OK, we are all confirmed read-a-holics, right? So the past few weeks have been interestingly loaded with brushes with new technologies in reading...
Kindle: My brother recently purchased this gadget, as he travels a TON and is also an avid reader. It got a bit cumbersome to lug books, and often difficult to keep something new with him. I haven't heard much from him on how this works, but I am curious. Ann Althouse, on the other hand, doesn't approve at all! Have any of you tried this?
Online Reading Tests: M's school rolled out a new standardized test last year - all online. As I am a web pusher, one would think I would be fond of this. Well, I'm not. After M came home from the test once, I asked how it was. "Mom, we had to read on the computer. How are we supposed to do that??" was the answer... I had the chance to see the sample test, then asked to see the real test. Not impressed. I do web reading usability/accessibilty testing for a living - and these screens would've failed big time. I have talked to the test developing company and the district test coordinator. They assure me the new version of the test for next year is better, but won't show me sample screen shots! grrrr. So, in the meantime, I am not putting much weight into the reading score for this test. What do you all think a:bout testing reading skills online?
Small Victory: As many of you know, M has a minor reading disability that makes it uncomfortable for her to read. We just got an official, on paper, accomodation that she can use audio books/materials in place of written! Our biggest ally is M's current teacher whose daughter has a visual impairment. She's been a huge help.
Phew.. that was long!
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4 comments:
Have I bored you to death with my passionate love for Audible.com? I have even met someone who recommended using it with actual books for her kids who have trouble reading.
This is also what I use instead of a Kindle--I already have the iPod, so the only cost is the download.
I, too, share your love for Audible.com! My kids love to answer the question, "What's on Your iPod?" In their case, it's all books!
I'm not familiar with audible.com, but may have to check it out--I am still in the learning stages of my mp3 life...for instance, if I download a book, can I delete it later to free up space for something else? And what a great idea, cateross, about using it as a read-along for someone with difficulty or reluctance with reading. I'm not too familiar with Kindle either, except fairly recently, I had received an email from Amazon assuring me they were back in stock!
J. has had online reading tests, I think it's one or two of the standardized ones, for most of middle school. I was impressed with the information when they originally told us about it, that the test changes as they answer to help challenge them but stay at their level as well? For instance, vocab. words they are understanding correctly will lead them to more difficult vocab. The test supposedly would be different for each one. Kind of reminded me of the different levels of those STAR reading test in elementary school. I took a few of those as a library worker, and they were tough~
I used to worry more about those tests with the bubbles you fill out--always concerned they would skip a question and not skip a line on the answer sheet....
That's good news for M too. Was it something that took a long time to OK? It seems schools are more open to making some of those allowances now, certainly more than when we were kids.
I didn't know anything about Kindle, so I just read the info about it on Amazon. I can see the appeal as a cool gadget, or if one travels a lot and prefers not to carry multiple books. But reading from a screen seems terribly unappealing.
My kids have somehow never gotten interested in listening to books unless an actual person is reading them. We put some audiobooks on our iPod for a plane trip, but there were no takers. Our only success was listening to "James and the Giant Peach" in the car on the way to upstate NY last summer. No idea why it's not appealing to them. Maybe if we got them their own iPods??
Re: testing. I only know about this kind of "smart" testing from SATs and GREs, but I haven't experienced them personally. I hate the idea of not being able to go back and double-check; it goes against all the standardized testing strategies I learned (answer easy ones first, go back through and take more time on harder ones, etc.).
Good to hear that M. has a champion who was willing to back her cause. I hope that this will help give her more confidence. My niece had a similar experience with a teacher who allowed her to do creative, open-ended assignments that showed her strengths rather than her struggles.
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