EduMatch Invites You to Dive into AI: Conference Highlights on October 7th

In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, artificial intelligence (AI) is taking center stage. The possibilities of AI in education are as endless as they are intriguing. To explore these potentials, EduMatch is hosting a one-of-a-kind virtual conference on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, from 12-4 PM Eastern Time. Here’s what to expect.

Uncover the Many Faces of AI

The EduMatch AI Exploration Conference offers an opportunity to explore AI from various angles:

• AI & Ethics: Delve into the ethical considerations surrounding AI, a critical topic in our evolving digital age.
• AI in Education: Discover how AI is revolutionizing the classroom experience, offering tailored learning and new teaching methods.
• AI Literacy & Training: Learn about training resources and strategies to equip educators with the know-how to use AI responsibly.
• The Impact of AI: Explore how AI affects daily life and work, shaping the world as we know it.

Join the Conversation: Call for Presenters

Are you passionate about AI and education? We invite you to submit a proposal and present at our conference. Submit your proposal here by September 8th.

Engage with a Community: Flip Discussion

Share your thoughts, insights, and questions on AI with other participants through our Flip discussion platform. Engage in the dialogue here.

An Inclusive Approach: Pay-What-You-Want

In line with our commitment to inclusivity, we’re offering this conference on a Pay-What-You-Want basis. Any contribution you make supports the EduMatch Foundation’s mission to foster global collaboration among educators and students.

Why Attend?

• Networking: Connect with educators, administrators, and AI enthusiasts from around the world.
• Knowledge Sharing: Learn from fellow educators, for topics relevant to you.
• Community Building: Be part of a community that shares your interest in the intersection of AI and education.

Conclusion

The EduMatch AI Exploration Conference is more than an event; it’s a stepping stone toward a future where AI and education coalesce to create enriched learning experiences. Whether you’re an AI novice or an expert, there’s something here for you.

Register now and embark on this enlightening journey with us. Together, we’ll uncover the future of AI in education.

About the Author, Dr. Sarah Thomas, Founder of EduMatch

Sarah Thomas, PhD is a Regional Technology Coordinator in a large district in Maryland, and the founder of EduMatch, an organization that empowers educators to make global connections across common areas of interest.  She has spoken and presented internationally, participated in the Technical Working Group to refresh the 2017 ISTE Standards for Educators, and is a recipient of the ISTE Making IT Happen award.  Sarah is a co-author of the ISTE digital equity series, Closing the Gap, and the winner of the 2023 Maryland Society for Educational Technology Outstanding Leader Using Technology award.

En Francais:

Sarah Thomas, PhD est une <<Regional Technology Coordinator>> dans le comté écoles publiques de Prince George dans le Maryland aux États Unis. Elle est aussi certifiée Innovator et Entraîneuse de Google et la fondatrice du mouvement EduMatch, un projet qui permet aux éducateurs d’établir des connexions mondiales à travers les zones d’intérêt commun. Elle a présenté au niveau international, participé au Groupe de travail technique pour rafraîchir les normes 2017 ISTE pour les éducateurs et est récipiendaire du prix ISTE Making IT Happen de 2017. 

En español:

Sarah Thomas, PhD es Coordinadora Regional de Tecnología de las escuelas públicas en el Distrito Prince George. Cuenta con los certificados de Google Certified Innovator, Google Education Trainer. Fundadora del movimiento EduMatch, proyecto que empodera a los educadores a tener conexiones globales de sus áreas de interés. Se ha presentado internacionalmente, participado en el grupo Technological Working para actualizar los Estándares Educativos de ISTE para 2017, es ganadora del premio 2017 ISTE Making IT Happen. 

About Rachelle

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Sponsored post by @X2VOL

According to the Department of Education, successful work-based learning education has three important elements: “the alignment of classroom and workplace learning; application of academic, technical, and employability skills in a work setting; and support from classroom or workplace mentors.”

In recent years, districts and state education departments have been striving to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. Work-Based Learning (WBL) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs have emerged as powerful solutions to this challenge. By providing students with hands-on experiences in professional settings, these programs offer opportunities for skill development, career exploration, and personal growth. A successful WBL program can significantly improve student outcomes by setting them on a path to success.

Cincinnati Public Schools is a prime example of a district striving for improved student outcomes.

Their state requires tracking of certain graduation seals; some focus on CTE and WBL. Because of this, the district tracks student progress through various WBL and CTE programs that have students in internships, specialized classes, after-school jobs, job shadowing experiences, and more.

The district uses this state requirement as an opportunity to engage students in meaningful growth and helps prepare students for life after high school.

The goal at Cincinnati Public Schools is student preparedness:

“Our dream here (at Cincinnati Public Schools) and our vision is that when students are going for jobs even after high school, they can have a report with them in their interview, really as a part of a portfolio to say ‘You can look at this report and you can see these are the activities that I completed as a part of my high school program’.” – Mike Turner, Career and Technical Education Manager, Cincinnati Public Schools

Providing students with real-world experiences sets them up for success post-high school.

Learn More in this Case Study about their District

The Benefits of WBL:

Student outcomes are improved through a successful Work-Based Learning or Career and Technical Education program in a number of ways. These include:

Skill Development:

One of the primary benefits of WBL is the enhancement of students’ skill sets. By exposing students to real-world challenges and responsibilities, they acquire practical job skills that cannot be fully replicated in the classroom:

• Job Skills: Students learn basic but very important job skills and expectations to set them up for success in the real world. They can also gain skill proficiency in fields they are interested in.
• Soft Skills: Interpersonal communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management are just a few examples of soft skills that students develop through interactions in professional settings that will be necessary for future employment.

Career Exploration:

Work-Based Learning programs provide a unique opportunity for students to explore potential career paths. Through hands-on experiences in different industries, students can:

• Identify Interests: Working in a professional setting allows students to assess their interests and passions, helping them make more informed career decisions or be exposed to careers they don’t want to pursue.
• Build Networks: Networking with professionals in their field of interest exposes students to potential mentors and future job opportunities.
• Refine Career Goals: Early exposure to different career options helps students set realistic and achievable career goals. In addition, they can make informed choices about what post high school education is suitable for their desired career.

Personal Growth and Confidence:

Being immersed in a professional environment empowers students to become more confident and independent individuals. They learn to:

• Take Initiative: By actively participating in real work scenarios, students gain the confidence to take initiative and showcase their leadership.
• Overcome Challenges: Dealing with real-world challenges helps students build resilience and problem-solving capabilities.
• Personal Growth: The exposure to different work cultures and expectations fosters personal growth and maturity in students.
• Finding Belonging: When students discover meaning behind their work or see the impact of their time and effort, they develop a sense of belonging. Whether it’s through volunteering or through their job, students can see the direct impact of their skills increasing a sense of personal meaning and belonging.

Bonus Content: Finding Belonging Through Service

Preparing for the Future:

All of this boils down to preparedness. High school WBL programs acts as a bridge between education and the workforce. It facilitates a seamless transition for students into the professional world through:

• Gaining Work Experience
• Skill Development
• Personal Discovery

School districts play a crucial role in supporting student outcomes through work-based learning programs in high school. These programs are designed to provide students with real-world experiences and opportunities to develop essential employability skills and discover potential career paths. They learn both practical and soft skills while increasing confidence and leadership – all elements that will help a student succeed after high school.

By implementing and supporting work-based learning programs in high schools, districts can better prepare students for successful transitions to the workforce, higher education, or vocational training, ultimately leading to improved student outcomes and career readiness.

Learn more about managing these student programs with x2VOL. x2VOL makes it easy to track WBL and CTE programs online in one easy-to-use platform where districts can see student growth through real-time reports on student service and work.

Learn More about x2VOL

Rachelle’s blog

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

It threatens the entire education system

Guest post by Jay Schroder, author of Teach From Your Best Self

When I was a kid, my parents took us to the drive-in theater to see Mary Poppins. This was the first movie I ever saw that wasn’t on our 19-inch living room television. After Mary Poppins, completely happy, I thought we were going home. But no. This was a double feature. The back of my head blew off. I could barely comprehend the outrageous good fortune of being able to watch two movies back-to-back, and in the process, completely demolish my bedtime. 

The second movie was one I’d never heard of. It was Disney’s retelling of the fable “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs,” called The Million Dollar Duck. This masterpiece of cinema was one of only three movies that film critic Gene Siskel walked out on during his professional career and Roger Ebert described it as “one of the most profoundly stupid movies I’ve ever seen.”  

Well, there is no accounting for a 5-year old’s taste in movies because I absolutely loved it. What I especially loved was the relationship between the young boy in the movie, Jimmy, and the golden egg-laying duck, Charley. When faced with the avarice of the adults, Jimmy was the only one who protected Charley. 

I identified with Jimmy and even as an adult, I find myself wanting to protect and support the golden egg-laying ducks and geese in the world. 

In the actual fable, there is no Jimmy—just a man and his wife whose goose lays one golden egg every day. The couple becomes rich, but they want even more. Surmising that this goose must have dozens and dozens of golden eggs inside of it, they decide to slaughter the goose and cut it open and become instantly rich beyond their wildest dreams. Of course, when they cut open the goose, there are no golden eggs inside. 

Who Are Education’s Golden Egg-Laying Geese?

The moral of the story, don’t kill your golden egg-laying geese, is easily grasped by first graders. However, the adults in charge of education reform seem confused. So, I will lay it out as simply as I can. 

In education the goose is not the textbook, it’s not the technology, it’s not the curriculum, and it’s definitely not the standardized test. It’s not even the students. 

If you put 30 students in a room by themselves and supply that room with textbooks, computers, and learning materials, it’s extremely unlikely for anything resembling constructive learning to occur. Learning only happens when you bring in a teacher. 

In education, teachers are the golden egg-laying geese. 

Because, for decades, education has been taking advantage of, undervaluing, and exhausting its golden egg-laying geese, the whole system is on the verge of collapse. Across the nation, teachers are quitting. Some of them are posting celebrative, or heart-breaking, videos about it on TikTok.

Every time a good teacher is driven to quit, it’s a needless tragedy. 

How “A Nation at Risk” Led to Education at Risk

Education reform was supposed to make education better, however, since the report A Nation at Risk was published in 1983, education reform has been focused on standards, rigorous testing, and a succession of new initiatives to implement. 

Rather than giving teachers a voice, reforms have increasingly marginalized and deprofessionalized teachers. Low test scores are blamed on teachers, so teachers are perpetually told they need to do more, apply new strategies, new techniques, new instructional methods, and new technology, all while under the gun of ever tighter micromanagement. 

This myopic focus on making teachers do more and controlling what they do is based on the false notion that if teachers could just do enough, and do the right things, then test scores would increase, classes would run smoothly, and schools would finally be successful. In fact, this approach exhausts teachers and makes them want to quit.

Sacrificing Teachers to the Test Score Gods

Maybe sacrificing teachers to the test score gods could be justified if those sacrifices actually led to better test scores, but these human sacrifices aren’t working. Trends in national data show that 12th-grade math skills in 2019 were the same as in 2005 while reading skills in 2019 dropped seven points compared with 1992.  

We’re killing our golden egg-laying geese, and students aren’t even benefitting. 

When teachers enter the profession, they aren’t thinking about quitting. They are thinking about helping a young person grow and fulfill their potential. They are thinking about making a difference.

They know it isn’t an easy job. They expect challenges. However, most are not prepared for the onslaught of too much to do and not enough support. They aren’t prepared for the pressure that over-stressed administrators put on teachers to raise test scores in the face of a surge of mental health issues in students. 

They aren’t prepared to be micromanaged, nor are they prepared for the way opportunist politicians are seizing on every excuse to interfere with, attack, and undermine the work that teachers do while beating a steady drum of disinformation that creates chaos and villainizes educators. How could they be? 

Teachers are a finite resource of which, in 2021, 27% were reporting symptoms consistent with clinical depression, and 37% reported symptoms consistent with generalized anxiety. 

In response to what is rapidly becoming a national teacher shortage, teachers are exhorted to take better care of themselves—eat right, exercise, get a hobby, and take a bubble bath. We are asking the abused and exploited golden egg-laying geese to do a better job taking care of themselves, so they can continue to be abused and exploited. 

The Starting Place for Education Reform That Actually Works 

Here is what I can be sure of, good teachers are not expendable. 

Unless we begin to prioritize teacher wellbeing, and actually factor it into each new policy decision, the education system is doomed and the whole country will go down with it. 

In the meantime, we teachers need to learn to teach in ways that are less expensive to our health and well-being. 

I have spent my 24 years in the classroom finding ways to teach that doesn’t eat me alive. 

Now I want to help you do the same. I wrote Teach from Your Best Self: A Teacher’s Guide to Thriving in the Classroom because I wanted to create a resource that gave educators a way to thrive in this messed up education system. 

As more educators see the value, not only for themselves but for their students as well, of prioritizing their own well-being, we can join our voices to turn schools into communities of learning that support the best of every teacher, learner, school employee, administrator, parent, and volunteer who steps into the building. 

Teaching is one of the hardest jobs in the world. To do it well, we need each other. 

Jay Schroder has taught high school English and social studies for 24 years. He’s the author of Teach from Your Best Self: A Teacher’s Guide to Thriving in the Classroom and received both the OCTE, and NCTE, High School Teacher of Excellence Awards. He’s an affiliate faculty member of Southern Oregon University and a Southern Oregon Regional Educator Network Implementation Coach focused on well-being and resilience. To learn more about Jay and Teach from Your Best Self go to http://teachfromyourbestself.org/.

About Rachelle’s Blog

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Guest post by laura steinbrink,

I STUDY NUCLEAR SCIENCE

Ever wondered what tech tools are out there that can maximize learning as we enter the era of Artificial Intelligence? Worried about reading or math gaps as we continue post-covid? In every district I have taught in, for the most part, there is a short period in the schedule, daily or 4 days a week, where students can catch up on work or receive intervention. While that is always a great idea, the reality is much different. Effective use of that extra shorter class period for intervention or to help students keep up with their classwork can be very challenging.

I LOVE MY CLASSES

One of the biggest issues with a study hall type/intervention class period or time slot during the day is the additional work added to teachers with little to no additional accountability for students. Introducing Microsoft’s (MS) Learning Accelerator tools for students, specifically, Reading Progress and Reading Coach within Microsoft Teams. Not a Microsoft school? No problem!  I’ll walk you through what the MS Learning Accelerators, Reading Progress, and Reading Coach, can do to help students improve their reading, and how to use your school Google accounts to create free Microsoft 365 Education accounts to get started!

I GOT A CRAZY TEACHER

You can use Teams for Education from most web browsers or by downloading the application. To download the Teams for Education app on mobile or desktop, visit the Microsoft Teams web application. You and your students can sign in with your school email and password. Before you try this with students, contact your school’s IT administrator to make sure you have access or contact IT if you do not have access to Microsoft 365 Education or Microsoft Teams for Education. Schools in which teachers, administrators, or other staff members who have Windows computers, laptops, or tablets will already have Microsoft Accounts, which are most likely the school email accounts, set up. Sometimes all the IT person has to do is add your students to the product or web tool, so start there.

HE WEARS DARK GLASSES

Now, let’s get back to how the MS Learning Accelerators, Reading Progress, and Reading Coach, can help us with those study hall/intervention times many schools have built into their daily schedule. Reading Progress and Reading Coach combined help students work independently on their reading fluency. Why is this important? Students who can read fluently have more available cognitive load capacity to comprehend the complexities of the text they are reading than students who are not skilled in reading fluency. In most districts, at least that I’m aware of in the United States, learning to read ends in the third grade. Generally, by the fourth grade, students are now reading to learn, whether they’re ready to do so or not. As a high school teacher, I am often frustrated with my inability to help students who are testing below grade level in reading (Microsoft).

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT, AND THEY’RE ONLY GETTING BETTER

I teach students how to analyze what they read, not how to read, so I was thrilled when I learned about MS Reading Progress and Reading Coach. Then, when I found out that the amount of oral reading practice in high school is correlated with reading achievement gains more closely than the amount of in-class silent reading practice, I was hooked (Stallings, 1980). According to the National Research Council report, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998), it states “Adequate progress in learning to read English (or, any alphabetic language) beyond the initial level depends on sufficient practice in reading to achieve fluency with different texts” (p. 223). This is how using Microsoft Teams with Reading Practice and Reading Coach can help us use those study hall/intervention periods during our daily or weekly schedule to help students without causing undue burden on teachers. Using AI, Reading Progress gives students and teachers valuable data on their reading fluency, and Reading Coach selects the top 5 words that the student struggled with while reading for some additional work on those words. Students can work independently, get immediate feedback, and the data is invaluable to teachers (Microsoft). Here’s how that works.

I’M DOING ALRIGHT, GETTING GOOD GRADES

Once you have a class Team ready to go, or perhaps you already use MS Teams with students, create a practice assignment with Reading Progress through assignments. To do this, click on the Assignments channel (on the left), and then click Create button on the lower lefthand side. Click “New Assignment,” fill in a title and basic (or specific) directions, and then fill out the options on the right. Select the due date and time, the Team it is to be assigned to, which students get the assignment (this is where customizing for individual students is easy because Reading Progress practice assignments can be assigned to specific students or the whole class), point value, etc.

THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT, I GOTTA WEAR SHADES

Now click the paper clip icon to “Attach” a file. At this point, you will see the Reading Progress option. Select it. You can use your own Word or PDF file or you also have the option to select a passage by browsing the sample library. If you’re using the sample library, select the grade level first, then you can choose by non-fiction or fiction, the Lexile level, and/or the word count.

I GOTTA WEAR SHADES

If you are uploading your own file, make sure you know what the reading level is because the level you enter here will be tracked in Insights, so consistency will provide more meaningful data. You will select the genre, decide how many attempts students will have for this practice, whether or not there is a time limit (Student performance will only be calculated for words read before the time limit), and what you want for the pronunciation sensitivity. To limit frustrations from your students (I recommend you try one yourself as a student), I suggest starting with the “less sensitive” option when you choose how sensitive the Auto-detect (preview) should be when listening and estimating errors. You can always manually edit errors for accuracy when looking at the report after students complete the practice, so you can reassure any student who is unhappy with their results at first.

WELL I’M HEAVENLY BLESSED AND WORLDLY WISE

The last two things you must decide prior to completing the assignment are whether or not you want Reading Coach turned on, and whether or not you want to require the assignment to be completed as video or audio only. Reading Coach identifies students’ 5 most challenging words and provides support for independent practice. This is great for helping students work on their reading fluency independently. As for the video option, most of the time it is best to use it with this option turned on. I have had students with IEPs (Individual Education Plans) or other documentation that prevents them from being on camera or video for any reason, so in those instances, turning that off and using audio only is a great option. That’s it! Now the magic happens.

I’M A PEEPING-TOM TECHIE WITH X-RAY EYES

If you are able, use the study hall/intervention time for Reading Progress practice. If your building uses a testing platform to gauge reading levels, students who are below their grade level in reading can work on 2 or more practices a week. A separate study hall or intervention is not necessary. However, if it is already set up that way, this gives the teacher data that can be used to help the students show improvement and eventually move back to a regular study hall class once they reach their grade level for reading fluency. Students and the teacher can access the data, track student goals, and prepare to see improvement. With the new Expression view, teachers can now see expressive and monotone reading, missed punctuation, excessive pausing, and more. When looking at the data provided for the student once they’ve completed the assigned practice, teachers also have the option of returning the full report, a simple report, or a customized report to the student.

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT, AND THEY’RE ONLY GETTING BETTER

With this amount of data available, the ability to customize the reading practices for each student, and the independence that the AI-generated feedback facilitates, this is a game changer for students who always feel like they are behind their peers when it comes to reading. We owe it to our students to do our very best to help them be successful once they graduate, and Microsoft Reading Progress and Reading Coach are valuable free tools that can help us all do our very best for our students. If you have a study hall or intervention period already set up, give this a try. If you don’t, pitch the idea to your administration, and don’t forget to talk with your technology department. Stay tuned for the next post where I’ll show you the mind-blowing power of Microsoft’s Immersive Reader. For more ideas on how to use Microsoft Teams as a Google School, see my post on using it for blogging with students.

REFERENCES

Microsoft Education Blog. (2023, June). Building reading foundational skills: A guide to reading progress and reading coach in Teams for educators. Retrieved July 30, 2023, from https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2023/06/building-reading-foundational-skills-a-guide-to-reading-progress-and-reading-coach-in-teams-for-educators.

Snow, C. E., Burns, S. M., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Stallings, J. A. (1980). Allocated academic learning time revisited, or beyond time on task. Educational Researcher 9 (11):11–16.

SUBHEADINGS ARE PARTIAL LYRICS FROM TIMBUK 3’S THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT, I GOTTA WEAR SHADES.

About Rachelle

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Guest post by Robert Abraham, opinions expressed are those of the guest author

Dyslexia is a condition that primarily affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells. It is typically recognized as a learning disorder in children. Students with dyslexia find it more difficult to read and spell words, and it can have a major impact on their educational performance in school. Twenty percent, or ONE in FIVE students deal with dyslexia.  Fortunately, technology companies like Microsoft and Google are helping in the fight against dyslexia by creating tools to help students deal with and overcome this challenge. Microsoft has developed a suite of tools, and some of these include Immersive Reader and Reading Coach.  Google has some extensions for Google Chrome that are beneficial for students with Dyslexia and other vision impairments.

Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft tool available that helps users read and comprehend text. It allows individuals to customize features such as text layout, size, style, font type, and spacing. This makes it an improved and personalized reading experience for individuals with dyslexia and other visual issues. Immersive Reader also employs a text-to-speech feature, which allows users to hear the text read aloud, helping them decode challenging words and improving comprehension. In addition, the tool has a picture dictionary as well as the ability to break down words by syllables, like we used to do by clapping in the classroom. Here are some of their available tools:

Another Microsoft tool that assists students with dyslexia is Reading Coach. Reading Coach is an interactive and fun tool for students that helps teamwork on and improve their reading speed and accuracy. While Immersive Reader helps students with written text, Reading Coach is a tool to help students with oral fluency. It uses a virtual assistant to listen and correct children’s reading mistakes by providing them with personalized practice word lists. It also provides feedback to help improve their reading. Reading Coach, which is built into Immersive Reader also creates focused practice exercises for each student. Students can track their progress, and the tool provides cumulative stats that help identify areas they need to improve. 

Google Chrome extensions are programs that can be installed into Chrome in order to enhance the browser’s functionality. They can be found on Google Chrome’s Web Store and most of them are free although some have both free and premium versions. There are many helpful extensions available but I am going to mention a few that students with Dyslexia can use to enhance their learning experience.

Read&Write is a very robust extension that offers teachers and students many helpful tools. There is a free version with limited tools but those are still very helpful for people with vision disadvantages. There is also a free version available for teachers with all of the features available. This allows teachers using interactive whiteboards or screens to use the tools with small groups or full class. There is also a yearly subscription per student as well as a bulk price for schools.

Read&Write has many tools available including opinions for text, content, display, and colors. Students can change the size of text on websites or pdf documents as well as change the font and line spacing. Read&Write can also read web pages to students by page, paragraph, or word and allows for changing the pitch and speed of the spoken text. There are also tools for page translation, a built-in dictionary, and page magnification. It offers Dyslexia tools including ruler, specific dyslexia-friendly fonts, color blindness adjustments and focus tools.

Read&Write is a complete solution but only the full paid version (or free teacher option). There are other Google Chrome Extensions that have some of the options of Read&Write but at no cost. Speakit is a free extension that offers text-to-speech so students can have web pages and documents read to them. It is a simple-to-use extension found on the Google Play Store. Another useful fee extension is Postlight Reader. Postlight Reader strips away many of the busier elements on a website which allows students to focus on the text with less distraction. Here is an example of a webpage without Postlight Reader and the same page with Postlight Reader: 

https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2022/10/celebrate-dyslexic-thinking

In conclusion, Microsoft has developed great tools and inclusive technologies such as Immersive Reader and Reading Coach, with the goal of making reading and writing accessible to everyone, including those with dyslexia. These tools help improve reading accuracy, speed, and comprehension. They also empower individuals with dyslexia to achieve academic success. Microsoft offers other effective tools including Microsoft Translate, Reading Progress and Flip, formerly known as Flipgrid. Google has useful extensions to their Chrome browser and many of them are very beneficial to students with visual differences including Dyslexia. 

About the Author

Robert is an Instructional Strategist at Teq and an experienced technology coach in education with a passion for helping educators integrate technology into their teaching practices. A former NYC Department of Education teacher with almost 30 years of experience in the field, Robert has worked with teachers and administrators to develop technology-rich learning environments that engage students and enhance learning outcomes. Currently, Robert works for Teq, a technology education company in NY. Teq offers schools and districts a complete solution from planning and purchasing educational products to in-person and online professional development as well as follow-up support. In addition, Teq also offers Project Based Learning solutions, called iBlocks, which are beneficial to teachers in the classroom and in STEM labs as well.

About Rachelle

Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks