Assistive Technology:
Helpful Programs For ALL Students
Presentation Contents
• This presentation is slightly different from the presentation
that you were a part of
– We included extra slides reminding you of the uses of the programs for
your English classroom.
• Also, be sure to look at the “Notes” sections below the slide
– These often contain the helpful tips that we mentioned
• We also changed a bit of the order of the presentation for the
second group, so for some of you the slides may seem out of
order!
Integrating Assistive Technology
• If you are dealing with reluctant users, it is better to ease
them in.
• Here’s the progression that I often use:
1.
2.
3.
Start with Microsoft Speak until they are build listening to their
responses into their traditional writing routine
Move to WordQ. Be sure to mention that it reads their text (just like
Speak) BUT that it has the prompting options
End with Premier, as it also has the reading and prompting options
that they are used to, BUT it has other fun features
With SMART Ideas, I just build it in as a mandatory part of the
writing process!
Why It Is Important to Use These Programs
• These programs will allow your students to become more
independent writers, readers and planners.
– Once they have become independent, you as the teacher are free to
float and assist with some of the larger writing concepts, conference
with the students about their thesis, and discuss where/how they plan
to prove their arguments.
• Even advanced writers will improve their skills – through the
use of varied vocabularies, listening for that elusive “flow”
and tighter editing skills will only improve their abilities
– And set them up with a skill set for success outside of the classroom
Assistive Technology
• Though these programs were originally intended to help those
with difficulties, WE ALL can benefit from their help
• By incorporating assistive technology into your everyday
expectations and activities, any of your students who require
OR should really be using it, will feel more welcome to its use
– Teens are VERY aware of what their peers are doing and if they are the
‘only ones’ they may not use the program, even if they require it
Today’s Programs
• We are featuring how to use the basics of:
– Premier’s Talking Word Processor
– SMART Ideas 5
• Please note that this program will eventually be no longer supported by
SMART software. There are currently other online versions (Poplet &
Prezi) that you can use as well.
– Microsoft Speak
– Word Q
• This is available for home use. Check out the PDF which walks the student
through on how to install at home
– Great way to get the students to ‘buy-in’ without their peers noticing!
Premier Technologies & the Classroom
All About the Talking Word Processor
Why Use Premier?
• This program offers the students assistance that will improve
the following skills:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Reading Comprehension
Self-Editing
Word Choice & Vocabulary
Summarizing
Identifying, Classifying and Modifying Data within a Document
And much more!
 It is important to stress that not every student will require the
use of all aspects of Premier
 Let them get comfortable with the program’s basics before introducing
all the features
Areas of Focus
• We are sticking with three sections of the program.
• You can find these sections in the beige tool bar
HOME
STUDYING
WRITING
How to Highlight Text
• Find the beige Studying tab and click on it
• Pick a colour, select the text, and then click on highlight
– To change colour, keep clicking on the icon
– Using the article, highlight the WHO (in blue), WHAT (in green) and
WHY (in yellow)
Extracting Highlighting
• Once you have the
original with BOTH
highlighting colours
– Click EXTRACT HL
• This then places all
highlighted material in a
separate document
– A pop up will keep you
informed as to its
progress
Extracting Highlighting
• What you pick depends
on how you highlighted:
– If colour categories is
important – then group
by colour
• yellow = character;
green = literary device etc
– If you just highlighted
key facts
• Click extract as
highlighted
Summarize
• Click on the Summarize button
– Choose how much – lots of info = at least 50%
– Pick a highlight color different than the one you first used!
– Click summarize
Summarize
• A new document will open, with the summarized text pulled
out into a separate page
• To find the text highlighted by both the student and the
computer:
– Minimize and return to original
Blue = Computer
Yellow = Student
Text-to-Speech
Read entire document:
By putting your cursor at the beginning of your document and clicking this read
icon the computer will read your whole document back to you.
Read highlighted material:
By clicking on this icon the computer will only read the text which you have
highlighted using the highlighter icon
Read selected material:
This icon allows you to highlight with your mouse the text you would like read.
Then click on this icon and it will read only the text you have selected.
Stopping the reading function:
This is the stop icon. It will allow you to stop the computer from continuing to
read to you after you have clicked on the read icon.
Dictionary
• There are two options:
– Double click on any word
• Dictionary will pop up
– Misspell a word
• Dictionary will pop up after you hit space (not enter)
Thesaurus
• To find this button – click on the beige Writing button
• Highlight the word you would like to look up
• Click on the Thesaurus button
– Once again, when you click on the word it will read it
– If you click READ after choosing the word, it will read the entire
definition to you
Word Prediction
• To turn on Word Prediction
– Click on the beige Writing tab
When the P is
visible, it is on
When the X is
visible, it is off
As you type, a
blue framed box
will appear with
your options
By clicking on the
Predict Opt. icon
you can change
your options
Looking for Key Words
• Under the Studying tab
– Click on the Find button
– This feature scans your doc for a specific word
Looking for Key Words
• Pop- up:
– If you do not want the search to be case sensitive, uncheck
the box
• Results won’t be separated out, but rather highlighted in gray.
– Now student can quickly move from page to page
Writing Stats
• Click on icon, and a pop up will appear
– Your text has now been analyzed
– What does it give us:
• Flesch-Kincaid Grade level AND ease of reading level
• Word count
• Sentence length
• Use of unique words
• Word occurrence amounts
Writing Stats
• If you would like to
quickly find any of the
words that appear on
your occurrences list
– Click the word, choose
the color, and then
highlight all words
– Can now quickly scan
through and find them
Inserting Text Methods
• From the Internet:
– Copy and paste the information into Word
– Get rid of the pictures – when you paste – choose keep text only
• Open the Word document within Premier
– OR:
• Copy and paste unformatted text from a Word doc
Creating Text
• As it is called a Word Processor, typing is an option.
– You can type into and over any text within the processor.
– Just like Microsoft Word, you can make use of Spell Check, Dictionary,
Thesaurus, and text-to-speech options.
Other Premier Programs
• Worksheet wizard will be helpful for those that deal in PDFs.
• Interested? Talk to us after the presentation
SMART Ideas 5 & the Classroom
Electronic Concept Mapping & Essay Planning
Why Use SMART Ideas?
• This program offers the students assistance that will improve the
following skills:
– Understanding the Components of Particular Written Responses
– Learning the Writing Process
– Taking Ideas From ‘Space’ & Getting Them On Paper
 I like tend to use this program as a class first
 We brainstorm all of the components that belong in that particular writing
response
 From something as simple as a standard paragraph, to a final 4U level essay
 Then we arrange them (as a class) into a usable, labelled & detailed
template
 Students then have access to the template for later, individual responses
• Electronic concept mapping
• Show hiearchial thought
processes
• Can be used as an essay
builder
• Extract into Microsoft Word
for quick use
• Combines pictures and text
SMART
Ideas 5
Feature of SMART Ideas
• This program has many templates that are already created, and
they vary in subject and function
– Spend some time clicking through them all
• Just because they are labelled as “Science Lab Report” doesn’t mean that they
won’t fit into your ENG3C Memoire writing unit!
• As a reminder:
– You can insert pictures in 9copy & paste via Google Image search)
• However, unless the student attached some written description to the picture,
when you switch to Outline view, there will be no text associated with that
image!
• I tend to introduce this program early on in the year (through class
brainstorming & template creation)
– It seems to produce the most buy-in when I use this process
Copy the
information into
your blank
template!
Uses in the Classroom
• You can use SMART Ideas to create templates and planners
– As a class brainstorm what belongs in a paragraph , essay, or news
report
– As a class you can use whatever level of terminology that you require
of them to build an accurate template
– Students can then access the template for future use, allowing them
to be more independent writers!
Creating Concept Maps
• Outline view takes the
text from your diagram
and organizes it
according to the
relationships you
created using
directional arrows
EXPORT
• SMART Ideas will send both your diagram and your outline to
Microsoft Word
– The diagram will show as a picture
– The outline will be able to be edited within the document
• Directions:
– Click on File, and then Export to Microsoft Word document
– Check the necessary boxes:
Try creating your own version of this below. It involves using colour,
and switching to different line styles. You will also have to drag shapes
to different places so that all text is visible.
Microsoft Speak & the Classroom
Word as a Text-to-Speech Program
•Text-to-speech ability
•Works in EVERY
Microsoft program:
Word, Excel,
PowerPoint,
OneNote, etc.
Microsoft
Speak
Why Use Microsoft Speak?
• This program offers the students assistance that will improve the
following skills:
– Reading Comprehension
– Self-Editing Skills
 It is a great idea to start with this program FIRST, and here’s why:
 It is NOT a separate program, just a button & one they can access at home
 Most students will listen to music while they work, so no peer will
recognize that they paused their tunes to listen to their story
 I skim through their work on the screen and count how many errors I can
see. Most of the time they are unaware of them. Then I USE Speak to get
it to read the first few errors
 They tend to see them right away. Turn it into a challenge – can they ‘hear’
the rest?
Turning Microsoft Speak On
• File →Options → Quick
Access Tool Bar
• All Commands → Speak
→ Add → OK
• Now you should notice
a speech bubble on the
top left hand corner of
your screen.
Using Microsoft Speak
• Highlight the text you would like it to read and click
the speech bubble
• If you need it to stop, click the speech bubble while it
is speaking, and it will stop
• Speak should now be activated from now on,
however, from time to time you may need to reactivate it
WordQ 3 & the Classroom
Word Prompting & Test-to-Speech Software
• Text-to-speech ability
• Word prediction
• Sentence prompting
• Definition (verbal) of
common words
• Reads Word documents,
internet & SOME PDFs
WordQ 3
Why Use WordQ 3?
• This program offers the students assistance that will improve
the following skills:
– Word Choice & Vocabulary
– Reading Comprehension
– Self-Editing
 I like tend to use this program after they become competent
with Speak
 Students can tailor the options to their individual needs
 It has the ability to be used at home, without peers noticing
 See last slides on how to install @ home
Opening WordQ 3
• Next → Canadian
Advanced → Next →
Next
• Helpful tip:
– Pick advanced as it
generates from a larger
vocabulary pool than the
intermediate version
Running WordQ 3
• Type your name and then
click on Save
• This is the toolbar and
prompt box
• Selecting Options and
then Prediction will allow
you to change how your
prediction box appears
Running WordQ 3
• Another option is to
change the voice and
pace
– Recommendations:
• Graham – quite British –
great for Shakespeare!
• Lucy – quite British
• Ryan – best non-British
male voice
• Heather – best nonBritish female voice
Pick out a
reading speed
and voice that
works for you!
WARNING!
• Currently WordQ 3 is experiencing technical
difficulties.
• All aspects of the program are working EXCEPT
the voices.
– Use Speak to read the text until IT finishes the “patch”
they are working on.
– Once patch is complete, WordQ 3 will once again “read”
WordQ 3
• Works as an auto-correct, word prompter & selector, and textto-speech reader.
• Program box:
–
–
–
–
Options – where you can make changes
Words – activates prompt box
Speech – acts as a mute button
Read – reads the selected text out loud
• FAQ:
– Why is there no sound? - Click the Speech button
– Where’s the box? – Click the Words button
Prompt box
• Hover over word
– It will it say out loud
• See a grey diamond?
– Hover over it for a list of synonyms
• See a grey triangle?
– It will use the word (normally a homonym) in a sentence to help select
correct word
• Within the prompt box there are numbers in front of suggested
words
– You can click to word OR press the # to insert
Read Function
• WordQ 3 will read any text that is in:
– A webpage
– Microsoft Word
• When in Microsoft Word – follow the same steps as Speak:
– Highlight & click Read
• A grey box will appear and surround each word as it reads.
• When on a webpage:
– Highlight the text you want read and click read
• Don’t select the entire webpage
Closing WordQ 3
• Please note that it is INCREDIBLY important to save your
WordQ file
Installing WordQ At Home
A Parent’s Guide
Step 1:
Go to this website
http://www.goqsoftware.com/
Click here to change to Canada.
Step 2:
Now click on TRY
Step 3
Now click on
Download 30 day
trial
Step 4:
If you get this warning click No.
Step 5:
•
Choose the
appropriate selection
bases on what your
operating system is on
your computer and
what kind of computer
you have.
•
Then choose the
appropriate language
either leave it or if you
want French then
change to Canadian
French.
•
Then click on next.
Step 6:
Fill out all of your information then
click on Next.
Step 7:
•
Click on
Download.
•
After download is
complete that is
when you can
enter your
activation code to
keep the product.
•
The code is
15256
28092
24
Running WordQ
1.
2.
3.
4.
Have the student
log into a
computer using
their network
login.
Go to the start
menu (bottom left
of screen).
Go to All programs
Go to Word Q
(should have a pic
of a red Q next to
it)
Running WordQ
1. When it opens it will look
like this…..
2. Click on Next
1. Then this screen will appear……
Running WordQ
2. Choose English (Canadian) or
Francais (Canadian) if you
would like to use for your
French classes.
Running WordQ
• Click on Canadian Advanced or
Intermediate. The difference is the
number of words in each
dictionary. Advanced has more
words. Click on the one you would
like to use then click on Next.
Running WordQ
• Click on Next.
Running WordQ
• Where it says File name:
Please remove the *.wdq
and type your name there
then click on Save.
Running WordQ
• Your profile is now created
and you can use the
program. You will have this
screen remain in the corner
of your screen. You can
click and drag it to a
different location on the
screen.
Need More Help?
ONE LAST TIP:
Just remember when you
are exiting Word Q if it
asks you to save changes
ALWAYS say yes
• Word Q provides wonderful
training videos which I
would recommend
watching if you have any
questions.
• They will provide you with
step by step instructions.
– http://www.goqsoftware.co
m/en/learning-center/videotutorials/wordq-videotutorials/wordq-videotutorials/