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"It is not unusual to spot a student using text to speech software on their computer at our school. But, some content is difficult to present to students in a digital format. Scanning textbooks, worksheets and novel studies is time consuming and not always feasible, not to mention that the formatting is not always kept intact. Using the ReaderPen at our school has given students greater independence and frees up Educational Assistant’s time for other students. While showing the ReaderPen to one of my students to use for a math test she responded with “That’s amazing” "
Cathi Graveline, Assistive Technology Specialist Foothills Academy, Calgary AB
"I just wanted to let you know I received the pen and it is awesome! I ordered it for a young lad who I’m tutoring in an attempt to improve his reading skills. He is so excited about the scanning pen, demoing it for his parents, friends & neighbours."
Mary Knowler
"The scanning pens are very accessible; you can bring it with you everywhere and it doesn’t necessarily look like you stand out as a appose to having to bring your computer that’s got your Kurzweil on it and your scanner with it.
I have had students before who have used the Scanning pens, and they have said its brilliant, it has changed their life”
Dr Allyson Harrison, Queen’s University, Kingston
"I can just scan a word on the page with the pen and it will read it to me perfectly and it sticks in my head”
Ryan, Tech Dude
"The ReaderPen helped me while reading some books I was stuck on, I really struggled with books but now I can read books with lots of pages because of the ReaderPen”
Lily, Tech Dude
"I like the features of being able to load your text right onto a computer, and also to speak into it, if there is added information that you want from learning resources”
Marie McCarron, Queen’s University, Kingston
"This device has opened a whole new world of discovery for the adult learner who participated in the trial. What has resulted within the class setting is for the adult learner:
Self-directed learning has shown strong improvement
Compensatory learning style is enhanced with auditory scan
Decoding without the scan pen is a difficult task for reading/related application/ exercises – Scanning Pens allows for immediate understanding and learner is able to complete tasks required
"Learning world" has new sense of discovery and meaning
Reduced the barrier with respect to learning to read/comprehend written text
Improved sense of self-esteem... "I can learn."
No need for tutor assist at this point"
Adult Learners, Miramichi Adult Learning Inc
"I ordered the pen for a student in the Practical Nurse program. She really liked the fact that the pen was able to accurately pronounce most of the medical terms as well as prefixes and suffixes"
Jody Beresford, Learning Strategist Student Development, New Brunswick Community College
"I have utilized the ReaderPens with students in my school and love the fact that we don’t need Wi-Fi to use them. Their use has alleviated student anxiety, is a great tool to boost students’ confidence, and has allowed them to obtain a level of independence by using the text to speech ReaderPen to access printed content"
Susan Deley, SERT, Pelican Falls First Nation High School
"The ReaderPen was very effective when working with an apprentice with severe reading challenges. The pen helped the apprentice access reading materials without the often- lengthy training process required of other technologies as the apprentice had little time for training"
Toby Marritt - Accessibility Counsellor, Mohawk College
"I have a couple students who come to use the pen regularly and it has made a difference for them. They are my English Language Learners - who have strong oral skills but not strong reading skills. It has been particularly helpful in math - where there is a lot of language content and once they understand the question, they can do the activity"
Natalie Walker, Thorn Lodge Public School
"The pens are very intuitive, it was so fun to watch them open up a whole new set of opportunities, I have students who will offer to read aloud during a shared novel and it’s because they have got the ReaderPen, they can scan a word that they think might be difficult prior to having to share their thoughts, they just listen to it and continue going.There is not one student in my classroom who hasn’t improved in their reading levels dramatically, it’s just that tool that travels with them all the time and they have so much confidence in it that they don’t see it as an extension beyond their own brain, they see it as a part of their ability to read"
Stacy Falconer- Tech Dudes Leader
"We do have a few students who are quite enjoying the pen. They are mostly finding it useful for looking up definitions of words that they are unaware of. Typically, they would use their IPad for this, but the Scanning Pen is smaller and more convenient. Occasionally, they use it to decode larger, difficult words, or to check proper pronunciation."
Jeff Hockett - Resource Consultant
"For individuals with literacy difficulties, paper has always been inherently inaccessible. Although traditional text-to-speech programs have allowed students to access the curriculum through the use of a personal computer, paper continues to persist as a reality in the world of communication. The C-Pen Reader, a pocket-sized device that reads text out loud, has opened a new world for students in the Community Integration through Co-operative Education (CICE) Program at Georgian College, breaking down barriers that would otherwise hold them back."
Fernanda Bianconi - Learning & Adaptive Technology Facilitator
"These reading pens widen eyes after a swipe over the text followed by it read aloud. Truly UDL unfolds!"
Judy Sackville - Assistive Technology Lead Halton DSB
“I had a grade 8 student, who is reading at a level 4, use the pen on Friday to access information from a Holocaust book. His grade 8 class is discussing the Holocaust and he has shown a great interest. He was excited to be able to "read" the book, and said, "That pen’s pretty cool!"
Resource Teacher - Simcoe County District School Board
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