“Listening to Learn” Google Group topic

[Karen N]

Last week, Bookshare Mentor Teachers’ Google Group members were invited to attend a live webinar titled “Listening to Learn: Auditory Strategies for Literacy and Education Success.” This webinar, presented by Perkins eLearning in collaboration with Bookshare, was a kick-off event for promoting a conversation about the issues we encounter regarding the use of Bookshare with students.  If you missed the live webinar, you can view it and download the materials at: http://www.perkinselearning.org/videos/webinar/listening-to-learn

 

As Bookshare Mentor Teachers, we have wonderful opportunities to make a difference in how we support other educators with Bookshare and meet the literacy needs of students with print disabilities. As the moderator of this “Listening to Learn” topic (and, hopefully, many other topics within the next year), I encourage you to participate actively in this conversation. The purpose of this discussion forum is to share ideas, strategies, techniques, resources, classroom experiences, and ask questions of each other regarding Bookshare implementation in our schools.

 

To begin our discussion around the “Listening to Learn” theme, I would like us to think about how the auditory features of assistive technology tools can enhance our students’ literacy skills. Many of us are teaching students to use technology with auditory supports for reading Bookshare books and other digital media, such as text-to-speech software, braille devices with voice output, programs that integrate large print with speech output, DAISY book players, and MP3 players. Let’s share our experiences and knowledge with each other by responding within this thread to these questions:

 

• How are educators in your schools incorporating audiobooks and digital books into students’ educational programs?
  
• What strategies or techniques do educators in your schools use to teach the use of audio formats to students with print disabilities?

 

I look forward to moderating this conversation and being a part of this dynamic Bookshare Mentor Teachers’ Google Group online discussion. Please join us in this discussion regarding "Listening to Learn." 

[mbuccheri]

Happy Saturday!
In response to: *How are educators in your schools incorporating audiobooks & digital books into students' educational programming?
One of my roles as a reading specialist & special education teacher is I am required to conduct student observations for
students who are in the process of 3 year reevaluations. Within mainstream classes, I often observe ELA teachers incorporate
audiobooks by playing a specific chapter or act from literature. Students then work in groups to interpret what was played.

*What strategies or techniques do educators in your schools use to teach the use of audio formats with print disabilities?
There are educators at the high school & vocational school where I teach who utilize MP3 players and the use of audio
books w/lap tops, iPads, cell phones. However, I am not familiar with specific strategies or techniques that are used with
students who have print disabilities. It is most likely that strategies & techniques are provided in students' IEPs or 504 plans.
I will soon be meeting a student 1:1 who is a Bookshare member with a visual impairment. He is currently failing 3 mainstream
classes and has not been using Bookshare. I will be working with him directly to show how Bookshare will help him complete
his academic reading assignments.

[min...@hammontonschools.org]

[min...@hammontonschools.org]

Presently in my school the use of audio texts is very limited.  I am hoping this will change soon with the school having me take these courses to learn more about Bookshare.

[Julie Ituarte]

How are educators in your schools incorporating audiobooks and digital books into students’ educational programs?

Many of the schools I go to use Bookshare, learning ally, daisy devices, APPs such as read2go, goread, Google extensions, and Braille display devices to access digital or audio books.

What strategies or techniques do educators in your schools use to teach the use of audio formats to students with print disabilities?

Some of the techniques to develop listening skills include games such as riddles or listening to fun directions to follow. Some other techniques I have observed is to listen for a specific word or phrase, or listening to a short section of text and re-tell in own words. I am not sure these are specific strategies with official names but techniques I have observed special education teachers or TVIs do when working with a student that may allow him/her to practice listening skills.

[all...@newmarket.k12.nh.us]

Hi,

• How are educators in your schools incorporating audiobooks and digital books into students’ educational programs?
  

At this point, access is being incorporated into IEPs and 504 plans as both an accommodation and some goals for using and submitting work with various devices and apps. Some teachers download novels and texts for students to access on IPads and Chrome books.

• What strategies or techniques do educators in your schools use to teach the use of audio formats to students with print disabilities?

This is an area I feel our district needs to improve upon. Currently, students with visual perceptual skills deficits work with our OT to learn Speech to Text strategies. Our students with vision impairments work with itinerant TVI's to gain skills.  The district hired an outside AT consultant last year to train a particular student's team (student had a strong parent advocate) and the student to use Bookshare and features of Google Read, Write Gold to make print more accessible. 

[nancy.knight]

These are very good questions, and as I become better trained in Bookshare I am thinking about how I can bring in auditory reading and learning to a greater extent.  As a TVI, part of what I do when I do an evaluation on a student is to do a Learning Media Assessment (LMA) along with a Functional Vision Assessment.  This is when I determine whether a student is an auditory, visual, or tactual learner.  Many students use a combination of approaches.  Now, when I find that a student is an auditory learner either as a primary or secondary learning channel, I am going to work harder to bring in the auditory reading piece.  I think that it has taken some time, but auditory reading  for information is going to become more and more important, and I am going to have to take a large role in getting training and implementation going in the schools I visit.  Many schools don't have anything in place for auditory learning yet.

On Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9:14:17 AM UTC-5, Karen Narvol wrote:

On Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9:14:17 AM UTC-5, Karen Narvol wrote:

[Megan O'Brien]

Currently, the college I am working at is using Bookshare but it is very limited.  I am excited to expand the use of Bookshare.  Kurzweil is the only tool being accessed.  Bookshare is compatible with so many different tools including tools for the iphone, ipod, ipad, mac and PC computers.  I am excited to have the opportunity to share ALL of the amazing tools once the students are back on campus 

On Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9:14:17 AM UTC-5, Karen Narvol wrote:

[Chad Counts]

 Our school district is a bit behind in understanding/identifying students with a print disability, and then supporting them to be independent with things like Bookshare. At the present moment, they prefer to read content themselves, which I point out is not pushing towards independence. That's kind of where we are so I'm trying to build capacity to just identify first and then move forward with support slowly. It's a process. 

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Chad Counts MAT, NBCT
Assistive Technology Teacher Specialist
chad_...@charleston.k12.sc.us
Charleston County School District

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten"

[Debbie Campbell]

Chad, have you looked into uPAR?  This assessment/protocol shows students, teachers, and parents their reading potential with text-to-speech.  It is so empowering to a student to see that they can often read grade levels above their independent reading level which is a great motivator to use the tool.  It has shifted the conversation from what they cannot do to what they are capable of doing.  

Debbie

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[Chad Counts]

Yes, we trialed 3 schools last year and it was awesome! We just got a 3 year license so I'll start mass trainings this school year....... 

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