K 3000 Get A picture tool

K 3000 Get A picture tool

Hey Everyone,

The last tool for review is the get a picture tool. To use this tool select the desired word and then select the option from the tool bar. I tried using this with three different words but not all words had a picture. The picture is then added to the document. I think this would be a quick way for someone to get their brainstorming ideas onto "paper" I don't know the vocabulary size in the icon library but I that it may be limited because certain basic words I selected were not able to be represented by a picture. This could be limiting.

K 3000: Reference: Spell a word

K 3000: Reference: Spell a word
Hey Everyone,

The next feature for review is the Spell a word feature. This feature may be accessed from the toolbar at the top of the K 3000 page. This feature is enabled by highlighting a desired word and then clicking spell. K 3000 will then bring up another box and spell the word out slowly. I think it is a strength that while spelling the software uses a bright yellow to highlight the letter being spoken. This is helpful for individuals that want to learn to spell words.

K 3000: Reference: look up work

K 3000: Reference: look up work


Hey Everyone,

A useful feature on K 3000 is the look up a word feature. This feature is enabled by selecting the word and then clicking look up the word from the reference section on the toolbar. This will then bring up a second box that provides several options. The options include definitions, syllable, synonyms, and pictures. I think that the the most helpful feature include in the box is the synonyms  feature. It helps all writers novice or expert to vary their vocabulary to enhance their writing.

Kurweil 3000: Web reading Feature

Kurweil 3000: Web reading Feature

Hey Everyone,

This next post is on the read the web feature. The read the web feature on K 3000 allows the individual with print disabilites access to the text on the web. To enable this feature the user selects it from within the K 3000 program under the READ drop down menu. This will open a browser window. On my computer it opened Firefox and it had difficulty loading the information. If possible I would change this feature to allow the read feature to work on a different browser because I have difficulty running Firefox. If this is  only allowed to work on a single browser I could see that being an obstacle from some people. When I finally did get the read feature to work I like that the sentence is highlight in one color and the word being read was in a different color. Also the rate of speech is able to be customized.

Kurweil 3000: Write Outline

Kurweil 3000: Write Outline

Hey Everyone,

The Write Outline feature is another writing application on Kurweil 3000. This feature would be ideal for someone that is beginning the outlining phase of a multiple paragraph essay. This feature also makes use of those small writing palates that I mentioned in a previous post. This is a feature I would change because even I had difficulty reading/ understanding the small icons. I like that the user is able to change the bulleting formats.

Kurweil 3000: Write Brainstorm

Kurweil 3000: Write Brainstorm

Hey Everyone,

Then next feature for review is that Brainstorm feature. This feature is found under the writing menu in the toolbar. This feature is very similar to the Drafting feature. I used this feature at first to start a brainstorming map on Weddings. I had some difficulty with this feature because the "palate" menu that it brings up to aid in composition has very small icons. I tried to stretch the "palate" but the icons remained the same. I would consider this a weakness because it would limit access to an individual that has a vision impairment.

This is menu bar to select Brainstorming.

These are the small icons I was referring to in my post.

Stretching the box didn't help.

I accidentally found this feature. There are pre-done templates for brainstorming. This was very helpful. 

I selected the compare and contrast template. I liked that it was color coded. 

Kurweil 3000:Syllable Feature

Kurweil 3000:Syllable Feature

Hey Everyone,

The next feature for review is Kurweil 3000:Syllable Feature. This feature is helpful for those that want to hear all segments of the word clearly so that they may help improve their spelling skills. To enable this feature simply highlight the desired word then click the icon for syllable. This is a useful feature for Kurweil to include icons on its menu bar and not only text. Once the syllable box is clicked it will bring up the word, the word written in syllables and then how the word is spelled out phonetically.

Kurweil 3000:Pronunciation Feature

Kurweil 3000:Pronunciation Feature

Hey everyone,

This next feature description on Kurweil will be brief. Kurweil makes use of several digital voices for its read feature but for the pronunciation feature it uses human speech. To use this feature simply high light the desired word and then click pronounce.

Kurweil 3000: Read Feature

Kurweil 3000: Read Feature

Hi Everyone,

The read feature on Kurweil 3000 provides access to digital text for individuals with reading difficulties. This feature is embedded into all tools within the program and most of the time it will read automatically but if not simply highlight the text and then press play. This software also provides a list of over 10 voices to select from and the ability to change the rate of speech. The default speech is set to 140 WPM and I reduced it to as low as 60 WPM. Pictures are provided below.

Kurweil 3000: Writing A Draft

Kurweil 3000: Writing A Draft

Hi Everyone,

This post will be about how to write a draft on the Kurweil 3000. After logging the user is to select the write tab from the tool bar from there another dropped down menu is revealed. Follow the menu until DRAFT is located. A nice feature about Kueweil is that there are many templates to choose from. The template selected for this draft was a single paragraph. Once selected the user can read (or be read) the guidelines for composing their response. This would be helpful for someone that has difficulty organizing their responses.

Kurweil 3000

Hey Everyone,

These next series of post will be dedicated to demonstrating certain features of a program called Kurweil 3000. This program is designed to help students use alternative formats to read, understand text, and demonstrate their knowledge. Below is a list of the features I will trial.

Scan Feature/ changed to write draft. This feature was not working on my computer

Read Feature

Pronunciation Feature

Syllable Feature

Write Brainstorm

Write Outline

Web reading Feature

Reference: look up work

Reference: Spell word

Get A picture tool

BoardMaker-writing

BoardMaker-writing: fill in the blanks

Hey Everyone,

This AT trial is another Boardmaker product. I used board maker to create a fill-in-the-blank worksheet for the book Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. Fill in the blank work sheets are helpful for students that have difficulty forming complete sentences independently. The reasons for support could be because of poor language skills or reduce motor movements make writing difficult. In addition to a pre-done template the worksheets are not a standard line (_________) for fill in the blank. These worksheets have a bubble like shape providing the student as physical boundary for the writing space. This will help the student in guiding the placement and size of the their letters. In my example below I made my boxes a bit on the small side but this size could be customized the students needs. I think this is a nice added benefit. A weakness to using this template is that it limits typing space. Below are some examples of my work in progress and completion. 

Physical modification to a writing tool

Physical modification to a writing tool- Pencil Grip

Hey Everyone,

This AT trial is dedicated to providing a quick and simple pencil grip modification. The materials needed for this trial were one mini Play-doh tub and a pen. The cost of this tool could range from on dollar (generic play-dough) - five dollars (name brand). This adaptation would be helpful for someone that has limited fine motor skills. The benefits of this adaptation is that it is inexpensive and can be made quickly. A con is that the grip mold would likely have to be reshaped throughout the day. A solution to this could be to use molding clay so that it hardens into the best fitting mold once a preferred mold has been selected. Below are some examples of me trying the grip with two different molds.