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"In this post, sharing 10 free and low-cost apps that may be especially helpful for individuals who find reading and/or writing challenging. I’ve written previously about some of these resources, but I thought it might be useful to put them together in one place, with information about the apps in point form."
Via John Evans
The apps listed on this blog are perfect for technology-focused students in the 21st-century classroom. The comments by readers are also helpful in providing additional apps and resources for teachers. TextGrabber allows anyone to use their camera to take a picture of text and convert the text to a PDF. Dragon Dictations helps students vocalize their thoughts and captures them onto the screen. It can also play the words back to the listener. Those students who may have poor vision can use Nebulous Notes, which makes fonts larger and the colors contrast more on screen.
Tony Hicks (2013), the author of Crafting Digital Writing, provides many examples of differentiated instruction, including apps and digital projects for students of all reading and writing levels and grades. Sometimes, students need a little extra motivation. They can be motivated by knowing that their writing is worthwhile (Graham, MacArthur, & Fitzgerald, 2013). The apps and tools they use, as well as the texts they read, and the writing they create should be worthwhile as well. When the work and learning are worthwhile, it is authentic. Students are more likely to be able to transfer their skills to new situations if their learning is authentic. Using technology is a simple way to transition skills into the 21st-century.
References:
Graham, S., MacArthur, C. A., & Fitzgerald, J. (2013). Best
practices in writing instruction (Second ed.). New York, NY:
The Guilford Press.
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: composing texts
across media and genres.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.