Kurzweil and Cast UDL Reviews

I think Kurzweil is an impressive software that, with time, will become an even more powerful tool in the classroom in terms of differentiating instruction. This software enables any text – science text book, math homework, reading assignment – to be read aloud to the reader. A drawback of the program is that the voice is very mechanical and does not read very fluently nor with much intonation. I also do not think the Tool Bar options are very user friendly. I'd like to see students with special needs using this program. Since it is so popular, it must work and be effective.

Cast UDL

After looking at the different electronic books on the CAST website, I found both positive and negative aspects of the different books. These ebooks would certainly engage readers who may be reluctant to read with a traditional text. Any word can be highlighted and by simply clicking a button, a definition will instantly appear on the screen. This does not encourage using context clues or “fix-up” strategies to clarify comprehension, but it is beneficial for the many words that cannot be deciphered by using context clues. The text-to-speech buttons are a good idea, however, the mechanical computerized voice lacks inflection and is not sensitive to punctuation. It also reads everything on the page including the “d” under each photograph in “Coyotes.” It also continued reading everything that is “hidden” in the support links even if the reader (me) did not click them! It is very distracting and confusing. It is not naturally read and some words are read incorrectly. It is a good idea to have this text-to-speech capability but it cannot replace real human readers with proper fluency.