Students who struggle to write often have a lot to say but have difficulty with the writing process. When they reach grade 4 their writing challenges becomes more complex. Peer relationships become increasingly important. Children who have learning challenges often don't want to be seen as different from their peers. Text to speech, if offered to all students in a class, has the potential to reduce stress for some of these children.
This week our whole class practiced using text to speech to write about their plant projects on the Explain Everything app. There was a lot of laughter during the lesson and I quickly realized what all the excitement was about. The text did not make sense and was not what they intended to say. Rather than seeing this as a problem, I chose to view it as an opportunity. It led to a discussion about oral language. We discussed the importance of speaking clearly and thinking before recording. As the students continued to "play" around with this function I noticed no social stigma surrounding its use. As we continue to explore and use text to speech I am hopeful that some of the struggling writers will find it as a socially acceptable resource for them to communicate their thinking.
2 Comments
NaTai Perdue
3/7/2019 10:26:18 pm
This is fantastic! We are so appreciative of the time you take to inform the parents as well as the thought and care you put into our children. Thank you
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Pam
4/2/2019 08:24:29 pm
Really love that they are learning about this technology
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I am passionate about inquiry-based learning and Maker Education. I strive to actively engage students through authentic, hands-on, collaborative experiences. We look forward to sharing our exciting learning journey with you so check back regularly to view our progress.
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