|
In theory, students in a classroom are supposed to be
learning the same things at approximately the same pace. In reality, teachers
know that this is often impossible. Students learn at their own pace, and
this is particularly noticeable when blind, visually impaired or dyslexic
students are integrated into mainstream classrooms. To ensure that everyone
can keep up, teachers reach for assistive technology software - and few products
are as flexible, powerful and cost-effective as TextAloud.
This text-to-speech solution reads computer-based text
aloud in a range of different pleasant, human-like voices. It couldn't be
simpler: any text can be read, ranging from Internet pages and emails to
text documents and eBooks. With the help of assistive technology, students
that previously struggled often feel a sense of real empowerment. They can
now absorb textual information without any help from their teachers, and
can reap the same benefits from their computers as their classmates.
Classroom users of TextAloud have commented on how easy
it is to start using. There is no slow learning curve, and no long, dense
manual to struggle through. Instead, teachers and students alike can simply
highlight the text they want to hear, hit a key, and start listening. Assistive
technology really doesn't get any easier!
It's therefore no surprise that TextAloud is the assistive technology program of choice in so many schools. The Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency uses it to help students listen and learn, and Program Support Teacher JoEllen Waddell is very happy with it:
"TextAloud is definitely the 'on-the-go' program for students
with disabilities," comments Waddell. TextAloud's flexibility turns text
into an easy to export sound file for listening anywhere, whether on a
laptop, portable music player, or home PC. "With so many of our kids having
iPods and iTunes, their ability to download and organize such information
is truly child's play," adds Waddell. "Now they can listen to chapters, review
daily notes, and review for tests on their own time and in their own preferred
study environments." To read more about how TextAloud is used by this Wisconsin
teacher, please click
here.
|
