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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So far in 2018, we have incorporated two key features into EquatIO that help break down barriers to digital math. The first was the launch of EquatIO Mobile, which brings STEM content from the physical world into the digital one.

The second was the ability to easily create multiple lines of math, which can be right-aligned, left-aligned, or aligned by the equals sign. This update made the creation of digital math more intuitive, making it easier for students to show their work just as they would on a piece of paper.

Today, I’m excited to announce the next feature update to help make creating digital math delightful, intuitive and fun: the addition of EquatIO mathspace into the EquatIO for Google toolbar.

With this integration, students can insert an EquatIO mathspace directly into the Google Workspace for Education app or PDF they’re working on, enabling them to provide more detailed and robust responses to STEM problems. That’s because EquatIO mathspace is a limitless workspace where students can combine equations, sketches, diagrams and more to help them fully explore the STEM concepts and express their thinking in the manner they prefer.

Once the student has inserted the EquatIO mathspace into their Google Workspace for Education app or PDF, it can be seamlessly edited just like any other piece of math created with EquatIO. Simply select “Edit Math” and the EquatIO mathspace will open up in a new tab for further edits.

I can’t wait to see how your students’ engagement with STEM evolves thanks to this new integration!

We have also added powerful Smart Shapes into EquatIO mathspace, including a protractor, number line, and grid.

The protractor allows students to measure a digital shape’s angles in both degrees and radians.

The number line is perfect for younger students or visual learners who are studying addition, subtraction, negative numbers, or word problems.

The grid is great for allowing younger learners to create counting arrays and older students to model ratio and proportion problems or geometry problems.

Looking for more tips on how to use EquatIO and all its features in the classroom? Check out Ben Rouse's pre-recorded webinar series on how to make math digital in your classroom. Ben is a renowned educator and technology specialist who now works as a Google for Education trainer with AppsEvents. So, he knows what he's talking about! Access the series right here.

EquatIO for Google, Meet EquatIO mathspace

EquatIO has been evolving ever since its launch just over a year and a half ago. One of the main goals we’ve been working to achieve through these updates is to make creating digital math delightful, intuitive, and fun. We have already made a lot of progress towards that goal and this latest update brings us even closer.

Feature management is important during testing scenarios, for example, when teachers don’t want students to use a dictionary or other support feature while they’re taking a test. Historically, it has been difficult to turn a Read&Write feature on or off for just that one class or group of students without impacting students in other classrooms. 

And usage data is important in helping teachers and administrators better understand how much Read&Write is being used. For students that are required to have access, it has been difficult to know if, when, and how they are actually using the tool.

That’s where Data Desk, a feature and data management tool for Read&Write for Google Chrome, comes in. With Data Desk, teachers using Google Classroom can simply pick a class, select individual (or all) students in that class, and choose which features should or should not be available to those students. Teachers can even set a time limit for how long they’d like the new feature set to be active. 

Similarly, teachers can choose the analytics tab, followed by a class or students, to view usage data over a specific time period. Once selected, click the “Get Data” button. Depending on the time period and number of students selected this could take a couple of minutes to generate.

Data is available from February 15th, 2019 onward. 

Data Desk is currently available to customers with Group or Unlimited licenses that use Google Classroom. If you don’t have Google Classroom yet, it is available for free to all Google Workspace for Education customers. All you have to do is log in with your school account, and you’re good to go.

From there, you can set up Data Desk. To get started, teachers will need to visit datadesk.texthelp.com and sign in with their Google ID. A Google Classroom permission request will appear. Accepting the permissions will allow Data Desk to display the teachers’ classes, along with the list of students in those classes.*

Once the classes are imported, the teachers simply select which class or individual students they want to modify features for or collect usage data on and follow the instructions provided. Note that for feature management, unless a timer is set, all features that are unchecked will remain unavailable to selected students until they are changed back by an educator.

For more information, check out this short video demonstrating how Data Desk works.

Read&Write for Google Chrome™ - Data Desk

With Data Desk, teachers using Google Classroom can simply pick a class, select individual (or all) students in that class, and choose which features should or should not be available to those students.

Manage Read&Write for Google Chrome Features with Data Desk

Manage Features and View Analytics with the New Data Desk!

Two of the most common requests we’ve gotten from Read&Write for Google Chrome users has been 1) an easy way to manage which features students can access, and 2) the ability to view usage data. 

Why have these requests been in such high demand? Read on to find out.

Understanding axes, as an example, is a fundamental but once mastered I certainly resented time lost as students had to draw them when we would investigate linear and quadratic equations. Digital tools allowed me to explore “what if…” and “how could we…” questions with my classes, building understanding as well as fluency.

Ultimately though, math is a language of the universe and a written discipline isn’t it? My own opinion on this was turned in 2014 while attending an AppsEvents summit in Prague. After my own sessions, I attended a session by John McGowan, who was sharing his use of g(Math), an add-on for some Google tools that allowed you to more easily write math into documents. His use of g(Math) was pretty embedded… as he was the guy that created it!

It wasn’t long before John and his innovative edtech joined the ranks of Texthelp, in order to lead the math efforts of the company alongside its literacy and fluency tools. John’s 16 years of experience as a math teacher would prove very handy indeed, as g(Math) began to evolve and flourish into EquatIO (which now has close to 2 million users around the world!).

The key to the development of this tool wasn’t just John’s technical insight and determination, but also the approach he took to instruction. Opening up math to be problem-solving lends it to digital tools, and so, there began my own use of digital tools in the math classroom.

Now, I am privileged to be able to share how G Suite can be used in your classroom, especially effective when you add in Texthelp’s set of accessibility tools which include Equatio for writing, speaking, drawing and predicting mathematics, its mathspace platform for developing investigations, assessment, and problem-solving, as well as Read&Write to provide accessibility to math content and to subjects across the curriculum.

In this series of four short videos, I showcase some simple ways teachers can use Equatio (free for teachers) to add mathematics to their documents, slides, and forms. Then, we explore how digital tools can provide better accessibility for diverse learners to be more engaged with the subject and move the onus away from teachers to provide specific, accessible content. We explore Google Classroom, the mission control for teachers using Google Workspace for Education and how you can integrate mathspace and other tools. Finally, discover how flipped learning, by pre-loading instruction, enables learners to come ready to apply themselves in your lessons. Through Google Classroom, YouTube and accessibility tools like Read&Write, your math curriculum can become more differentiated, accessible and provide the chance for learners to get to that penny dropping moment by giving them ownership of their learning.

I am privileged to be able to share how G Suite can be used in your classroom, especially effective when you add in Texthelp’s set of accessibility tools which include Equatio for writing, speaking, drawing and predicting mathematics.

Digital Tools in the Math Classroom

As a Google Certified Trainer, I get to visit schools and work with teachers to integrate Google Workspace for Education, Google’s set of collaborative cloud-based tools. I got into this line of work thanks to a Gmail account I set up in 2011 to get lesson feedback from my classes via a Google form. These were my math classes, having taught the subject from 2004 to 2017. My use of digital tools in math came from wanting to move from the practice to the application more efficiently.

Dr Farouk El Baz, former NASA scientist for the Apollo missions who is now a research professor and director of the Centre for Remote Sensing at Boston University said “We have seen people bring back languages that have been dead for thousands of years. Arabic is not dead, so it should be much easier to improve it.”

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and Department of Knowledge in Abu Dhabi (ADEK) have focused on Arabic and Islamic studies to give schools the opportunity to implement new and improved teaching methods in the classroom. The Living Arabic forum is just one of the many initiatives to propagate the language use in the UAE.

But the implementation wasn’t smooth, there were a lot of challenges that the educators faced in teaching Arabic to pupils.

Challenges in Learning the Arabic Language

It is difficult for parents to choose the best school for their children, especially for local families. They want their children to have the best Arabic-centred curriculum yet taste international education as well. Parents want the best of both worlds for their children. 

Arabic is a dynamic language. It is not easy to learn, especially for children. With restricted classroom learning for just a few hours in one week, it is definitely hard to learn. Parents can choose Arabic language schools which follow the Ministry of Education’s curriculum, but often turn to low-rated schools as a result. Arabic is the language of the country, but most students don’t speak it outside.

The demand for highly-trained Arabic teachers is one of the major dilemmas in the UAE. Some teachers are not trained to teach Arabic and are stuck in old methods. There isn’t enough enrichment happening in the curriculum.

The materials used to teach the Arabic language in the UAE also contribute to students’ lack of initiative in learning Arabic. The old materials or old texts used can put off students. If teachers start with texts that are a hundred years old then move on to modern materials, children will feel alienated to use them.

Most students are afraid to embrace foreign words.  English is the universal language and the standard business language in the UAE. Most subjects are taught in English. So how can children, especially non-native speakers embrace a totally foreign language apart from their own?

Creating an Arabic pride among children is hard especially in a society like UAE where everything is being spoken in English. Students learn to think in their own language and it’s really hard to think in another language when you’re not taught about it.

The government of the UAE wants to position Arabic as a universal language and a language of science and culture. Indeed, Arabic is the language of the future.

Schools should take action and teach Arabic to non-native Arabic speakers through activities ensuring the language is attractive to the student. Arabic culture should be deeply integrated with the curriculum as an engaging topic.

Similarly, teachers should work together to ensure students love Arabic learning. They should start thinking of improving ways to teach Arabic to students.

Educators have to show the students the positive points of learning other languages. Learning shouldn’t be limited to just books and pens. Teachers should also be refreshed to teach Arabic and teach other subjects in the language. Children should be encouraged to read Arabic texts and the media in the UAE should support this.

Instead of moving from ancient Arabic materials to the modern texts, teachers should move from modern text which students can relate to, then move to old texts. Learning Arabic is surprisingly easy as most Arabic words are also adopted by other languages. This is how a language evolves.

Now available in Arabic and English, Read&Write is perfect for students of all ages and abilities, offering exceptional bilingual support to give every learner the chance to reach their full potential in the classroom, regardless of ability or mother tongue.

By integrating the Arabic language with a comprehensive and powerful set of classroom support tools, students are empowered to take ownership of their work without sacrificing the nuances of spoken and written Arabic; allowing learners to explore subjects in detail, with confidence and independence.

Developed to offer students the chance to think about, study, and produce work in both Arabic and English, Read&Write's dedicated Arabic support helps learners to:

Study in class and at home with confidence and independence

A simple, easy-to-use toolbar, Read&Write also helps improve comprehension, literacy and fluency in line with the KHDA Inclusive Education Policy. Used by over 16 million worldwide, Read&Write has been supporting students for over 20 years.

To find out how Read&Write could help you, contact row@texthelp.com for a demo, pilot, or any enquiries.

Fazreen Razeek from Edarabia.com has served the education industry for over 5 years. He collaborates and works alongside education-marketing agencies, event organizers, and educational Institutions ranging from nurseries, schools, and universities to develop and execute their marketing strategies. He is extremely passionate about education technology and also writes for various local and international publications. A graduate with High Distinction from the Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, Fazreen holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in Marketing & Management.

The Growing Demand for Arabic Education in the Middle East

Despite the huge expat population, the Arabic language is alive and well in the UAE. It is embedded in the education system in hopes of cultivating the language even to young, non-native speakers. Fazreen Razeek considers the challenges and solutions for marrying a comprehensive, future-facing educational model with the Arabic language.

Tools that check for spelling or grammar errors are nothing new, but what about phonetic spelling, homophones or other confusable words? That’s where Check It comes in. Check It is Read&Write’s new and improved spelling, grammar, and confusable word tool that allows users to be notified of potential errors as they type.

Using our own spell check engine designed for individuals with diverse learning needs, Check It is continually being updated with additional grammar and spelling rules and exceptions to better meet the needs of our users.

With this update comes Check It for Google Docs. Simply open the Read&Write for Google Chrome toolbar and click the Check It icon to enable the tool. You’ll then see any spelling and other errors marked with a purple underline.

Click on any underlined word to see suggested edits. Within the list of suggestions, you can use other Read&Write tools like the Dictionary, Picture Dictionary, and Translator to help you make the right selection.

Did Check It mark a word as an error that wasn’t really an error? Not a problem. Just click ‘Ignore All’ to ignore the error in the current Google Doc, or click ‘Add to Dictionary’ to add the word to your custom dictionary so that it is never marked as an error again.

Check out this short, how-to video to learn more.

Read&Write for Google Chrome - Check It Overview

Similar to Read&Write for Google, Check It in Read&Write for Windows and Mac works right inside of Microsoft Word on your Windows or Mac computer, underlining any spelling, grammar or confusable word errors in purple. By clicking on the underlined word, you can get a list of suggested corrections, ignore errors and add words to your custom dictionary in real-time while you work.

Check It also works in other programs, so even if you’re outside of Word, you’re covered. With Read&Write for Windows, just select some text and click the Check It icon on the toolbar. This will open up an external Check It window - a one-stop-shop that takes you through your errors one at a time and includes built-in dictionary definitions and descriptions of your errors. When you’re finished, you’ll see your revisions automatically added to your work. If you prefer this format, you can opt to use the Check It window when you’re working in Microsoft Word as well.

Read&Write for Mac offers a similar experience when using Check It in other desktop programs outside of Microsoft Word. Just select your text and click the Check It icon to open up the external Check It window, correct your errors, and return to your document with error-free writing.

If you’ve been using the beta version of Read&Write for Windows, you’ll just need to do one quick thing to get the official Check It feature once you’ve updated Read&Write. Just go to the Settings menu, and in the “Check It” section turn off “Classic Spell Check”. All other users of Read&Write for Windows and Mac will get Check It automatically on their toolbar.

Check It will replace ‘Spell Check’ on the Read&Write for Windows toolbar, and both ‘Spell Check’ and ‘Similar Word Checker’ on the Read&Write for Mac toolbar.

Additional updates to some of your favorite features

In addition to completely new functionality like Check It, we’ve also packed in several updates to tools you’re already familiar with.

Is your Internet speed running slow or do you need text to speech while on the go? Now Read&Write for Google Chrome includes offline voices that can be used when you don’t have Internet. Available for Chrome OS, Windows, and Mac, offline voices allow you to take advantage of additional voices whether you’re online or off.

With Screen Masking, you can now choose from additional colors, reset the tool to its default state, and select a new transparent option directly from the options panel. Coming directly from customer feedback, these options will help to make Screen Masking much more intuitive for a variety of users.

It’s now easier to see what translations are available in Read&Write. In the Options tab, under Speech - Translation, you can now see the English description of every language available. This means that even if you don’t speak the language that your student or colleague needs, you can still find it in the list of available languages.

Texthelp’s PDF Reader is now compatible with EquatIO, our digital STEM solution. Thanks to this integration, students can have math within a PDF read aloud accurately for increased comprehension. Plus, they can input math directly into the PDF through a variety of different methods including dictation, handwriting, and more. Learn more about the update here.

In Read&Write for Windows, we’ve added several new voices including Italian, German, Polish, Scottish, and more. These voices are perfect for having foreign language content read aloud, or for international students reading content in their native language.

With the release of Apple’s latest Mac operating system, Mojave, we’ve updated Read&Write for Mac to ensure it’s compatible with this latest OS. This update to version 7.1 is now available - you’ll get a notification on your toolbar to update automatically, or you can download the latest version from our website.

All new features and updates mentioned above will be rolling out to customers automatically over the next few weeks. Please note, Check It is a premium feature of Read&Write. To learn more about which features are included in a premium license and how to access them for both teachers and students, please visit our website.

It’s that time of year again! With school back in session, we’re bringing new updates to over 15 million Read&Write users across the globe. Over the next few days, customers will see a new spelling and grammar check tool, additional updates to commonly used tools, and more!

Check out these Back to School Updates to Read&Write

International Literacy Day, which takes place every year on September 8th, was founded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to “remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.” This year, the theme of International Literacy Day is “Literacy and skills development.”

At one time, a literate person was one who was able to sign a document. Today, the definition includes a variety of functions in different literacy contexts, both print and digital. Changes to society have determined what is deemed important - and so influence what is being taught in our educational institutions. 

At Texthelp, we believe there’s a whole world of potential avid readers and fluent writers, waiting to emerge with the assistance of the right tools and encouragement. On International Literacy Day, we are reminded how important it is to give those individuals the tools they need to succeed. This is because, despite great advances in international literacy within today's world, the statistics as recently reported by Audry Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, are still quite staggering. 

In her message for International Literacy Day 2018, Azoulay reports that around 617 million children and adolescents worldwide are still not achieving the minimum skills in literacy and numeracy, and that 750 million young people and adults still cannot read and write. The effects of low literacy have far-reaching consequences: ”These seriously debilitating shortcomings lead to a de facto exclusion from society and perpetuate a spiral of social inequalities and gender inequalities.” 

More specifically, in line with this year’s Literacy and Skills Development theme, low literacy skills also affect Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) learners. Recent studies show that a lack of literacy skills impedes students from fully benefiting from TVET learning programs, leading to higher unemployment rates.

This problem is only amplified by how quickly society is evolving. Digital technology is transforming the workforce, making it even more challenging to prepare young people for careers that are constantly changing or may not even exist yet.

That’s why literacy skills are even more important than ever. While careers, job skills and societal norms may be in flux, literacy is the constant that can pave the way to employment, inclusion, and success.

Although arguably technology has contributed to some of the challenges we face, it can also be part of the solution. It breaks down barriers to literacy and encourages lifelong learning for all. It offers personalized supports for everyone at all stages of their lives - including those with learning disabilities or lower literacy levels. 

High school students from Mary McDowell Friends School, a New York City school for students with learning disabilities, use technology to help them meet regular diploma requirements. With technology, these students are able to graduate, attend higher education institutions, and enjoy successful academic careers that prepare them for the workforce. 

Consider legal professional, Fui Amevor - a law graduate and dyslexic, overcomes reading and writing challenges daily with the use of technology. As a constant support aid and lifelong learning tool, technology helps further Fui’s career - a legal career that would not have been an obvious choice when faced with literacy challenges growing up. 

The possibilities with literacy and technology are endless. And we’re only at the beginning. 

With the right digital tools, individuals can gain the literacy skills they need to succeed. Because literacy is the key to advancement. As we say here at Texthelp, from literacy to life.

Literacy skills are more important than ever. While careers, job skills and societal norms may be in flux, literacy is the constant that can pave the way to employment, inclusion, and success.

Blog

EquatIO for Google, Meet EquatIO mathspace

Manage Features and View Analytics with the New Data Desk!

Digital Tools in the Math Classroom

The Growing Demand for Arabic Education in the Middle East

Check out these Back to School Updates to Read&Write

Developing literacy skills in today's digital world

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