Students with Cognitive Difficulties

These software tools can assist students with reading and writing difficulties.
Considering that reading and writing are the two main focus skills in the high school
English classroom, this software would be very valuable as a tool for students with
cognitive difficulties to access and use to complete the majority of the assignments.




Read&Write literacy software solutions for the Desktop and iPad help struggling
readers and writers, students with learning disabilities, and English Language
Learners access the support tools they need at school, work, or home.
http://www.texthelp.com/North-America/Our-products/Readwrite/Features-PC

WordTalk is for students with reading and writing difficulties, having text reinforced by
hearing it read aloud can be very useful. WordTalk is a free text-to-speech plugin
developed for use with all versions of Microsoft Word (from Word 97 up to Word 2013).
Siting neatly in the Microsoft Word toolbar it is highly configurable. It will speak the text
of the document and will highlight it as it goes. http://www.wordtalk.org.uk/Home/

Students with Physical Difficulties

With these two assistive software packages, students who have limited or no control
of their extremities can still use the hardware and software to utilize a computer to
write papers, do online research and produce assignments in high school English
classes.


Dragon Naturally Speaking- This speech recognition software assists students with
physical disabilities, especially those who do not have use of their hands for
keyboarding or other input devices. It provides greater independence, eliminates the
need for a dictation buddy, and helps students keep pace with their peers.
http://www.nuance.com/dragon/index.htm




HeadMouse Extreme replaces the standard computer mouse for people who
cannot use or have limited use of their hands when controlling a computer or
alternative device. The HeadMouse translates natural movements of a user's head
into directly proportional movements of the computer mouse pointer, so as the user
moves their head the mouse pointer on the screen also moves. The HeadMouse has a
wireless optical sensor which tracks a tiny disposable target that is worn by the user
in a convenient location on their forehead, glasses, hat, etc. It works just like a
computer mouse, with the mouse pointer being moved by the motion of the user's
head. http://www.orin.com/access/headmouse/


Students with Sensory Difficulties
These two software packages can assist students with visual disabilities navigate and
interact online. These assistive technologies will allow them to see and hear what on
the screen proving them the opportunity to do research, utilize instructional software
and collaborate with classmates in the high school English classroom.


iZoom Screen Magnifier & Reader- iZoom can enlarge everything on the computer
screen, change colors, read web pages using natural sounding voices and has other
features to help the user. Specific adaptive features include screen magnification up to
36X normal, different zooming modes, color enhancement, font smoothing, Smart align
(aligns text without shifting page), and other enhancements to help the visually
impaired student. http://issist1.com/newwordpress/?page_id=93

Fire Vox Talking Browser screen reader: A FREE open source talking browser
extension for the Firefox web browser. It is a screen reader that is designed especially
for Firefox. In addition to the basic features that are expected of screen readers, such
as being able to identify headings, links, images, etc. and providing navigational
assistance, Fire Vox provides support for MathML and CSS speech module properties. It
also works on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.
http://firevox.clcworld.net/about.html#firevox
Kurzweil 1000
This scan and read software that makes printed or electronic text accessible to people
who are blind or visually impaired. It combines traditional reading machine technologies
such as scanning, image processing, and text-to-speech with communication and
productivity tools to ease and enhance users' reading, writing, and learning
experiences. The software speaks text aloud in a variety of natural-sounding voices that
can be modified to individual preferences. In addition, the software gives users the
ability to write and edit documents, and to complete simple forms independently. It
includes features for note taking, summarizing content, and outlining text.


At-Risk Students
The term at-risk student opens up quite a range of possibilities of what it means to
be at-risk. Some are due to academic difficulties, some due to attendance or
behavior issues, and some because of life circumstances outside of school confines.
The software featured below addresses some of these deficiencies and allows
students to catch up to where they should be. These include reading intervention
software and credit recovery programs.


AND

Fast For Word and SciLearn Reading Assistant are two programs used in my district
for at-risk learners. The Fast ForWord reading intervention program addresses this
challenge by preparing student brains for reading and learning success. The software
develops the processing efficiency that is required of any student to read, listen,
think, and participate successfully in the classroom. Reading Assistant students
receive individualized reading coaching every time they use the software, making the
most of each instructional minute.




Odysseyware provides smarter online curriculum for grades 3-12, with customizable
core, elective and CTE courses, assessment & remediation tools and much more.
Odysseyware is ideal as a stand-alone curriculum or for blended learning, credit
recovery, RTI, alternative and special education, ELL, 1:1 and more.
http://www.odysseyware.com/



Gifted and Talented Students
California Department of Education GATE Resources has a list of hyperlinks to various
resources for gifted and talented students, their parents and educators. Included on
this list among others are:
Stanford University Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY)
Computer-based distance-learning courses for high-ability students of all ages in an
individualized educational experience in a variety of subjects from kindergarten through
advanced-undergraduate.
Destination ImagiNation, Inc.
A program that involves students solving challenges and working cooperatively with a
team to push the limits of imagination.
Odyssey of the Mind
An international educational program that provides creative problem-solving
opportunities for students from kindergarten through college involving regional, state,
and international competitions.