October, 2008

Apple iPods: More Than Just a Device for Playing Music

Most teens are familiar with the use of the Apple iPod as a way to listen to their favorite music. However, teachers at the Pickerington Local Schools are using iPods to help students with reading disabilities. Students who struggle with reading can hear core novels and literature assignments on iPods. This innovative project was funded in part by a federal Institution of Museum and Library services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio.

Students with reading disabilities often times require specialized software and assistive technologies so they can independently access the printed materials in the classroom.  As students reach preteen and teen years, they sometimes prefer not to use these assistive technologies because it makes them different from their peers.  The iPods are a way to continue to provide reading support during this time, but through a device that most students find socially acceptable. 

Core literature, novels, poems, and books are scanned through a program called Kurzweil.  Kurzweil is an integrated scanning and reading program that converts the scanned text through a process of optical character recognition into digital text. It can then transform this digital text into an MP3 format that can be played by the iPod.  Students must have a qualifying disability to access these derivative formats of copyrighted materials.

Rather than scanning books, online services are sometimes an option for obtaining alternate format materials. Beginning in 2006, The National Instructional Media Accessibility Center began working with publishers to provide textbooks in derivative formats to K-12 schools, specifically for students with qualifying disabilities. Bookshare.org, originally a subscription service, has also become free to qualifying US students, K-12 schools, and post-secondary and adult education as a result of a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs. Bookshare provides a wide range of reading materials in digital format. Students who sign up for Bookshare may download materials directly to home or school computers.

There are many other students besides students with disabilities who can benefit from hearing text. Students who are English as a second language learners may also benefit from alternate formats of text. All students may use derivative formats of materials that are no longer under copyright restrictions, known as public domain materials. There are several agencies that provide public domain materials free and online in a digital format or in some cases in audio format. Two agencies providing materials in mp3 format that can be loaded directly onto iPods include Lit 2 Go and Librivox.

The iPod program has been a huge success at Pickerington Local Schools as both teachers and students have seen the benefits of the alternate format materials. Students and teachers report improved student engagement, comprehension, and overall achievement during core language arts reading assignments. Overall, students with reading disabilities seem more willing to participate in language arts assignments when iPods are a part of the learning experience.