There are some great functions native in Microsoft O365 that assist people to access technology making learning easier.
Explore these great functions native in Microsoft 0365 that assist people to access technology and makes learning easier. Click To TweetNot only can handwriting be converted to text and read to you in OneNote, but the Immersive reader can assist access to the information on your screen. Additionally, the accessibility tool informs you if what you have written is easily accessible to others. Here are 2 things to explore:
On the View tab, in the Document Views group, select Immersive Reader. Your document opens within Immersive Reader. You can do one or more of the following in Immersive Reader, depending on how you want to focus on the content in your document.
1.Immersive Reader
2.Accessibility tool
2.Accessibility tool
Immersive Reader
Immersive reader is native in O365 in Edge Browser, Word and OneNote. What it does is to remove the clutter and adds a layer of interpretation to the text to make it easier to understand and access the information. Immersive Reader removes images from your text so that students are able to focus on the printed information. You can select text for it to read to you. This is excellent for students who struggle with reading for information as it allows them to read along while not being possibly distracted by multiple images.
The ability to show syllables, verbs, nouns and adjectives from any text is also accessed in the immersive reader. When used in Edge, the clutter of the screen is reduced and the main focus of the webpage you are on is isolated, so that there is a clear focus. This is very handy for students who are researching as it reduces distractions.
There is also the ability to use voice to text in the online version of Word and OneNote. The full functionality of immersive reader and voice to text are available on the browser based version of O365 and the latest desktop versions for PC.
To access the immersive reader follow these steps.
In Word
1.Click on the View tab
2.Click on the Learning tools icon
2.Click on the Learning tools icon
The options you have are to:
- Alter the column width
- Change the page colour
- Alter the spacing between the characters
- Show the syllables
- Read aloud the text
OneNote
The learning tools are an add-in that needs to be installed in the desktop version of OneNote. You can access, download and install the learning tools here – https://www.onenote.com/learningtools
When installed
1.Click on the learning tools tab
1.Click on the learning tools tab
In the Immersive Reader in OneNote you can:
- Alter the column width
- Change the page colour
- Alter the spacing between the characters
- Show the syllables, nouns, adjectives and verbs
- Read aloud the text
- Click on nouns to highlight the nouns. You are able to customise the colours on the PC version of OneNote.
The reader will read the text on a page, like read Aloud in Word. In OneNote when you digitally ink on a page, the immersive reader will convert your handwriting to text and read it. This is outstanding for teachers as they can now correct work and leave comments using digital ink and students who need assistance can have the feedback read to them.
OneNote allows teachers to leave handwritten comments on student work using digital ink and then read it to students Click To TweetI see so many applications in this to provide assistance to students of all abilities so that they can access timely feedback, leading to better understanding.
The Dictate function allows you to use the voice to text capacity of OneNote. The room does need to be quiet and you will need an internet connection for this to work well. You can also choose the language that you want to type on screen and it will convert your spoken word to that language. It is not perfect, and some language teachers may want to not have this available to students.
Instead of locking down aspects of technology to convert languages, use it as a learning opportunity to develop students grasp of grammar and vocab. Click To TweetI take a different view to locking out aspects of the learning tools. Turn the tool into a learning opportunity. Ask the students to speak in English and convert to the language they are studying, Then the task is to find the flaws in the conversion and actually do the conversion themselves. To do this they will need a good grasp of grammar and the language they are studying.
In OneNote when you digitally ink on a page, the immersive reader will convert your handwriting to text and read it. This is outstanding for teachers as they can now correct work and leave comments using digital ink and students who need assistance can have the feedback read to them.
OneNote allows teachers to leave handwritten comments on student work using digital ink and then read it to students Click To TweetAccessibility Tool
This is like an automatic proofreader, who looks at what you have written and informs you where the stumbling blocks may be for those with learning issues who may not be able to access the information your have written. I tested this on this blog post while I was writing it and this is what was found. I can now correct the areas of concern and allow better access to the information for all.
The learning tools in Microsoft Word and OneNote help provide a level playing field for those students who struggle with learning whilst opening up a number of learning opportunities.
Dyslexia affects five to 10-percent of the world's population with more than an estimated one in five children affected in the U.S. Dyslexia does not affect intelligence. Renowned physicist Albert Einstein had dyslexia. Pop culture also addressed the stigma of Dyslexia when fictional character Theo Huxtable from the popular 80's sitcom The Cosby Show was diagnosed with the condition.
Dyslexia impacts men and women equally and is found among all demographics and across all social-economic levels. It has a more profound impact, however, in low social-economic communities resulting in higher reading failure rates due to insufficient support. Many school districts don't have the resources or (in my experience as a special education advocate) prefer not to tackle Dyslexia due to the cost of supporting students if the disability is acknowledged.
Microsoft's Immersive Reader, which is incorporated in Microsoft's products and services and found on other platforms, gives school systems and parents the support they need for students with dyslexia without the costs traditional methods would incur.
What is Immersive Reader?
Microsoft's Principal Product Manager for Education, Mike Tholfsen is passionate about education and embraces Microsoft's inclusive design ethos. He believes products should be designed from conception forward with all users in mind, not provided with tacked-on solutions to serve an initially neglected demographic.
Immersive Reader was born from a 2015 Microsoft hackathon project that focused on bringing a dyslexia-focused extension to OneNote. It has since been interwoven into the online, universal, Mac, iPad and desktop versions of OneNote, the online, desktop, Mac, iPad and iPhone versions of Word and the online and desktop versions of Outlook.
Today, Microsoft Learning Tools and Immersive Reader are being used by more than 13 million people around the globe, a substantial increase on the 100,000 just last year. It is being used in over 40 languages and has been embraced by eager teachers and students.
Immersive Reader has improved reader fluency, boosted readers confidence and provided text-decoding solutions for people with dyslexia. It has also improved the skills of readers who don't have the challenges students with Dyslexia or other attention disabilities face.
Microsoft's Immersive Reader advocates for parents
Microsoft Principal Product Manager for Education, Mike Tholfsen, Right Image Credit: Microsoft
Every year millions of students with dyslexia have needs that are not directly addressed as cash-strapped school systems create accommodation plans that show that they're doing 'something' while not doing exactly what is needed for the student. More appropriate and costly supports, like an Orton Gillingham tutor (trained to help students with Dyslexia) and other methods are often bypassed ultimately resulting in schools failing to give these students a free and appropriate education (FAPE).
Many parents, after leaving a Planning and Team Meeting (PPT) where support for their child are discussed with teachers and school administrators, feel powerless when unyielding administrators don't provide the tools their child needs.
Microsoft with Immersive Reader plays the role of an advocate, or mediator, between families and schools by providing a cost-effective solution that is also effective in addressing the needs of students with Dyslexia.
With Immersive Reader everyone wins
The profound impact of the intersection of technology and life that Immersive Reader has on students, families and school systems cannot be overstated. It's a solution where all parties, to some extent, win.
By being integrated into a range of Microsoft and cross-platform tools school districts can, without incurring additional costs, use it seamlessly with solutions they may already be using. Parent's can support their child easily at home with the same tools. And students with learning challenges can use the same tools their peers are using, but with integrated support, without enduring the stigma of using a tool that makes them stand out in class.
Immersive Reader immerses everyone involved in the process of teaching young people of all levels not only how to read, but to love reading. The millions of readers around the world that this tool has impacted testify to this fact.
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