Author: Shelley Ardis Resource Materials & Technology Center: Deaf/Hard of Hearing (RMTC), St. Augustine, FL Date submitted to deafed.net – February 13, 2006 To contact the author for permission to use this PowerPoint, please To use this PowerPoint presentation in its entirety, please give credit to the author.

Writing with Technology Supports: Writing Embedded in Content Areas Shelley Popson Ardis Technology Specialist Resource Materials & Technology Center: Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Using Technologies Technology is a tool, just as a pencil and paper, and should become a seamless part of the learning process At first, teachers and students do need time to practice using the technology to become fluent users of the technology

Later, when the use of technology is seamless, the focus is exclusively on learning and instructional practices

Using Technologies Assistive Technology vs. Instructional Technology Assistive Technologies are programs and devices students partner with during the learning process Instructional Technologies are programs and devices teachers partner with during the teaching/learning process Many of the technologies discussed in this presentation could be both Assistive and Instructional depending on how and when the technologies are used A.T. vs. I.T.

Writing Support: Word Grids Wordbar by Crick Software is a software program that runs along with a word processing program (ex., Microsoft Word) Custom grids can be developed Students navigate between grids to identify the terms or phrases they want to use Ex. Grid for a Science Unit

Wordbar Wordbar sits under a users word processing program Wordbar Online Guide Example: Grids containing phrases and vocabulary for an activity Grids with vocabulary specific to a unit of study or course This is potentially a success-making accommodation for mainstreamed students, not yet researched with deaf/hard-of-hearing learners.

Vocabulary Development: Word Prediction Word Prediction software offers word prompts for students to chose from while typing: Specific to the subject-area Specific to the unit or title being read Specific to the students reading level and writing needs Allows students to focus on their ideas (getting them down on the computer) and not be limited by spelling abilities, especially in content areas with specialized vocabulary This is a more common Assistive Technology and can be used on computers and Alphasmart-types of portable devices (ex. Alphasmart or Neo)

Word Prediction Programs Adaptive Technology Resource Center The above site explains the definition of word prediction software, lists many products, research and other resources National Center to Improve Practice (NCIP)s Word Prediction Collection The above site has a wealth of resources, links to different companys products, research reports, and user profiles A few programs not exclusively used for word prediction have incorporated this feature (ex. IntelliTools Classroom Suite)

Word Prediction Programs Co:Writer by Don Johnston

Portable Word Processing Dana (or Neo) by Alphasmart help when students need extended time reading and writing The ioPen by Logitech records everything that is written and then a user will sync the pen with their computer to download all the files Both wonderful for documentation of student work for digital portfolios

Vocabulary Development: Image-to-Text Support Many Image-to-Text Programs provide supports for students who may have ideas about what they want to write but who have significant reading or writing limitations These programs present text along with image/symbol supports, usually in grids below a word processing part of the screen Some programs allow for animated images, signed and action animations Ex. Picture It/Pix Writer, Writing with Symbols, Clicker 5, Boardmaker Plus and Signing Exact English Interactive

Picture It and Pix Writer by Slater Software (left) Picture It - Type and have images associated with text. (right) Pix Writer - Fill the grid with words (with or without pictures) for students to select from when writing.

Image-to-Text Programs Picture It was used to develop recipe directions, which are printed on the board in front of the teacher Print out materials Schedules Class Books Make computer- based materials

Image-to-Text Programs Signing Exact English Interactive Signing Exact English Interactive is a program that can be used to print out sign images with text

Image-to-Text Programs Clicker & Cloze Pro Top two are Clicker activities and bottom two Cloze Pro

Digital Cameras Still and Video Activities can be documented for student portfolios Images or video can be used for additional student activities, such as captioning images or video-clips Video-clips can be made into digital dictionary items

Digital Image for Portfolio Image of a student completing a Kidspiration activity on the SMART Board

Videocameras & Literacy Students can capture their ideas prior to putting them down in print to focus on meaning and creative thought Students can then review their video and write their content in English, focusing on their intended meaning and English vocabulary and grammar Students can record themselves reading to self-evaluate or peer-evaluate reading fluency (also documentation for student portfolios)

Multimedia Authoring Programs Students with low writing and reading skills benefit from using multimedia authoring programs to assist them in demonstrating their knowledge (ex. PowerPoint, iMovie, KidPix) Students can put together the sequence of digital images and supplement with less text and more through-the-air explanation Students can add more text content over time with guidance and instructional support Students can demonstrate their understanding of content without being penalized for their lower English abilities

Graphic Organizers There are many uses for graphic organizers across the curriculum Templates are available for Planning and Thinking Skills and research-based strategies including: Venn Diagrams Compare and Contrast Vocabulary Development and Book Reports Timelines Cause and Effect Experiment Design and more Teacher at a workshop on Inspiration

Inspiration Software Above is the Template for Scientific Method The yellow note provides additional information, examples, resources or whatever is put into the note

Graphic Organizers Computer-Based Study Strategies (CBSS) are research-based learning strategies that utilize Graphic Organizer and Outlining software Examples include: Chapter and Book Reviews Notetaking Summarizing and many others

Graphic Organizers Graphic Organizers can be used during brainstorming and pre-reading activities Students can list predictions or things known about the topic which are then organized and categorized Organization can be enhanced by shape and color coding

Checklists In Outline or Graphic form checklists can be used in Inspiration

Graphic Organizers Custom templates can be created for note-taking or subject-area activities Graphic Organizers can be used on the computer or as printed guides to help students remember strategies Diagrams of processes can be printed out to guide students implementing new strategies

Classroom Presentation Digital White Boards (ex. SMART Boards) are making a tremendous impact in classrooms There is an increase in motivation and participation There is an increase in retention of content learned There is an increase in engagement and modeling by teachers and students There is an increase in the diversity of curriculum materials used

Happy SMART Board User

Digital White Boards Content can be presented to students in a manner that allows the students to view both content and sign language and/or speech at the same time Content can be manipulated Annotations over content Use of highlighting over content Hotlinks can be integrated to immediately bring up related content as other files, programs, or websites Text-books now come with CD-ROM or web-based Companions that can be used with student groups Curriculum materials can be scanned into the computer for use with the digital white board

Document Cameras Materials, print-based and 3D objects, can be presented to students through a projector allowing for both content and sign or speech to be seen simultaneously (Ex. Elmo)

Document Cameras Many incorporate magnification (zooming in on content) Many allow for a screen capture of whats being projected to be saved onto the computer Related devices that connect to a computer to document content: Probes Microscopes

What tools do you use? Reflect on the technologies that interest you Which are you using? How are you implementing them? What else could you do? What subject-areas are being supported by these technologies? Is the use of the technology seamless? How is the use affecting instruction and learning? What more do you want to learn? Share your ideas on the Technology Integration Bulletin Deafed.net

If you have questions or comments: Contact: Shelley Popson Ardis This presentation was created with support from a U.S. Department of Education PT3 grant ("Join Together", P342A030098) and The Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (RMTC: D/HH - FDLRS) is funded by the State of Florida, Department of Education, Division of Public Schools and Community Education, Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services through federal assistance under IDEA, Part B and state general revenue funds.