Category: Free Inquiry

This week I was looking into Optical Character Recognition software. It’s used a lot by Access and Diversity departments at Universities to support students, mostly with their readings.

Oftentimes, the texts we read in University have been around for a while. Some of them are older textbooks and others might be classic novels or excerpts of longer works. When somebody needs those old books translated into an alternative-to-text format, we can use OCR software.

Basically, the software is used when scanning a physical book, and it turns the words into an editable text file on a computer. There are usually some errors in this process, so someone then looks over the text to make sure it reads well for the student. Next, that text file can be translated into a whole variety of formats, like a digital copy, a text-to-speech audio file or even braille.

OCR technology allows us to take older texts that were produced before the digital age and translate them into some of the accessible formats we rely on and take advantage of today.

For this week’s blog post, I will be doing a voice recording. I sometimes use speech-to-text for school. It helps me get my ideas out as I have output issues. I wanted to be a bit more vulnerable in this post about my personal experience in school and how I am reflecting on my past experiences. This is going to be a podcast style, which I am very excited about trying. When I am being so vulnerable it is easier to get it out verbally. Enjoy!

This week’s prompt for our inquiry post is a little different. I was expecting to write about new technology I discovered or ones that I previously used that I found helpful. However, I am expected to “ask questions, turn a corner, try to revisit an older question.” As I have been reflecting on technology being used to help people with learning disabilities, I have reflected on how fortunate I truly am to live in a first-world country where most schools provide children with the technology and support they need. I am also very lucky to have supportive parents that always want the best for me and my learning.

I understand that many children in second-world countries and in some parts of North America do not have access to technology to support their learning. I decided to look at some non-profit organizations that support children with learning disabilities. I could not find any reliable ones online. I did a lot of research and cannot seem to find one that was successful. Additionally, there were no specific non-profits that donate technology or programs to those who are less fortunate with learning disabilities.

Some questions I have is:

-How can we support those who do not have access to technology to support their learning?

-How is school funding allocated for technology? Is it enough?

-How is funding for testing for learning disabilities used?

I understand these are fairly broad questions, it really depends on the school district and province, etc. I do not think with my inquiry project right now that I am able to “turn a corner” as learning disabilities and technology is a huge subject that has many sub-layers.

I decided to ask some of my friends who have learning disabilities about their use of technology to support them. All of them said that using technology to help them just becomes so normal and natural to them. They also mention that they use technology basically every day and that it is just a part of their day-to-day lives. They do not really take a second thought about using technology to support their learning.

My follow-up questions are:

-Why and how is technology the norm for people with learning disabilities?

-How can we normalize the use of more technology in the classroom?

-Should there be a balance between using technology and no use of technology in the classroom with those who have learning disabilities?

Again, I cannot exactly come to conclusions yet, even with these questions. They are just to start conversations around this topic. I do not think there is a right answer but I think by answering these questions there can be more clarity on the situation. Additionally, I would like to mention that I am not bringing up technology programs for my questions above as I think the bigger picture is first either using a laptop or tablet to help support learners.

I have been using Quizlet for over five years as an alternative to writing physical cue cards. It would always take me a really long time to write out cards, so Quizlet offered a digital format. I’m not the strongest memorizer so the cue card format is a helpful way for me to commit facts to memory.

I have Quizlet plus which gives you many additional features as compared to the free version. Some of these include the ability to access cue card sets from other users and specific schools, as well as the ability to enter in a term and retrieve a definition automatically. Plus will also autogenerate cue cards on certain topics to create a helpful quiz. There is also the option for the terms and definitions to be read by the program aloud, which is helpful as an auditory learner.

Additionally, for quizzing you can create matching games and Quizlet will generate a test to review materials with a variety of written answer, multiple choice and matching. Quizzes can be generated based on your existing knowledge level, which it will determine based on your performance on previous quizzes.

Quizlet has proven an excellent study aid for me throughout high school and university. I think it’s an excellent tool for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and ADHD. When you aren’t able to access extra support, Quizlet can provide some of that needed support. It’s a time saver and the variety it offers makes it so everyone has access to a quiz format that will help them the best in their studies.

Here is a video I made on how to use Quizlet:

I personally have times when I get overstimulated by work. This could be due to the task being too big for me i the moment, thus making me feel overwhelmed, or focusing on one task for a long time. Many people who are neurodivergent deal with overstimulation.

The definition of overstimulation from Very Well Mind states that “Overstimulation is what happens when there’s too much sensory input for your brain to handle. It can make you feel overwhelmed, irritable, and uncomfortable.” Some people may have other feelings or might be overstimulated by noise, smell, touch, and more.

Personally, I feel like when my brain is very foggy, noise and sometimes visuals become too much for me. I also feel like I have an itch in my brain and in my body. This can be annoying for me when I am trying to do homework or a test. I have an accommodation where I can take a break during a test and take a walk in the building I am in. I find that very helpful to let my brain rest and to leave my work.

I think sometimes people think technology can aid with overstimulation and use it as a tool to help students or kids. However, technology can trigger overstimulation. It can be due to the screen, potential noise from a computer or the fact that there is too much information to be absorbed on their device.

It is fantastic when teachers use technology to help students with learning disabilites but it can be too much for students sometimes. Teachers should avoid technology with overstimulated students. Additonally, younger students will have trouble vocalizing how they feel. Teachers must recognize when students are struggling.

Instead of technology try these helpful methods for relaxing your brain. Going for a walk or finding a change of environment has worked really well for me and others. Fresh air, similarly, can work to calm the nerves and an overactive brain. You can also do something that stimulates a sense, like having a snack or using relaxing essential oils, to distract from your cluttered thoughts. If the space you’re in is loud, find another location or try noise cancelling headphones.

Works Cited:

Gupta, Sanjana. “Feeling Overwhelmed: Symptoms, Causes, and Coping.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 23 June 2022, https://www.verywellmind.com/feeling-overwhelmed-symptoms-causes-and-coping-5425548.

What if you did not have a friend to read over an assignment for you?

Google Read and Write is simply amazing. In my opinion, anyway. I’ve been using it since grade 7 and it has helped me through just about every assignment I’ve ever had to complete. I do pay for this software but it is worth EVERY PENNY.

Every time I’m having trouble reading a passage or a lengthy reading for an assignment? Google Read and Write.

Whenever I feel my concentration waning? Google Read and Write.

Whenever I feel the letters and words getting mixed up in my head? GRW.

Tired? GRW.

Confused? GRW.

Basically, I use Google Read and Write to help with all facets of my dyslexia, from typing to reading. Allow me to explain.

Google Read and Write is an extension tool for Google Chrome browser. If you have Google Docs, you can use this extension to have the text in your doc read out loud. You can change the pace and the voice to be something you’re comfortable with, and the best thing is that it never sounds robotic or monotonous, and so you never get sick of the voice reading your work back to you. This also includes pausing your reading so if you want to change anything that you typed, you can. What is great is you can also get articles online or PDFs read to you. I use that tool a lot when reading for an assignment. This also includes a talking dictionary and translator for anything that is in a different language. I have personally never used these features but I have heard they are pretty useful.

This extension will also type for you, which is a God send for me sometimes when I am better at getting my ideas out verbally. The program isn’t perfect, but it’s fairly accurate at translating what I say onto the document. Voice notes are another feature if you are editing a document and want to have side notes, it is just a voice recording of your note with the highlighted text.

One of the other tools I find helpful is the Predictive Text feature. It’s a lot like what you might see on your phone when you’re typing a message to someone and the device predicts what word you might want to use next. It isn’t always accurate but it can help me when I’m having trouble thinking of the word I want to use next.

Google Read and Write comes with loads of other features, and the ones I mention above are just a few that I find helpful on a day to day basis. I’d encourage anyone interested in the app to explore more for themselves!

The app has a bit of a lofty cost at $99 for a yearly description, but for someone like myself who experiences the difficulties associated with dyslexia, it’s proven worth it. There is also a free version you can try out which offers text-to-speech.

I feel like I have tried and tested almost every single piece of technology to aid with my learning disability. There are tried and true one’s that I will stick to forever. However, are there new technology programs being made or ones that have not been discovered yet?

I am always on the hunt for new technologies to aid my learning but most of them have a price.

I did some research for any new tech and Dyslexia Canada had some interesting suggestions for students to use on their computers. One of the computer programs that stood out to me the most was Dyslexie Font.

What is Dyslexie Font?

At the first glance, I was a little bit suspicious about Dyslexie Font which is suppose to be a font that is easier for dyslexic people to read. It is an extension for your computer so you can use your web browser with the font or type with it. The program is free however, if you want it for a school institution or a better version for yourself, it ranges from $80-$150 for “a lifetimes worth” (Dyslexie Font – An award winning Dyslexia font).

Additionally, “Dyslexia fonts use thicker lines in parts of letters. The letters are slanted a bit. And letters that have sticks and tails (b, d,and p) vary in length. Some people with dyslexia like this and find it helpful” (Do dyslexia fonts help?).

According to Understood “Researchers have studied these typefaces. So far, they haven’t found evidence that the fonts help kids or adults read faster and with fewer mistakes”(Do dyslexia fonts help?). It is interesting that Dyslexia Canada recommended this even though there are no real improvements in reading.

Does It Actually Work?

I decided to try this out for myself and see if it was actually helpful with my reading. Dyslexie Font has a test text for users to test out the font. I read a page about Pluto with the text (see above image) andI did not read any better than I usually do. I personally like larger text to read and with large spacing. I would suggest for people just to change the font size on their computer or just to zoom in on the page.

I did even further research into this company. I read reviews online and apparently according to users, it distorts websites with the font, which is a big negative. However, some people love the font, it just depends on the person.

Suspicions of the Company:

I started to become quite suspicious of Dyslexie so I decided to watch the founders Ted Talk from 2011. First off, what made me mad in his presentation is he said that there are “some jobs, you can’t do if you have dyslexia” (TEDxTalks). The founder is dyslexic himself and the fact he iss making this completely false statement about dyslexic people is very harmful. There are some struggles that people with dyslexia may face in the workforce but his statement completely diminishes people with dyslexia and their abilities. There are some other issues I have with his presentation which overall just perpetrate stereotypes on dyslexic people. The general narrative of his presentation is if you use his software, it will make your dyslexia better. Also he was suggesting that dyslexic people struggle more with visuals but “dyslexia is an issue with language, not vision” (Terada). The founder does not sound very fact based and more about selling a product.

I personally think this computer program just commodifies dyslexia for a profit with no real research to back it up. According to Edutopia, “Children with dyslexia do not read better when text is printed in the font Dyslexie than when text is printed in Arial or Times New Roman”(Terada). It may even “give students false hope—and result in disappointment […] ‘The most harm may come when students who have already experienced significant struggle and academic failures related to learning to read have yet another experience with failure when they are not able to read significantly better in a font designed to do so,’ they caution” (Terada).

Final Thoughts:

Overall, save your money and time and do not invest in dyslexic fonts. The British Dyslexic Association “[recommends] fonts designed for general legibility, like Arial, Verdana, and Tahoma. For better reading outcomes, font size should be between 12 and 14 points, and section headings should be used to create a consistent structure within your documents, easing navigation and supporting better sense-making”(Terada). Furthermore, “Classroom accommodations such as audiobooks, note-taking apps, video recordings of assignment instructions, and text-to-speech software can help students with dyslexia feel supported and accepted” (Terada). That type of tech support is what I have had almost all throughout my education. It has always been a huge support for me. This does not mean though that there is new technology that is worth trying. I have a hope that there is new and better tech being made to help people with learning disabilities.

Works Cited:

“Do Dyslexia Fonts Help?” Understood, Understood for All, https://www.understood.org/en/articles/dyslexia-friendly-font.

“Dyslexia Friendly Reading Material.” Dyslexia Canada, Dyslexia Canada, https://www.dyslexiacanada.org/en/tools.

“A Dyslexia Typeface.” Dyslexie Font , PINGONLINE, https://www.dyslexiefont.com/en/typeface/.

“Dyslexie Font – An Award Winning Dyslexia Font.” Dyslexie Font, PINGONLINE, https://www.dyslexiefont.com/.

“Dyslexie Font Example Page Adults.” Dyslexie Font, PINGONLINE, https://dyslexiefont.com/public/media-upload/PDF%20Bestanden/Dyslexie-font-example-page%20adults.pdf?_ga=2.206826641.348597750.1664925212-505056238.1664925212.

TEDxTalks, director. TEDxDubai 2011 | Christian Boer | How a Typeface Can Help People. YouTube, YouTube, 24 Nov. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gqus1wEbmA. Accessed 5 Oct. 2022.

Terada, Youki. “Do Dyslexia Fonts Actually Work?” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 24 June 2022, https://www.edutopia.org/article/do-dyslexia-fonts-actually-work.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of eight. My third grade teacher got my parents to get me tested, as she saw me struggle in school. When I got my diagnosis back, my parents were worried about how my future learning would look. They were nervous if I would fall behind or not, and if I would succeed in school or not. As they looked at my report more closely, all the things my parents struggled with in school is what I struggle with. They sadly did not get the support they needed because they did not have a “physical disability.” They were basically ignored for help in school. They also did not have the technology that I have now. I think if they did have the technology that I have access to now, their lives and learning would have been much different.

I am very fortunate to have incredibly supportive parents who always got me tutors, extra support and an IEP for my dyslexia. As I started to get older and understood what work/did not work with my learning, technology has always been one of the biggest helpers with my learning.

One thing that I did not even notice till now is the fact of how good I am at typing on my computer. Instead of learning cursive in elementary school, I learned how to type as it was easier for me to type out my thoughts then write them down. I was typing in front of my peers last week and they asked me “how can you type and not look at the key board or even the computer screen?” For me, I have always typed and it has just become muscle memory. I can close my eyes and type and look away while typing. It is just natural for me however, my peers saw it as some sort of super power I have. Technology has always been apart of my life and something that I have always been use to having.

I would not have gotten here if it was not for every single one of my teachers, they have all shaped my learning and who I am now. They always supported me and were patient with me. Additionally, they gave me tools and strategies to help me. They are the ones who introduced me to computer programs to support my learning.

My must have tools are Gramarly, to help with my spelling, Google Read & Write, to read my essays to me and Microsoft Edge, to read my textbooks to me. However, Google Read & Write and Gramarly all coast money and also to have personal computer is quite expensive. In my next blog post, I will be looking at some potential cheaper alternative programs and some tools that are more accessible to everyone.