iPad Accessibility

Use settings on your iPad to Support Your Students 

When working with teachers, some of the best trainings I have done have been on the features of iPads that help to make information more accessible using the accessibility features on the iPad.  So for today's blog post I thought I would share two of my Must Have accessibility settings, Speak Selection and Highlight Words

• Speak Text-  When working on writing it is important to go back and be sure that you have typed what you have intended to say.  I know that I struggle with noticing repeated/misspelled/autocorrected word, I apologize for any repeated/misspelled/autocorrected words on my blog.   A way that I try to curb this is utilizing the Speak Text feature on both my iPad and MacBook.  Before I publish anything I listen to the text being read back to me.   One of the principals that I work with always says, let me say it to you because you are an auditory learning. (Follow her on Twitter here and read her blog here) Boy is that true!  When I hear it I can see the mistakes, when I read it I cannot.  So many of our students who are developing writings would so benefit from this option.   Go to Settings/General/Accessibility/Speak Text and turn the slider to on.  You can adjust the speed of the speech and allow students to check their work by hearing and not seeing.  Definitely one of my favorite features, and yes I will be using it to check this post. 

• Highlight Selection-  Another feature which I love is the Highlight Selection feature.  It is great that students hear their writing but if you are a struggling reader that may not be enough.  Highlight selection  enables the iPad to highlight text as it is being read aloud.  Go to Settings/General/Accessibility/Speak Selection/Highlight Text.  Another cool feature.

Go back to your classroom and enable these features.  You will be amazed at how it will support it will provide your students.