First we had a tutorial on a few extra Apps and setting features. We were shown Scribd, the zoom, invert colours and speak selection settings, but I especially liked the use or Readiris since it's price has come down quite drastically from $37.99 to $4.99!! This App needs to be used with the assistance of ClaroPDF to work with the text and this App is only $2.99. So both of these Apps can now be purchased for under $10 to scan text and make it extremely accessible.
The other App that I really like is Navidys. It is a web browser for only $2.99 and it allows students to change line and letter spacing as well as change the font. The most exciting part about this is the dyslexie font is available. This app is hugely important for students with LD, especially since this App allows the student to work online in a way that looks the same to others.
I really enjoyed being shown the Guided Access setting on the iPad. This would be essential to ensure that a student is staying on task by restricting them from exiting the App intended for their independent work.
I'm still plugging away at learning how to optimize the bloggesphere. I will hopefully be successful with inserting more images, however, I find it very cumbersome that I cannot access the pictures I have directly on my device.
We just started working on our AT for Reluctant Readers iTunesU course. I really wanted to work with a group of people who were working at a similar grade level as I am so the document will be authentically useful once I return to school. Here's hoping tomorrow proves to be more successful because right now I feel overwhelmed with the amount of work we are needing to accomplish tomorrow. Until then!
Hi Liz! Great blog! I like how you have inserted some of the pictures and videos from our classes. Don't worry about not being well-versed in reading pedagogy and learning disabilities - I somehow became an elementary school teacher without a single course on reading! Thankfully our board has made it up with intensive PD support.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned your adjustable chair would be to have a class where all the students are working on their iPads, each with the appropriate app to make the content accessible. I would say that time is coming sooner rather than later...I would not be at all surprised if we have an iPad for every student within the next five years. I have concerns about this though: what about the environmental effects of this many iPads, all with limited shelf lives? And what about concerns that students already have too much screen time, without incorporating more screen time into their classrooms?
Thanks for the comments Kate! I completely agree that there are concerns with having rooms swimming with iPads. There will be a lot of obsolete hardware to manage after your projected influx. At this point in time, these devices and their operating systems seem to be deemed out of date before they are even released. I will be sure to check out you blog to give you some feedback also! :)
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