Transcript Bookshare`s Reading Technologies

The Joy of Reading:
Accessible Books from Bookshare
Presenter:
Fred Slone
Director of Operations, Bookshare
[email protected]
(650) 644-3420
Bookshare is a project of Benetech - www.benetech.org
Benetech’s nonprofit motto: Technology Serving Humanity
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Your time is important
 What are you hoping to get out of
today’s session?
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Main Objective
 To leave the session with new
knowledge, tools or ideas that will
increase accessibility for your students.
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Agenda
 Bookshare Basics
 Reading Technologies
 New Stuff in the Works
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Digital Learners Today
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Free, Digital, and Accessible
 Bookshare® is an online library of accessible
media for readers with print disabilities.
 Over 247,000 Members
 Over 10,000 schools and other
organizations
 Over 180,000 titles
 Over a thousand new books
added each month
Funded by an award from OSEP, the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education.
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What Bookshare Offers
Digital books for
individuals with print
disabilities
FREE memberships
for qualified U.S.
students
FREE assistive technology software
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The Bookshare Library
 Textbooks (11,000+)
 Classroom Reading Books
 Special Collections
 New York Times Best Sellers
 Newbery, Caldecott Winners
 Thousands of popular fiction and
non fiction books
As of March 2013
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Two membership options
Individual
Membership
Organizational
Membership
• Access Bookshare at
Home
• Access Bookshare at
School
• Student downloads for
herself / himself
• Teacher downloads on
behalf of student
• Download books
• Download all books,
including textbooks
Many Ways to Read
Multi-modal reading: See and hear words
simultaneously
View books in large font on a PC screen, or
print in large font
Listen to them (many voice options)
Read Braille (digital or hardcopy)
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Bookshare’s
Reading Technologies
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Bookshare Reading Options
 Computer – PC or Mac
 AT Devices
 Mobile – phone, tablets, mp3
 iOS (Read2Go)
 Android (GoRead)
 Web
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Formats
 DAISY
 BRF
 DAISY Audio
 MP3 Audio
 Web (streaming)
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Mobile Reading with Go Read
FREE accessible eBook reader for Android
Easy to search for, download, and read
Bookshare books all within the app
Many features including:
 Accessibility options
 Zoom, Bookmark, and Search
www.GoRead.org
 Night reading mode
 Adjust background, highlight colors, and margins
 Download from Google Play
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The New Stuff
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Bookshelf
 Create reading lists and easily share with
students so they can download books on
their own
 Cloud based - Bookshelf goes where you go
 Compile book titles in one location, and stay
organized
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Bookshelf Tips
 Create Bookshelves by class, subject, student,
genre, author, or however you like.
 You can store an unlimited number of books on a
Bookshelf.
 Share your Bookshelf with students with individual
memberships, and let them read independently with
Bookshare Web Reader!
 Put books on a Bookshelf instead of downloading!
No more transferring books to flash drives or CDs.
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Bookshare Web Reader
 Individual Members can read books in an
Internet browser!
 Find a book and select “Read Now”
 Takes advantage of Google Chrome’s
accessibility features – text to speech and
word highlighting
o TTS is in whatever voice is installed on computer
o Can also use Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari
(need screen reader, no word highlighting)
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Web Reader Tips
 If you are sighted, use Google Chrome because it
provides text-to-speech using your computer’s builtin voices and word-level highlighting. Note that when
you select “Read Now” for the first time, you will be
prompted to do a one-time installation of a Chrome
extension.
 If you use a screen reader, use Internet Explorer,
Safari, or Firefox. The screen reader will provide
text-to-speech so you can listen to books.
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Image Descriptions
 POET Image Description Tool
 Go to www.diagramcenter.org
 Click on the “Development” menu
 Contextualize, Navigate, Describe
http://www.diagramcenter.org/development/poet.html
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Math
 POET – Built in Math Helper
 Web Based MathTrax
 Descriptions
 Tactile files (.svg)
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Student Outcomes
Overall starting to see…
 Improved grades
 More participation in the classroom
 More reading enjoyment; excited about the
technology
 More independence
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Questions?
DAISY
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