Class Seven

Learning about Book Creator was/is so much fun, there is so much that you can do with this program. The choices are endless when it comes to creativity. I like how there are so many accessible options to have text read, audio and visuals. The program itself is very user-friendly and I especially liked hat books can be combined to create one cohesive product. I think students can really put their own style into this program and would love the option to express themselves in this way. I know that when I taught Grade 8 Math I always had interview sessions (very time consuming, but necessary) where students explained their work to me so that I could gain a better understanding of their learning. With book creator they could be doing this everyday (in a fraction of the time)! So many students struggle with getting their ideas on paper, but with this program it allows them to deliver their explanations in any way that works best for them. I am so happy to have the opportunity to explore this app and will definitely be using it when possible.


Homework Activity- Accessibility Options

Android

Accessibility options are designed to make your device easier to use, while normally associated with making devices more approachable for the elderly or for helping the physically disabled. anyone and everyone can benefit from these settings.

Android has many of the common options found on all devices such as  changing the display (font and colour), keyboards, switch access, text to speech and captions. What I did like about this device was the fact that you can block offensive words. This would be extremely beneficial in the classroom when students start entering sites that are not acceptable at school. This "parent control" I think is an important one, especially in schools. Another option I really liked is the colour inversion! When it comes to an individual who may have problems with their vision this tool (making back screen black and bringing other colours forward) would be very important. Over all I was very impressed with Androids accessibility options and understand why it is such a competitor for Apple. 

Chromebook

This is a tool I would like to learn more about because our board has invested a lot of money into these devices (not sure why we have to be dictated what device to use, shouldn't we allow students to use whatever best works for them?……anyway thats another rant). It is evident that through the use of Goolge Chrome the Apps are easily accessible in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. This is important for those individuals who struggle with technology or just learning new technology. Again, a lot of the similar options such as on screen keyboard and screen magnifier were available on this device as well, but I did however find the "sticky keys" option interesting. This option allows the user to perform keyboard shortcuts by typing them sequentially. The spoken feedback feature was another cool option for this device as well. I did also like the Chrome Extensions and Apps, within this I thought that OpenDyslexic was very practical as it is an open sourced font created to increase the readability of documents/apps/tools for readers with dyslexia. This extension of Chrome overrides all fonts on the web with the OpenDyslexic font, and formats pages so that they are more easily read.  

iPad iOS 9

In my opinion Apple products are by far the most accessible in the sense options are readily available on any of their devices when they are purchased. No need to purchase add on's because they already exist (if you know they are there). I am an Apple person and I have played with some of the accessibility options, but I did not know there were so many. I especially like all the options that come with subtitles, there are so many things you can do to subtitles to ensure they meet the users needs such as colour, font and size (we need to remember that not everyone who requires subtitles have the same impairment). The magnifier is incredible, I know also available on other devices but, on this deice you have the option of full-screen or window. The window option would be very beneficial for an individual who has a limited range of vision, keeps everything together within the box……very cool!

I do find Apple has the upper hand when it comes to physical access. Changing text, button shapes, adding switch and controlling the hold duration of the switch, changing left or right hand movement on camera, controlling dwell time on switch, move repeat or even changing the speech (who speaks) from your device. All of these tools are easily accessible and can have a huge effect on the type of user using Apple devices. 

I have used Siri many times, but I did not know it had the capability to read text in different languages, this is really cool. I taught grade 8 core french and we used the iPads regularly, but I didn't know this was a feature. When I look back I can think of so many other ways I could have incorporated this device into the class knowing this feature existed. 

Finally I think that the voice over options for those who are blind are superior on Apple devices. A user can change the speaking rate, language, curser and even incorporate Braille (I would like to see this option in more detail). Having these options available are key to ensuring everyone regardless of cognitive or physical disability has access to today's technology.

Apple truly is a company that has really thought about inclusivity and knows how to make a product that can be marketed to anyone and everyone. If you visit the Apple site you can see in a little more detail all of the features Barb presented in her videos in one place. 

Laptops

When it comes to Mac vs. PC there is always a huge debate and the margin of differences has become less and less over the years, but again I feel Apple has the upper hand (however I may be a little bias). The Mac computer seems to have very similar accessibility options as on the tablets/phones such as colour contrast, curser size, voice to text and voice over options. The PC does have options, but not as extensive as Mac (in my opinion). I did however really like how PC has the option to tell the computer your need(s) and then the computer makes recommendations for you within the control panel. For example if the user is blind the computer can be told this in advance of them using the device and the computer would make recommendations as to what should be changed to better accommodate their use. This I think is extremely important because often we do not know all the options made available to us and this way the computer ensures you do not miss anything that may be of assistance.