Assistive Technology

Assistive technology is technology specifically designed to help individuals with disabilities perform functions or tasks that would otherwise be difficult if not impossible for them. We see examples of assistive technology everyday from motorized wheelchairs to chirping crosswalks but how can that technology be used in the English classroom?

For many students grammar and readability is the most daunting challenge in writing. When proof reading a document, many writers overlook grammatical errors and misused words because they know what the correct sentence should look like. “Talking Grammar Check” assistive technology by Perkins is designed to be used with Microsoft word to help writers identify and understand grammatical errors. When the “Talking Grammar Check” discovers what appears to be an error, it actually reads you the grammatical rule along with suggestions. The idea is, most writers will identify their errors when they hear them and when the writers hears the correct suggestion a simple click of the button implements the change.

“Talking Grammar Check” could be extremely useful to a variety of students. Timid, shy writers would benefit by ensuring grammatical correctness and readability before offering their work for peer review. Speed writers, notorious for brain dumps, would have an automatic double check as they completed their thoughts. Students of all levels that struggle to understand grammar would have the grammatical rules reinforced as they see, hear, and modify their documents to accommodate them. “Talking Grammar Check” allows students to use their own writing as a learning platform as they see how to use the rules of grammar effectively in their writing.

Want to know more about Assistive Technology? Check out Idaho Center for Assistive Technology and the Idaho Assistive Technology Project to learn more about “Helping people with disabilities live regular lives through the use of modern technology”.

Sources:

• Perkins School for the Blind - http://support.perkins.org/site/PageServer?pagename=store_homepage
• Idaho Center for Assistive Technology - http://www.idahocat.org/
• Idaho Assistive Technology Project - http://www.idahoat.org/dnn/