Some tools are just fun and some are handy to have. Then there are the tools that come along your way that you just know will make a huge difference in some of your students’ lives. This list will change over time and across the environments you work.
eType is a downloadable application that provides continual word prediction or auto-completion action as you type or word process. Once launched, it can be used on a wide range of programs such as MS Word, wordpad, email, online – google searches, open office, online digital storybooks… As if this wasn’t enough, they’ve even gone the distance to add a translator that will translate the text into 17 languages so far (French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish…). The website has a demo video that you can see the tool in action.
For those of you who have been using Co-Writer on single computers, this tool may give students the flexibility to use as a writing support anywhere (any computer, at home, online). I’m thinking that this would help students who have written output issues, receptive/expressive vocabulary or spelling and vocabulary difficulties, anxiety over any writing activity, or fine/gross motor difficulties. I’ve tried it from a flashdrive from multiple computers across a few schools and found it worked well. I’ve asked some of you across my travels to try it out with students and see what you think. I’d be very interested in any insights you’d like to share here.