1.2 U We are Experts in Educational and Assistive Technologies Welcome to the Webinar: Using Etext to Support Reading and Writing with Janet Ragan

About Us – Experts in Educational and Assistive Technology – Professional team with extensive experience in the fields of Education, AAC and Technology – Quality products – Professional development founded on best practices – Service in both English and French – Dedicated to the principles of UDL and DI

Vision To provide a wide offering of solutions that will facilitate successful participation in all areas of life. To promote awareness of technology and the impact that it has on individuals with varying needs. To promote successful implementation of technology through professional development programs (that increase knowledge, skill and application of assistive technology).

WRITING, READING NUMERACY ESL and ELL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION ACCESS ACCESSIBLE CURRICULUM TOOLS FOR LIVING AND PLAY SKILL BUILDING RESOURCE MATERIALS Our Products

Conferences Workshops Bridges Learning Series Individual or Small Group Training Coaching Webinars Implementation Professional Development

Wikis! Wikis provide a space for sharing information Connecting to others Updating information as it changes Janet’s Wiki:

What is etext? Leeds Electronic Text Centre Definition: Etext is electronic text presented as textual information, held in a form which can be formed, displayed or otherwise manipulated by electronic means.

Where can you get etext for your students? ARC-BC Arthursclassicnovels.com Kurzweil Classic Literature CD Manybooks.net Project Gutenburg Questia Scanned and saved into your computer with OCR capabilites Copy and paste or Kesi Print from other websites

Copyright considerations and ARC BC Considerations for copyright and students who are eligible for alternate formats of text. **Note that of this document will be on the Wiki for you to use and look at when ever you would like.

What you can do with etext? – re-size font and change the spacing – Level the reading reducing the amount of text – highlight key information – Translate and lookup words with electronic dictionaries –transform into synthetic speech –change etext to MP3 format – Copy and paste text into other applications – Add links to websites and key words

Formats that are Supported by SOLO Rtf, txt,pdf, opf, xml, html

Kurzweil 3000 File Supported Formats Kurzweil 3000 files scan into the program as Kesi files. Kurzweil also prints Into a Kesi Format

Which software pieces will we use? Read:OutLoud Software for ReadingSoftware for Writing Co:Writer Inspiration Draft:Builder Kurzweil 3000 Write:OutLoud

Before -During –After Reading Strategies Activate prior knowledge Make connections to what you already know Build background knowledge Vocabulary Make predictions Ask Questions Establish a purpose Before Visualize Reflect & monitor comprehension Self questioning Find answers Main ideas and supporting details Take notes Map out information During Review Paraphrase Summarize Edit/revise Use post-reading questions Discuss what was learned Show what was learned in various ways After

Activate Background Knowledge Before Reading Activate background knowledge by showing images, a video, holding discussions or having students write and illustrate what they already know about a topic. In this example, Recycling from-around-the-world.php?page=1

Before Reading Strategies Prepare student for reading by activating their prior knowledge, making predictions about new learning and organizing for learning SQ4R strategy and the KWL Surveying the document Creating an Outline - –Main ideas and supporting ideas –Headings and subheadings Identify and define new vocabulary Establishing pre-reading questions

During Reading Strategies Support comprehension by making connections, generating questions and finding answers - Kurzweil ExampleKurzweil Example Read the text to find answers to pre-reading questions Recording notes and answers - Looking up new words or terms that are unclear Synthesizing, reflecting, visualizing

After Reading Strategies Connect old and new information and summarize what has been learned Collecting notes Reviewing notes Paraphrasing and summarizing notes, drawing Editing and revising

Technology Tools for Active Reading Read tools Highlighters Text Extraction Note taking tools (e.g. sticky notes, footnotes, concept mapping) Reference tools (dictionary or thesaurus) Page navigation tools

Reference Tools: Dictionary/Thesaurus Kurzwei 3000 SOLO The Dictionary and the Thesaurus are available to students to actively look up a word while reading.

Highlighters/Extraction Kurzweil 3000 Highlight and Extraction Features: highlight text extract highlights, read highlights separately use highlights in graphic organizer Read:OutLoud

Notetaking Tools Kurzweil 3000 Features teachers can access : Kurzweil: Sticky Notes, Voice Notes, Footnotes SOLO and Kurzweil: Highlight and extract tools are available in both - Notes feature in Read:OutLoud and Draft:Builder SOLO

How does using etext benefit your teaching practice? Access to projection units allow teachers to teach with etext (See Blake Middle School) We model the use of etext in our teaching practice and in whole class instructions Teaching truly becomes UDL as the text can be printed, read aloud, manipulated, sent home or posted on a website

Next Webinar and Homework! Our next webinar is Monday January 24 th, At 2pm For homework: 1.Please take a look at the ARC BC site and check out the support resources available to you

Homework…. 2. Watch the Blake Middle School Video and write down a couple of ideas of how you could incoporate etext into your teaching practice. 3. Decide whether this will be a large group instruction lesson or for small group instruction 4. Select a topic of interest to you and/or your students 5. Select a reading strategy to accompany any etext you have found on this topic.(SQ4R, KWL,

Summary Technology provides tools for implementing active reading strategies and implementing UDL in our classroom instruction Active reading strategies require discrete instruction Technology can be an accommodation allowing students access to reading and a place to practice active reading strategies with appropriate supports