This newsletter highlights all of the things that will assist you to deliver support to your students with special needs or struggling students.

• District Apps 2024-25: Includes step-by-step instructions for ReadSpeaker (Doc)
• Differentiation in Canvas Tips & Tricks (Doc)

Also in this newsletter are ways to use the following district apps to help students with special needs. (They are listed in the order that they can be found on this newsletter.)

• Google Voice
• webReader
• Magic School AI
• Kahoot
• Canvas
• Google Classroom
• Kami

If you want help or more information about any of these, please schedule a work session with the link at the bottom of this Smore (or below my email signature) OR put in an FMX request for Professional Development and it will be instantly assigned to me.

Sometimes the best tools are the free and ready for you with absolutely no set-up. (Aren't those the best?!) Don't forget that in Google Workplace, Voice Typing is ready and waiting for you.

Voice Typing can be found in Google Docs and Slides by going into Tools. It allows users to write, edit and move around in the document by simply speaking. In fact, Voice Typing isn't only for composing in English. Users can choose from a wide array of languages as well as other language-based nuances.

Adding Punctuation-

This might be the most challenging part for students. Some students like to keep dictating without adding the punctuation. Having one huge sentence makes it difficult to use the text later, so I like to recommend that students verbally add periods even if they find punctuation difficult and it isn't necessarily correct the first time. (Here are some punctuation commands from easiest to implement to most challenging.)

• Period, exclamation point, or question mark ("End of a thought...")

• New line (to start a new line of text)

• New paragraph (to start a new paragraph, as in using the Enter key)

• Open quote, end quote

• Comma

Oral Commands-

If you want to save even more time, you can give Voice Typing the following commands.

• Go to/ Move to end of line, paragraph or document

• Scroll up/down

• Copy, Cut & Paste

• Delete (*deletes the word immediately before the cursor)

• Select word or phrase, select all, select line or select paragraph

• Select next/ last character

• Deselect/Unselect

• Bold, italicize or highlight

• Create/Insert bulleted or numbered list

• Clear/Remove formatting

Change the Language-

• Go to the microphone box and look for the dropdown arrow to the right of "English"
• Click to have it populate different language outputs
• Click the language of interest

Read Aloud-

• It's a Chrome extension that can dictate content on any open website including Google products. (Edge & Firefox have it too.)
• Click the extension and a pop-up will appear allowing users to read along.
• It will show the texts, highlight as it reads and read aloud simultaneously.
• Read Aloud Extension (Chrome Web Store)

ReadSpeaker-

• It's a screen reader software that dictate documents, web pages & ebooks.
• The web extension is a PAID service the district gets for all those logged into the mywccc domain.
• The "Read on Hover" function is when the user hovers over the desired text to be read aloud.
• Avaliable in 50 languages many different voices.
• Choose different font sizes and types.
• Users can choose different reading speeds.
• It highlights what is read as the content is dictated.
• It also includes a fully integrated translator.
• It has an application already in Canvas to read aloud Canvas embedded materials and an extension that can read web-based content.
• It DOES NOT read Google products.
• ReadSpeaker Extension for the web (Chrome Web Store)

I created the visual below to highlight the very distinct differences of the two. The two icons are so similar even in color so please look to make sure that you are using the right one for the job.

There are several tools in Magic School designed specifically to help students with learning disabilties.

For Student Assistance-

• Text Leveler: Adapts text passages to different reading levels
• Assignment Scaffolder: Takes assignments and breakks it into smaller, more manageable steps
• Writing Feedback: Gives student feedback to writing based on aresa the teacher wants to focus on

For Teacher Paperwork-

• IEP Generator
• 504 Plan Generator
• BIP Generator
• Advanced Learning Plan (ALP)

As a premium district Kahoot user, you can invite up to 250 students to use premium study tools like the:

• Self-study Toolkit
• Studey Groups
• Access Pass
• Game Modes
• Enhanced Kahoot creator

Using these tools they can make their own study materials or use existing content.

• Google Classroom for Special Education (Post)
• youtube.com/@Readspeaker (YouTubeChannel)