See? Until I started the asssitive technology course, I did not know of Kurzweil, let alone that there might be tutorials. How times have changed!!!
For those of you that do not know, Kurzweil is an amazing computer program that does so many things that will allow and enable students to engage with the curriculum and learn more fully. The computer program does so many things. Initially created to aid the visually impaired, it can be used for a host of items.
One of my classmates in another course was telling me how great the program is, that she uses it at her school and that it is installed on all the computers. What a great thing. Amazing things can happen when you have the knowledge. I can see so many ways I can help students by accessing this program with them and for them. There is some leg work in setting it up, such as scanning documents, if applicable, but it can open up so many worlds for children. A text can be scanned, put on their ipod or mp3 and they can listen to the day's notes. What an enabler this might be for someone who is struggling with science, for instance/
I am hoping to use Kurzweil in the fall, putting science and biology notes and tests through the program. I am sure there will be a learning curve, but it should work out well in the long run.
iPod Touch: I know I am supposed to write about how I used it every day. Today I did not use it much, because it was down for a large part of the day. I went to the IT department and they fixed me up. They were having some technical glitches around the entire school in the open web part, but once they typed in some snazzy codes and I punched in my student number and password, we were good to go.
One thing I wonder about the iPod, and I guess I will figure that out more as I go along, is how much you can use it when you are not in a wireless area. Can you use it at all? I know you can use some items, as I have - the calculator, for instance. It seems like a bit of a drag to me (or for my students, as that is what I am wondering about). If they live in a non- wireless house, are they not able to use the iPod at all?
Another classmate from the othe course I am taking (Curriculum Practice for Students At Risk - a fantastic course) brought in iPads today for us to look through and play with. She works at the Kings Regional Rehabilitation Centre. They use technology a lot with their clients. She whizzed us through many apps and things that they do. Using the iPod, for example, a client might have directions on how to use the bus, from where to get on, how much money, etc, etc. Great for someone with memory problems. As mentioned by Barbara, my instructor for the Assistive Technology course, using iPods are great ways to be discreet and get information required. Respect and dignity are helped to be maintained. Our whole At Risk class was as awed as we were when Barbara showed us the iPod Touch.
That is it for now. As I close off, I feel prepared for my Live Elluminate webinar tomorrow. Barbara's tutorials are great. They are clear and I can pause when needed to go back and review something she had said. The Kurzweil program seems pretty straighforward to use (this is good). I should hold my tongue, though, until I actually start using it. Lucky for me, I do not have to hold my tongue too long (always hard for the Himsl), as we have our class at 9am. Good night everyone.
