Adventures in Assistive Technology

This updated version has added more research-based writing tools to support students at every stage of the writing process: planning, drafting, revising and proofreading. These new tools include:

Column Notes – allows you to take notes using two or three column strategies to be better organized while reading or attending class lectures. In addition, when reading a document within Kurzweil 3000, you can use highlighters to select information and extract to specific columns to organize information.

Brainstorm – enables you to jumpstart your thinking process and get ideas out and linked to other ideas in a graphical way.

Outline – provides an alternative to the Brainstorm view with a text-based hierarchical view of your ideas.

Draft – is for creating and revising writing assignments from a blank draft, from new Writing Templates as well as from Brainstorm diagrams and Outlines

There are also Writing Templates, based on some of the most common writing tasks such as Compare/Contrast and Persuasive essays.

Posted by cab870 at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Glen Crombie Centre for Disability Services at Cambrian College has come up with an excellent way to create flash cards using Kurzweil 3000 and Power Point. Here is how in two parts:

Part One

1. Open your document in Kurzweil 3000


2. Use the yellow highlighter to highlight the Question or Word. This will be the front side of the flashcard


3. Use the green highlighter to highlight the Answer or Definition to the Question or Word. This will be the backside of the flashcard


4. Once you have highlighted the Questions and Answers that you want on your flash cards, click on the File menu


5. Click Extract Annotations, and then choose Highlights


6. Click the Save button and save the file with a name that you will remember

1. Open Microsoft Power Point


2. Click on the Open button and choose the file that has the flash card information in it.
   This will open and sort the highlights into slides


3. The Question or Word should be on odd numbered slides, and the Answer or Definition should be on even numbered slides


4. Click Print, and choose Handouts from the Print what drop down


5. Click the drop down for Slides per page, choose six and click OK

Download file

Posted by cab870 at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Learning new technology can sometimes be frustrating, especially if you have other things on your mind -- exams and homework anyone? There are many online resources, such as guides and tutorials, that can help you make sense of your software.

The Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto has some excellent tutorials for Dragon Naturally Speaking and Kurzweil 3000. They also have a link to "Quick Guides" for these and other programs like Inspiration and ZoomText. Check out their tutorial page here.

Posted by cab870 at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Starting in January 2009 the DSS will be offering Kurzweil 3000 and Dragon Naturally Speaking for exams on a limited use basis. Please note that at this time only students who are already proficient in the use of these programs will be able to use it for their exams. If you have Kurzweil as an accommodation, and would like to use it for exams, please contact the DSS Office to set up an appointment to assess your proficiency with these program, or, to set up a one-on-one training session with the AT Advisor.

Posted by cab870 at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)