Adaptive Technology Paper

Mary Beth Bracy

An adaptive technology that I learned about at the Student Support Services Center is the

Kurzweil Reader. This technology includes a screen reader to scan material, in addition to

software which translates, displays and reads aloud the material that has been scanned. The

scanned material may be saved and e-mailed to students (e.g. with another program called

JAWS). According to the patent for Kurzweil, it also contains special interactive features. For

instance, the user may highlight a particular piece of text which the program will read aloud, or

the user may place their mouse on an image for which the machine will provide an audio

description. Different computer voices are available for the user to select.

In their book Adaptive Technology for Special Human Needs, Arlene Brett and Eugene F.

Provenzo, Jr. include the observations of Carrie Seigenthaler, a 26-year-old woman who is

visually impaired. Reflecting on her educational experience in light of adaptive technologies,

Seigenthaler shares:

When you can see and correct your own mistakes, you really learn. The Kurzweil
Personal Reader would also have been a great help. It only weighs about fourteen pounds
and folds out like a lap top printer or copier. You lay out the book on a piece of plexiglass
and the copier reads it. You hear this wonderful voice. That, in itself, would have opened
up a library to me. I could have been part of the class. And I could have used an
earphone, so I wouldn’t have had to disturb the class. When the other kids were learning
to read and comprehend, I could have been part of that process instead of always having
to leave and go to the resource room (p. 69).

Seigenthaler’s experience provides important insights regarding the need to always strive to use

the most up-to-date technologies to accommodate students, as well as the importance of inclusive

classrooms where all students are provided the same learning opportunities regardless of possible

learning challenges.
 The Kurzweil Reader and/or The Kurzweil Personal Reader may also be a useful learning

tool to students with various learning disabilities, since it would provide them with the

opportunity to review information before or after it is covered at their own pace and in a new

way. As discussed in class, some students prefer to use adaptive technologies differently than

others. Some students thrive when they work unaided and others may prefer some assistance. If a

student prefers to use an adaptive technology independently in the classroom, this could be

coordinated to take place when other students are also working on individual assignments. If a

student requires help in using an adaptive technology during class, I would generally have the

technology set-up before class. However, the first time that the student used the technology—if

they were comfortable with the idea—I would set it up during class and use it as an opportunity

to teach about a new technology.

Although critics may say that the use of adaptive technologies in a classroom is too time

consuming or creates distractions, studies show that students learn differently. In addition to

aiding visually impaired students in a classroom, the Kurzweil Reader would be a useful tool to

help incorporate different learning styles. In their article “Learning styles/teaching styles: Should

the… can they…be matched?,” Rita and Kenneth Dunn, explain:

We have found that only between 20 and 30 percent of school age youngsters appear to
be auditory; that is, they learn and remember what they hear. Approximately 40 percent
are visual, with the remaining 30 to 40 percent being either tactual/kinesthetic,
visual/tactual, or some combination of these four major senses. If it is true that 90 percent
of all instruction is conducted through either lecture or lecture-discussion, it is no wonder
that so few students achieve as well as we believe they should (p. 240).

Since the majority of students learn in diverse ways, utilizing an adaptive technology such as the

Kurzweil Reader in class—for interactive lessons and discussions—may help foster an

atmosphere of differential learning.

 For instance, I may use the Kurzweil Reader to scan a picture book with poetic language.

After I save the information to my USB Flash Drive, it may be retrieved and displayed on the

smart board. Then, I may use the information to teach the whole class about literary devices.

Students will be invited to use the mouse to highlight examples of repetition, similes, metaphors,

etc., which the computer will read aloud. Additionally, students will be asked to point to pictures

that reflect other concepts (e.g. personification or the author’s meaning), which the computer will

also describe.

If properly used, adaptive technologies will enhance classroom learning and develop an

inclusive atmosphere. This will enable students to be better prepared, not only with new

technology, but also in working with others. It is crucial for educators to familiarize themselves

with these resources so that they may become advocates for their students and integrate

differentiated instruction in their classrooms.

 References

Brett, A. & Provenzo, Jr., E. F. (1995). Adaptive Technology for Special Human Needs. Albany,
NY: State University of New York:

Dunn, R., & Dunn, K. (1979). Learning styles/teaching styles: Should the… can they…be
matched? Educational Leadership, 36(4), 240.

Kurzweil, R. C., & Bhathena, F. Reading system which reads aloud from an image
representation of a document. Retrieved September 30, 2010 from
http://www.google.com/patents?
id=LjR8AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q=mouse&f=false