Day 5 - Extended Look at Google Read & Write

Today we got to see how extensive and powerful, Google Read & Write can be used as a learning tool to support students' learning. The extension used in the Chrome browser seems to be universally designed. Functioning to support a diverse learning population.

I could see why schools would be attracted to this product as it offers a lot, especially with the Department of Educations's $2 student license. It can target students with reading and writing LDs, with the text to speech and speech to text options. Also, the simplify, vocabulary, fact finder, dictionaries and all the other options would benefit many of the challenges students incur.

I could see how someone would quickly recommend this extension believing it would help the student without doing an AT assessment to match the user. I have seen this happen with other AT used in schools. Knowing that a particular AT has helped one student, it is often quickly suggest when another student needs support who has a similar profile. While it mostly likely will be a trail and error process in finding the AT which is most compatible with the student and their needs. As educators still need to be mindful of our recommendations and put our students in the best opportunity possible. If we recommend AT without an assessment, it could further hinder the students' learning. Prolonging the process of finding appropriate AT or give the student a negative experience with AT which turns them off from it. If you're going to do something you might as well do it right.

http://www.techpotential.net/assessment