Kurzweil 3000: Supporting the Writing Process

Presented by:Jennifer Edge-Savage

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 …these inventions will produce forgetfulness in the souls of those who use it. They will not need to exercise their minds…It equips pupils with only a semblance of learning, not true learning. Thanks to these inventions, students will be without benefit of a teacher’s instruction…

Plato - circa 387 b.c.

This person was referring to

BOOKS…

A Criticism of New Technology…

An adaptation of:

Technology is something invented AFTER you are born…

What types of “technology” are your students using?”

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Kurzweil 3000 – one part of the solution

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An Introduction to Kurzweil 3000

Writing

Phonological Awareness and Phonics

FluencyVocabulary

Test-takingComprehension

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Day to Day Challenges: Tough Questions

Do you have:• Students who are still learning-to-read after 3rd grade?

• Students who have learned to read, but are still struggling with reading comprehension?

• Staff reading content area texts to your students?

• Staff reading tests and quizzes to your students?

• Staff scribing written work for your students?

Would you like your students to be INDEPENDENT with these tasks?

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The Adolescent Literacy Crisis – US Statistics• Less than 1/3rd of America’s High School students read or write at grade level.

• 2005 NAEP writing exam, 71% of 4th graders, 71% of 8th graders, 64% of 12th graders did not meet writing proficiency goals.

• College instructors estimate that 50% of high school graduates are unprepared for college-level writing.

• 7,000 students drop out of High School each day.

• 40% of High School graduates lack the literacy skills sought by employers.

• In some states, projections for the number of beds needed in prisons is determined by 4th Grade reading Scores.

• Teachers often receive little more than a token amount of training in the teaching of writing and study strategies.

• Very few teachers require their students to write more than a few hours per week. Consider the Volume of student writing they must read.

• Students without strong literacy skills are at a disadvantage > Socially> Emotionally> Occupationally> Civically

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http://www.eeotrust.org.nz/recruitments/pdfs/makingthemost0802.pdf

In an Ideal Classroom this would never happen:

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Learning disabilitiesAttention Deficit DisorderAutism Spectrum DisordersLow VisionHearing ImpairmentPhysical ImpairmentsEnglish Language LearnersSpecial EducationGeneral EducationInclusion

ALL Children can Learn…

Question: With a Universally Designed Classroom, could we level the playing field? Would “disabilities” be less apparent?

…just not in the same way at the same time with the same old tools…

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Does this look Familiar?

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Writing Across Content Areas: The Problem

Proficient Writers:

Knowledge TransformationHave the knowledge, skills and flexibility needed to write in a clear

and organized manner for different contexts, formats and purposes using a variety of forms, strategies and tones.

Struggling or Beginning Writers: Knowledge TellingLack the high level process strategies needed to: plan,

generate and revise text and “write to learn.” Have difficulty with low-level transcription skills such as:

handwriting, keyboarding, spelling, grammar, punctuation, word retrieval, vocabulary.

Have not been explicitly taught writing strategies and language structure

From: “Writing Next”

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“When we write, we more fully understand what we read; when we read we push ahead our ability to write.”

(Wood 2000)

Reading and Writing are Parallel and Complementary processes– Both Reading and Writing are Multistep Processes

+ Engagement, reflection, questioning, revisiting– Reading provides:

+ Content Knowledge+ Models of written language structure and conventions+ Vocabulary: essential for success in both reading and writing

From: Implementing the Reading Writing Connection

The Reading Writing Connection

“Writers must learn how texts are structured because this knowledge supports their ability to create them”

(NCTE 2004)

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• Reading and Vocabulary Supports

• Study Skills

• Writing Toolbar• Word Processing Tools• Speak As Typing• Check Spelling As You Type• Speaking Spell Check• Vocabulary Lists• Word Prediction

NEW in Version 11:•Column Notes•Brainstormer•Writing Templates•Graphic Organizers•Review Checklist•Floating Word Lists•Note Snippets

Kurzweil 3000 Tools To Support Writing

Writing Supports

• Speak As Typing– Tools, Options, General

▰ Speaking Spell Check

▰ Word Prediction

▰ Check Spelling As You Type▰ Tools, Options, Spell Check

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Prewriting & Planning

Drafting

Revising

Editing

Publishing

Stages of the Writing Process

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The Writing Path

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Brainstorm Outline Draft Splitscreen Review

Brainstorm

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•Mind-Mapping tool to Brainstorm and organize ideas•Alter shape and color for organization and visual cues•Directly connected to Outline View•Can Create pre-made Graphic Organizers

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Outline

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•Promote, demote and add topics and subtopics using the Outline Palette•Text-based•Hierarchical•Connected to Brainstorm

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Draft and SplitScreen

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Splitscreen allows you to see your Outline and Draft at the same time.Ideas from the outline can be dragged and dropped into the draft.

Draft view for final publishing

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Review

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•Final Step of the Writing Process•Customizable Review Checklist

•e.g. Writing Mechanics, 6+1, others?

To customize list:Tools -> Options-> Review

When Draft is complete: Write -> Review

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Floating Word Lists• Floating Word Lists and Custom Word Lists in Word Prediction are

different views of the same word lists.• Help prompt students to use content specific words, vary their

transitional words, use stronger word choices, etc. • Words from list can be dragged and dropped into their draft.

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Column Notes extracted to Outline: Reading-Writing Connection

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Take notes while reading using column notes – send notes into an outline and move through the Writing Path.

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Note Snippets Note Snippet allows students to view Column

Notes with a hierarchical view in a compact window, while writing in Draft and drag and drop needed notes into the Draft for further elaboration

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• When you “save” a column note, a note snippet is automatically available.

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Writing Templates: Text

• Available in: Writing Templates Folder• OR Write ->Draft->New->From Template

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Writing Templates: Brainstorm Graphic Organizers

• Sample Documents -> Brainstorm Writing Templates• Several Pre-made templates to choose from – or make your own!

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Access for all students

• Voice recognition• IntelliKeys• IntelliSwitch• Keyboard Equivalents• Switch Accessible

– AAC keyboard Emulators - PRC– DiscoverPro - Madentec

• Alternative Dictionaries– Foreign Language– Picture symbols and ASL gifs

• Kurzweil 3000 Taskbar• MP3 Creation• Embedded Video and Audio• Accessible test-taking

•Meeting specific student needs with other access tools

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Cambium Learning Technologies: Tools That Can Help Extend a Teacher’s Reach in the Classroom

Across all content areas. For individual,

small group or whole group instruction.

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Ultimately, educational goals will not be about the mastery

of content, but about the mastery of learning.

Grace Meo

jennifer@kurzweiledu.com

Thank you.