On the textbook website in chapter 2, in the Assistive Technologies Corner, there is a link to a page all about iCommunicator 5.0, which is an amazing software program that converts speech to text or video sign language. This technology is for helping people with hearing disabilities. The page is the iCommunicator website, and it is a really useful tool for finding out everything you would want to know about this technology. There is a video presentation right on the opening page, and tabs on the top banner that take me to different pages within the website. People wishing to purchase this software can even do so right on this website! The great thing about this product is that it works both ways. You can translate speech to text/video, or text to computer-speech.
The iCommunicator would be a useful tool to have in my classroom if I had a deaf student. However, I believe that it would be even more useful in an elementary class or a secondary English classroom. I probably will not be making my math students write too many papers, but they will need to be able to use technologies in my classroom. I am aware the the software has a built-in thesaurus and dictionary, however I would be interested in contacting the manufacturers to see whether or not it has an equation editor within it, so that students can use math speech and have that be translated into equations. The new technologies being developed to assist in special education are astounding to me! I cannot wait to see what the future holds for further development, because I want to be knowledgeable about the best ways to help my special needs students have a great learning experience.
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