Freedom Scientific LSG Presents
The WYNNing Word
November/December 2006

Have you heard?

If you are a WYNN 5.0 customer, you have two exciting options to update to WYNN 5.1:

• Use the FREE UPDATER to download WYNN 5.1 with all the new features, but without any of the new voices, or...
• Take advantage of our special offer to get WYNN 5.1 with all the new features and the new voices for just $35 from now through December 31, 2006.

For more information, please go to Freedom Scientific. Don't miss this deadline for our special offer.

Would you like to know how some of our WYNN users are using our new features to enhance the educational experience?

Students around the world are reading Island of the Blue Dolphins.
This book can be downloaded from Bookshare.org, a fee-based site for books for people with visual or other print disabilities, or it can be scanned using WYNN Wizard.

In one Canadian classroom, Ms. Marie Claire developed a plan to allow all her students the pleasure of reading Island of the Blue Dolphins:

• Save the book into WYNN 5.1 either by downloading or scanning.
• Then using the WYNN 5.1 Web access feature, open a study guide Web site for the book.
• Using the Highlight pens, highlight any questions that you want to use in the book.
• Using the Extract feature on the Web Tool Bar, extract by color into a new WYNN document. This will enable you to refer to the questions without going back to the Web site.
• Using the Study Skills Tool Bar, make either a note or voice note feature to place study guide questions into the book. For a note, copy & paste the question in the open note box.
• Have students answer questions either by highlighting, writing in the note, or creating their own voice note.
• Using the Highlight pens, highlight the vocabulary words in either the online version or the WYNN scanned version. In the scanned version, use the List feature on the Study Skills Tool Bar to create a new document for vocabulary. In the online version, use Extract by color into a new WYNN document.
• Have students use the dictionary feature to copy and paste definitions.
• Print a study guide from the Q&As. Save the document so that the students may listen to it at any time.
• Print a study guide from the vocabulary lists. Save the document so that the students may listen to it at any time.

While listening to the story definitely helps the learning disabled (LD) student, it will also help many other students to enjoy reading.

We all learn differently. Right from when we are little and begin to explore the world, it is apparent that we each find our own path to enriched learning. Using technology helps to address these individual learning styles.

Using WYNN can help bring the joy of learning to any student.

In a high school classroom in America, Mr. John Beckers has his class studying the Civil War. He also wants to reach every student in his class. His LD students rarely participate in discussions nor do they willingly respond to questions. Beckers believes it is their lack of confidence in their reading and comprehension skills that was leading to this lack of interaction.

• Beckers feels he has found a solution for his students: WYNN 5.1 in conjunction with Digital History. This is a Web site using new technologies to enhance
  teaching and research. Beckers chose A House Divided to introduce his class to the Civil War. He used WYNN 5.1 to introduce outlining a chapter to his students.

Here is the plan that Beckers developed to introduce how to outline a chapter:

• Access Digital History using the WYNN 5.1 Web access feature and a projection device.
  This is for a group lesson. This can also be done independently at the student's computer.
• Select A House Divided, then The Impending Crisis. Of course, you may choose any section to read.
• Using the Read feature, have the students listen to the text.
• Using the highlight pens, choose a color to highlight vocabulary words, extract by color into a WYNN document.
• Using the Study Skills Tool Bar, use the dictionary feature to copy and paste a definition next to each word.
• Using the File List, go back to the Web site. Erase vocabulary highlights.
• Using the Highlight feature, choose a color to highlight main ideas and another color for supporting details.
• Select Extract by order into a WYNN document.
• Print a study guide from the vocabulary list. Save the document so the students may listen to it at any time.
• Main and supporting idea document can be used as a study guide and also for a guide for writing summaries. Save the document for future review.

Digital History is a very robust Web site. It is well worth exploring its many interactive options for enhanced learning. The material is rich with information, but can be overwhelming to the struggling student. WYNN 5.1 can help to break down the barriers to understanding the material.

"Kids that have reading and writing problems–if they're provided with the technology that will read to them–it's a given that they are going to comprehend better," said Judy Brady, administrator for assistive technology in Anne Arundel County Schools, Maryland, "It's not that these kids aren't smart," she explained."They can apply the information easily–if they can get it."

This quote is from Tech Helps Special-Needs Kids Pass Key Tests, an article that appeared in eSchool News online in August, 2005. It was referred to again in the October 23, 2006 esn Today, Vol.9 No.40 under News Stories and Best Practices. (See eSchoolNews.com for more information.)

Tip of the Month:

Dynamic Zoning

Here is an idea to try if you are drawing zones that extend beyond the window on your computer screen. Since the window does not automatically scroll down while you are are drawing the zones, it is helpful to have more of the page on the screen. To set WYNN's Exact View to show the entire page, do the following:

1. Choose ADVANCED from the tool bar.
2. Select DYNAMIC ZONING.
3. Select ENABLE DYNAMIC ZONING & SHOW CURRENT ZONES.
4. While in Dynamic Zoning, select VIEW from the tool bar.
5. From the View menu, choose ZOOM EXACT VIEW.
6. Select FIT to HEIGHT.

Keep an Eye on the News

Momentum building for e-books - Texas, California, and Philcomcast are leading the way. (See eSchoolNews.com for more information.)

Archives of WYNNing Word Articles

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About Freedom Scientific LSG:

Freedom Scientific, Learning Systems Group, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, provides products that are acclaimed for their easy-to-use interface, innovative technology, and flexible but powerful features. Designed by educational experts to enhance the learning process for struggling students, WYNN provides reading and writing solutions. Freedom Scientific LSG also created TestTalker, which provides test-taking preparations and worksheet completion. To find out more about our products, please visit us at www.freedomscientific.com/lsg.