Literacy Matters - Vol 21 - Winter 2021

Another option for providing access to information in English language arts is to use accessible ebooks. Accessible ebooks are digital books that allow readers to customize their reading experience through features such as audio, highlighted text, increased font size, and Braille. Bookshare (www.bookshare. org) is an accessible ebook lending library that is free for qualified k-12 students and has almost 900,000 titles, including textbooks. Bookshare ebooks can be read on multiple devices including iPads, iPhones, Android devices, PCs, Apple computers, and Chromebooks (Bookshare, 2020). Information about how to join is available at the website. While there are many other places to download ebooks, it is important to note that not all ebooks include accessibility features. Teachers can work with special educators and school media specialists to locate accessible ebooks and textbooks relevant to their classrooms. Additionally, optical character recognition (OCR) software exists that allows teachers to convert hard copies of handouts. This software scans the hard copy of the document and can convert the document to digital text. Then, the document can be edited, annotated, and read aloud to the student by a screen reader. Table 2 highlights several apps that can be used to increase accessibility. While it is imperative that students with disabilities be provided with content in a format accessible to them, educators who utilize the Universal Design for Learning framework recognize that many students can benefit from being provided with access to documents that have text-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities.

Conclusion In addition to focusing on literacy skills and strategies, teachers can use the tools discussed in this article to foster deeper understanding of content area knowledge. For example, literature circles, book clubs, and choice boards could feature content-focused, multimodal compositions; when studying plant cells, fifth graders might have access to a video, a Khan Academy article, an excerpt from a textbook, and a National Geographic illustration. By selecting any combination of textbooks, articles, podcasts, and videos, educators can create content sets that allow students to build background knowledge and synthesize information across modes. Teaching literacy in digital spaces does not have to be a brand-new adventure. As educators, we must remember what we already know to be true about ‘good teaching.’ Students should feel like the integral members of the classroom community that they are. Be sure to have examples, model expectations, and reach out to ensure students have the tools and access they need. Provide students with feedback and give them an opportunity to collaborate and share their learning with others within and beyond the classroom. While some of this is easier in online spaces and other components are more of a challenge, as educators we can come together to share our successes and ask for help when we encounter obstacles. It is our hope that this article serves as one component of the continuous, collaborative conversation about leveraging digital tools for student learning opportunities.

Reading Matters Technology Matters

App

Platform

Description

PrizmoGo

iPad/ iPhone

Free Scans image,converts to text, has built-in text-to-speech capabilities

ClaroPDF Pro

iPhone or iPad

$9.99 Scans image,converts to text, includes annotation tools, and built-in text-to-speech capabilities

Office Lens

PC or mobile device including Chromebook, Android, iPhone, iPad

Free Scans image,converts to text, includes annotation tools, and built-in text-to-speech capabilities, integrates with MS Office and OneNote Free Scans image, converts to PDF When used with Read&Write Google Chrome extension, text- to-speech, annotation, and a dictionary are available

Snapverter

Mac, PC, Chromebook, phones and tablets using Google Drive app

Kami

Access the Kami web app in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer Access Chrome Extension on Chromebooks

Free basic version includes OCR and annotation $99 year Teacher Plan includes text-to-speech School and district pricing available

Table 2 Document Scanning Apps

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