I can't help but join this discussion for just a minute-- I think Glenn referred to the Kurzweil system a while back--another screen reader of many levels of sophistication. I have trained students on it -- students with LD, not necessarily ESL-- and they have found it exceptionally helpful.?? It is used at Curry College , which has a program for students with LD within the College (PAL) --in that program students are trained as someone suggested, to use the Kurzweil just like a calculator-- just another tool.? They can, with arrangements the PAL program helps them make, bring tests to be read on the Kurzweil, and of course have all their text books and papers read on it.? Many of the students in that program have significant learning challenges-- and without such technology would never make it at college.?? 

Landmark College in Putney VT also uses it, last I knew.? ( Landmark is a college ONLY for college students with LD).? One of the faculty there had developed an excellent technique using the Kurzweil for teaching/improving reading skills-- a use which is over and above the intended purpose of merely having text read outloud to learners who really need it.? 

Among its many advantages are that it has a large choice of voices that read, speed is adjustable, it will highlight by word, phrase, sentence or paragraph as it reads, it will read words by syllable or phoneme when the word is moused over, it has a great dictionary feature which was getting better all the time, and it has a variety of tools such as sticky notes, highlighting or moving passages for creation of reviews or tests, and on and on.? Its study skill applications are heaven sent for LD learners-- 

Last I knew, the company had CD's with many standard pieces of literature already scanned on and was expanding to text books.?? 

For a while I was exploring use of the Kurzweil with ESL students- I still think it has terrific possibilities since academic English is always so time consuming to learn to read and understand-- with the dictionary feature, students can study textbooks or literature with much less effort, plus they can profit from having words pronounced and phrasing modeled. ? Also,? I am currently studying issues around ESOL learners who are pre-literate/non-literate, and it has come to my attention a couple of times that even when such adult learners become adequately literate, they process information better orally--what could be better than having software read their assignments or the newspaper or even pleasure books to them?  

Last I knew, Kurzweil had a range of products-- from a basic system that you download to the computer and use with a scanner for reading your own things, to the much more elaborate versions with lots of pre-scanned materials.?? Almost every conference concerned with learning in some way or another has an exhibit.? 

BUT as with any technology, one needs thorough training in using it to its fullest advantage.? Kurzweil also provides excellent support and training.?? 


 
I don't hear about it much-- but it sure is worth looking into.? Students do really well with it.?? It is especially useful for schools where it can be installed in a number of computers.?? 

Kurzweil actually produces many way more technologically complex products not related to education directly--so when you find the site you may be wondering whether it is the right place.? It is.?? 

Robin Lovrien Schwarz 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Schneider-Erger <lschneider at tmcc.edu>
To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov
Sent: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 3:21 pm
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 1938]   Re: Screen Readers













Text Aloud has a number of good features.? Students can type their paper into the program and then click on Speak and it will read it to them.? If a text book comes with a CD, you can load it into the program and it will read the book to you.? Here is a web link to find out all about it: nextuptech.com/TextAloud/.? 


?


Our literacy students use it when they want to self check their writing.? It is very easy to use and the cost varies depending on the user.


?


Hope that helps everyone out,


?


Linda Schneider-Erger


>>> On 4/10/2008 at 12:25 PM, <RKenyon721 at aol.com> wrote:






Hi Linda,


?


Thanks for sharing.? Can you tell us more about Text Aloud?? How do your students use it?? What kinds of students most benefit from it?? Is it easy to learn?? ?What was the cost?


?


?


Rochelle




?




Rochelle Kenyon
Moderator, NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee
RKenyon721 at aol.com?
?
To post a message: 
Learningdisabilities at nifl.gov 
?
To subscribe: 
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/LearningDisabilities
?
To read archived messages:
http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/learningdisabilities/2008/date.html


?


?



?


We have Text Aloud on our computers at Truckee Meadows Community College.


?


Linda Schneider-Erger 

lschneider at tmcc.edu?



?










Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.


 





----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Learning Disabilities mailing list
LearningDisabilities at nifl.gov
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to 
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/learningdisabilities
Email delivered to robinschwarz1 at aol.com



 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/learningdisabilities/attachments/20080410/efe270e9/attachment.html