dyslexia Archives - Page 9 of 10

Published March 2, 2011

The Power and Role of Technology in the Field of Learning Disabilities

Many excellent paper-based tools exist to teach reading to students with learning disabilities (LD), and for years, educators have relied on them. At the LDA conference in Jacksonville last week (February, 2011), I decided to explore the power and role of technologies such as digital books and content in addition to paper-based approaches in the LD field. The consensus of the hundred-plus educators attending my session entitled “Get Ready for Digital Books” was that the LD profession recognizes that digital books and content are here. The question is not “are you ready,” or do you want to incorporate digital content,”…

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Published January 31, 2011

Exciting New Apps Seen at ATIA

I walked the hall at ATIA 2011 in Orlando, FL specifically looking for apps for iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches (iOS devices) that simplify life for individuals with disabilities and exemplify the convergence between consumer and assistive devices. At first, I wasn’t sure how many I would find, but it didn’t take long to discover quite a few. As a technology user since the very early days of the Apple II+, I have watched applications and uses of technology continually descend to the lowest common denominator, to the cheapest, smallest platform available. The trend is happening again with the Apple…

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Published January 26, 2011

Announcing the Read2Go App: The DAISY reader for Bookshare on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

Our members talked, and we listened! Announcing the new Read2Go App, the DAISY reader for Bookshare on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Read2Go is an accessible e-book reader that was developed by Benetech (the parent nonprofit for Bookshare), in partnership with Shinano Kenshi Co. Ltd (best known for its PLEXTALK® brand of digital talking book players). Read2Go is the most full-featured, accessible DAISY reader for the Apple device market. This very easy-to-use app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch connects directly to Bookshare for immediate on-the-go reading. From within the app, individual users and schools supporting students can…

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Published January 26, 2011

Attention MAC Users…Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition 2.0 for MAC and PC Now Available!

Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition with support for Snow Leopard on Macintosh computers is now available! But it’s not just for MAC users. We highly recommend ALL Members upgrade to this version for better performance with large books. Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition is a DAISY reader designed for people with learning disabilities. Read:OutLoud allows users to read multi-modally, take notes, look up definitions and more. It is not recommended for use with screen readers and can only read Bookshare books. Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition includes the following enhancements: • Supports Mac OS 10.4 – 10.6 and Windows XP, Vista, and 7 • Opens books faster • Supports…

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Published January 7, 2011

What We’re Reading {January 7, 2011}: Start the New Year with these Award Winners

There were so many terrific books published in 2010! This week I thought I would share some of the titles that won various awards in 2010. All of these books are available in the Bookshare collection. Happy Reading! 2010 National Book Award Winners Nonfiction: Just Kids by Patti Smith Poetry: Lighthead by Terrance Hayes Young People’s Literature: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Man Booker Prize of 2010: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson While these books didn’t win the big prize, they made the short list: Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey Room by Emma Donoghue In a Strange…

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Published December 7, 2010

Bookshare and ReadWorks– Collaboration to Help Improve Literacy Nationwide

What is ReadWorks? ReadWorks provides K-6 teachers and school leaders with a proven, research-based program focused specifically on teaching reading comprehension. ReadWorks, developed by educators, sole mission is to close the achievement gap in reading comprehension throughout the United States. ReadWorks provides: Lessons and units that explicitly teach the essential Concepts of Comprehension©. These are the skills and strategies students must master to be successful readers. Lessons and units with suggested pacing, printable student materials, non-fiction passages with questions and vocabulary, extension activities and assessments. Alignment with every state’s ELA standards plus the Common Core State Standards. Alignment with core…

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Published November 17, 2010

A Path Towards the Least Restrictive Environment

True or False: 1. Special education students are general education students first. 2. All students are special education students. The answer, both are true. Teachers who use Bookshare tell us again and again that students in special education can make progress in the general curriculum when it is presented to them in a format they can access. If the format of the material is appropriate to their learning needs, they can consume it. As consumers of the general curriculum, aren’t they general education students – just learning from a different format? In fact, all students learn differently. Some make copious…

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Published November 11, 2010

What We’re Reading {November 11 2010} Special Veteran’s Day Edition

Today we celebrate Veterans Day (also known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day), a time to look back at the sacrifices members of the military and their families have made. In honor of the holiday, this special post provides books in the Bookshare collection that focus on the military, their families, and remembrance. I’ve also included books authored by veterans that share deeply personal experiences of war. We hope you enjoy the recommendations. Thank you to all who have served and are serving our country. Bookshare Military Special Collection: Books by or for veterans: Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and…

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Published November 10, 2010

Reading Skill Improvements, More Reading Choices and Engaged Students!

Special thanks to Jeanette Donelson, special education teacher for sending us this great story. WE ARE INSPIRED! **************** I love Bookshare! The students I serve are in 9th through 12th grade with special needs across the spectrum. I have students with dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, and severe reading disabilities. Most of them have difficulty reading books and comprehending what they read. With Bookshare, they can now download a textbook, print it out in larger print (which allows them to write notes and highlight), and use the text-to-speech software which is free with Bookshare, to hear the content read aloud. Accessible Curriculum Last…

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Published November 4, 2010

Sunrise or Tsunami – The Rise of Digital Books in the Classroom

As surely as the sun rises every day, digital books are steadily, daily finding their way into classrooms. Their arrival will not flood our classrooms like a tsunami; rather they will appear because of the foresight and talent of leading educators who recognize the many benefits of digital books and know how to incorporate them into teaching strategies. If, when, why, and how digital books will appear in classrooms are all good questions for discussion; however, a less common, extremely important question is the format of these digital books. Ideally, digital books will be “accessible” books from the beginning, with…

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Category: dyslexia