Article
Using Technology to Support a Dual Media Learner
Adapting and customizing Kindergarten Reading Street program using Visiobook Orbit 20 paired with an iPad.
I have been enjoying teaching a kindergartener braille this school year. As a TVI, I closely collaborate with the special education teacher and classroom teacher to provide the student access to materials throughout the day in both large print and braille. Reproducible books are enlarged so the student can visually read the print and braille is added to each page. While the students and teacher point to each word in print, the student follows along in braille. She practices tracking lines of braille from left to right, reading with one on one correspondence, and discriminating braille sight words/contractions.
To incorporate technology, I adapted one of the reproducible books from the Reading Street program so the student could access it with her iPad. I originally was going to use the cartoon images from My Skills Buddy, but decided it would be more meaningful to use real pictures of the animals. Using the Book Creator app, I created an adapted digitally accessible book titled At the Zoo. The print was made 100-point size and alt text was added to the images. During daily instruction this week, I will model how to use Voiceover to access the book. I did not record audio because I wanted the student to participate in this process to individualize the book for her. The student can now access print books with adult support using a Visiobook video magnifier and in braille. As the student develops her technology and braille reading skills, my long term goal for the student is to be able to read digital versions of the books from the Reading Street program and student created books in braille using the Orbit 20 refreshable braille display paired with her iPad.
Attached is a copy of the adapted book At the Zoo from the Kindergarten Reading Street program.
At the Zoo (ePub format) This book includes image descriptions. (ePub books can be opened in Apple Books (formally called iBooks). Download the book from the link and open it in iBooks. iBooks is fully accessible with VoiceOver and a braille display.)
Attached File(s)
https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/At%20the%20Zoo_0.epub https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/At%20the%20Zoo_0.pdf
By R Saladino
