2024 Web Tools

I have been doing a lot of research about accessibility tools and I have come across some amazing ones. As a future teacher it is so important for me to be aware of this tools and how I can incorporate them into my future classroom. I first want to talk about google translate, this tool is very familiar to me because I used this tool so much in high school. I took German as my language class and my teacher only talked to use and assigned work in German. Since my teacher never used English, google translate was my best friend and helped me to thoroughly understand my teacher, grasp what he was saying and do what was being asked of me. The next tool is Kurzweil, which provides built-in features for reading, writing and study skills for those students struggling with literacy. This program is designed to help students become independent learners, active participants with their education, and assist students to achieve full academic potential. I myself remember struggling with reading and studying skills and if I had something like Kurzweil it probably would of benefited me greatly. I can also implement this in my future classroom to help struggling students. The next tool is Zoom Text, which is a screen magnifier for Microsoft Windows tailored for low vision users. I can use this tool to help my students who struggle with their vision get a better grasp on what they are reading because they can see and understand it better. I can also use Thunder T3 in my classroom, which is a earmuffs feature Air Flow Control technology that reduce noise in the room. I can use this feature to help my students who have trouble focusing because of background sound and with the help of these headphones, these students that are struggling will be able to better their focus. The next tool is called a Smartpen which works like a pen, but use Bluetooth technology to record audio and send it to a smartphone, tablet, or PC. This product is designed to help students capture the most from classroom lectures and documents information that could be missed while in the classroom. This would be an amazing tool in a middle school classroom or higher level of education for students to be able to take notes do assignments. The next tool which is very similar to the one previous one is the C- Pen reader which is a portable device that reads printed text aloud with an English, Spanish or French human-like digital voice. This would be amazing in my future classroom if I had to communicate with a student that has trouble speaking and understanding English. The last and final tool is the Read & Write program which is a program that makes the web, documents, and files more accessible through an intuitive and user-friendly toolbar that assists students, faculty, and staff with everyday tasks such as reading text aloud, understanding unfamiliar words, researching assignments and proofing written work. This program is great for those with learning difficulties, English Language Learners, and/or anyone who needs extra help with their reading and writing. All of these tools are amazing and helpful and I am eager to use these in my future classroom.

Hyperdocs are extremely useful when it comes to sharing with your students and having a whole class collaboration on the hyperdoc. For students it is very easy to collaborate with one another and read what each student thinks about a certain topic. Since it is easy to share your work can be sent to your fellow students as well as your teacher very quickly in a hyperdoc like google classroom or OneNote for example. Hyperdocs expand students thinking as well and allows them to see the thoughts and ideas from their fellow students work. These ideas and concepts are exposed to them which certain students may not have thought about until they see it from their fellow peer. Everyone in the class can work in the hyperdoc harmoniously and get a lot of work done on the document. While also allowing for another great way in which students can learn about a lesson or topic.

Hyper-docs are online documents that encourage engagement and creativity. We can use hyper-docs to make learning more exciting while teaching different topics. I found a hyper-doc on the topic of social justice in film. This presentation was used to teach eighth grade students about the impact of social justice in the film industry. It provided discussion questions about this topic and a list. Students were assigned to write about a specific film and how it reflects our society. Using hyper-docs can also help students with collaborative skills and sharing their ideas with each other.

When trying to utilize helpful tools in the classroom, the use of hyperdocs can be fun, educational, and easy! Hyperdocs can aid in ensuring that the teacher’s lessons are explained thoroughly, also providing an interactive education plan to follow. A hyperdoc that I have used in the classroom is a “Whole-Class Google Doc”. This allows the classroom to receive an assignment, add their input/ information to the assignment, and be able to view their fellow classmates’ additions. This type of hyperdoc has many positive qualities that include how easy it is to share, expansion of student thinking, inclusion, and promotes participation amongst students who feel intimidated. There are some important rules to set before the doc is shared including to not erase other’s work, leaving font size and colors untouched, only positive comments, and professionalism.

Google Docs

The use of Hyperdocs is interactive and contains various elements such as videos, links, and activities which are designed for personalized learning. Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Google Slides are all examples of platforms used to create a Hyperdoc. A HyperDoc is an interactive Google Doc or Slide Deck that takes traditional learning and teaching and puts it in the hands of the student. It promotes student centered learning, providing students with access to a variety of resources and activities within a single document. Students can go through the material at their own pace. Educators can customize Hyperdocs to meet the diverse needs of their students.

Example of Hyperdocs in Google Slides

I found a great, fun, and interactive Hyperdoc on Wakelet that was created in Google Slides. The Hyperdoc that I found looks like a game board. It is an activity for students to do on the first day of school as a cool and engaging way to get students excited about learning again. Within the game board there are links to assignments making it easy for students to navigate and access their tasks. This interactive approach fosters excitement and engages active participation. 

As technology is advancing, it is extremely hard to keep students engaged in lessons. Hyperdocs is a way to keep the lesson exciting and moving. Within the lesson there are links embedded into the lesson plan, which leads to different moving parts of the lesson. Hyperdocs is a great way for students to become interactive and click links that allow them to share their thoughts within the lesson. The image below is an example of what a hyperdoc is! The document is divided into different lesson plans for different subjects. The lesson I decided to use as an example is Astronomy. In this lesson there are multiple links within the slides that lead to videos and question about the lesson in Astronomy. This is a great tool to you in your classroom to keep students involved and interested in the lesson.