Technology to Support Struggling WritersKaren Monfort, MS, OTR/L, ATPChrista Prati, MA CCC-SLPMary Jo Wendling, MS, OTR/L

Learning Objective

Parents will learn about some simple and free technology resources that can support struggling writers. We will look at resources that support dictation, spelling, organization and grammar. We will cover various platforms available to students in Dublin Schools including iPads, Apple Computers and Chromebooks.

Dublin Considerations

● We are an Apple District and Google District so the tools that we will be looking at today may be specific to those platforms

● Many of the settings are also available in other platforms but we will not have time to review those today

● Every Dublin Student has an e-mail address and Google account

Supportive Tools Now Common

Many tools that were once considered specialized assistive technology are now commonly available and used by many as a regular part of the electronic world.

● Dictation● Word Prediction

Writing Difficulties

Students can have difficulty with writing for many reasons. A few:

● Motor Control for handwriting or keyboarding● Spelling● Grammar● Organization and Planning● Fluency

Speech to Text● Also called Dictation● Some research indicates that dictation can be a good option for maintaining writing

fluency for students who struggle with speed of keyboarding or handwriting.● Has become commonplace in technology● Siri● Can be used to support students who have trouble with spelling● Not a perfect solution, still need to be able to edit and recognize errors.● Google Voice Typing● Accessibility Settings on Computer● For many, must have generally clear speech which can be a barrier for some students

Word PredictionWord prediction is an "intelligent" word processing feature that can alleviate writing breakdowns for a range of students simply by reducing the number of keystrokes necessary for typing words.

Co:Writer 7 is available for any student to download and install on their home computer. Go to the Student Dashboard to download.

Google Apps for Education● Powerful tools● Many Tools are free or have a free version● MUST use Chrome Browser if on a computer● Chromebook automatically links● Added Apps and extensions must be added to Google Account● If student logs in to their Google account and links their data, these supports

are available on ANY machine, ANYWHERE● Some may have iPad apps; many do not

Chrome Apps and Extensions and Add-Ons● Claro Speak (A)● SAS Writing Navigator (A)● Grammarly (E)● Kami (E)● g(math) (AO)● Easy Bibliographer (AO)

Webbing/Graphic OrganizersMindomo

MindMup 2.0

NotetakingMic Note

PDF Annotation

iOS Devices● Turning On/Off Predictive Text● Alternate Keyboards

○ http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-iphone-keyboard-apps/

○ In Settings -->General -->Keyboard -->Keyboards -->Add New Keyboard

○ Smart Keys (free)○ Gboard (free)○ Paid Keyboards have more features

ResourcesChrome Webstore:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions

Apple App Store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/ios/id36?mt=8

iOS Settings and Accesibility:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204390

Mac OS Settings and Accessibility:

www.apple.com/accessibility/mac/