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We are looking at early identification as part of the response to intervention so that
you don't have students in that gap widen and widen and widen
to the point where they become frustrated or disenchanted and give up.
So the district has already made a big push to have a
bring your own device program. And to have that technology
already in the classrooms being used on a regular basis.
It (Bookshare) will just be an extension of that to meet the needs of those students
with dyslexia or students with reading deficits or reading disorders or
or reading disabilities or other
issues that impact their ability to read independently.
Part of that has been laid by the Dyslexia Coordinator for our district,
where we've set up some systematic things to make sure that once the
program is fully implemented,
that the teachers are not encountering a bunch of obstacles being able to
have that access for the students. And being able to be champions of the program.
Because if they have the belief in it, then
the students will have the belief in it and the parents will have belief in it and
it all kind of works together where it feeds on itself and just
grows and grows.
This becomes a part of the way we instruct, as opposed to being
the latest technology piece that's come down and we're going to
try for a little bit and then move on to something else.
This is going to be part of the culture -- a part of the instructional piece we're going to have,
so that when you are encountering a student that is
having difficulty, you already have some options or ideas and say, "Okay
this would be a good fit and I know how this will work with my instruction."
And then it (Bookshare) can be used not just in reading, but across those content areas.
I think that's probably the other thing -- is to get people to understand that it's not just
about reading in the reading class or a reading in the English course,
because reading occurs in all content areas.So they're using it more and becoming
more proficient. Becoming more proficient makes them more
independent and more confident.
And then they are able to have bigger goals than maybe they had before.
They are not going to be limited because they are only able to read one passage.
Or thinking, "I'm reading so much slower then everyone else, so my
goals have to be smaller or they have to
be less challenging." So I think this will give them the confidence to
be able to face those challenges.
To be able to say, "Hey...you know, I'm not only a smart person, but
I'm a good reader and I can attack anything that comes my way!"