Old Trusty

We've all typed our fair share of essays, resumes and countless other things. But did you know that Microsoft Word can do much, much, much more?!? I'm not talking about just changing the font and the colors, it's a very powerful piece of software. For instance it can be used to as a communication device. I find this feature extremely useful because I work with students with severe and multiple disabilities. Two of my students have augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC) but sometimes, like they are now go on the fritz and can not be repaired right away. Both of these students have adapted keyboards so they can type on a computer. In a pinch, Microsoft Word can be used to communicate because of the text-to speech capabilities. A link is posted below on how to do it:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/using-the-speak-text-to-speech-feature-HA102066711.aspx

Also, the 2010 version of Microsoft Word offers a number of ways to make the software more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Numerous other software programs exist to achieve the same results, but Microsoft has built in many of these features. Microsoft Word can be looked at as a cost effective piece of assistive technology. A link is below on how to make Microsoft Word more accessible for students with disabilities. 

http://office2010.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/accessibility-features-in-word-HP010370103.aspx


Microsoft Word, the standby of the Microsoft Office package. That familiar "W" that's displayed on my desktop is a sign of comfort for me. I will admit, I struggle to use any other word processing software as I find them very confusing and poorly laid out. Microsoft has done a nice job at keeping Word user-friendly and keeping the changes to a minimum. Sure, I've had to hunt for things after an upgrade but their still there. While, I don't see the bouncing paperclip anymore like I did when I was using Windows 98, I'm sure he's floating around somewhere.

Google Apps

Google has truly revolutionized technology. I signed up for my first google account sometime in my teenage years for a gmail account, back then you had to be invited. At the time I thought it was pretty cool, I already used the search engine everyday and I wanted to get away from my aol email- the You've got mail slogan was kind of getting to me. Today and multiple google accounts later, not to mention the tens of thousands emails later (most of  it junk) I'm still an avid google user. 

The use of google apps can truly bring education to the home. All of the apps allow for students to continue their education from the comfort of their own home wearing their pajamas and fuzzy slippers while they do work. No longer do students have the excuse, oh I didn't have the software to do that assignment. The beauty of google apps is that it's all web based. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are suitable replacements for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint respectively. These apps also provide versatility, you can save your assignment to their Google Drive app which will let you access it from any device and allow you to continue to work. Moreover, Google's site app can bring it all together in a website form without the hassle of writing code to share it with the world.

 Google is helping simplify how education can be taught not only in classrooms but any place that has an internet connection. With that being said, that might be the only downside. Internet access can be costly for some families, not allowing all student access to the internet and Google apps. 

A little about my self...

Hello All,

Welcome to my blog for Applications in Technology. I graduated from undergraduate at Nazareth in 2011 and started my masters in EDTS last Fall. I'm enjoying this program immensely. Additionally, I work full-time as a para-educator for students with severe and multiple disabilities.