Author: AccessAbility Smyles

Specialist ICT SEND Consultant, Committed Christian, Loves photography and computing Plays piano and guitar - both badly!

Swype – Android

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

Free and Low Cost Assistive Technology of the Week 12/17 Swype – Android

Swype is a great onscreen keyboard for Android – which now integartes Dragion Dictate into itrs features

Some of the new features include

* Emoji prediction based on text analysis
* Number row option
* Text engine improvements
* Handwriting improvements

Swype lets you customize your keyboard including long-press delay, vibration duration, keyboard height and mini left/right keyboards in landscape mode.

Swype enables you to backup your personal dictionary to the cloud and synchronize it with any Android device with Swype on it – never lose the words that you add to your personal dictionary again! (Opt-in feature)

Swype keeps you always up to date with a real-time, crowd-sourced and news derived language model that gives you immediate access to our continuously updated language dictionary. Imagine having instant access to the hottest words and phrases that people are using at that moment.(Opt-in feature)

Word Prediction – Language models train your device to learn your unique vocabulary and predict your words based on previous usage, Swype can predict commonly used words and phrases.

Swype supports more than 80 downloadable languages and dialects.

Swype now lets you enter words from two languages at once! Words suggested by Swype will automatically adjust to your bilingual language preferences.

Swype features three unique tablet keyboard designs: a full screen keyboard, a small and moveable keyboard, and a split screen keyboard.

Swype comes with voice recognition so you can go hands-free and dictate text quickly with a simple press of the voice key on the Swype keyboard.

Use Swype gestures for quick everyday tasks such as:
• Select All (Swype key to ‘A’)
• Cut (Swype key to ‘X’)
• Copy (Swype key to ‘C’)
• Paste (Swype key to ‘V’)
• Search (Swype key to ‘S’)

Swype supports Android’s “Talkback” and “Explore by Touch” accessibility features. When accessibility features are enabled the user’s entered text will be spoken back.

Swype Keyboard screenshot

Download from

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuance.swype.dtc

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Also you can subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and roundup of all that is happening in the world of Access and Inclusion through Technology at

http://paper.li/e-1452749534  

New 9.7inch iPad in USA

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

Apple are replacing the iPad Air 2 with guess what they are calling it ….iPad . This is released today in the states. Read the following article curtesy of MacRumourd:-

New iPad

Understand all this technology stuff then?

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

If not then you might like a spot of training.AAS can offer you courses from as far ranging as speaking ict sen to in-depth support to LA and other services. In order to be relevant you need to up to speed on the fast changing world of ICT SEN.

Take a look at what we have to offer you. AAS can deliver onsite or via webinair which is a great way to interact at very low cost to all. AAS doesn’t charge the earth. Our primary objective is to serve you and help you. That is our number one priority. For that we ask a modest renumerationn based on cost and travel to you!

IMG_8179.PNG

HandyBook Dyslexia e-reader Now Available as APP.

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/handybook-dyslexia-e-reader-now-available-app-dyslexia-applications

When Mobile Technology comes of age!

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

This is now, not something in the future. I promote the use of the device that can take photos, record video and sound , write text ( even with your voice!) and draw. These are the tools that you can use effectively on any make of mobile – from Apple to Android to PC. All mobile technology does this.

Why is this useful?

Essentially it is a tool of expression in th 21st Century. Not to do away with handwriting but to provide another tool to go into your toolbox. Pupils can be freed from the physcial process of handwriting into the bright , shiny world of image, text,video and sound – and that’s without having to buy apps for your device. These tools are often part of the system and can be used effectively as soon as your device switches on.

Book Creator App (iOS)

In a course today I learnt a new feature of the app. Text to speech! Not only can you add text, images , video you can also have your text read back with highlights on each word. Something that was brilliant and easy to use has suddenly got better! Love it!

And the fun doesn’t stop there with Puppet Pals 2 you can create engaging movies that were unthinkable 5 years ago ( quote from an ex – computer teacher) . Movies that aide children in using speech and language for a purpose. Learning and having fun! Something that is sorely needed in our education system these days I think!

So why are those bright shiny things still in the cupboard?

This is a phenomena that is being played out in settings where bright shiny things ( iPads or similar) are waiting in their boxes until the app licensing and time spent setting up to be done.

Seems like we need a reason to get them out of the cupboard !

If we understood what they did well then we could utilise them in any teaching situations. So instead of thinking of these devices as the “must have” device but then what?!  Get ahead of the game by seeing them as:-

– tools to record experiences with

– tools of spontaniety creating moments to share and enjoy together

– mobile devices work best when used by two people not one in certain learjng situations

– pair more able communicators with less able communicators

– get training in apps that explore the above

– and then model the apps to your pupils ( pupils learn apps from you!)

The list is ongoing as we move forward in our understanding of how best to use these bright shiny things and its not in the amount of apps but the quality of the app to do something amazing that can’t  e  easily done another way

So mobile technologies – you have come of age!

 

 

NFC tags

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

NFC (Near Field Communication) tags have been around a while but have been rarely used in the field of education. They are cheap, designed for contact/touch with a tag and android phone. Short messages and event can be conveyed.

How could they be used in education?

Sending a sequence of instructions. I once knew a secondary pupil who had a problem with queues. He kick and push in a queue. He needed a discrete prompt. Without saying a word a TA could just put a tag under his phone and a message would appear.

How to behave in a queue?

  1. Stand in line
  2. Do not push or kick
  3. Your taxi will come in 15 mins
  4. Check your watch! Has 15 mins gone?

You need to send a discrete message to your support that doesn’t mean you draw attention to yourself. Again the pupil places the appropriately programmed tag that says:-

SMS Message

Text <phone number>

“I need your help now !”

You have a dropbox folder with lots of useful resources to share with a colleague who has an android phone . To save time a pre-programmed tag sends the weblink directly to his phone was the tag was placed under the phone.

Many things can be done. Switch on wifi when you come into the house. Remind yourself a routine job you need to do. ( of course you have to remember the tag you use) . Maybe its  logging into your google account or dropbox account as a sequence of instructions can be sent. You don’t want anyone getting hold of that tag! So put the tags on a keyring!

1200017-1

Where can you get the  tags?

First check what your android phone can use. You can search amazon using the make of your phone ( NFC tags only work through mobile phones)  Here are a link to a generic site for  NFC tags. Looking through NFC tags seem to be used with VR headsets as a way of setting them up. That sounds useful.

NFC tags from Amazon UK

 

 

 

Running a PC on a Chromebook? How is that possible!

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

Tonight I discovered that I could run my Windows Surface Pro 3 through a Chromebook! Their is an app called Chrome Remote Desktop app free from the Chrome Web Store. Amazingly I can run my Chromebook as if its the PC. The precursor is that both machines need to be on and also accessible through the same network!

The result is impressive. And means that for me anything can run on anything now! The Chromebook never fails to amaze me!

Immersive Reader works in Office 365 Word

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

If you are using Office 365 I discovered an interesting tool now available in the online apps like Word. I will also try PowerPoint but figure OneNote would be a better app to try.  OneNote works but that’s all. Not Excel or PowerPoint. But Word is more than enough to work. Maybe run a ebook through it  done in Word.To try this,go to the Word app and in the “Tell me what you want to do?” help window type Immersive Reader. Make sure you have some text already in word to try out. The immersive reader has great tools for teaching how words are built from composite elements of vowels, blends and consonants, etc.  Here is a screenshot of what it looks like:-

screenshot-2017-03-01-at-21-16-34

Assistive Technology that just works!

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

I love technology that just works. Sadly that is  not always the case. Many technologies like Siri and Cortana take you to an application – and leave you there . Which is fine unless you are blind. I am currently trying to help a blind person who has no finger dexterity which means she can’t use a keyboard.

Using the grid 3 from smartbox i can custom build grids which i have done but failing to answer one need to load a variety of streaming tv channels which has audio description. Only 20% of programs have this facility. That seems very hard on people with blindness to have so few. Also, advance warning of programs having audio description is also difficult. If anyone knows of a solution to this need please get kn touch with me via this website. I would be pleased to hear from you.

SEND ICT Updates

Posted on by AccessAbility Smyles

The Grid has been around a while and now incorporates your facebook updates. I would love it to allow to send from my facebook page so i will be trung that next . Here is the link:-

SEND ICT Updates