Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

Texthelp Blog - Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

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Teaching writing has never been an easy task for a teacher. With the shift to online teaching, many teachers have been left in the dark, trying to figure out how to use technology to teach the writing process. In this post, I will give you tips and tools to help you make the digital shift.

There are many ways to approach the pre-writing process. Many students struggle to get words on a page. The first step in the writing process is pre-writing, and it should never be skipped.

Brainstorming - Give students time to think about what they will write about and use digital tools to support the brainstorming process. Jamboard is an excellent tool for getting ideas on the “digital” page. This can be a more abstract brainstorming method of just adding text boxes and sticky notes. Or, you can create a graphic organizer template to help guide students like, a main idea brainstorm, a Venn diagram for comparisons and arguments, or more intricate graphic organizers for older students with more in-depth writing skills. (Other tools that work well with graphic organizers: Google Drawings, Google Slides, or PowerPoint.)

Outline - When students are ready to take their ideas and organize them into an outline, Google Docs (or Microsoft Word) are obvious choices. Be sure to help students find the outline “bullets” in the toolbar. I remember how my students really struggled with Roman numerals on paper. These are built into our favorite word processors to make it less painful and a good way for students to learn those numbering systems.

Voice Recording/Voice Typing - Sometimes, it’s easier for students to just talk aloud about what they want to write. These days it’s usually pretty easy to use a voice recording app to talk out your ideas. (I do this ALL THE TIME!) Of course, remember that students can always use speech-to-text to talk into their documents. The Read&Write for Google toolbar has a handy talk-and-type feature, and Google Docs has voice typing! 

When it comes to drafting an essay or paper, your favorite word processors are your digital BFF. Google Docs and Microsoft Word make it easy to substitute for paper but allow us to make the writing process more DYNAMIC with additional features that go far beyond substitution. In my book Blended Learning with Google, I share many strategies for going beyond substitution and using Google tools to create Dynamic Learning experiences for students. (CLICK HERE to get the FREE Blended Learning with Google Toolkit.)

Voice Typing - Like I mentioned earlier, using voice typing or speech-to-text can help all learners. Most of us talk faster than we type anyway. This feature can help students get their words on the page without the pain of slow typing skills. Plus, it’s a fantastic support for struggling writers, like students with dyslexia and dysgraphia.

Word Choice - Word choice is an important writing skill. There are many online tools to help students find the best word. Google Docs has a built-in dictionary tool to help students search for words and verify spelling and parts of speech. The Read&Write for Google toolbar not only includes a dictionary tool but also a picture dictionary to help young writers and English learners. But one of my favorite features of The Read&Write for Google toolbar is the word prediction tool. As students type in Google Docs, the word predictor will automatically suggest logical words that would come next in the sentence. What a great way to support struggling and emerging writers.

Feedback - Feedback from the teacher and peers can really help students revise their writing and become better writers. Google Docs has a feature called suggesting edits. Once enabled, it green lines the suggestions so students can choose to accept or reject the changes. This is a much more effective method for helping students revise their sentences than just a comment.

Spelling/Grammar Check - We all make mistakes, and one advantage of digital writing is the ability to check spelling and grammar. Google Docs will automatically check the spelling and grammar (once enabled), or you can use the Read&Write for Google toolbar to check it. (Related: How to Check Spelling and Grammar in Google Docs)

Honestly, this post is just scratching the surface of what’s possible with digital writing. The bottom line is to find the tools and strategies that work best for you and your students. Using technology should never make things more difficult. We want to use digital tools to support learning each and every day.

What are your favorite digital writing tools and strategies?

Teaching the Writing Process Online with Kasey Bell.

In this blog post Kasey Bell shares her tips for teaching writing online.   Kasey Bell is a former middle school teacher turned award-winning digital learning coach, international speaker, author, blogger, and podcaster with a Texas-sized passion for technology and learning

Bringing inclusivity and equity to the way we write is an enormous (and important) pursuit, and small changes to common phrases can improve how inclusive our communications are. Specialty vocabularies are a prime opportunity to examine “what we’ve always done.” For example, the phrase “master and slave”—often used in engineering and IT settings to refer to a primary unit that controls secondary units—has significant racist connotations. Re-examining how we use language, then adapting more accurate phrases like “controller/responder” or “main/auxiliary” is an easy-to-implement first step toward improving inclusivity. 

Breaking Down Industry Terminology And Jargon 

As an addiction treatment center, it is important that our website is accessible for all our patients. That means using high contrast, easy-to-read text that breaks down complex medical terminology into something even a middle schooler can understand. Furthermore, we try to incorporate videos where we can to appeal to those who have trouble readings for various reasons.

Retail shopping came to a complete halt this year, making items that are typically bought in person now only available online. We create a seamless digital experience, including detailed product descriptions, multiple pictures and views and a chat support feature to answer all questions customers might have. Shopping for a phone case that looks good and fits your phone is easy to do in-store, but taking that experience 100% online has required us to give more thought to the digital experience for a more vulnerable audience.  

In an effort to quantify page experience, Google introduced Core Web Vitals to help websites offer a better website experience. Included in Core Web Vitals is a metric called Cumulative Layout Shift, or CLS. You know when you’re on a mobile device and you’re about to click on something, then an annoying ad gets in the way and you accidentally click on that ad? CLS measures how much content shifts and penalize sites that offer these poor website experiences on mobile and desktop devices. This should help improve the page experience for everyone, especially vulnerable customers online.

Adoption is a vulnerable process, whether you are a brave birthmother making the choice to follow through with adoption or an adoptive couple looking to grow your family. There is so much emotion throughout the entirety of the process from all sides. To be able to serve the people we work with through our adoption process, we have tried to create the best digital experience possible. Birth mothers or adoptive parents have the ability to text, call, email or chat 24/7 about whatever they need. 

Arrow Lift provides accessibility lifts and home elevator solutions that minimize the impact of mobility challenges and improve the lifestyle of our customers. We service customers with physical disabilities who have come to the realization that they are unable to access the part of their own home with stairs, which makes them vulnerable. To create an inclusive digital experience for those people, we have worked to create one that normalizes and provides educational information about installing a start lift or home elevator into their homes. We also provide free on-site consultations for those customers that need more of a personalized experience. 

Our online retail store makes sure to use ALT text and descriptive captions so that vulnerable customers can visualize images when they can’t view them. One of the most problematic issues of an inclusive digital experience is missing or ineffective ALT text, which is why ecommerce stores like ours need to take the extra effort to ensure this information is included in images. This way, there is a positive user experience for all of our customers.  

Yes, it is deeply important to us that our website is accessible to everyone. One thing we made sure of as we were creating our website was to use a high contrast design with large text to cater to those who may be color blind or hard of seeing. This design carries over into a mobile site; as we know, it can be even harder to read small, light-colored text on a phone or tablet.

- Elliott Greenberg, Touchfree Concepts -

On the Recruiterie website,  job seekers can email their resume rather than filling out an online application form. This helps them to easily apply for jobs that employers need to be filled. COVID-19 has left thousands laid off and seeking work, so we want to make sure that job seekers have an inclusive digital experience on our site during these vulnerable times. 

We hope you learned a lot from our friends at Terkel. If you'd like to learn more about web accessibility, visit our dedicated resources area.

To help your company create digital experiences that are inclusive to all, we asked business leaders and PR experts for their best ideas. Here are nine ways to create inclusive digital experiences for your customers.

9 ways to create digital experiences that are inclusive for all

To help your company create digital experiences that are inclusive to all, we asked business leaders and PR experts for their best ideas. From implementing accessible chat features to high contrast design, there are several tips to help you create inclusive digital experiences for your customers. 

Here are nine ways to create inclusive digital experiences for your customers: 

For the last year there has been a greater demand than ever for tools and technology that can help children and young people learn at home and at school. These technologies have made continued education possible during the pandemic. They’ve also helped to decrease learning loss. 

After this unusual year our friends at Tech and Learning Magazine saw it fitting to add a new category to their "Awards of Excellence" program. The new "Best Remote/Blended Learning Tools" category. These awards recognize the work of technology providers, whose solutions were key to delivering continuous learning.

“Despite the many challenges schools have had to face this past year, technology continues to be one of the key drivers for innovation,” says Tech & Learning Group Publisher Christine Weiser. “The winning products recognized here have supported continuous instruction throughout the pandemic, and we expect this momentum to continue into next year and beyond.”

After 40 years of publication - they know what they're talking about. So we were delighted when three of our products were awarded “Best Remote/Blended Learning Tools” across primary and secondary grades. It is important to us that we provide a solution for school pupils of all age groups, from the youngest to the oldest. So to be recognized for our hard work in creating universal tools that can grow with young people is fantastic.

Equatio® lets you make math digitally, helping to make STEM and math classes more accessible and engaging for every student. Equatio will integrate with popular Learning Management Systems and classroom software like Blackboard, Brightspace D2L, Canvas and Schoology. To find out how to make math digital, check out this page for more information.

Tech and Learning judges also selected WriQ® as a standout product. WriQ helps to create better writers, while reducing the time teachers spend correcting and grading work. It can automatically score writing using indicators such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar, vocabulary maturity and time taken.

Students can track how long they can write for, before taking a pause or stopping (a writing burst). Positive nudge notifications prompt them to do a little better every day. They’re only ever in competition with themselves, so there’s no pressure. If you would like to find out more about WriQ, you can check out this product page for more information.

Fluency Tutor®, our reading assessment tool, was also recognized in the Primary Grades category.  Fluency Tutor helps struggling readers, with features including a dictionary, text-to-speech and translation. Teachers can share reading passages with their class and receive recordings of the assigned passages back. It helps to keep students reading, whether they’re in class or at home, and can help to decrease learning loss. To find out how Fluency Tutor works simplyvisit our product page.

As more students slowly return to the school setting, technology can close the gap between home and school. Our CEO Martin McKay recently recorded a podcast looking at the future of education from 2021 onwards.

You can listen to the podcast or view the transcript.

Texthelp products receive Tech and Learning Awards of Excellence

Although we are a BYOD school, for us it’s not about the devices. It’s about the potential of technology to transform the teaching experience. To make sure that students can access learning anytime, anywhere. And for us, that technology and the work we do every day with these tools, has put us in a really strong position to deliver our curriculum. These are the 3 principles that helped us to select and implement the right technology tools across our school:

Authentic agency is important to us, whether you’re a member of staff or a student. We help everyone in our school community understand that and how it can help them. We hear alot about learner agency, but the impact for us is with our staff. When introducing new technology, we’ve learned to meet staff where they’re at, in the same way we would with students. Some staff will jump in and give things a go and others are a bit more reluctant, and that’s ok. There’s no pressure and there’s no expectation because we’re all lifelong learners and we’re all in it together. 

A key thing we learned during remote learning was just how clear our student voice is. There were a number of students who asked for all of their work to be provided up front. They wanted to have agency and planning over their own day, because every home looks different. And the groundwork we had already put in with tools like Read&Write allowed us to be able to meet that demand.

Ensuring success for all means we’ve all got to be on board and we’ve all got to be willing to give things a go. At HPSS, we’re all brave enough to give things a go on a daily basis using the tools that we have. Whether that's EquatIO or whether that's Read&Write, it doesn't matter. What matters is everybody has ownership of what they're managing and what they're trying to do for that particular activity, and I think that’s important.

We learn, we relearn, and then we refine and refine again. We model that every day, in every class. And then suddenly it just becomes what we do. You can hear kids saying “I’ve just made a mistake on that, I need to fix that.” And then you’ve got teachers saying the same things, “I don’t know how to use that. Can you show me?” For us, by modelling the mistakes, by modelling trying new things alongside our learners and colleagues, we’ve all learned to see the positives.

At Hobsonville we apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to all aspects of learning. Part of my role as Learning Support Leader is supporting students with diverse needs but that also falls under the umbrella of inclusivity. And using the principles of UDL means that everybody in a class should be working at the level that works for them, at that time. Using the tools that they have available to make tasks easier and to work more independently.

The great thing about UDL is that the principles apply no matter the subject or the level you’re trying to work to. Because it removes barriers and recognises that every learner is different, leading the way for personalisation. Teachers use UDL to ensure students not only have multiple ways to access learning but different ways to show their understanding too. 

Vanna

Discover the 3 key principles that guide teaching and learning at Hobsonville Point Secondary School in Auckland, to help them select the right EdTech tools for their teachers and students.

Lessons from Hobsonville Point Secondary School

During a panel discussion I took part in recently with Texthelp, we explored how school leaders can use technology to improve learning experiences. Throughout the discussion I was reminded that we are in a unique position here at Hobsonville Point Secondary School (HPSS) in Auckland. We are a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) school and we tailor our programmes to support every student. We know the impact that EdTech tools have on learning and I want to share the key principles that guide us. To help you integrate technology into teaching and learning at your school.

If you work in HR or management, you’re probably familiar with DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). DEI is a commitment to creating work cultures based on fairness. A fair workplace respects its employees’ rights and dignity, offers equal opportunities for progression within the organisation, and is welcoming to people of different backgrounds, circumstances, abilities and ways of thinking. 

Fairness shouldn’t end at the hiring process. A truly supportive workplace provides continual support so that all employees can fulfil their potential.  As a result, supportive workplaces are more successful in retaining and developing their employees. 

In our podcast with Sainsbury’s, we heard about the initiatives the supermarket chain has put in place to support its employees, including those with disabilities, long-term health conditions or neurodiversity.  Inspired by those initiatives, here are six strategies you can implement in your business. 

Investing some time into understanding your employees and their working requirements will help you tailor your workplace setup. Consider having your team members take a workstyle test. Specially formulated for employees, the results will inform management on how best to accommodate their employees’ varied needs. They also make great icebreakers for new recruits and help build team cohesion! 

Many companies assign mentors to new employees to offer them guidance and support in their new role. However it isn’t only during the onboarding process that an employee can benefit from a listening ear. Mentor schemes and support networks build trust, grow office friendships (proven to boost intrinsic motivation and staff retention), and provide an informal space to discuss problems and share those all-important coping strategies.  

Productivity thrives in workspaces that are flexible and fit for purpose. Address whether or not your workplace accommodates a range of workstyles and requirements. For example, the layout of an office can have a huge influence on how employees work and interact. Large, open-plan offices are great for collaborative work and team-building, but can easily become noisy and distracting. These spaces aren’t suitable for tasks that require high degrees of concentration, and can be overwhelming for staff who struggle with sensory processing. 

Remote working has taught us that this principle extends to the virtual workplace. Establish flexible communication channels so colleagues can choose the option that best suits their query. Keep colleagues in the loop with email, chat messengers or Trello boards, and avoid over-scheduling meetings. A calendar overloaded with meetings isn’t the most efficient use of time or resources. 

People do their best work when they are healthy, engaged and motivated. Establish internal initiatives that champion employee health and wellbeing, such as cycle to work schemes, subsidised gym memberships or flexible working options. 

In our podcast with Sainsbury’s Colleague Inclusion and Engagement Executive, we heard how the supermarket has integrated an Employee Assistance Programme into the employee benefits package, making this available to all employees regardless of department or seniority. Not only does this help staff at all levels to feel valued and supported, but it also operates as a key aspect of risk management, catching problems before they develop into more serious issues. As a result, Sainsbury’s saw staff morale and productivity increase, while absenteeism fell. 

Understanding the challenges employees face in the workplace (and the accommodations you can provide) will ultimately pay dividends in staff morale and productivity. You’ll understand your rights and responsibilities as an employer, as well as the strategies you can implement to attract and retain a diverse workforce. 

Awareness days are great opportunities to shed light on issues such as hidden disabilities or neurodivergence, and to signpost staff to the supports available to them. Activities can include lunch-and-learn sessions, a talk from an invited speaker, or a charity fundraising event - anything that gets your team together and thinking about the cause at hand.  Events like this are a great step towards creating a workplace that’s inclusive and understanding of difference, where employees feel able to share their own experiences and ask for help if necessary. 

Ensuring your staff are properly equipped and supported to fulfil their role is part of your responsibility as an employer. For example, staff with visual impairments or dyslexia may benefit from text-to-speech software. The Access to Work Scheme offers workplace assessments for employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions, providing guidance to employees and organisations alike. Where possible, the scheme can also offer grants to cover the cost of assistive technology. 

With these measures in place, employees will feel respected, valued and equipped with the tools they need to produce their best work. 

Partnerships with external organisations can offer a wealth of expertise on inclusion practices. This is especially helpful for small businesses which don’t have a dedicated HR department or DEI specialist. 

One example is the Business Disability Forum, an organisation that connects businesses with the resources they need to support employees with disabilities or long-term conditions. They offer guidance for removing workplace barriers and aiding development at every stage in an employee’s career, from recruitment to retention to promotion. 

Companies can also get onboard with schemes such as the UK government’s Disability Confidence Scheme. These programmes provide a roadmap for making your business more accessible, giving you actionable steps and expert advice. Becoming an accredited Disability Confident employer signals your commitment to fair and inclusive employment, recognising your organisation as one which actively recruits, retains and develops a wide pool of talent. That’s good for you, and your employees. 


Want to learn more about supporting neurodiversity in the workplace? We’ve put together a guide for managers and HR professionals. Or if you’re looking to get started with tools to support your staff, take a look at our Read&Write workplace solution. 

What inclusive strategies can a business take to support its employees? How can technology provide employee support?

Creating a Supportive Workplace

6 Steps towards a Supportive Workplace (inspired by Sainsbury's)

Recently on our Texthelp Talks podcast we were joined by Toby Hopkins, Colleague Inclusion and Engagement Executive at Sainsbury's. As a Texthelp customer, Sainsbury's provide Read&Write as a support tool for their staff - just one of a number of key measures they've taken to create a great place to work. This got us thinking: what does it mean to be an inclusive employer? What does this look like in practice? And how can technology help create more equitable work environments? 

Check out this video to see the Irish voice in action in Read&Write:

Setting up Irish voice and playback in Read&Write for Google Chrome

Texthelp is happy to announce that Read&Write for Google Chrome now supports text-to-speech in Irish! Learn how to start using Read&Write in Irish.

Read&Write now supports text-to-speech in Irish

Read&Write supports text-to-speech in Irish

Texthelp is happy to announce that Read&Write for Google Chrome now supports text-to-speech in Irish! The new update was released last week, in time for Seachtain na Gaeilge. This is especially exciting and long awaited for schools in the Irish-medium sector in Northern Ireland. The update means that we’ll also be able to support Irish Language Learners in all other schools too.

Blog

Teaching the Writing Process Online with Kasey Bell.

9 ways to create digital experiences that are inclusive for all

Texthelp products receive Tech and Learning Awards of Excellence

Lessons from Hobsonville Point Secondary School

6 Steps towards a Supportive Workplace (inspired by Sainsbury's)

Read&Write supports text-to-speech in Irish

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