Well the name of the item isn’t really “Super Pen” But I just can imagine putting one of these in the hands of one of my students. In my mind this is what he called it so that is the title of this blog.
The article http://jset.unlv.edu/20/JSETv20n1.pdf is rather long. If you’d like to read it, it’s on pages 31-40 in the Journal of Special Education Technology (Hey, perfect! Right?). The title of this research is, “The Compensatory Effectiveness of the Quicktionary Reading Pen II on the Reading Comprehension of Students with Learning Disabilities.” And I know now that you’ve gotten through the title you’re thinking I’m crazy if I think you’re going to read through this whole article (It’s okay). Basically a study was done to see how effective this new OCR pen is for students with learning disabilities. In the past there was somewhat conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of the pen. This one is different because students are intended to use it to decode single words, not entire phrases of text which can interfere with comprehension. The pen is connected to an ear bud which allows a student to use the device privately. The research points out that students with reading disabilities often have no trouble understanding spoken language so if you can aid a student with the reading aspect, then comprehension will follow. Thirty children ages 10-18 were trained on how to use the pen. Then, students were tested twice using the Formal Reading Inventory (FRI). Students scored significantly better when using the pen. Obviously there is more to the research than this short summary but the important part is that the research indicates that this pen can benefit students with reading disabilities. My thoughts upon reading this research went immediately to my students, not now but in the future. While they are in my classroom, I know I can help them get through their reading assignments. I accommodate in every way possible. But I also know that the time will come when they leave my school and hopefully attend a regular high school. A device like this would be a fantastic tool for students who just need a little extra help but who, at the age of 14 or 15, don’t want to ask someone to read a word for them. It grants independence while aiding studying and comprehension. The best part is, it’s so small and portable that peers may as well not know it exists. I know for my students, it is important for them to feel “normal” around their peers. They don’t want others to know they need help. I did some further research and this pen is available for around $275 (some cheaper on ebay) which if it helps a student, is really a small price to pay for the potential benefits.
2 comments:
What a great device! So let me see if I have this right - students use the pen to tell them what a certain word is? Is it just meant for if they don't understand a word or two in a sentence or to read the entire passage to them?
I agree that it is very important for students to be able to use this item discretely and to feel "normal." A few of special education kids fight leaving the room on quiz and tests days to have it read to them. They don't like being "different." This tool could help alot of them be able to stay in the general ed room.
I surely see a need for this in the grades where content reading is so important. It is a shame that it is so expensive. That always frustrates me with educational products. We are not huge corporations with funds to spend. I know I sound like a broken record but again, this also sounds like a great tool for ESOL. Since the study was with students with challenges, I wonder about the use with younger students
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