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I think Immersive Reader could be a really useful tool in the SET classroom, especially for students who have difficulty with reading and decoding. Some of our students may understand a topic and have good ideas but struggle to access the written information. Immersive Reader could help to remove some of these barriers and make the work more accessable for them.
One of the main features I would use is the read aloud option. Students can listen to text being read to them instead of having to decode every word themselves. This could help them to understand instructions, worksheets and information while still being involved in the same activities as their peers. The picture dictionary could also be useful for students who need extra support understanding new words.
I also think features such as line focus, spacing and changing the text size could make reading less overwhelming for some students. These small changes could help students to focus on the information without becoming frustrated or giving up.
For our school leavers, I think Immersive Reader could also have a practical benefit outside of school. Being able to listen to messages, instructions or information online could help them become more independant in everyday life.
I would like to use Immersive Reader more regularly and see which features work best for individual students. It is a good example of using technology to support literacy without making the student feel that they cant take part. One drawback In my opinion is that we are a Google orientated school and we would need to transition to Microsoft or work between the two.
Hi Niamh
I like your point about tailoring the resources to the student rather than blanket implementation just because it is available. I would definitely try use the SETT framework for my incoming class this year. It seems like a more evidence based approach.
I am the school leaver coordinator in a special school. I also hold the post of SSE coordinator. I see a lot of potential in assistive technology, especially for our school leavers. Some of our students have had many years of literacy support but may still not be able to decode words independently. I believe technology can help to remove this barrier and allow them to take part in learning in a more meaningful way.
This year I trialed assistive tech such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, visual supports and audio resources to give students different ways to access information and communicate. I felt like this was particularly important as they prepare to leave school and these skills can have a real-life impact. I think this also links well with SSE. Since i have taken up the post I wanted to overhaul our exisiting targets and through surveys it became clear both students and teachers wanted a focus on digital technologies.
The Digital Learning Framework standards around learner experiences, teacher practice and using digital technology to support learning would be relevant to this. For me, the main focus is not necessarily on students becoming better at traditional literacy, but on using technology to help them work around their difficulties and participate more fully in everyday life.
