In class today we watched parts of a PBS series “Misunderstood Minds.” It was fantastic! We watched segments on children who had learning disabilities, but I would honestly like to watch the whole series. Barb had us write summaries using different tools – pen and paper, notes app, speech-to-text, etc. I am most comfortable with pen and paper! I can think of students who would be better off using other tools.
We had an interesting discussion on the use of AT with regard to assessment. I really struggle with this issue and this class has given me research and ideas to support the use of AT. If the “match” is made properly then the student is using AT in order to become independent. Why use a scribe if there is a program where the student can complete the task on their own?
Finally, a note about WordQ. When I was teaching high school English we struggled to develop vocabulary, encouraged students to make more “sophisticated” word choices and preached the use of dictionaries and thesauri during the writing process. I think WordQ is a great word prediction program. It is an obvious world of difference for students who struggle with writing.
