provides users an additional avenue for receiving the information.”

3. What are classroom implementation strategies for this assistive technology?


One installed, the Snap & Read software creates a floating toolbar within the Google chrome
browser that works in tandem with the computer application that is running on the student’s
laptop or desktop. The program automatically determines which text to read or the student can
turn off that feature and manually select the text to be read instead. The software can read text
from Google Docs, Microsoft Word, PDF images, e-mails, and websites (accessible text). It can
also read non-accessible text from images and Flash. OneNote’s Add-on Learning tool has a
similar feature. However, the document to be read needs to be uploaded into a OneNote
notebook.

Note: I just discovered out yesterday that Microsoft Office 365 just added a new immersive
reader the online version of word. Students do not need to down load the learning tools add-on
to use this feature.
4. Ways to work with diverse learners in an inclusion setting
a) Students should receive all notes electronically. This will allow students to focus on their task
as opposed to spending time on preliminary set up.

b) The text to speech software decodes text for students who would otherwise struggle to
accurately decode on their own. However, the program does not help student understand the
main ideas of the text or to make connections. It would be helpful to provide students with
guiding questions to help them understand the meaning behind the words.

c) Students should be trained to explore the different features of the program such as the study
tools with its outlines as well as the different options in the setting menu. If possible, the
student should choose which features that they feel are most helpful.

5. Training requirements for teachers/students/parents


a) The student, special education teacher, and intervention specialist have received training
from Nassau Boces once a month during the school year.
b) The teachers in his subject courses have not received training. Based on my conversation
with the intervention specialist, teachers should be reminded of the importance of providing
notes and work electronically. Clear instructions should be provided so teachers know the best
way to send notes electronically. Since East Meadow High School uses a Microsoft office
platform, sending directly to the student’s OneNote Notebook would be easy. Teachers can also
use Office Lens to upload documents include pictures of written notes.

c) The high school student’s parents were not formally trained in school. However, videos are
accessible from the Snap&Read website (link ) if needed. It may be helpful for parents of young
children to have some training.

6. Other features pertaining to adoption of technology for instruction


In addition, to change text to speech, some features of the Snap&Read program are:
a) Dynamic text leveling: students can adjust difficultly level of vocabulary
b) Translator feature: Text can be translated in over 100 languages
c) Analyzes the text of any document and displays the grade level equivalent
d) Collects data on student so teacher can generate reports and see progress
e) Built in bibliography maker.

7. Information about company which produces product and pricing


Don Jonston In develops technology to help individuals read and write. The owner of the
company has dyslexia.
Pricing: Snap&Read Universal Organizational Pricing
Per seat: $3.99 per student per month, minimum of 20 seats billed annually
Per school: Unlimited students $750* / site / year
Per district: Unlimited students $0.50 to $2.00 per student enrolled (5+ schools min)
8. Technical requirements (LINK )

Documents must be digital. If text is on paper, it can be uploaded digitally using scanning
applications like “Scannable” or “Office Lens”

9. Website with product pictures, demonstration and support


Website: http://donjohnston.com/snap-read/
Demonstration: http://donjohnston.com/snap-read/
How to videos: tutorials
PDF guides: guides
Live Chat Support: link
SupportCenter: Link

10. A brief evaluation of the effectiveness of the technology in use. Does it help the student
achieve the learning goals, or are there still barriers to be addressed?

The student who is using the software still prefers being read to by the intervention specialist.
This will not be an option next year. The first issue is that the voice on the software is robotic
sounding. The interventionist said that sometimes the inflection is in the wrong place so the
meaning of the sentence is unclear. The second issue is that many of the student’s teachers do
not send their notes electronically. They instead provide paper copies of their notes. The
interventionist said that although the student can scan notes into computer, the added step is
frustrating to a student already overwhelmed by his coursework.
References:
1. Stodden, R. A., Roberts, K. D., Takahashi, K., Park, H. J., & Stodden, N. J. (2012). Use of Text-
to-speech Software to Improve Reading Skills of High School Struggling Readers. Procedia
Computer Science, 14, 359-362.
2. Cavanaugh, T.W. (n.d.). Preparing teachers for the inclusion classroom: Understanding
assistive technology and its role in education. Retrieved from
http://www.unf.edu/~tcavanau/presentations/preparing_teachers_for_the_inclu.htm

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