Locate 15 software programs that could be used in your future classroom/practice. Include descriptions of each (make sure you include cost) and describe how you would use them in your class/practice:
For this assignment I have chosen to explore commercial software programs that could be used to support both emerging and established writers produce a higher quality of written material.
As an Executive Function Coach/Learning Specialist I often see students who are having difficulty producing the type of academic writing that is required of them. By approximately the middle of second grade written output is the means by which a student’s academic proficiency is measured. And yet many bright, intelligent students struggle to create a written product that is representative of their learning.
There are many reasons for this phenomenon, for the process of writing is a complex act that requires a very high level of coordination between many different parts of the brain. To write successfully (and even more importantly to me, enjoyably) requires skills that range from the purely cognitive ability to focus attention and organize information through to the more physical ability to initiate and imitate fine motor movements. Unfortunately as the final written product is a sum of all its parts, weak skills in any one part of the writing process can derail a student’s ability to produce written work successfully.
The good news is that the world of digital technology offers numerous tools to support the various different components of the writing process.
First and foremost is the ease that proficiency in keyboarding lends to the writing process. However, as typing tutorial software is “old news”, and since my favorite keyboarding tutorials are online sites, I will skip past that aspect of the writing process in this assignment and go straight to the heart of the subject- composition.
The first category of writing software I explored was Graphic Organizing Software. I found 3 different programs I thought would be useful in my practice for working with students whose difficulties with writing stem from poor organization, who might have difficulty understanding how to ideas and information are related, and who find themselves unable to task switch from the idea-generation stage to the first draft.
Inspiration: provides a variety of visual mapping tools to assists students grade 6- adult in creating graphic organizers which can then be transformed into outlines in a word processing program. A free trial may be downloaded from www.inspiration.com/Freetrial. It is currently on sale now, with the cost to purchase it for one computer being $29.50 (Mac/Windows)
Kidspiration: provides a variety of visual mapping tools to assists students K-5 in creating graphic organizers which can then be transformed into outlines in a word processing program. It has additional features that allow it to be used to develop vocabulary, word recognition, reading for comprehension, writing and critical thinking skills. It too is currently on sale now, with the cost to purchase it for one computer being $29.50 (Mac/Windows)
Draft:Builder: is designed to guide students through the three steps of creating writing drafts: organizing idea, taking notes, and writing the draft. The cost to purchase it for 4 or less computers is $149, making it more expensive by far than the Inspiration products, although they do claim on their website to be more useful in helping kids who are having difficulty moving from the concept map stage through to the actual writing. (Mac/Windows)
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which for $773 includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud.
The next category is what I call Authoring Tools Software. These literacy tools range from basic word prediction software thru talking word processors to publishing software with multi-media abilities. I found 6 different products in this category with prices ranging from $30- $300.
Co:Writer is word prediction software program designed to help students write complete and correct sentences with very few keystrokes. As the student begins to type, Co:Writer interprets spelling and grammar mistakes and offers word suggestions in real time Co:Writer’s grammar-based word prediction gives the most appropriate predictions for what is being written. Co:Writer works in conjunction with any writing application such as MS Word, Online, Blogs, Email, etc. The cost to purchase it for 4 or less computers is $290,
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which for $773 includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud.
Tool Factory Word Processor: is a kid friendly talking word processor. The text-to-speech tools are totally adaptable with a new "sound it out" feature that can speak phonic letter blends as you type. Change to a male or female voice, adjust the speed of the speech, and hi-light every word as the speech engine reads aloud. The interface can be simplified with larger icons, or less icons for younger users. There is an easily accessible word bank available at all times. Additional features include creating multi-media presentations by dragging and dropping pictures, videos, and audio right off the web. All this for $29.95 with additional licenses available for $12, makes it sound too good to be true, but definitely worth checking out.
Write:Outloud: is a complete talking word processor. It is simple to use and reads words as they are written, providing real-time auditory feedback. Writing tools, including talking spell checker, homophone checker, and dictionary help your students confirm their word choice in language they understand. The cost to purchase it for 4 or less computers is $84.00. (Mac/Windows)
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which for $773
includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud.
Clicker6 is a writing tool that supports elementary students of all ages and abilities in a creative and engaging way. It consists of a talking word processor, an integrated word predictor, built-in painting tools, and Clicker Sets which are half screen grids or full screen page activities. Teacher guides and lesson plans can also be purchased. The cost to purchase for one computer is $300. (Mac/Windows)
Write Online: is a writing tool that support students from middle school through college. A complete authoring tool package its components include a graphic organizer tool, a talking word processor, an integrated word predictor, and vocabulary expansion Wordbar tool. The cost to purchase for one computer is $300. (Mac/Windows)
Intellipic Studio: is a full multimedia publishing tool which includes a complete set of drawing and painting tools as well as a collection of over 1,500 photos, clip art, stamps, stickers and graphics. You can design a series of screens to tell a story or present information in an interactive way, as you do in Powerpoint or HyperStudio. You can add backgrounds, move, color or animate objects, add sound clips or record sounds. You can use buttons to launch videos or link to the internet.
Younger students will enjoy the paint and design mode where they can color in a coloring book or create a picture with fun easy-to-use stamps. Older students can create a book report with their own text, recorded sound and imported graphics. Students can use the IntelliMation feature to animate their work. Teachers can create a variety of activities for young and older students using the Activity Templates. There are 17 complete Lesson plans in the Teachers Guide with plenty of suggestions for imaginative curriculum adaptations.
Sounds awesome doesn’t it- well the bad news is that according to this site, Spectronics ,
Intellipic Studio is no longer sold as a stand alone product but only as a bundle with the Classroom Suite which according to the Intellitools site is only $345, which is not a bad price. Unfortunately on the Intellitools site there is no mention of the Intellipic Studio as being part of the Classroom Suite…so obviously we need to research this more, but it looked so impressive that I didn’t want to exclude it .
Next comes the writing software tools that are part of a larger integrated reading/ writing literacy software program. There are 2 AT classics in this category, both with excellent reputations and both with large price tags.
Text Help Read & Write Gold: is a simple to use toolbar that “floats” on top of any open application, and provides access to a powerful word prediction software program as well as text-to-speech capabilities that will read aloud any text on the computer. Its word prediction features include a Picture Dictionary to improve comprehension, a Verb Checker to identify correct verb conjugations, and a Vocabulary Tool to help expand vocabulary. Additionally the program includes a visual tracking aid allows the user to create a “screen mask” to block out any text not being read. It is supposed to be an impressive tool, and it better be because it costs $699 In Australian currency or $725.28 in US dollars. (Mac/Windows)
Kurzweil 3000: is an integrated reading, writing, and study skill support software for students in grades 3. It includes a powerful text-to-speech program, but for my purposes I am more interested in the features that make it a great writing support tool.
During the information gathering phase of the writing process students can improve their reading comprehension and retention with tools such as text highlighting, annotations, Bubble Notes, voice notes, bookmarks and extraction of outlines or word lists. Then during the writing stage as students type, they can use the check-spelling-while-typing and speak-while-typing features to quickly recognize and correct spelling mistakes. The audible spell checker and comprehensive Word Prediction feature further assist students with writing and editing reports, essays and papers independently.However all this power comes at a steep price, $1395.00. (Mac/Windows)
But actually many of the features that interest me in these large expensive integrated reading/ writing literacy programs are the tools for organizing information from texts while in the information gathering stage of the writing process, such as the ability in the Kurzweil 3000 to highlight and move text from a source document into a word processing document. This led me to explore another category of digital writing support: note taking tools. Here I found 3 different programs with 3 very different abilities.
Read:Aloud is a classic text-to-speech program, and as such is not normally listed as a note-taking tool. However, it too gives the student the ability to highlight and move text from digital documents to word processing documents, and so I believe belongs in this category.
And for $299.00 to install it on 4 or less computers, it is a deal compared to the Kurzweil 3000. (Mac/Windows)
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud for $773
Then we have the traditional note-book software, one for Windows and one for Macintosh.
Microsoft One-Note: is a digital notebook for capturing, storing, and sharing all kinds of information. Designed to be “Your go-to digital notebook” One-Note let’s you gather typed and handwritten notes, links, web pages, sketches, and videos and other media and assemble it in one handy place. One handy feature is the ability to import online lecture handouts (whether they are word documents or pdf. files) and then add your own notes as the lecture unfolds. Full integration with the cloud means you can free your files from your computer’s hard drive so your notes and information are saved and searchable wherever you go — on nearly any mobile device, tablet, or browser. One-Note is available for purchase as a stand alone program for $69.00. However since it comes bundled in MicroSoft Office many people already own it and just have never known to use it.
Circus Ponies Notebook: is the Macintosh User’s version of One-Note combined with the audio capture abilities of a SmartPen Designed to assist in organizing information by consolidating individual pieces of information from different sources in one place, and making it easy to locate any of it when you need it. NoteBook combines the notebook metaphor with outlines, which are perfect for managing lists. They are especially good for managing hierarchical lists (lists with subitems), making it easy to organize any amount of detail and then instantly hide it all with a click.
NoteBook supports whatever note-taking style works best for you. Use NoteBook’s full-featured outliner to take structured notes, or just free-form as you would in a word processor. NoteBook even supports Cornell Notes, the most-popular note taking system in North American higher ed. Place attachments together with your notes, so your important documents are right alongside your notes. Even attach sticky notes as you would in a real paper notebook. If you’re in a meeting or lecture, NoteBook’s voice annotation feature guarantees you won’t miss a thing. Click the speaker icon next to any note to start playback from the point in the recording you began taking that note. NoteBook 3 for Mac is available for $24.95.
Then the last software I am including is a writing curriculum produced by Don Johnson to be use in conjunction with the SOLO Literacy Suite (which includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud)
SOLO Writing Coach: is a scientifically-proven writing intervention kit which offers scripted lessons to help teachers deliver high-quality writing strategy instruction when accompanied by SOLO technology. The lessons are based on the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model created by Drs. Steve Graham and Karen Harris of Vanderbilt University which is widely accepted as the most effective model of writing instruction for students with learning disabilities.
Ther are many purchasing options for the SOLO Writing Coach with the least expensive being downloading a single copy for $79.00.
As an Executive Function Coach/Learning Specialist I often see students who are having difficulty producing the type of academic writing that is required of them. By approximately the middle of second grade written output is the means by which a student’s academic proficiency is measured. And yet many bright, intelligent students struggle to create a written product that is representative of their learning.
There are many reasons for this phenomenon, for the process of writing is a complex act that requires a very high level of coordination between many different parts of the brain. To write successfully (and even more importantly to me, enjoyably) requires skills that range from the purely cognitive ability to focus attention and organize information through to the more physical ability to initiate and imitate fine motor movements. Unfortunately as the final written product is a sum of all its parts, weak skills in any one part of the writing process can derail a student’s ability to produce written work successfully.
The good news is that the world of digital technology offers numerous tools to support the various different components of the writing process.
First and foremost is the ease that proficiency in keyboarding lends to the writing process. However, as typing tutorial software is “old news”, and since my favorite keyboarding tutorials are online sites, I will skip past that aspect of the writing process in this assignment and go straight to the heart of the subject- composition.
The first category of writing software I explored was Graphic Organizing Software. I found 3 different programs I thought would be useful in my practice for working with students whose difficulties with writing stem from poor organization, who might have difficulty understanding how to ideas and information are related, and who find themselves unable to task switch from the idea-generation stage to the first draft.
Inspiration: provides a variety of visual mapping tools to assists students grade 6- adult in creating graphic organizers which can then be transformed into outlines in a word processing program. A free trial may be downloaded from www.inspiration.com/Freetrial. It is currently on sale now, with the cost to purchase it for one computer being $29.50 (Mac/Windows)
Kidspiration: provides a variety of visual mapping tools to assists students K-5 in creating graphic organizers which can then be transformed into outlines in a word processing program. It has additional features that allow it to be used to develop vocabulary, word recognition, reading for comprehension, writing and critical thinking skills. It too is currently on sale now, with the cost to purchase it for one computer being $29.50 (Mac/Windows)
Draft:Builder: is designed to guide students through the three steps of creating writing drafts: organizing idea, taking notes, and writing the draft. The cost to purchase it for 4 or less computers is $149, making it more expensive by far than the Inspiration products, although they do claim on their website to be more useful in helping kids who are having difficulty moving from the concept map stage through to the actual writing. (Mac/Windows)
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which for $773 includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud.
The next category is what I call Authoring Tools Software. These literacy tools range from basic word prediction software thru talking word processors to publishing software with multi-media abilities. I found 6 different products in this category with prices ranging from $30- $300.
Co:Writer is word prediction software program designed to help students write complete and correct sentences with very few keystrokes. As the student begins to type, Co:Writer interprets spelling and grammar mistakes and offers word suggestions in real time Co:Writer’s grammar-based word prediction gives the most appropriate predictions for what is being written. Co:Writer works in conjunction with any writing application such as MS Word, Online, Blogs, Email, etc. The cost to purchase it for 4 or less computers is $290,
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which for $773 includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud.
Tool Factory Word Processor: is a kid friendly talking word processor. The text-to-speech tools are totally adaptable with a new "sound it out" feature that can speak phonic letter blends as you type. Change to a male or female voice, adjust the speed of the speech, and hi-light every word as the speech engine reads aloud. The interface can be simplified with larger icons, or less icons for younger users. There is an easily accessible word bank available at all times. Additional features include creating multi-media presentations by dragging and dropping pictures, videos, and audio right off the web. All this for $29.95 with additional licenses available for $12, makes it sound too good to be true, but definitely worth checking out.
Write:Outloud: is a complete talking word processor. It is simple to use and reads words as they are written, providing real-time auditory feedback. Writing tools, including talking spell checker, homophone checker, and dictionary help your students confirm their word choice in language they understand. The cost to purchase it for 4 or less computers is $84.00. (Mac/Windows)
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which for $773
includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud.
Clicker6 is a writing tool that supports elementary students of all ages and abilities in a creative and engaging way. It consists of a talking word processor, an integrated word predictor, built-in painting tools, and Clicker Sets which are half screen grids or full screen page activities. Teacher guides and lesson plans can also be purchased. The cost to purchase for one computer is $300. (Mac/Windows)
Write Online: is a writing tool that support students from middle school through college. A complete authoring tool package its components include a graphic organizer tool, a talking word processor, an integrated word predictor, and vocabulary expansion Wordbar tool. The cost to purchase for one computer is $300. (Mac/Windows)
Intellipic Studio: is a full multimedia publishing tool which includes a complete set of drawing and painting tools as well as a collection of over 1,500 photos, clip art, stamps, stickers and graphics. You can design a series of screens to tell a story or present information in an interactive way, as you do in Powerpoint or HyperStudio. You can add backgrounds, move, color or animate objects, add sound clips or record sounds. You can use buttons to launch videos or link to the internet.
Younger students will enjoy the paint and design mode where they can color in a coloring book or create a picture with fun easy-to-use stamps. Older students can create a book report with their own text, recorded sound and imported graphics. Students can use the IntelliMation feature to animate their work. Teachers can create a variety of activities for young and older students using the Activity Templates. There are 17 complete Lesson plans in the Teachers Guide with plenty of suggestions for imaginative curriculum adaptations.
Sounds awesome doesn’t it- well the bad news is that according to this site, Spectronics ,
Intellipic Studio is no longer sold as a stand alone product but only as a bundle with the Classroom Suite which according to the Intellitools site is only $345, which is not a bad price. Unfortunately on the Intellitools site there is no mention of the Intellipic Studio as being part of the Classroom Suite…so obviously we need to research this more, but it looked so impressive that I didn’t want to exclude it .
Next comes the writing software tools that are part of a larger integrated reading/ writing literacy software program. There are 2 AT classics in this category, both with excellent reputations and both with large price tags.
Text Help Read & Write Gold: is a simple to use toolbar that “floats” on top of any open application, and provides access to a powerful word prediction software program as well as text-to-speech capabilities that will read aloud any text on the computer. Its word prediction features include a Picture Dictionary to improve comprehension, a Verb Checker to identify correct verb conjugations, and a Vocabulary Tool to help expand vocabulary. Additionally the program includes a visual tracking aid allows the user to create a “screen mask” to block out any text not being read. It is supposed to be an impressive tool, and it better be because it costs $699 In Australian currency or $725.28 in US dollars. (Mac/Windows)
Kurzweil 3000: is an integrated reading, writing, and study skill support software for students in grades 3. It includes a powerful text-to-speech program, but for my purposes I am more interested in the features that make it a great writing support tool.
During the information gathering phase of the writing process students can improve their reading comprehension and retention with tools such as text highlighting, annotations, Bubble Notes, voice notes, bookmarks and extraction of outlines or word lists. Then during the writing stage as students type, they can use the check-spelling-while-typing and speak-while-typing features to quickly recognize and correct spelling mistakes. The audible spell checker and comprehensive Word Prediction feature further assist students with writing and editing reports, essays and papers independently.However all this power comes at a steep price, $1395.00. (Mac/Windows)
But actually many of the features that interest me in these large expensive integrated reading/ writing literacy programs are the tools for organizing information from texts while in the information gathering stage of the writing process, such as the ability in the Kurzweil 3000 to highlight and move text from a source document into a word processing document. This led me to explore another category of digital writing support: note taking tools. Here I found 3 different programs with 3 very different abilities.
Read:Aloud is a classic text-to-speech program, and as such is not normally listed as a note-taking tool. However, it too gives the student the ability to highlight and move text from digital documents to word processing documents, and so I believe belongs in this category.
And for $299.00 to install it on 4 or less computers, it is a deal compared to the Kurzweil 3000. (Mac/Windows)
It is also available as part of a bundle in the Solo 6 Literacy Suite which includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud for $773
Then we have the traditional note-book software, one for Windows and one for Macintosh.
Microsoft One-Note: is a digital notebook for capturing, storing, and sharing all kinds of information. Designed to be “Your go-to digital notebook” One-Note let’s you gather typed and handwritten notes, links, web pages, sketches, and videos and other media and assemble it in one handy place. One handy feature is the ability to import online lecture handouts (whether they are word documents or pdf. files) and then add your own notes as the lecture unfolds. Full integration with the cloud means you can free your files from your computer’s hard drive so your notes and information are saved and searchable wherever you go — on nearly any mobile device, tablet, or browser. One-Note is available for purchase as a stand alone program for $69.00. However since it comes bundled in MicroSoft Office many people already own it and just have never known to use it.
Circus Ponies Notebook: is the Macintosh User’s version of One-Note combined with the audio capture abilities of a SmartPen Designed to assist in organizing information by consolidating individual pieces of information from different sources in one place, and making it easy to locate any of it when you need it. NoteBook combines the notebook metaphor with outlines, which are perfect for managing lists. They are especially good for managing hierarchical lists (lists with subitems), making it easy to organize any amount of detail and then instantly hide it all with a click.
NoteBook supports whatever note-taking style works best for you. Use NoteBook’s full-featured outliner to take structured notes, or just free-form as you would in a word processor. NoteBook even supports Cornell Notes, the most-popular note taking system in North American higher ed. Place attachments together with your notes, so your important documents are right alongside your notes. Even attach sticky notes as you would in a real paper notebook. If you’re in a meeting or lecture, NoteBook’s voice annotation feature guarantees you won’t miss a thing. Click the speaker icon next to any note to start playback from the point in the recording you began taking that note. NoteBook 3 for Mac is available for $24.95.
Then the last software I am including is a writing curriculum produced by Don Johnson to be use in conjunction with the SOLO Literacy Suite (which includes Draft:Builder, Co;Writer, Write:Outloud, and Read:Aloud)
SOLO Writing Coach: is a scientifically-proven writing intervention kit which offers scripted lessons to help teachers deliver high-quality writing strategy instruction when accompanied by SOLO technology. The lessons are based on the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model created by Drs. Steve Graham and Karen Harris of Vanderbilt University which is widely accepted as the most effective model of writing instruction for students with learning disabilities.
Ther are many purchasing options for the SOLO Writing Coach with the least expensive being downloading a single copy for $79.00.