reflection #3

Today in class we had the opportunity to play with Kurzweil. I have used the program before, however, at the time I had no idea what it was capable of! Wow! What a fantastic resource in each and every school. Today, as part of our class, we were to create a lesson for a student of our choice. This is one aspect of my job that I love; working with students, getting to know them , getting used to the way they learn, and learning what they need to be successful in school, then finding the appropriate program for them to use to ensure this success. I must admit, the days I get to visit the Assistive Tech department, I thoroughly enjoy. The programs available to assist various types of learners, if implemented correctly, can truly change the educational career of any student.
In any case, today we spent the day designing a program for a grade 6 student with reading difficulties. As we designed the activities I was amazed at all that the program could do. As teachers, we often start designing an activity with some preconceived notions of what we want the student to accomplish. I found as I was using the Kurzweil program that I was learning new and innovative ways to teach various aspects of the lesson. The "bubble note" feature is so convenient for extra clarification, and for monitoring comprehension. The highlight features, defintions, read-aloud, all fantastic ways of developing independence within a struggling reader. The students have the opportunity to go through a test without constantly asking for clarification. Having taught in a high school, I have found that many children who are struggling readers will not ask for hep when doing assignments or tests. They would rather take a failing grade, then raise their hands, among a group of their peers and ask for clarification. By implementing the various features Kurzweil has available, students can clarify on their own, not only creating more independent test taking, but also encouraging problem solving.