Whole Class-Word Sort

Student Pair-word sort

Judy Blume!

Sherman Alexie! (& Jude)

Patricia Polacco!

Tomie DePaola!

"The Kraken" By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I hope that you enjoy my interpretation of Tennyson's "The Kraken."
I used the comprehension strategy VISUALIZATION in this PhotoStory
project with a 10th grade English class .

Kurzweil 3000 and e-book UDL Editions by CAST

"How Coyote Stole Fire"

an online e-book created by UDL Editions by CAST

Kurzweil 3000

Both Kurzweil 3000 and UDL Editions by CAST feature a computer voice component that reads text to the student. I have the same criticism of online e-books by UDL Editions by CAST as I do of the computer software Kurzweil 3000. The narrated computer voice in each program is choppy and not fluent. The voice in each program also is unable to discriminate between homophones and therefore pronounces words that may be spelled the same but pronounced differently the same way.

With the above criticism taken into account, Kurzweil 3000 and UDL Editions by CAST are both making strides in text-based accessibility to students who may have been previously unable to take part in the comprehension process.

Functional Skills System

I found the Functional Skills System DVD to be a concise, no-frills program. The software provides information for people with disabilities so that they may better interact with and understand various environments including: the home, school, work, and community. Generally, I found the program to be useful in its conveying of information in a simple, straightforward way. Signs and directions people encounter throughout their day are clearly displayed both in and out of context. To enhance the effectiveness of showing people with disabilities how these signs and directions relate to their life, I would suggest including a storyline in which the viewer can follow one character who comes across various signs, landmarks and directions. Having this "movie element" may more successfully hold the attention of some viewers and augment the learning experience of all users.

Microsoft Photo Story

I just learned about Microsoft's Photo Story. It is a great way to have kids bring poetry to life through photos and music. Think-alouds are easily taught through this clever program that includes a voice-over component which allows kids to narrate their own slides. Check out my video above that I pieced together from my days teaching at Red Cloud Indian School!